green of every hue silvered or golden…read morerustle of ferns mossy fairy palaces trees atop boulders roots like talons some with crevices, secret hiding places. in the stillness, gauzy forest light, only a human intruder clumsy, inept rudimentary even. -------------------------------------------------------------- on a more prosaic note great short hikes clean bathrooms great info.

I was inspired by the show "Aerial America" on the Smithsonian channel to take a trip to upstate…read moreNY, this time to do some hiking and leaf peeping around the adironancks. I knew this was a vast protected wilderness area, but never expected it to be such a paradise of sorts. Driving from NYC took are out 5 1/2 hrs, via I87 North. Overall a smooth ride except the fogs that I encountered, was not really prepared for so much fogs. Also it did helped that all the way through, the highways were lined with colorful trees, which made the ride a pleasant one. After getting lost a bit and not finding the trailhead for Mt. Jo, which we originally wanted to hike, we decided on option #2 to drive up to whiteface mountain, which promised a dizzying elevation and beautiful views of the "high peaks". On our way to whiteface we passed through keene valley, which is right out of a painting, a sleepy little village dotted with woodsy like cabins & houses surrounded by mountain and streams. The curvy back roads took us through some other towns which included a town called the "North Pole", which is apparently a popular kids amusement attraction. The fall foliage was at its peak in this area, so it was truely a marvelous setting for a drive. We took the Veteran Memorial Highway in Wilmington to reach Whiteface Mountain, which had many lookout points to caught a glimpse of the "high peaks". Once we got to the top, and parked our car, we took the vintage elevator to reach the peak, then we were treated to the most amazing views of the "high peaks"! It was like being in heaven looking down. A breathtaking view of Mt. Marcy (the highest peak in NY state), and many lakes, in the area, including Lake Placid. After a few photo opts and lunch at the cafe, we decide to walked down the "natural staircase" to the parking lot, instead of taking the elevator back, which I highly recommend. Because it was only a Day Trip, it was time for us to start our drive back to NYC , we forgo plans for a gondola ride and a short hike up Mt. Jo. Reasons we definitely have to go back. We did however, visited "Ausable Chasm", which we kinda stumble upon serendipitously. We took a tour of the area, which was totally inspiring. Definitely a must when you're in the area. My trip to the Adirondacks was long overdue, it was the perfect setting for leaf peeping and hiking. Whiteface mountain offered amazing views of the "High Peaks". Lake placid is a beautiful village that I reckon, you'd want to stay in, when visiting the Adirondacks. It's rustic, and made for the adventurous at heart, if you're the outdoors kind, then this is perfect playground, any time of year.

SOOO HUGE! Our whole…read moregoal in trekking out to Lake George these past two years was to ride through this park. Two years of riding, and we STILL haven't covered it all. Great expanses are purely wild, though there's sprinklings of towns and resorts along the routes. Great rides up into the ranges, and gorgeous places to stop and wonder at the beauty. Don't expect to find a place to eat in every town. Plan ahead for the day. Some spots, on RT9N used to have resorts, and stores, but they mostly have closed. There's some great town names like Sawtooth, and Wolf Jaw. I keep resisting the urge to buy a canoe, but how would I haul it home on the motorcycle?

Service is friendly but it's always dirty. Our son is in his 3rd year at a college in Potsdam so…read morewe've been traveling frequently over the years but each time we visit this Stewart's shop is a disappointment. Today they didn't have a coffee pot with fresh coffee and they only had 2 burners for coffee ... 1 for hot water and 1 for coffee. Odd.

Free Wifi! That's all I have to say. Thank you Long Lake! We were on vacation, unplugged, the whole…read morenine yards but I was informed the job of my life opened up so I needed to apply ASAP. No internet! Ahh! So we drove down to Long Lake, parked and I spent an hour on my laptop applying for my now dream job. Hooray! The town is great. Cool gift shops. Great little grocery store that we hit up a few times for our camping needs. I love Long Lake!

