Adirondack Family Time™

Though it may not feel like spring, things are starting to wake up around the Adirondacks. We’ve even been lucky enough to observe a few bald eagles! We are waiting for maple sap to run so we can begin producing. Our seedlings are starting to sprout. This is also a great time to explore the area’s museums and ski hills before the snow finally melts for good.  Whether you are visiting or taking a staycation, here are a few ideas to keep yourself active during an Adirondack spring break.  Snow Tubing (weather permitting) Lake Placid Jumping Complex   (weekends only) Call 523-8830 Titus Mountain   Snow Tubing, Malone. Call 518-483-3740

What does a play about a green ogre and a world music festival have in common? I find the common ground between the Lake Placid High School performance of “Shrek the Musical” and the Reason2Smile World Music Festival is closer than you may think. Discovering different forms of music has proven to help with creativity and communication skills, besides music and movement can relieve stress and as we all know is fun.  There is something heartwarming about a reluctant hero on a life-changing journey with a band of misfit fairytale characters and a gutsy princess. Based on the popular animated film, “Shrek the Musical” hits the Lake Placid High School stage this Thursday – Saturday, March 5-7 at 7 pm with a matinee on March 7 at 11 am. Tickets are $10/adults, $6/students. Join Shrek, Donkey, Fiona and a dragon as they battle the bad guy on a journey to discover that beauty is in the eye of the beholder.  On Saturday, March 7, Reason2Smile is hosting its 3 rd  annua...

Every Super Bowl Sunday Lake Placid's The Palace Theatre offers discounted movie theatre passes. You can squeeze in a matinee or skip the game altogether for the amazing price of 99¢ for all shows. Enjoy!    © 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.

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 No...

A Farm to School Festival , Lake Placid School Carniva l and Saranac Lake Mayfaire are just a few events happening around the Tri-Lakes (Lake Placid, Saranac Lake and Tupper Lake) this weekend. In addition to the plethora of hiking, kayking and canoeing opportunities, make one or all of these three (3) great events a stopping place for children of all ages.  The 2nd annual Adirondack Farm to School Festival will take place on May 30 from 4-7 pm at the Lake Placid High School Oval. The event is free and open to the public, but donations will be accepted to support the Adirondack Farm to School movement The event will have local farm products, crafts, games and even a "farm to school" dinner. Music will be provided by local band, Big Slyde with a 6-7 pm presentation at the Lake Placid High School Auditorium by  Essex Farm' s Mark and Kristin Kimball , author of The Dirty Life .  The ADK Farm to School Initiative works in collaboration with Adirondack North Countr...

© Diane Chase, Adirondack Family Time By Diane Chase An Adirondack Full Moon Ski, Hike or Swim?  One Adirondack family activity we always enjoy is taking our cross-country skies and hitting a trail. The kids find it exciting and we get to experience nature in a new way.  You can take your family to enjoy a planned event or find a quiet place and have kids find out what animals are starting to wake up at night! Always bring a headlamp whether you are out on your favorite trail or participating in an organized event! Enjoy!

The Sugarmaker’s Companion includes:  A focus on maple syrup as a healthy, local, sustainably produced alternative to corn syrup and other highly processed artificial sweeteners; Discussions about organic certification, sugarhouse registration, and the new international grading system; Information on marketing to create a profitable business model based on scale, interest, access, and more; Detailed analyses of the economics of buying and selling sap; Information on ways to process and market other tree saps, including birch and walnut; Ways to enhance diversity in the sugarbush and interplant understory crops for value-added products such as ginseng, goldenseal, and mushrooms; and, An economic analysis of utilizing maple trees for syrup or sawtimber production. In addition, readers and sugarmakers will learn plenty of practical, how-to skills, such as: If, and on what scale, syrup production is right for them; How to find trees for tapping; The essentials of ...

