Adirondack Family Time™

The USA Luge team, headquartered in Lake Placid, gives free tours of their facility every weekday at 2:00 p.m. This week the Olympic luge team and most of the staff are in Vancouver supporting their athletes so tours will resume the week of the 22nd. Read More

The Flume Trail System is about eight miles of trails open to mountain biking, hiking, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. The Flume parking lot is about 2 miles south from the town of Wilmington on Route 86 on the opposite side of the Ausable River from the Hungry Trout Restaurant. The majority of the trails are free and open to the public. This trail network does connect to Whiteface Ski Area, which does require a ticket. Curses on that rain that wreaked havoc on the snow. I optimistically pack snowshoes hoping that the woods will still hold some of the white stuff. The children grab their own backpacks and fill each with the essentials. Flashlights, space blankets, first aid kits and gators are pulled from our winter kits. Then the games, stuffed animals and hardcover novels start being tucked around the sides. I remind them that we are just going for a bit of a walk, not winter camping. Once they realize they will be carrying their own packs, items start flying out faster tha...

Big Tupper has teamed with The Wild Center , the Natural History Museum of the Adirondacks. Anyone purchasing a ticket to the Wild Center or a day lift ticket for Big Tupper will get a free day pass to the other venue. The free ticket is good for up to two weeks. I am a fan of Big Tupper. Literally, a fan. I clicked on the Facebook flag and became a fan of the little mountain that could. I have been swept along with all the momentum of hearing about and have friends (this time real ones not just Facebook) that have spent time getting the mountain open. With all the computer progress updates and conversation, I have yet to ski there. My family has been able to go but it seems that my own family time has its work conflicts like any one else’s. Ironic isn’t it? To write about family activities but to then send the family off to enjoy so that I can work. My children assure me that they will report back in detail any discoveries from their ski outing at Big Tupper. Before I regale you wit...

Will playing games raise your child's IQ? I am not talking about the cloak and dagger kind of games or my children's ability to creatively conjure ways to get out of walking the dog. According to a research study by Dr. Silvia Bunge, a neuroscientist at UC Berkeley, and her graduate students found certain off-the-shelf board, card and video games improved children's IQ significantly. Read more here

The complete Saranac Lake Winter Carnival Schedule of Events is here. Starting with the Coronation of Carnival Royalty. Thursday, February 4 5:30 p.m.: 11th Annual Past Royalty Mixer and Dinner (Moose Club, $, call 891-1286 for reservations) Friday, February 5 7:30 p.m.: Coronation of Carnival Royalty (Harrietstown Town Hall) Sponsored by the Women’s Civic Chamber Post Coronation: Reception following the ceremony at the B.P.O. Elks Lodge #1508 9 p.m.: Cocktail Hour – Music by Mecca Bodega (Waterhole Upstairs Music Lounge, $) 9 p.m. – 2 a.m.: Music by Road Dog Kill (Captain Cook’s, $) Saturday, February 6 10 a.m.: Ice Palace Fun Run (4 miles) (Ice Palace) 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.: 17th Annual Business & Professional Women Chocolate Festival (Harrietstown Town Hall, $) 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.: Lutheran Church Women’s Craft Sale (Harrietstown Town Hall, $) 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.: Petrova Winter Carnival (fun for kids) (Petrova Elementary School Cafeteria, $) 11 a.m.: The Adirondack ARC Curling Exhibition...

For the past four years we have been invited to have our son participate in the annual ski jumping clinics at MacKenzie-Intervale Jumping Complex . My husband and I embrace the idea. What an opportunity to experience something so few other regions have, an Olympic facility near by with coaches and experienced staff of World Championship caliber. Each year my son declines. For the first time, at no encouragement from us, he decided that he wanted to see what the big deal was all about. A friend was going and there was a mention of snacks. We hung out with other families while my son practiced on the play hill, playing games, taking jumps the size of moguls he encounters regularly while downhill skiing. The coaches eased even the most reluctant skier down the hill with fun play and games. The group then moved to the 5-meter hill where the children lined up and did easy jumps. It was all done with a nice transition and sense of play. Much to our surprise our son went with the 30 other ki...

This is not a huge surprise after the rain received yesterday that Mt. Pisgah in Saranac Lake will not be having ski lessons this evening.