BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – It was a gorgeous day of sunshine at the Burlington Waterfront for Memorial Day, and a long-awaited one, after what felt like weeks of clouds and rain.

People were up and down the waterfront all day getting ice cream, going to the park and getting out on Lake Champlain for the first time this season.

“We spent a lot of time indoors. We are running out of board games to play. So it is nice to get outside today,” said Taira Mandy of South Burlington.

Monday’s sunshine was a welcome treat for many on Burlington’s waterfront. Mandy hopes the warm weather is here to stay.

“We packed a picnic and we just came out to enjoy the nice weather. Enjoy the views, soak in the sun. We were so excited to see in the forecast that Memorial Day was going to be nice and sunny. The last few weeks have been rainy,” said Mandy.

This is the first weekend all of the Champlain Fleet Club’s locations have opened. Staff saw members getting out on the water all day long.

Captain Daniel McGill spent his morning preparing his sailboat for passengers later in the day. He says sunny skies make for a better trip.

“It will be very nice to get out in the sun. There isn’t much wind right now, but I think that will probably fill in in the afternoon. The last week and a half of rain has been a little rough. We have had some cancellations,” said McGill.

Others took a ride on the bike path, soaking up every bit of time they could outside.

“It has been brutal all around. We are fired up, man. Great week. I think it is going to be high 70s and low 80s this week. We are going to be out a lot, taking advantage of the beautiful weather,” said George Snook of Massachusetts.

And it looks like Tuesday is shaping up to be another nice, sunny day too.

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