# We're In The Adirondacks!



## Acadia Hiker (May 29, 2007)

We're staying at the Whiteface Mountain KOA. Nice wooded campground. So far the kids like it here. Looking forward to a week of hiking and general site seeing.

We decided at the last minute to leave a night early and stayed at a really nice place in south east NY state called Tall Pines Campground in Sidney. REALLY nice place. I'd go back there again in a second if it were a bit closer to home. Lots of activities for the kids and we had _awesome _wings delivered right to our campsite.

I'll update from here nightly for those interested in hearing our adventures...


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## wolfwood (Sep 19, 2005)

Whiteface Mountain







That's the 1st place I ever went to camp as a kid - - - a riding camp right at the base. I was 8y/o and we found it again for the first time last summer!!! It's now the private home of the then-camp owner's daughter....who has a really cool art shop in town (at the corner just before Santa's Village....I think there's....YES there is.... a chocolate shop next door). While you're there, You can drive up the mountain then go INTO the mountain and climb to the summit. from inside, spend some time peering down at the valley,then walk back down to your car. Ausable Chasm is a really cool walk deep in the gorge and you're VERY close to the Lake Placid Olympic Village, as well. Oh yeah....and they have Tim Horton's there, too (NOT FAIR!!) If you're into fishing, there is also some of the best fishing to be found in the back woods of the Adirondacks!! Of course, the entire region is also ripe for kicking back in your camp chair and just relaxing


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## ember (Jan 17, 2008)

I'll 2nd Wolfwood on the Ausable Chasm!! A nice walk with an optional raft ride. We've done it a couple of times. I for one am looking forward to your nightly updates!! Have fun!!
TTFN
Ember


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## Acadia Hiker (May 29, 2007)

Explored Lake Placid yesterday. Rainy weather. We want to hike, but don't want to get caught in the wilderness in a thunderstorm, especially with two young boys. Still lots of time to do it. The forecast for the rest of the week is looking promising.

We're off to the Adirondack Mountain Museum for the day.


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## Moosegut (Sep 24, 2005)

We love the Adirondacks. have a great time and keep enjoying it. We leave Saturday for two weeks at Schroon Lake, NY. Can't wait.


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## Acadia Hiker (May 29, 2007)

Went to the Adirondack Museum in Blue Mountain. Took 1 1/2 hours to get there. It was nice, but it wasn't worth the time and money to get there. If we were closer, I would recommend it, but from here it was a bit long. I would have rather been on a trail. Ended up being an all-day event. There were some nice things about it.

Stopped for dinner in Lake Placid on the way back. Ended up at "Pirate's Cove Mini-Golf." So far we've played the courses in Bar Harbor, Orlando, and now here. So far, Bar Harbor is the best. Beautiful rainbow in the sky most of the time. I didn't bring my USB cable, otherwise I'd post some pictures. That will have to wait until we get home.

Hopefully some trails tomorrow!!!


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## MaeJae (May 12, 2005)

It sounds like you are having a great adventure....
Pictures??? ... yup, we will be waiting.









MaeJae


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## Airboss (Jul 14, 2007)

MaeJae said:


> It sounds like you are having a great adventure....
> Pictures??? ... yup, we will be waiting.


Um, yeah...where are the pictures!?!


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## bradnjess (Mar 25, 2007)

Acadia Hiker said:


> I didn't bring my USB cable, otherwise I'd post some pictures. That will have to wait until we get home.
> 
> Hopefully some trails tomorrow!!!


Come on as if we're not jealous enough, find a RadioShack and really make us jealous. Sounds like you're have a great time I hope the weather cooperates for the rest of your time there. Have fun.

Brad


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## Stan (Aug 9, 2006)

Acadia Hiker said:


> Went to the Adirondack Museum in Blue Mountain. Took 1 1/2 hours to get there. It was nice, but it wasn't worth the time and money to get there. If we were closer, I would recommend it, but from here it was a bit long. I would have rather been on a trail. Ended up being an all-day event. There were some nice things about it.
> 
> Stopped for dinner in Lake Placid on the way back. Ended up at "Pirate's Cove Mini-Golf." So far we've played the courses in Bar Harbor, Orlando, and now here. So far, Bar Harbor is the best. Beautiful rainbow in the sky most of the time. I didn't bring my USB cable, otherwise I'd post some pictures. That will have to wait until we get home.
> 
> Hopefully some trails tomorrow!!!


We get to Fish Creek Ponds near Saranac Lake Monday for a week...can't wait!!


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## Acadia Hiker (May 29, 2007)

Rain kept us from hiking yet again. Not bad rain today, just nuisance rain. Certainly not taking kids out hiking in unknown territory in it. Supposed to be nice tomorrow, so we'll hit the trails!









