Adirondack Family Time™

The 115th annual Saranac Lake Winter Ice Carnival will take place from February 3- 12, 2012.  With a full 10-day schedule of activities and events, there is something for everyone in Saranac Lake. THURSDAY, February 2 5:30 p.m.  – 13th Annual Past Royalty Mixer and Dinner *Red Fox Restaurant, $, call 891-1286 for reservations FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 3 7:30 p.m.  –  Coronation Of Carnival Royalty *At the Harrietstown Town Hall Sponsored By Women’s Civic Chamber Reception Following Ceremony; Downhill Grill SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 4 10 a.m.: Ice Palace Fun Run (4 miles) (Ice Palace) 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.: 19th Annual Business & Professional Women Chocolate Festival (Harrietstown Town Hall, $) 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.: Lutheran Church Women’s Craft Sale (Harrietstown Town Hall, $) 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.: Petrova Winter Carnival (fun for kids) (Petrova Elementary School Cafeteria, $) 11 a.m.: The Curling Exhibition (Near the State Boat Launch site on Lake Flower) 11 a.m.: Paul Smith

Tuesday, January 31st  at 1:00 p.m. The Saranac Village at Will Rogers Senior Outing Club, in conjunction with Dewey Mountain Recreation Center, will host a Senior Snowshoe Outing at Dewey Mountain.  Join seniors (55+) for a free afternoon of snowshoeing.  Snowshoes will be provided at no extra cost.  Reservations must be made by calling  Jenn Grisi at  (518) 891-7117  or emailing her at retireatwillrogers@verizon.net .     The Saranac Village at Will Rogers Senior Outing Club is open to all seniors (55+) interested in venturing out for moderate activity at various locations around the area. Activities are held on the last Tuesday of every month. The club's mission is to "offer seniors the chance to enjoy outdoor adventures with companionship, safety and fun." © Diane Chase, author of Adirondack Family Time: Tri-Lakes and High Peaks (Your Four-Season Guide to Over 300 Activities) for the towns of Lake Placid, Saranac Lake, Jay/Upper Jay,

  Bobcats Return to Champlain Valley Thursday, January 26, 7:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Whallonsburg Grange Join  Sue Morse, renowned wildlife tracker and founder of Keeping Track , as she shares stories and evidence of the bobcats’ return from near extinction in the Champlain Valley. © Diane Chase, author of Adirondack Family Time: Tri-Lakes and High Peaks (Your Four-Season Guide to Over 300 Activities) for the towns of Lake Placid, Saranac Lake, Jay/Upper Jay, Wilmington, Keene/Keene Valley which is available online or bookstores/museums/sporting good stores. Diane is currently working on the second guidebook in the four-book series of Adirondack Family Activities.

I am often sent emails from people looking for activities to do with children or family members of all ages. I am honored to be able to suggest ideas. (My email is below but do to very unpleasant spammers I can't make it a live link.) Below are a few ideas from Schroon Lake to Lake Placid, along the "Adirondack Lake Champlain Coast. Inside activities: These suggestions all have some sort of cost: pan for gems at High Falls Gorge  518-946-2278 , Wilmington (also beautiful trails, waterfall), paint your own pottery at Brush On In, Lake Placid    518.523.6554 , go to the Essex County Fish Hatchery in Crown Point (for a few quarters the kids can feed the fish)  518) 597-3844 .  Ice skating  gets tricky this time of year. We have had so many melts and freezes. Schroon Lake and Ticonderoga flood the tennis/basketball courts or by the beach for an outdoor ice rink but that is not currently available but the playground at the Schroon Lake public beach is fun.

