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Showing posts with the label Tupper Lake

The Wild Center's Wild Walk: Let's Our Inner Child Come Out to Play!

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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

Keep Children Head Safe with Free Bike Helmets at the Bicycle Rodeo

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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.  

Lake Placid/Saranac Lake Staycation or Vacation

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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

Adirondack Events: International Sun-Day at The Adirondack Public Observatory

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photo used with the permission of APO It is almost summer, true summer. The summer solstice, which marks the longest day in the northern hemisphere, will be celebrated on the first annual International Sun-Day this June 22 from 4-6 pm at the Adirondack Public Observatory (APO).  APO wants to celebrate Earth’s closest star, the Sun, with solar observing, educational programs, games, prizes and many activities for all ages. The free event will take place on the property and within the Observatory. Picnic tables will be set up for anyone to enjoy. According to Gordon Duval, Tupper Lake Physics and Astronomy teacher and member of the APO Board of Directors, there will be telescopes with solar filters, lectures about the sun and possibly a camera to show the telescope’s findings on a TV. (Duval warns everyone that proper equipment is needed for observing the sun. He gives an example of a child using a magnifying glass to burn leaves, which is a similar effect that can happen to a p

Wild Center Buzz Fest in Tupper Lake

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By Diane Chase You don't have to eat the insects but after a day at The Wild Center , you may want to. Join David George Gordon as he demonstrates popular world cuisine at the annual BuzzFest July 4 in Tupper Lake.  (There will also be a honey BBQ at the family-themed bug bash!)  You can be a bug detective, have insect races, look at a butterfly hatchery, learn fly tying and see a bee hive. There are so much to do and learn about the insect around us. It will be bee-autiful. (I couldn't resist!) Insect Fun Facts:  Mosquitos drink more than its total body weight in a single sitting. Black flies inject a blood thinner while biting its meal to keep the blood from coagulating.  Learn more at The BuzzFest!

Mother's Day in the Adirondacks

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By Diane Chase There is plenty to do in the Adirondack for Mother's Day. Whether it's taking your favorite walk or visiting with family, there are activities and events to treat that special someone. Mother’s Day is this Sunday, May 13th, and The Wild Center in Tupper Lake is giving everyone the chance to celebrate the women in their lives whether great-grandmother, grandmother or mother. This event is not just geared toward children, but to embrace the child within. Join in the festivities and enjoy a free opportunity to explore Mother Nature inside and outside the Natural History Museum of the Adirondacks ( The Wild Center ).

Amusements of America Carnival/ Fair finishes in Saratoga Springs and opens in Tupper Lake

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By Diane Chase For the 2 nd  year Amusements of America will be coming to Tupper Lake between stops at the Saratoga and Franklin County Fair. In case anyone is wondering about these traveling fairs, Saratoga County Fair (held in Ballston Spa) is one of the oldest fairs in New York State and still organized by the Saratoga Agricultural Society while the Franklin County Fair (held in Malone) is run by the Franklin County Agricultural Society and has continued to provide this annual event for over 150 years. Now the Tupper Lake Lions Club has gotten into the carnival game. From July 27-31 at the Tupper Lake Municipal Park there will be an assortment of carnival rides for children of all ages, from rides for small children to something the parents can share like the Ferris wheel, merry-go-round or the “dizzy dragon.” I can’t tell you what the last one is because when I spoke with Maurice from Amusements of America it sounded like he was on the Ferris Wheel at Saratoga County Fair. He ass

Tupper Lake Woodsmen's Day July 8-10, 2011

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By Diane Chase Tupper Lake Woodsmen's Days will be here July 8-10, 2011 at the Municipal Park. This event kicks off with an evening  BBQ and live music at the Municipal Park Bandshell. This is an fun-filled weekend of activity that highlights all the traditional logging competitions from large horse pull to a greased pole race, all in the Adirondack Park. People from all over the country participate in this annual event to show the skills and art involved in the logging industry. Logging played such an important part in the history of Tupper Lake, it only makes sense that this event continues to thrive and draw people from all walks of live. Paul Smith's College, Forestry Department, has teams of students usually participating in this annual event. Enjoy!. There is even a schedule of events just for kids' activities . Kids can enjoy an obstacle course, water balloon toss or magic show to name just a few. © Diane Chase, author of Adirondack Family Time: Tri-Lakes an

