Vacation Lodging in the Adirondacks
Blue Mountain Rest was featured in THE WEEK magazine in the Travel section. Page 30 under Leisure, May 15th, 2015
Enjoy spring in a cabin just south of the High Peaks region in New York’s Adirondack Park. Through June 23, book a white-water rafting trip and save 20 percent on lodging. Hiking, swimming, biking and kayaking are also available. bluemountainrest.com
Took my first mountain bike ride in ions. A quick jaunt to the old Lake Durant carriage road. Pretty lake side ride. Perfect biking weather, about 56 degrees and sunny today.
Have been a member of the ADK Mountain Club for 3 years but inactive. I just found out they get together every week for hiking, canoeing, kayaking, snow shoeing & x-country skiing. Wondering about mt. biking. Gotta get the old bones moving again. And want to experience the lakes with the club. So many lakes near Blue Mt Lake.
Sure there are higher mountains elsewhere but it is sure pretty here in the Adirondacks. There are some great trails for hiking too. Trails to Blue Mt, Snowy Mt and Oak Mt are all less than 15 minutes away. With the exception of the High Peaks in Lake Placid these are some of the highest mts in The ADK’s.
Lenny Baglieri
Proprietor
Blue Mountain Rest
It’s the prime season- summertime! If you haven’t made your vacation plans now is the time to do it.
The Adirondacks in New York State attracts vacationers from all over the US but also, Canada, Europe, Scandinavia, the Mid – East, Northern Africa, Central & South America.
What’s the draw? Maybe it is the 6 million acres of untouched and unspoiled environment, over a thousand crystal clear lakes, gorgeous mountain views, with some of the highest peaks in New York near Saranac & Lake Placid, Blue Mt. Lake and Indian Lake. Deemed “forever wild” the Adirondacks is one of, if not the largest, National Parks in the country.
Maybe it is the wildlife which amazes vacationers in there natural habitat. Dozens of species of bird: including the iconic Loon & Osprey, deer, moose, black bear, coyote, bobcat, coy dog, otter, beaver, hawk or the endless number of steams and lakes stocked with hundreds of species of fish.
Maybe its how much fun you can have sharing this precious space with nature. Canoe, kayak, go white water rafting, rent a pontoon boat, water ski, wind surf, horseback ride, take a seaplane ride, hike, mt bike, spend time on a beach (that’s right I said beach, almost every lake has one and that means swimming in some of the freshest water that streamed down the mountain after the big winter melt offs), golf, jet ski, and fish, fish, fish.
Maybe it’s the history. Learn about W. Durant and how he built the Great Camps in the 1800’s, go to Sagamore and especially the Adirondack Museum in Blue Mt Lake. A world class facility that you can literally spend two days in learning about how the railroad barons built the camps for their summer guests. Did you know that Prospect Point in Blue Mt Lake had the first hotel in the world with electricity?! A 300 room facility with spectacular lake views.
Maybe it’s the designer shopping in Lake Placid or the 1980 Olympic Center. The Wild Center in Tupper Lake an interactive, naturalist museum educating adults and children alike about the indigenous wildlife of the central Adirondacks. Or the Arts and Cultural Center in Blue Mt Lake. Or taking a Dinner Cruise on Raquette Lake. Going to the Enchanted Forest, an amusement and water park in Old Forge.
In a brief interview with Lenny Baglieri a hotelier in Blue Mt Lake, owner of Blue Mt Rest, kind of summed it up. “In the five and a half years we have been operating I’ve had clients come from: Denmark, Finland, Holland, England, Germany, Spain, Italy, a country in the Slovac region which was once part of Yugoslavia, Israel, Puerto Rico, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, Panama, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Canada, Japan and India. That’s just one’s I can remember off the top of my head in addition to all the Americans that come from all over the US. It’s a wonderful place to bring your family”.
It certainly is an international destination, don’t hesitate to reserve a room today because before you know it the summer will be over.
June 17th – 19th Fathers Day Weekend. Get Dad out of the office and into nature. Is he the outdoorsy, adventurous type? Book a room in a rustic cabin, cottage or lakefront resort so he can spend some quality time with the whole family.
Does he like to go fishing, kayak, canoe, hike, mt bike, water ski, golf, horseback ride or go white water rafting? How about something more laid back like renting a flotilla like a pontoon boat for a lazy afternoon on a lake; go to the Adirondack Museum, take a dinner cruise on Raquette Lake or see one of the Great Camps at Sagamore. What about something a little more exciting like taking a seaplane ride to get a birds eye view of some of the most beautiful lakes and mountains in the central region of the Adirondack State park in NY.
