Adirondack Family Time™

By Diane Chase Last year Lake Clear’s Charlie’s Inn transformed into a bustling train depot of years’ past with a stagecoach, 1912 taxi and even hotelier Paul Smith greeting visitors. Well, he wasn’t the real Paul Smith. We were still able to gain quite a bit of knowledge regarding the importance of the Lake Clear Train Depot and the role it played for the Paul Smith’s Hotel. The event features live music, plenty of food, period games, and vendors. A special children’s activity to look forward to is the “Thomas the Train” race. Kids can paint small wooden train engines and later race against each other.  New this year is local storytellers sharing Lake Clear history for all to enjoy. There is a complete schedule of events at Charlie’s Inn,  www.charlies-inn.com .

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY! 

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!

Lake George Theater Lab Shakes on the Lake is a fresh modern take on Shakespeare’s classic plays. Run by Daniel Spector from The Classical Studio at NYU Tisch School of the Arts Shakes on the Lake Two Gentlemen of Verona by William Shakespeare Directed by Daniel Spector July 5 th  10:30 AM • July 6 th  10:30 AM, 7:30 PM • July 7 th,  7:30 PM FREE and OUTDOORS!! New Play Lab Stupid *ing Bird by Aaron Posner Directed by Howard Shalwitz with Woolly Mammoth Theater Company June 30 th ; 6 PM • Bolton Free Library Original Ghost Stories Written by the Youngblood Crew Directed by Rosemary Andress July 27th & 28th • The Sagamore

July 1 The Joe Bolton Band  July 4 Floyd Community Instrumental Ensemble  (Fireworks)  July 8 Easy Money (Big Band Jazz)  July 15 Soul Injection (Light Jazz)  July 22 Al Nathan Band  July 29 Johnson & Company  August 5 Joe Angerosa “The Elvis Show”  August 12 Horseshoe Lounge Playboys (Acoustic Backwoods Americana)  August 19 Gwen Tracy Band  August 26 Al Nathan Band   September 2 Paul Case Band & Fireworks  Sundays at 7:00 p.m. Rain location—Hiltebrant Recreation Center Pavilion On North Street (except 7/1 & 7/29)  ©  Diane Chase is the author of Adirondack Family Activities™ guidebook series  Adirondack Family Time™ available online or bookstores/museums/sporting good stores. 

In 1889, William West Durant established one such town on Long Point of Raquette Lake . He built a post office there and a general store, naming the town Durant , NY . A year later, he responded to the needs of the Catholics in the area by donating the land, the materials and the money to build a Catholic Church just down the shore from the general store.  Designed by the J.C. Cady Company of New York City , the church was completed in 1890 by Hammond and Mosher, a contracting company in Saratoga Springs . William West Durant  entitled the church St. William's. The following year, the Franciscan Friars, Order of Friars Conventual, began administering to the needs of the parishioners of St. William's. As transportation technology advanced and the railroad arrived within the blue line, the water-locked town of Durant , NY (having changed its name to Raquette lake soon after its creation)  relocated to its present location, where the railroad spur from New York City ended. Still

Lake George has fireworks  at dusk every   Thursday  during the summer months of July and August. So head to Lake George Village at about 9:30 each week to watch the sparks fly... Oh yeah, and don't forget about  Fourth of July fireworks near Lake George !