This is a must see! Well worth the trip. Beautiful views and amazing geologic structures easy to…read morenavigate because of the man-made wooden walkways. There is a small cave with rushing water you can go into but most of the tour is outside. We loved this place!

A really fascinating place to visit for a decent hike/ tour. It's a self guided tour after you grab…read moreyour tickets inside the gift shop. There are some pretty incredible views & a few astounding caves you can explore. The trail features quite a bit of stairs & winding paths so come prepared (eg. walking stick if need be). We saw plenty of families, children & seniors on the trail so it's suitable for an array of people. We saved the coolest part for last: cracking open a few geodes. This is completely random but it's enchanting to wait & see what color is inside! We love this place.

We've been there a few times in the last few years since our family cabin is in Long Lake. The park…read moreis still really nice. We still haven't made it the entire 5 miles because of kids. The path is nice and accessible. It's pretty wide. A mix of gravel and bridges. The bridges are slick even with no rain because of the moss. It's a nice and easy hike

You have to go! Great facility, view, hikes, people, boat ride. Well cared for and programs are…read morefabulous. Lean tos are wonderful and they provide your wood for an ongoing fire. Go!

A great place to walk to with a dog. Lots of waste bins and a special station fir dogs including…read morebiodegradable bags,

Champlain Park is a little waterfront park, overlooking Plattsburgh Bay on Lake Champlain…read more Small park on a hill with steps down to the shoreline, yet no water access. Benches to sit on. Beautiful planting's. Small gazebo. Statue honoring Samuel de Champlain. Street parking (free) nearby. It seems to be in a local historic district. Historical houses nearby. A small pedestrian suspension bridge crossing the inlet nearby. While we were visiting, a ghost tour was going on. Overall a nice place to take a break, admire the view, watch some sailboats and some birds.

This is a wonderful park to bring some take out from Voss' or some other food for a nice picnic. It…read moreis always clean and well groomed. On many occasions you can watch the process of a boat going through the working canal locks, which is pretty neat. There are picnic tables, a shelter, restrooms, and if the locks arent in use, access to the canal trail on the other side. Plenty of parking. Just an all around nice place to spend a little while. It isn't very big so if you are looking to get some exercise you are best heading to the canal trail. This place is also dog friendly, as long as you pick up after them, and my dogs quite enjoy sniffing around.

The area is so very,very nice.Plent of room, clean and mix of sun and shade.I didn't find alot of…read moremosquitoes, but I was there early in the day, no rain.

An extremely quaint Adirondack stop whether you're passing through the area, staying nearby, or…read moreresourceful enough to live in Town. Situated on Route 30/8 in the Towns of Lake Pleasant and Speculator (gosh I hope I got this right). A community organized open space for all to enjoy a picnic, leg stretch, swim, or in our case escape the harsh lake winds experienced one day while kayaking. No matter the activities, the Park is dedicated to the World War I veteran known as "The Fighting Marine" (Gene Tunney), who after Boxing during the war in France later faced off with the great Jack Dempsey and "The Fighting Marine" took the belt from Dempsey (1926). Then in a rematch Tunney held steadfast to the Belt (1927). Why? His post-war training camp was right here in the Town of Speculator! A Wartime Marine chum encouraged him to set up Camp here in Town. Following the two successful bouts with Dempsey and others, the Camp became known as the "Camp for Would-Be Champions" sporting other titled boxers. A little extra read: https://www.oneidadispatch.com/2014/08/28/village-dedicating-park-to-boxer-gene-tunney/

Now that my sons are age appropriate, we started some real hiking adventures this year during our…read moreannual Adirondacks vacation. Tackling the fire tower challenges seemed appropriate. We choose Goodnow Mountain as our first family challenge. It was a fun hike. I would rate easy to moderate. A few challenging ascents for novices but not for an experienced hiker. My sons, ages 8 and 10, loved the experience. The view from the top was unreal. Completely worth the sweat equity. We got there at 8:30am to see only 2 other cars. When we finished our descent, the lot was ~75% full. Get there early to enjoy the mountain and everything it has to offer.