By Diane Chase, author of Adirondack Family Time Tri-Lakes and High Peaks: Your Four-Season Guide to Over 300 Activities Mush!  John Houghton, the owner of Thunder Mountain Dog Sled Tours has been checking the ice on Mirror Lake daily to make sure it is safe and ready for dog sled rides. Since we saw a dog sled movie (more than one movie so it's not worth mentioning a name) there has been some insistence from the ranks about being pulled around by dog. There had been attempts in our past of attaching a sled to our gold retriever, with little success. I have been even dubbed the team at times, but believe the allure isn't in the ride but in the animals. Houghton, who also breeds his Alaskan Huskies as well as runs them, is not going to jeopardize his eight-dog team or the passengers that are along for the ride. He has over 20 years experience with dog sled tours. If his dogs are on the ice, his daughter assures me, the ice will be safe. He periodically checks the ice for

Martin Luther King delivered his famous "I Have A Dream" speech in August 28, 1963 on the "March To Washington" at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.  Martin Luther King. "  I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation. Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity. But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity

The World of John Burroughs by  Ed Kanze Saturday, January 14th  at 7:30 p.m. 

By Diane Chase One thing we like to do is to enjoy a small intimate theatre experience. Not just live theatre, though that plays (no pun intended) a prominent role in our lives. No, it’s escaping for a few hours and going to “The Movies.” At one time many towns in the Adirondacks had their own movie houses. Sadly most have made way for the multiplex. Some theatres have retained their original architecture so the movie is not always the only thing to observe. Take a moment and enjoy a small slice of history. Each theatre offers a unique experience that a larger cineplex may not. These theatres are independently owned and operated and can offer a less expensive ticket price. 

This year’s event kicks off with the Snowmobile Parade and the coronation of the King and Queen of Winter Carnival followed by the Cardboard Box Sled Races.  “Kid’s of all ages have a blast” says Long Lake Diner Owner and event organizer Jim Piraino. “Everyone really looks forward to the Broomball tournament and my wife is the defending champ of the Ladies Frying Pan Toss, so it’s going to be a competitive year.” Schedule of Events January 14, Saturday

Fort Ticonderoga Winter Programs! Historic Trades Program: Leather Breeches Workshop"  January 7 and 8, 2012  This two day workshop will focus on construction details for leather breeches based on our collections own original leather breeches.    Material Matters: It's in the Details"  January 28 and 29, 2012 This weekend program focuses on the material culture of the 18th century and is intended for collectors, re-enactors, and people with a general interest in learning more about objects of the 18th century and what they can tell us about history.  "Fort Fever Series: Winter Landscape Snowshoe Trek" January 22, 2012 Explore the Fort Ticonderoga grounds as we identify trees based on their winter characteristics. "Fort Fever Series: The Roar of Musketry and Cracking of Rifles" February 12, 2012 An introduction to weapons of the 18th century with Curator of Collections, Christopher Fox. "Fort Fever Series: Native Ameri

Located right outside of Lake Placid, The High Peaks Information Center (HPIC) at Heart Lake is once again offering its yearly FREE lecture series.  All programs are free and open to the public.  Saturday evening lectures at HPIC begin at 8 p.m.  Lecture Series   Jan. 7 Winter Birds of the Adirondacks Join Joan Collins, president of Adirondack Avian Expeditions & Workshops, LLC as she discusses winter birds in the Adirondacks. She will discuss why the birds move to our region in the winter and where you can find them. The presentation will feature photographs and vocalizations of 19 species that visit northern New York in winter.

Each winter the Adirondack Museum offers a Sunday series of special events that appeal to a variety of tastes. Lectures, writing workshops and concerts are some of the offerings for the 2012 winter. So cozy up and break through your own cabin fever at the Adirondack Museum.  Unless specified the cost for the Cabin Fever events is f ree to members and children; $5 for non-members and takes place at the Adirondack Museum auditorium at 1:30 p.m.  Special Events Chester Gillette: The Adirondacks' Most Famous Murder Case  Lecture JANUARY 15, 2012 Talk by author Craig Brandon Big Cats of the Adirondacks  Lecture JANUARY 29, 2012 Presentation by Paul Jensen, Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Natural Resources, McGill University Nature: From Howling Wilderness to Vacation Destination  Lecture FEBRUARY 12, 2012 Presented by Charles Mitchell, Associate Professor, American Studies, Elmira College

Pendragon Theatre in Saranac Lake, the Adirondacks only year-round professional theatre is taking its production of "To Kill A Mockingbird" on the road.