No one has to wait for the Sochi Winter Olympics games to participate in an Olympic sport. Once again all young adults have an opportunity to be part of the Adirondack Paintball Biathlon.                                                        The entry is $10/event for the first six events ($5 for NYSEF, NPSC, ORDA Pathfinder, Dewey Mt and TLNS athletes). There is a $20 admission for anyone participating during the Grand Finale as part of the NYSEF Nordic Kids Festival on March 23.                                                Any child from 8-14 can register and compete in any or all of the 2014 Adirondack Paintball Biathlon Series. Any child competing in all seven events gets a free event t-shirt. No experience is necessary...

By Diane Chase Safety is always a concern when paddling with children so we want to take whatever precautions necessary to assure a fun experience. Adirondacks Lakes and Trails Outfitters   owner Steve Doxzon says, “This time of year it’s the cold water that is the biggest issue. People need to dress for the water temperature not the air temperature. It may be 70 degrees outside but the water is still only 37 degrees.” Doxzon especially urges a person kayaking to dress accordingly as there is a greater chance for capsizing and  hypothermia . He reminds paddlers that sudden changes in conditions, like windy days, are something to be wary of when getting out on Adirondack lakes, rivers and ponds. Read More Here

The 2012 Lake Placid Sunday Garden Series is FREE on Sundays from 3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. at Heaven Hill Farm, 302 Bear Cub Road, Lake Placid March 11 - KEEPING BEEZZZ Dick Crawford of the Champlain Valley Beekeepers  Association is a long-time beekeeper and honey producer who has mentored  countless novice North Country Beekeepers through the years. A general interest program for all kinds of bee aficionados.

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. 

Lake Placid will celebrate it's annual Holiday Village Stroll December 9-11, 2011. There are many family-friendly activities from a FREE movie at the Palace Theatre to arts and crafts at the High Peaks Resort.  Friday, December 9, 2011 5:00-7:00 pm Artist Reception at the  Northwoods Inn 6:30-8:30 pm FREE  Holiday Skating Party at the Olympic Center with free skate rental. Featuring Santa, hot cocoa and a performance by regional skating clubs. Evening Hours Local restaurants & bars will feature live music, happy hour, great food, and much more!   Saturday, December 10, 2011 8:30 am Jingle Bell Charity Run -  Village Beach - Registration at 7:00 am To benefit the Adirondack Health Center Fit For Life program 10:00 am Local shops will have special promotions all day. 10:00-2:00 pm Harvest Market at the  LPCA 11:00-11:30 am FREE  Holiday Story Time at  Mirror Lake Inn 12:00-1:00 pm Santa arrives on a Fire Truck at Mid's Park...

The stage is set for Gandalf and thirteen mighty dwarves to enter The Shire to enlist a reluctant Bilbo Baggins to help on a quest to slay the evil dragon Smaug. For those Tolkien fanatics, this musical version, though authorized by J.R.R. Tolkien, has a bit of a surprise ending. For those unfamiliar with Tolkien’s “The Hobbit,” this play with over 50 local children will be the perfect introduction. “The Hobbit: or There and Back Again” was first published in 1937 by J.R.R. Tolkien and now promoted as a prelude to Tolkien’s most popular work “The Lord of the Rings” published seventeen years later in 1954. The book series has never been out of print. The books have been made into movies, cartoons, radio series, stage production and even a video game.

By Diane Chase, from my weekly Adirondack Almanack post Being an active family, my kids seems to outgrown their sporting gear before I’ve finished tying up the laces. For other parents looking to outfit their children for the winter ski season, a ski swap is a nice starting place. A ski swap can also be a much-needed opportunity to clean house Generally the ski swaps are consignments where you drop off your gear, helmets, and winter clothing a day before the event. If the gear sells then you will receive 80% of the set sale price. Usually the funds generated benefit a special organization like ski clubs or ski patrols so the 20% commission goes to support the sport. It is best to ask what each ski swap's arrangement is, as it varies with location. Keep in mind no “collector’s items” like wooden skis and only clothing in good condition.   Lake Placid: November 5, 9:00 a.m. – noon In Lake Placid, the   Lake Placid Ski Club/NYSEF Ski Swap   is asking for any winter ...

