Start planning your fall fun in the Adirondacks today.
This Way to Foliage
1.
4 ways to enjoy music and more in Saranac Lake
Saranac Lake is cultural balance at its best. Enjoy all the pleasure and charm of a small mountain town – a local coffee shop, friendly faces, beautiful scenery – and all the music, food, and fun of a small city. Because both are equally important, right? Imagine spending your day hiking in the remote, rugged mountains and the night dancing your tired feet right off at a live show. Take your special someone for a romantic paddle on one of the area’s pristine lakes, then doll yourselves up and head out on the town for a delicious dinner and a show. It’s the best of both worlds, and we have just the right combination for any occasion.
2.
Peak experience
Every autumn season I try to visit the charming mix of trees at the Adirondack Interpretive Center in Newcomb. This educational nature complex has everything for an immersive fall foliage experience, from groomed trails for hiking to knowledgeable guidance from staff in the natural history museum.
3.
Tee off with some color
What do you get when you mix fall foliage with pristine golf course conditions? A day of golf you’ll be yearning for year after year. Lake Placid boasts one of the longest fall foliage seasons in the country and it is home to some of the best golf courses in the Adirondacks. That’s probably why it is not uncommon to see large groups roaming around town in golf attire when you visit in the fall. The sweeping views from every course coupled with the vibrant red, yellow, and orange leaves, sometimes you have to pinch yourself to make sure it is in fact real.
4.
Culture, cheese, and coffee
One of the hidden gems in the Adirondacks is the hamlet of Upper Jay. Located on the east branch of the Ausable River, Upper Jay is peacefully nestled in some of the best Adirondack scenery, with the High Peaks and babbling river up close. Upper Jay is also home to some great spots for art and culture in the region. The town is an easy drive from Lake Placid, just off Route 9N west of Wilmington and north of Keene (both great Adirondack towns).
5.
Oktoberfest for everyone
There's a lot of hub-bub about Oktoberfest--and I'm not talking about the one in Germany either. Every year, for the past 38 years, Titus Mountain has put on an event mirroring the famous German affair. And while the Titus event doesn't take place over a whole month, they pack a punch into a single day, annually the first Saturday of October.
6.
Four ways to foliage
The Lake Champlain Region offers wonderful ways to enjoy fall foliage. Each of these ways offers delightful variations. The differences in microclimate between sea level and the tops of the mountains mean enough scenery to fill a day, a weekend, or a week. With the time it takes to drive from the coast to inland, or to hike from the bottom of the mountain to the top, you can experience different time frames of the leaves turning. From the lone bright flame among the green that is the early stages of leaf turning to the glorious gold at the end of season, fall color is abundant in the Adirondacks.
7.
Hiking rules!
Every year when September rolls around, my mom would put a bright red bandana around my dog's neck. I always wondered why, and when I asked about it she reminded me that hunting season was starting, and we don't want hunters mistaking our dog for another animal in the woods. When September rolled around a few weeks ago, I found myself searching for a red bandana or something brightly colored to tie around my dog's neck before we ventured out on a hike.
8.
Take it easy in Long Lake
Thinking of a fall getaway? There are many flavors. If some of your favorite plans include a cozy Adirondack lodge by a lovely lake, consider the Long View. The Long View Lodge, that is. The Lodge dates back to the late 1800s, when a farmhouse was turned into a "tourist home" called the Emerson Homestead. As visitor hospitality became more elaborate, the property was improved with extra guest rooms and a dining area.