NEW ‘ADIRONDACK FAMILY TIME’ GUIDEBOOK HITS SHELVES IN JULY

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SARANAC LAKE , NY – A new guidebook outlining family activities in the Adirondack Park will be released in July. “Adirondack Family Time: Tri-Lakes & High Peaks Regions,” by Diane Chase, is a comprehensive guide to over 300 activities. The first of four proposed books published by Hungry Bear Publishing in Saranac Lake, the Tri-Lakes/High Peaks edition targets four seasons of family activities for Lake Placid, Saranac Lake, Tupper Lake, Jay, Upper Jay, Keene, Keene Valley and Wilmington with a foreword by acclaimed author Edward Kanze. Based on Chase’s Adirondack Daily Enterprise weekly “Family Time” column and Adirondack Family Time blog, “Adirondack Family Time: Tri-Lakes & High Peaks Regions” is a must-have guide for anyone wishing to discover ideas on how to entertain family, friends and visitors while in the Adirondack Park. The points of interest also include GPS coordinates. “This book is designed to be used by everyone, not just those with children,” Chase said. “My

What to do with kids: Tupper Lake Winter Golf Tournament February 12

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Lions and Rotary Club volunteers stage Tupper Lake’s first “Fire and Ice” winter golf event on February 12 at the Tupper Lake Municipal Park. The Tupper Lake Municipal Park and a number of acres of frozen Raquette Pond will be the setting for the “Fire and Ice” play beginning at noon and running until 4p.m.. Kids will love the miniature “putt-putt” course fashioned by organizers on the lakeshore area later this week. The putters and flags to mark the holes have been donated by Shaheen’s Motel, from its summer miniature golf operation.

Adirondack Museums: The Wild Center's Winter Hours

The winter hours for The Wild Center are November 1st - Memorial Day: Friday, Saturday, Sunday 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

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

Adirondack Theatre: Shakespeare at the Paul Smith’s VIC (and other venues)

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Puck or Robin Goodfellow is still up to the same old tricks, even some 400+ years later. Believed to have been composed before 1600, Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, continues to be one of the most popular of the Shakespearian comedies. My children listen to an audio CD so are familiar with the storyline but had yet to see it in performance. It is a physical romp around the Flander’s Park venue in Tupper Lake where actors utilize the whole park as a stage rather than being confined to a small space. Modeled after other outdoor theatre venues, the 12 performances are free. The cost to the pocket is nothing more than, well nothing! An added benefit, as far as I’m concerned, is no need to stand in a virtual e-ticket line like larger open-air venues such as the Central Park Delacorte Theater’s Shakespeare in the Park. There is nothing worse than standing in line whether virtual or real time. We get to walk right in and set up our blanket and chairs, spread out our picnic

Free Free Free

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Free. That is just one word that I like to bandy around, like I’m the one passing it out. Free. So simple. So, well, freeing! There are a lot of things that are free and sometimes, like advice, we just don’t want to hear it. So I will cease with the accolades for all that is free and cut right to the no admission charge at the Natural History Museum of the Adirondacks, better known as The Wild Center, on Saturday May 2nd. So to all naysayers who criticize that I can’t get to the point I say! What was the point, again? Ah, yes. After being closed for the month of April The Wild Center has dusted off its winter wear and is celebrating with demonstrations of all things wild. Appropriately there will be over 25 organizations connecting people to nature. The focus of this event is to get families to go outside and enjoy the benefits of a natural environment. As much as I would like to include raking the yard, I don’t think that is what they had in mind. Some events to look forward to are a

A Wild Art Day

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We have a big day planned with all sorts of activities on the agenda. We have errands to run and want to squeeze in an end of season ski as we work our way to Tupper Lake. The last thing on the list is going to the Wild Center. As we head into town the kids start negotiating the length of their stay at the museum. What has become the last stop now becomes the first. The children are thrilled to get here. I am always amazed that each time we show up it is just as exciting. I guess that is why it is a living museum. It is constantly changing and growing. The children know the way so our jackets are stowed, the movie times checked and the game plan discussed. My plan is to relax and have a cup of coffee. The kids are old enough now to be on their own for certain lengths of time. I take a seat behind the tables set up for the Family Art and Nature Project and under a “green intentions” exhibit. People have written on bits of cloth clipped to branches how they plan on living a greener life.

A Wild Mother’s Day

I do not know what is in store for me for Mother’s Day. That is the point, I guess. To let the wee ones hatch elaborate plans that involve waking me at 4:00 a.m. with tea and toast. They have hatched some sort of plan, the two of them and have been hiding things from me. At first I thought it was more sticky candy wrappers I occasionally find under the couch or perhaps an accidental spill cleaned up with my best tea towels. After a small slip of the tongue I have been led to believe that it may be something a little bit more. My son is itching to tell me what he has planned. When he comes to hug me he always mentions how he loves giving surprises as much as getting them. Then he follows with a few hints. It is not alive. (Whew! I am a bit alarmed when presented with the gift of life in the manner of snakes or ant farms.) I can’t eat it; which may be a mixed blessing. I can’t wear it; so I am assuming that I am going somewhere. For anyone wishing for ideas the Wild Center in Tupper Lak