Adirondack Family Time™

Tupper Lake's Wild Center is asking people to look and leap while relishing in its latest adventure, The Wild Walk. Part interactive nature center and part nature playground, The Wild Walk is a Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse adventure that has us crawling, swinging and grasping with childlike awe for all that our wild surroundings provide. It allows us to sit quietly in nature in benches or swing chairs or jump feet first into a giant spider's web.   A tree house, hollowed tree have interactive elements demonstrating the Adirondack natural environment The Wild Center in Tupper Lake has always been a "go to" spot for my family. Whether we go to a solar workshop to increase our green footprint, watch the otters frolic in their own waterpark or just relax at the natural playground, The Pines, each visit is a different experience. With extended family soon to visit, we get to share the latest wild expansion that is taking down the museum walls and  "tra

Strawberry flowers Though we have had more rain than sun over the last few days, strawberries are starting to ripen and Pick-Your-Own fields are planning on opening to the public over the next couple of weeks.  Festivals are set to gesture in summer with all things strawberry. Rulf’s Orchard in Peru is holding their 4th annual Strawberry Festival on June 27 with a bounce house, vendors, strawberry shortcake eating contest and wagon rides to the U-Pick patch.  Raquette Lake is whipping up fresh strawberry shortcake while Crown Point will host its annual celebration of those delicious red berries.  According to Shannon Rulf their strawberry fields opened last Sunday for U-Pick. During the festival She expects more people to come to take part in all the activities, not come to pick huge quantities of berries so she is also offering a special quart-size price for people taking the Country Dream Farm free horse and wagon ride to the fields.  "This year we are

Father’s Day is just around the corner, June 21, and the Saranac Lake Fish and Game Club wants to get all anglers under the age of 16 on the water with their father. This year the event coincides with the opening of Bass Season . The rules are simple. Participants are expected to demonstrate good sportsmanship and respect for other people. The purpose of the free event is to get people outside, to enjoy the morning and have fun together.  I contacted members of the Fish and Game Club and started quite a discussion on the exact number of years that the annual Father’s Day Fishing Derby has been taking place. The general consensus is that this annual event has provided almost 30 years of fun competition for children. The Father's Day Fishing Derby will be held from 8 a.m. to noon on Lake Colby and is open to all children fifteen years and under, who don’t require a fishing license. Registration is at the Lake Colby Beach prior to fishing that morning.  There are five

Usually I keep my art and my wine as separate events, but now there are plenty of opportunities for me to get my creative juices flowing paired with a glass of fine wine. In the Adirondacks and just outside the Blue Line there are various art organizations and dedicated businesses that encouraging all of us to dig deep for our inner artist and bring her/him along to an evening of "Paint and Sip." Combining painting a canvas among a group of friends with the commoraderie that comes with a few glasses of wine has no definitive history, but one southern artist,Wendy LoVoy, started offering an art instruction class  in 2004 which has now evolved into the Birmingham, Alabama home of Sips n Strokes, Inc.  Since that time other companies have franchised spreading the good fun across the nation.  One such company,  Painting with a Twist,  formed its earliest roots during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Formerly called Corks and Canvas , Painting with a Twist has built an emp

I wonder sometimes if I’m the only parent that thinks her children are hardheaded. My kids can be sassy and sweet then rapid fire my words back to me in one-line quips. I realize they get tired of “Safety Mom” and the other titles they so eloquently bestow upon me. The bottom line is as stubborn as they can something be, their heads are not truly hard. So to make sure children’s noggins stay safe numerous organizations in Saranac Lake and Tupper Lake have joined together to host their annual Bicycle Rodeos.  The Saranac Lake event takes place June 6 from 10 am – noon at the SL Civic Center, 22 Ampersand Ave while the Tupper Lake rodeo will be held June 13 from 10 am to 2 pm at LP Quinn School, Hosley Ave. The schedules of the two activities are similar with free bike obstacle course, bike raffle, free helmets, refreshments and bike repairs. Tupper Lake will also host Flutterbug the Clown, face painting, a bounce house and other games.  

There are people in the Adirondacks that live off-grid. There is a misconception that those people are living a radical life of self-imposed hardship. Though certainly there are people that want to live a rustic life, going solar doesn't have to mean giving up the amenities. I like my electricity and the gadgets it powers up. I'd go so far as say I love electricity and the ability to turn on lights, use this computer and watch a television show. I also love the idea that I have the opportunity to harness my energy from the very sun that is drying my clothes right now. The issue for me has always been money and the fact that our old house is a drafty bit of business. A kick-off program called " Solarize the Tri-Lakes" is being initiated tonight, June 4,  in Saranac Lake at the Saranac Lake High School. The 6:30- 8 pm event is free and open to the public. The concept is simple, to bring people together in hopes that a solar network can be created. Shared solar se

By Diane Chase There is something special about having alone time with my daughter. It gets even better now that she branches out beyond the princess -themed play to climb, fish, or catch something. This time we are explores searching for new lands. We may not discover unchartered territory in our Adirondack Coast tour but we will tread on the lands discovered over 400 years ago by Samuel de Champlain. The Champlain Memorial Lighthouse sits on the edge of what is now the Crown Point Public Campground. It overlooks Vermont and sits surrounded by land that witnessed battles and forts. Originally constructed in 1858, the Champlain Memorial Lighthouse is a statement to the States of New York and Vermont and the Province of Quebec who worked together to reconstruct this monument as a testament to explorer Samuel de Champlain.

