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Showing posts from September 27, 2009

Historic Saranac Lake: A walk through town

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The last weekends are approaching for the Historic Saranac Lake walking tour. The 45-minute walk may be a stretch for the very young so for my excursion, I indulge in some alone time. Mary Hotaling, now the Architectural Historian, leads my tour. We meet at the bridge overlooking Lake Flower and from then on local facts and history are dropping like rain. Thankfully Hotaling encourages questions, thrives on them actually. I won’t give a blow-by-blow because taking the tour and then going to the museum is half the fun. Even for someone born and raised in the area would find some interesting tidbits in Saranac Lake’s multidimensional past. The tour is only available one more week, October 9 at 11:00 a.m. at Harrietstown Town Hall, for a small $5.00 donation. It is worth a walk around town to see how an industry arose from an illness. As we walk Main Street I am slowly taken back in time as Hotaling peels away the various architecture to its bare bones and shares glimpses of empty field

Easy Short Adirondack Hike: Inlet (NY) Rocky Mountain (just north of Old Forge)

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Enjoy a wide open summit at Rocky Mountain, Inlet NY Rocky Mountain Distance - 0.6-mile Elevation = 2,225' Vertical Ascent  = 448' Rocky Mountain is about the easiest climb I have had the pleasure to complete in a while. With a vertical rise of 450’ and just a half-mile to the top, not only do we get a chance to stretch our legs but an astounding view as well. I love those types of climbs. Not every opportunity to get outside can be a full day event. Sometimes our schedule only permits a quick jaunt. Knowing where to find a family-friendly hike that satisfies all levels of hiker is worth putting on the list. Rocky Mountain is just such a hike. The parking area is just south of Inlet's village. We have an expert guide. We are visiting a friend from the area that knows exactly what my children need, a run up a mountain. The kids rush out of the car hardly waiting for it to be put into park. The register is signed and we are on our way.  It is an easy

Long Lake NY for Kids: 13 Easy Short Hikes in Long Lake

Here are some ideas for parents, Adirondack (ADK) kids, retired or seniors and anyone wishing to go for a hike around the Long Lake area. Sargent Ponds Start from Lower Sargent Pond for a walk of 1.5 miles on the Northpoint Road to make the loop. Upper Sargent Pond —1.3 Miles, well marked, about 1/2 hour each way. Well marked trail markers. Lower Sargent Pond via Grass Pond —2.1 miles, well marked. Lower Sargent Pond is less than 20 minutes beyond Grass Pond. There is a lean-to overlooking Lower Sargent Pond. Lower Sargent-Upper Sargent by way of Middle Pond —1.7 miles between Upper & Lower. Sargent Pond Loop —9 miles includes distance between the trail heads. It is possible to make the Upper and Lower Ponds into a loop by way of the trail by way of Middle Pond. Owl's Head Mountain —3.2 miles to summit, well marked trail, relatively difficult after about 2 1/4 miles, scenic views of the Fishing Brook Range with the High Peaks in the distance. The trail head is

Banned Book Week

This is a celebration of choice, to have the freedom to read without censorship. This is a celebration to have an open dialog with children to understand and discuss why (not that I agree) some countries or communities take a stand against certain books. I try not to ever let an opportunity to teach tolerance pass by. Books Banned at One Time or Another in the United States according to Adler Books A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle Annie on My Mind by Nancy Garden As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner Blubber by Judy Blume Brave New World by Aldous Huxley con't Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson Canterbury Tales by Chaucer Carrie by Stephen King Catch-22 by Joseph Heller Christine by Stephen King Confessions by Jean-Jacques Rousseau Cujo by Stephen King Curses, Hexes, and Spells by Daniel Cohen Daddy's Roommate by Michael Willhoite Day No Pigs Would Die by Robert Peck Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller Decameron by Bo

Off to the Opera

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“I’m off to the Opera!” Now those are words we don’t get to hear everyday from my six-year-old. I am thrilled every time she surprises me with her ever-expanding interest in the arts. Though there is a part of me that wonders if it has more to do with the costumes. It really doesn’t matter as long as the end result is the same, an open art conversation. My son feels a bit more ownership over High Peaks Opera. He attended a performance in Long Lake this summer and now speaks with assurance that George Cordes sings like thunder (which in case you’re wondering is a good thing, a really, really good thing). My child wants to make sure I remember that the chairs shook with the force of the song. It was like an earthquake he assures me. Music does have a way of sweeping us off our feet. This Saturday he and anyone else will have the opportunity to witness that power as bass Cordes, Crane School of Music’s soprano Tiffany Conn and tenor Robert Soricelli will recreate their sold-out Little Ita