Went to High Falls Gorge today and the Olympic Museum (with a brief stop in Herb Brooks Arena--home of the "Miracle on Ice.") Gave me chills just to walk in there. Historical place, that's for sure.

Woke up to new neighbors two sites down. Driving a Chevy Silverado 2500 HD pulling a pop-up. Overkill???

Went to put on my hiking boots this morning are realized I had two different boots of different sizes!







Had to buy a new pair in Lake Placid. That's what you get for packing at the last minute...


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## jitch388 (Apr 19, 2008)

My wife wants some of those chairs, you been sittin' in em all weekend?.............................................get it?


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## Acadia Hiker (May 29, 2007)

jitch388 said:


> My wife wants some of those chairs, you been sittin' in em all weekend?.............................................get it?


Folding camp chairs????


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## Acadia Hiker (May 29, 2007)

1 down, 45 to go!

There are 46 peaks in the Adirondack Park over 4000 feet. We conquered our first today. It took 4 1/2 hours to go about 4.5 miles, but we scaled to the top of Cascade Mountain and back down without major incident. My oldest bit the dust hard on the way back down due to being completely exhausted, but luckily decided to trip on a root in an area without rocks and other roots. Just a couple small scratches. His feet are big enough as it is (men's size 8 on a 9 year old!!!!), but he was so tired he was having a hard time picking them up and just caught the toe of his hiking boot.

I even took some pics with the cell phone form the top in hopes of posting them tonight, but alas, the CG has limited AT&T coverage. Once we get somewhere with better coverage, I'll get them on here--I promise!

More rain heading our way for tomorrow, so we will have to plan around it. It's OK, though since the boys are shot. They'll definitely sleep good tonight, as will the wife and I. Hard to believe it is Wednesday already.


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## GarethsDad (Apr 4, 2007)

Do you have plans for climbing Mt Marcy? James


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## Acadia Hiker (May 29, 2007)

GarethsDad said:


> Do you have plans for climbing Mt Marcy? James


With the weather the way it has been, and the fact that it takes a while just to get to it, I'm thinking that one is out for now.


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## Acadia Hiker (May 29, 2007)

As promised, here are a few crappy pictures from the cell phone camera. I'll post better ones later when we get home.

The 'Hikers' on top of Cascade Mountain, elevation 4,098 feet:










And a couple of views from the top. The first is in the same direction as the one above, just without us:










And the next is looking toward Lake Placid:










Today, we went to Fort Ticonderoga. It was well worth the 90 minute drive. George Washington wanted me to tell everyone in Outbackerland, 'Hi!'










Who knows what tomorrow will bring!!!


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## Acadia Hiker (May 29, 2007)

Well, it's our last day here, and everyone is ready to head back. The weather has been rainy every day except one and we have big thunderstorms on the way right now. Overall, it was a nice week, and we saw some new things, but we couldn't help but compare the Adirondacks to Acadia National Park in Maine. We swore we weren't going to do that, but it was impossible to even think we wouldn't.

There were flashes of similarities, sometimes to the point where we thought we were there. The sweet smell of balsam fir, the mountains, the lakes, and the laid back feeling. Other times, we couldn't help but notice how different it is. There's no ocean air here!!!







(Not that I expected there to be.) Everything we wanted to do cost money. We had to pay $19 just to drive up to the top of Whiteface Mountain. Cadillac Mountain in Acadia is free, though technically you are supposed to have a park pass since it is part of the park, but no one checks. And really strange to us, it seems as though many of the things close @ 5:00!?! We like to hike in the day and do things in the evening. Weather not withstanding, we couldn't do that here. It was one or the other.

Before I go any further (and no, I'm not whining







), the reason we are here, as some might remember, is that I took a new job and lost my summers off as a teacher. Due to that, I didn't have the accumulated vacation time to be able to do our annual Maine trip. We chose the Adirondacks because we figured they would be similar to Acadia, but close enough to be able to make it in one day rather than two.

Truthfully, Acadia is our _Utopia_. We went there on our honeymoon and fell in love with the place. Been there 13 times in 15 years. We have always talked of moving there when we retire. Heck, our oldest son wants to move there and become a famous writer. There's a certain lure to Acadia. To quote Jack Perkins in _The Gift of Acadia_, "Acadia doesn't reach out and grab you. It quietly draws you in." We have created so many wonderful memories there, and we all want to create more.

Don't get me wrong, it is nice here. The tall peaks are beautiful, and this campground (Whiteface Mountain KOA) is _really _nice. Would I come back here? Sure I would. But given the choice between the two, I'd pick Acadia every time. Needless to say, we are already planning our Acadia trip for next summer, and I have already figured out how I have to save my vacation days to be able to do it.

Does anyone else here feel so strongly about a place that it dictates how you look at other places you visit?


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