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By Diane Chase During a change of season I am always a bit overwhelmed whether its a new school year, Christmas shopping and all those twinkle lights or springtime mud. Everyone needs to get outside so here are 8 days of nature activities to do with your family to clear your head, no matter what environment you live in. Day One:  Look at the sky. Simple you say but how many times do you work in an office all day, commute to your job, sit in your car, play outside but never look up at the sky. Take a look. What do you see? Stars? Clouds? A jet? My daughter saw a magic carpet and a mermaid. Yes, together. Day Two: Look down, get on your knees down low and look at the ground. Look past the concrete and other stuff and try to find the earth.  Yesterday you looked up and today you look down. That is what children look at all the time, whether they are just learning to walk or running around. Get down low today and see what you have been walking on all this time.

Happy May Day! Craft:  Make A May Day Basket: The tradition is for children to place a simple bouquet of flowers on the door of a friend or neighbor. What I enjoy is it gives children a chance to surprise adults and do something kind without costing a penny.  The "basket" can be as simple as a used tin can or glass jar with wire or twine for hanging.  The kids can go outside and fill the jar with lovely spring flowers. If you aren't in an area with fresh flowers about, make some tissue flowers for everyone to enjoy!  History: There are many traditions surrounding the first of May. Beltane was the name given to this time, on the Celtic calendar.  The name originates from the Celtic god,  Bel  - the 'bright one', and the Gaelic word 'teine' meaning fire, hence the name 'bealttainn', meaning 'bright fire'. May Day is the beginning of the 'lighted half' of the year when the Sun begins to set later in the evening

HAPPY EARTH DAY! This is my daughter's favorite cake to make. It doubles as an Earth Day/Birthday celebration. If anyone is interested in making it, what I did was quite simple. 1) Make your favorite cake recipe. I used the one-bowl chocolate cake from Craig Claibourne's New York Times Cookbook . You have to make two batches for each half of the globe. 2) Find two bowls of the same diameter. Oil and flour the insides of both. 3) Cook as directed and when finished cool and use a spatula to pop the cakes out of the bowls. 4) Frost. I made a no-cook butter cream frosting. Frost the two halves together forming the globe. 5) Put a light coating of blue-dyed frosting over the sides leaving a small area on top for the polar ice caps.* 6) Lastly use a globe as a guide, with a different color frosting "paint" on your continents. 7) Go for a run. That butter cream frosting is just that, butter. *I couldn't find my blue dye and berries made the "world" too pu

C alling All Kids pre-school through Grade 2 For the Children's Museum at Saratoga's  Annual Big Truck Day Poster Contest Contest Rules: Open to children pre-school through Grade 2. Design the poster at the museum's own Creation Station art room, at school, or at home. Submissions must be on white paper between 8.5 x 11 and 11 x 17. Please include child's name, school grade, name of school, & contact info (address & phone number) on the back of your submission. Deliver submissions to The Children's Museum by  Tuesday, May 19th, 2015 . Prize Package: The winner will have their design featured on all promotional materials  and will receive a prize package including:   A $50 gift certificate to G.Williker's!  FREE tickets (2 adults and 3 children) to the Big Truck Day Event! And more to come! Big Truck Day is always held the first Saturday in August. This year Big Truck Day will be held August 1, 10 am - 2 pm   at the Ma

  One minute it feels like we have so much snow and the next moment it seems to all melt away. It is this tricky time of year that we have to choose our wooded walks with care. There is plenty of snow still hidden among the trees when we make a quick stop to take in the beautiful view from Big Cherrypatch Pond.   I’ve only ever noticed the sign for Cherrypatch Pond heading west toward Lake Placid from Whiteface Mountain. Little and Big Cherrypatch ponds bookmark Rt. 86 and we’ve never given the ponds their due. With only a passing glance from our vehicle, the ponds always seem more marshland than open water. The trail to Big Cherry Patch pond starts on the south side of Rt. 86 with its outflow crossing beneath the road to the northern Little Cherrypatch Pond. We park at the small designating area and make our way over the remaining snow bank. The whole hike is less than ½-mile round-trip, but since we are searching for signs of spring, we plan on taking our time.