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.