In the late 1970s my parents bought a summer cabin on Fourth Lake. Calling it a summer cabin is high praise because it was little more than a shack. But it was only a five-minute run from the front door to the lakefront for five-year-old me and that made me look forward to our time there. I still loathed the drive.
Adirondacks’ signature style leans toward woodsy, of course, and if you’re in search of a store that features all things bark, twig, stuffed, feathered, leathered and then some, Dartbrook Rustic Goods, in Keene, is the place to go.
Strong Rope Taproom occupies what was once the Elbow Room, a beloved Blue Mountain Lake bar built in 1936.
Vacationers can once again linger on the lodge porch and, through a cathedral of sky-high trees, take in the mountains and lovely Schroon Lake.
What surprises me is that in the Adirondacks I feel the most sentimental attachment to a human-made structure. And I don’t mean my cabin: I mean the century-old, wooden four-story Adirondack Hotel.
Outings to some of the prettiest easy-access places in the park, plus hikes, history, pit stops and more.
The abandoned Agway in Crown Point, originally an early-19th-century mill, has been dusted off and beautifully restored as War Cannon Spirits, a coffeehouse/bar, restaurant, event space and tasting room for the operation’s farm-to-glass whiskey.
Choosing a favorite is highly subjective—often a happy blend of personal preferences and family traditions—but what follows is a sampling of likely contenders.
Although this beloved Fourth Lake resort has been in operation since 1895, when it was known as Camp Monroe, Vikings didn’t land here until 1945.
One of the most beloved rituals in this, the season of campfire nights, is hunting for a proper roasting stick, whittling it to perfection, then charring your own bun-sized dinner over the flames. But here in the birthplace of the American vacation, our love for the most All-American of eats goes well beyond the campground.
You, too, can spice up your leisure time with small adjustments to your methods and mindset. Below are some high points of my Adirondackpalooza to help spark fresh explorations.
“I love the look of the lavender against the mountains,” says Lindsey Pashow, owner of Adirondack View Lavender. Pashow grew up on this 13-acre Keeseville property, but she and her parents, both retired teachers, didn’t start planting their fragrant crop on a portion of the farm until 2018.
Lost hikers, splintered bones and wildfires—a forest ranger reflects on more than two decades of coming to the rescue. Plus the oldest tavern in the Adirondacks, a trip through James Bond’s Lake George, and new energy in Schroon Lake.
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