Just 5 Awesome Ways Summer in the Adirondacks USA is Better Than Summer Anywhere Else

1. Free Live Music – One of the things we do really well are summer concert series. Did we mention they’re free? Check it out – we have 10 locales offering so many ways to rock out to summer. One of our favs is Westport’s Soundwaves Concert Series, which just so happens to be a stop on Paco Mas Tacos’ Food Truck route. You had me at tacos. 

Check out our top 10 free summer concert series locales: 

1. Lake Placid: Songs at Mirror Lake Free Concert Series is every Tuesday from now through August 11 at Mid’s Park 
2. Westport: Soundwaves Concert Series in Ballard Park is every Tuesday Night in July 
3. Saranac Lake: Downtown Free Concert Series is Wednesday nights at the Berkeley Green from now through August
4. Lake Placid: Lake Placid Sinfonietta plays Wednesday evenings in Mid’s Park
5. Whiteface: Wilmington Beach Concert Series kicks off every Thursday at Lake Everest 
6. Saranac Lake: Party on the Patio at The Waterhole are Thursday nights all summer long
7. Malone: Concerts in the Park are Fridays throughout July at the Lion’s Memorial Bandstand
8. Inlet: Concert Series are Saturday nights in July and August at the Arrowhead Lakefront

2. Breweries All Over the Place– Microbreweries that offer a gourmet grilled cheese menu and PB&Js that pair perfectly with a hoppy pale ale? Sign us up! Big Tupper Brewing in Tupper Lake opened last year and hasn’t looked back. Waffle fry nachos and a Green Tea Trail Ale? Yes. Summer Ale and a Sweet Grilled Cheese with caramelized apples and candied walnuts? Oh yeah. Some top spots include Raquette Lake Brewery just down the road in Tupper Lake, and Blue Line Brewery in Saranac Lake.  

3. Water Er’where – One of the Adirondacks claims to fame – aside from producing Lana del Ray and the ubiquitous chair – is that, for a mountainous region, we have a ton of lakes, rivers, and streams. This means you’re never too far from a refreshing dip in cool mountain waters. We pooled – ha! – a few friends on their favorite spots for splashing around:

• Lake Clear Beach – Wide sandy beach perfect for wading, relaxing and full on naps in the sun. 
• Bog River Falls – Pack a picnic and get ready for sunny times in the Horseshoe Wild Forest. 
• Mirror Lake Beach – Sandy beach, canoe and kayak launch, and close proximity to Main Street’s rental shops – Mirror Lake Beach in Lake Placid is a summer hotspot. Rent a paddleboard or paddle bike and cruise the lake in comfort, then head downtown for a boozy lunch.
• Schroon Lake Town Beach – This one’s a gem – and one that not too many people know about. You only need to know three things: it’s free, it’s clean and clear, and the views are unbeatable. 
• Lake Everest – One of the most inexpensive places in the Adirondacks to rent paddleboards and kayaks, grab a paddle and explore this lake in the Whiteface Region. If you’re feeling competitive, challenge your pals to a game of volleyball or head into town for an ice cream at the local shop. 
• Black Point Beach in Ticonderoga – Black Point is a sleeper of a public beach – sparkling waters, sloping mountains that rise from the lake – are you in the Adirondacks or Lake Como? 
• Little Wolf Beach – Certified lifeguards, great fishing, and free Sunday night movies? Sounds like the plot of every summer movie you love. Bonus, you can camp here! 

4. Sunsets That Will Put the Stars in Your Star-Spangled Banner – In spite of the fact that the sun sets every single day, it’s still a total miracle of beauty and majesty. Don't you agree? No? Well then you’re not doing it right. Our sunsets over calm waters, just after a storm, or from a mountain peak are what Katharine Lee Bates was talking about when she penned America the Beautiful. I mean, like not literally, but the same general spirit. Some of our fav spots for sunsets are Lake Flower in Saranac Lake Region, and Fourth Lake from downtown Inlet in the heart of the Adirondacks. Why? Three words: purple mountain majesty.

5. Adventure for the Unadventurous – Let’s face it, once that summer sun seeps into your bones, all you’re going to want to do is laze by the lake, cocktail in hand, pool floaty nearby. Part of the adventure of being in the Adirondacks is literally just being here. Like, you can go for a hike or a walk and see some amazing views, you can take a fly-fishing lesson from a salty guide on one of the best trout streams in the country – aka the West Branch of the Ausable River in the Whiteface Region – or you can go rock climbing with a ripped Adirondack guide. But if you don’t feel like it, guess what girl, you don’t have to. Grab your Zinzi Clemmons or Jami Attenberg and hit that deck hard — oversized beach towel, SPF 30, and snacks in hand.