The Kiwanis Club of Lake Placid will host its 20th annual Teddy Bear Picnic this Sunday, September 16 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the renamed Teddy Bear Park on Hillcrest Ave in Lake Placid, located near St. Agnes Church.  Bring your  bear. There is a parade at noon. Children and parents are encouraged to dress up. There is a costume contest and decorated wagon "float" contest. Food and beverages are available. This a great family-friendly event that will bring out the child in all of us!

Cascade Mountain 4098' #36 of 46 Adirondack (Adk) High Peaks Distance = 2.4 miles to summit  The waterfall on Cascade Mountain has widened due to effects of Tropical Storm Irene According to the DEC  THE EASTERN ZONE of the HIGH PEAKS WILDERNESS, GIANT MOUNTAIN WILDERNESS and DIX MOUNTAIN WILDERNESS are closed through Labor Day Weekend and beyond due to dangerous conditions and extensive damage to trails and interior infrastructure. DEC intends to fully enforce this closure . Over the next several weeks DEC will be evaluating the conditions of all trails in the closed areas, prioritize work to rehabilitate trails and determine what trails may be reopened for public use. TRAIL ADVISORIES (8/31) : Hurricane Irene has created dangerous conditions across most of the Eastern Adirondacks including flooding, bridge wash outs, trail wash outs and blow down of trees and other debris. Back country travel is difficult, if not impossible, throughout much of the backcountry of the Ea...

I can't be the only one who just doesn't feel like cooking. A quick stop to Villa Vespa in Lake Placid puts all my worries behind me. Fresh homemade pasta, garlic bread and an amazing Eggplant Parmagiano is all I need. Of course there are plenty of other options at this Italian specialty store.   from fresh soups

Loon Lake Live! is a FREE classical chamber music and interactive series that continues to bring beautiful music to the Adirondack High Peaks area. Situated in Loon Lake in Franklin County, New York.  These professional musician want to share their love of music with the North Country.  This is the 15th season for Loon Lake Live!. Enjoy one or all of the various concerts that will take place around Loon Lake, Saranac Lake and Lake Placid this summer.  Loon Lake Live!  2011 - Our 15th Season Concert Set 1: Location and DateSunday 7/24, 7:30 pm Loon Lake Jewish Center Monday 7/25, 7:30 pm John Black Memorial Room Historic Saranac Lake Laboratory 89 Church St., Saranac Lake PerformersStephen Redfield, violin Aaron Packard, violin Catherine Beeson, viola Lori Lax, viola Sara Fierer, cello Debra Sherrill, french horn 

FREE YOUNG  and FUN ARTS SERIES schedule At the Lake Placid Center for the Arts auditorium 10:30AM • FREE ADMISSION Seating is First-Come, First-Serve. Doors Open at 10:00 a.m. No General Reservations July 13 • Billy Goats Gruff Seagle Music Colony This charming intro to opera retells the classic fairy tale story. Adapted by John Davies and featuring music from operas by Mozart, Donizetti and Rossini. Appropriate for ages 5 and up. July 20 • Vermont Singer / Songwriter Jon Gailmor Songs to make people feel alive! Humans prenatal through prehistoric will enjoy a great blend of music from this multi-award winning Vermonter. Humor and audience involvement are integral parts of this fun show!

Adirondack Shakespeare Theatre will celebrate its second season with four productions and a full schedule of events with performances of the comedy "The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged). A full season pass can be purchased for only $30, which includes all performances to "A Mid Summer's Night Dream and Merchant of Venice as the well as Adirondack Shakespeare's original productions by  Sean Adams,   Theseus and the Minotaur , which features an adapted version of   A Midsummer Night’s Dream .   The season will open July 3  with FREE performances at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m at Shepard's Park in Lake George. Also check back for a FREE children's performance at Lake Placid's Mid Park July 23 and August 3.  Adirondack Shakespeare Theatre Schedule of Events