7 reasons leaving the ADKs is so hard

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Whiteface Mtn...

by Rina Kremer

7 reasons leaving the ADKs is so hard

Whenever you go on vacation, you’re bound to feel some of what I call the “leaving struggles” - it is vacation, after all! But then there are the Adirondacks: so full of outdoor experiences, culinary adventures, and unique attractions just waiting for you. So you’re bound to find it hard to leave when there’s truly something fun around every corner, tree, or river bend to explore.

Just a few of those things:

1.

So much room for activities

Unbridled nature at its best - but there’s just so much to do in the Adirondacks, USA that you can’t get to it all in one trip and you’re left sitting in the car on the way back home instead of checking out The Wild Center, or The Adirondack Experience, The Museum on Blue Mountain Lake. Don't do that - stay and keeping exploring. 

2.

You see the true meaning of “rustic” — and wonder why everything can’t be rustic all the time

I’ve been in many a mountain region in the western United States, and in and out of some of the quainter eastern towns, but no place has ever been so genuinely charming and rustic as the Adirondacks. 

The majority of the Adirondacks seem to smell of balsam and pine, and while there’s no replacement, you can grab a piece of rustic furniture or decor on your way out from various shops around the region, like Lake Placid’s Twigs and, very fittingly, The Adirondack Store. It’s just enough to tide you over until you can make it back to live this rustic life again.

3.

46 Peaks (and beyond)

Unless you’re vacationing in the Adirondacks for months on end, there’s entirely too much space to explore via hiking, backpack, and camping in and around the hundreds of lakes and mountain trails - let alone the 46 Peaks. But if you're not into tackling mountains towering over 4,000 feet, the region has hundreds of miles of nature trails, easy footpaths, and nature centers such as the Adirondack Interpretive Center in the Schroon Lake Region and the Paul Smith's College VIC just outside of Saranac Lake to explore. Go ahead, wander.

4.

Whiteface Mountain

You simply won’t get close to Whiteface’s caliber anywhere else out east. Only 20 minutes from downtown Lake Placid, you can spend all day on the “Face” in the crisp, energizing air with near-daily fresh fallen snow. 

5.

Ubu Ale

The only, very memorable, craft beer I’ve had in the four odd years of an ever-diminishing craft beer crusade is Lake Placid Pub and Brewery's Ubu Ale. And, sure, Ubu has gotten so popular that the Pub now bottles and cans it - I’ve heard you can even find it as far away as Salt Lake City! But somehow taking it out of the Pub just changes the experience a bit. There’s just something about the way it tastes from their tap - you know what I mean? I think it’s truly meant to be enjoyed there.

And, of course, there’s being in the Pub’s space itself. It’s like the quintessential small-town local bar that meshes peacefully and joyfully with the tourist scene; a happy “other” place that’d be ideal to exist in, with Ubu in hand, forever.

Just one more please?

6.

All of the lakes

It’s hard to find a spot in the Adirondacks without a beautiful body of water right next to it that’s primed for kayaks, canoes, paddle boards, and fishing. For example, the Saranac Lake Region has one of the highest concentrations of navigable waterways in the Adirondacks. Pretty cool, right? And Tupper Lake is known for its beautiful sunsets viewed from the edge of the lake. You could totally rent a canoe or kayak and go for a paddle every day, all day, if you want. As long as the water's open, it's yours to explore. 

7.

Maple level: Ivy League

From Titus Mountain’s Moon Valley Maple operation to South Meadow Farm Maple Sugarworks just outside of Lake Placid, to the farms along the Adirondack Coast, we are the place for maple tree tapping. Traditional sugar shacks steam throughout the late winter and into early spring, producing Grade A syrup for your pancake breakfast. Visit during New York State Maple Weekends and enjoy extra festivities around maple syrup, like special tasting menus at our restaurants, tours at sugar bushes, and more. 

With over 200 maple producers, finding some maple syrup, candy, and treats to take home won't be an issue at all. But, I mean, you don’t have to go back home. It sure would make it a lot easier to simply stay here after a trek up Algonquin and enjoy a draft Ubu in your Adirondack chair on Mirror Lake...yes?