Adirondack Family Time™

Just outside of Saranac Lake is a great family activity for ADK kids of all ages, The Great Adirondack Corn Maze. The view from Tucker Farms, Gabriels, N.Y. Finding the way out of The Great Adirondack Corn Maze Care to try some of Tucker Farm's red and blue potatoes? 

Don't be afraid to wear that Blaze Orange vest. It's a color that goes with everything! It will bring out the safety in your children's eyes.  When I first moved to the Adirondacks I never took in consideration  hunting season  as having an effect on my outdoor activities. Yes, I realize that was naïve of me but I have no experience with hunting and had only hiked in the summer. During those warm months gun safety is not on a non-hunter’s radar. Since I can’t be the only person in this predicament, here are some simple rules to keep in mind. There is room enough in a six-million-acre park for hunters and hikers. My children are well aware of what they need to do to be safe while hiking in the woods. We unpack our blaze orange vests and hats and stick to the trail. It is this time of year that I encourage them to talk loudly and stick together. Playing it safe during hunting season 1)     Don’t be afraid; be cautious. 2)     Be informed of what is “in season.”

It's only October! Is this really necessary? I have just a few more gardening things to button up. 

Puppetry combines elements of problem solving and creativity. It can also segue children from watching television to seeing a live performance. According to  Puppet People   co-founder, Mark Carrigan, puppetry can spark the imagination where watching television can not. “I got into puppetry as a small child. I remember watching a puppet show when I was in third grade, running home and making my own puppets,” says Carrigan. “After receiving a degree in sculpture, I worked with Bennington Marionettes sculpting the marionettes’ faces. I met my wife there.” Read more here 

Is your child interested in theatre? This year Pendragon Theatre , the Adirondack's only year-round professional theatre, will present performances of “A Christmas Carol” as its Holiday production. For the past several years a variety of different plays have been performed but the Theatre felt it time to return to a much loved holiday classic to conclude the 30th year celebration! Auditions and an informational meeting will be held on Saturday the 23rd of October at 1:00 p.m. Kent Streed will direct. The auditions will consist of readings from the script. The production will open on the18th of December and will have a couple of performances at the Lake Placid Center for the Arts after Christmas – the schedule will be available at the auditions. For other information or questions please call the Theatre at 518-891-1854.

The renovated barns at the Almanzo Wilder Homestead Farmer Boy!

This Saturday, October 2nd, there will be a green energy open house around New York and the Adirondacks supported by the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association . With over 140 homes to tour across the state, people can find any example of sustainable energy from pellet stoves, geothermal, passive, solar and more. The opportunity to to see how these processes have worked and meet with people that have taken the step toward energy efficiency is invaluable. As a parent, I always try to be a good example for my own family. Taking kids on green energy tours like this may seem like its a bother but the payback will be well worth it. Just like any other activity, be prepared. Depending on the ages of your children inform them of what you want to look for. Are you interested in getting solar panels or just passive solar? What inventive ways are kids able to come up with to solve your own energy issues?  Let them ask questions, follow the tour around and be a part of the solution. Give the