High on the Adirondack slopes is a tiny village, full of bustling activity and a lot of magic. The buildings, with their gingerbread trim, jaunty peaked roofs, and bright colors, look as though they have sprung from a fairy tale.

Here in this perfect village, the chocolate shop smells delicious, with glass cases full of radiant confections. In the hat shop, stacks of fuzzy, cheerful red and white hats wait for children (of all ages) to have their names emblazoned on them. A miniature train tootles through the woods. And in a charming barn, eight reindeer nibble carrots, indulge in cuddles with visitors, and wait for their big night: December 24. This is North Pole, NY, the home of Santa’s Workshop.

Vacations are in our history. In the 1800s, as train service extended upstate and city-dwellers began looking for ways to escape the heat of summer, word spread about the beauty of the Adirondacks: the clean, freshly scented air, cool, sparkling lakes, and seemingly endless rugged terrain. Old timers and enterprising young men who knew the wilderness — and how to live in it — found they could work as guides for visitors from downstate, rowing guide boats, leading hikes and hunting and fishing parties. Books and magazines — including the immensely popular Harper's Weekly — introduced readers to the wonders of the Adirondacks, tempting writers, painters, and eager vacationers to the area.

When Eain Tierney was 10 years old, he made his first lamp. It was simple, just a spiral-shaped piece of wood, a wire, and a fixture, but it was a preview of his future life as a rustic furniture maker.

Eain has been a professional woodworker for four years and he is now the owner of Tierney Adirondack Rustic Design. He learned a lot from his dad, who is more of a nuts-and-bolts, make-things-square-and-plumb style of carpenter. Functionality and quality are important, but Eain likes to put a different spin on his creations.