Adirondack Family Time™

(as seen in the Adirondack Daily Enterprise) By Diane Chase We seem to be the family that tries to do it all, a little bit of First Night Saranac Lake ($12 for buttons purchased in advance, free for children under 13 years of age) and a tad bit of potluck with friends. The one thing we did last year that will be added to our New Year’s Eve tradition is “Skate into the New Year” at the Lake Placid Olympic Speed Skating Oval. The eighth annual Skating into New Year will take place on Thursday, December 31   at the Lake Placid Olympic Oval from 10:30 pm – 12:30 am for those searching for a healthy non-alcoholic event. Admission is a modest $5 fee for adults (children and any student with a valid ID are free) and request of a nonperishable good all benefits the local food pantry. There is music, a bonfire, hot drinks and sweet treats all in a substance-free setting.

Merry Christmas!  PEACE ON EARTH © Diane Chase is the author of the Adirondack Family Activities™ guidebook series, Adirondack Family Time™guidebooks have easy Adirondack family hikes, Adirondack swimming holes, Lake Placid Olympic activities, Adirondack trivia, Adirondack horseback rides, Adirondack snowshoe family trails and more. Look for the Adirondack family guidebook online or bookstores/museums/sporting good stores. Diane is currently working on the next Adirondack Family Activities™ guide.

By Diane Chase Buttermilk Falls in Long Lake is a wonderful place to stop and stretch your legs, have a picnic or just enjoy the view.  From the village of Long Lake, take NYS route 28/30 south for 3 miles to North Point Road. There will be a sign here that says "Buttermilk Falls." Turn right (west) onto North Point Road, and follow it for 2.1 miles. 

"It is horrifying that we have to fight our own government to save the environment." ~ Ansel Adams

"Write it on your heart that every day  is the best day in the year." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Jenny B Harris from Allsorts has done it again. She truly makes the most delicious felted holiday crafts. I've got my advent calendar all ready to go and now it is time to make these simple Christmas trees as part of our mantle center piece.

The Champlain Valley Film Society and I have a special relationship. There are opportunities in this world that are in our neighborhoods and we just can't be bothered taking advantage of it.  I had read about Film Society showing the Oscar nominated film "Captain Phillips." As it turns out the real Captain Richard Phillips had a connection to Essex, NY and the Champlain Valley Film Society. Not only was my family able to watch the film on the big screen, but we were able to participate in a Q&A with Phillips. My children still talk about the experience today.  Now the Film Society is doing something for families. Throughout the winter months, CV Film Society will be hosting three family-friendly films for free at the Whallonsburg Grange location.  December 7, Sunday, 2 pm: "Babe" i s based on the Dick King-Smith's book "The Sheep-Pig" in which an orphaned piglet is brought home and raised by border collies. When Babe helps stop a pac

Earth in Hands design by Kat as  turp.deviant.com Adirondack Giving Tuesday Can Happen All Year Long! Even though #GivingTuesday is officially the Tuesday after Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday, I always hope that the act of giving will remain an everyday occurrence for my children. It is wonderful that such huge event remind us that giving is much more important than getting. It is also important to remember that it doesn't always have to be a grand gesture. Sometimes the small gestures are the ones that count the most.   Since #GivingTuesday only happens one time a year, here are 10 other programs that make the act of giving an everyday experience every time you shop, do an internet search or play a game. The programs listed below do not cost you one penny. These are all corporate affiliate programs that allow a percentage of your everyday purchases to go to the cause of your choice. Keep in mind these suggestions are in no way  a substitute for

"Snow provokes responses that reach right back to childhood."  ~Andy Goldworthy, artist

Holiday shopping can be stressful, but I like to look at it as more like a treasure hunt. I want to find the ideal present. Around the Adirondacks many local merchants will be offering discounts and sales throughout Thanksgiving weekend. The wonderful thing is that these local businesses have handpicked each store item.  Here are a few things on my “To Do List.” Gift baskets are popular items for my extended family. I fill the baskets with local cheeses, Adirondack-made condiments, candles and maple products from Nori's Village Market and Green Goddess Natural Foods . I add packets of original notecards from artists at various galleries or Adirondack  made chocolates such as Barkeater Chocolate in North Creek, Adirondack Chocolates in Wilmington or Lake Placid Chocolatiers .    One family member enjoys complex puzzles and card games. A stop at Goody Goody’s or Imagination Station allows me the opportunity to talk with a person that has actually played the games and can a

Around the Adirondacks local stores and businesses aren’t feeling the pressure to celebrate early. They are saving their energy and pulling out all the stops for a Black Friday and Small Business Saturday weekend that is uniquely Adirondack.   These events give you enough time to let your turkey dinner settle down while festive enough to gesture in the Christmas spirit.  As you can see from the schedule at the end of the page, various towns stagger the events so you can attend one or all! Children will be able to make crafts to give as gifts, enjoy horse wagon rides or participate in free puppet shows, movies and treasure hunts. We always took advantage of those free activities to slip away and get a bit of our holiday shopping completed.  Speculator is hosting its Holiday stroll  on November 28 with gift certificates, give-aways and discounts topped off with Victorian carolers while Lake George plans on making the village glow with over 15,000 lights on November 29.   I

It seems like this is finally the time that the snow may stick around. Some ski mountains are able to make snow so we can get on those trails as quickly as possible while others wait until Mother Nature helps with that base layer. I am still in autumn mode, even with shoveling snow. I am not so quick to pass up that beautiful time of year. I like the chilly nights and warmish days. That is why I live here. Every season is so different and I enjoy each one. Yes, even mud season. Look for more 33 easy hikes, snowshoe/XC trails swimming holes and over 300 activities in Adirondack Family Time: Tri-Lakes and High Peaks (covering Lake Placid, Saranac Lake and more) Recently my daughter and her friends had suffered through my list of errands and really needed a place to run around.  I didn’t want to get into a long hike and they didn’t either. My husband recommended the new trails behind the tennis courts at Mount Pisgah, Saranac Lake. What started as a quick jaunt, turned into a w