Blue Mt Lake is the central hub of all of this activity where you will find some wonderful lodging and all of these fantastic activities. A few to mention- some historic seasonal full service resorts like The Hedges & Hemlock Hall or more moderate, cozy accommodations like Curry’s Cabins or Blue Mountain Rest who was featured in Time Out Magazine, NY. All dressed in Adirondack decor and a great place to give dad a relaxing respite from the everyday.
ADIRONDACK BOREAL BIRDS
Bird watching in the Adirondacks is marked by the Hamilton County Birding Festival, held annually the second weekend of June. This year’s Festival will be held June 10-12, and has grown to become a premiere regional attraction in celebration of Adirondack Boreal Birds. The three-day event will feature guided hikes, canoe excursions, driving safaris, walks, a cruise and evening presentations.
Registration is required for each outdoor activity. A complete festival schedule of activities is available at the Indian Lake Chamber of Commerce, participating Festival businesses, the Indian Lake Town Hall, at www.adirondackexperience.com or call 518-548-3076.
Welcome Birders… to the 7th Annual Hamilton County Birding Festival Featuring… The Usual Suspects: A Sampler of ADK Specialty Birds The Boreal birds of the Adirondacks Presented By John Thaxton, author, photographer and noted Adirondack Birder Saturday, June 11, 7:30 PM Indian Lake Theater Admission: $5.00 Sponsors: Hamilton County Tourism, Indian Lake Chamber of Commerce, Town of Indian Lake.
INDIAN LAKE – As part of this year’s 7th Annual Hamilton County Birding Festival, join author and noted Adirondack birder, John Thaxton , for an evening of educational entertainment highlighting the lives and habits of boreal species found in the Adirondacks. John will present, “The Usual Suspects: A Sampler of Adirondack Specialty Birds”, Saturday June 11, 7:30 pm at the Indian Lake Theater. He will share information about bicknell’s thrush, black-backed woodpecker, palm warbler and others including: wood warblers, olive-sided and yellow bellied fly catchers, gray jays, three toed woodpeckers, boreal chickadees unique to the boreal landscape of Northern Hamilton County.
John is the author of 6 books and has written articles for “The Kingbird,” “Birder’s World” and “Adirondack Life.” He recently has started writing a regular column, “Birdwatch,” for “Adirondack Explorer.” John is also an accomplished photographer whose work has appeared in numerous magazines and a veteran leader of birding field trips.
Discount coupons will be available at the Chamber of Commerce, Town Hall, at participating businesses and at www.indian-lake.com. For further Festival information, please call Kristina Eldridge at the Chamber: 518-648-5112.
Here are the reasons why you come to the Adirondacks.
written 7/26/07
Shadows in the Mist
Lying in the Valleys of the Adirondacks
Morning light
And shadows in the mist
Silhouette pines
Breaking through
The suns insistence to bring a brilliant new day.
Stillness in the air,
Blankets the endless forests
That shrouds the endless vacationers
Enveloped in log cabins tucked deep in the woods
Or million dollar homes perched on lakefront shorelines.
On golden pond
In these mountains
Kayaks wade through high reeds or open water.
Rampant rivers
Bring anticipation to whitewater rafters.
Campers breathe crisp clean air
The discriminate smell of evergreen,
Inert & intrinsic.
Hiker’s objective,
Conquest of stone & rock.
You can’t ignore the harmony between
Sun, water and wind
In this beautiful land
Ancient and prodigious.
Your mind lays at rest
Sitting between the valleys
And the shadows in the mist.
Giving up life’s frivolities
And stepping into a metaphysical realm
Of oneness with the earth
And oneself.
Children swim,
In the soothing breeze and the tepid haze at sunset.
Fast boats race across the calming waters
And you never want to leave this understanding
That is too brief and intoxicating.
Loons are the iconic sounds
That breaks the night’s silence
And tell us- we are here.
Sitting by the fireside, fueling the embers of our soul
Are moonlight and starlight
That dominate the landscape deep within us.
Completing the circle of the day.
Dawn again brings morning light
And the Valleys appear unscathed
Only inundated by the shadows in the mist.
If you ever need lodging contact Lenny Baglieri at Blue Mt Rest located in the Central Adirondacks. 845.236.4071 or www.bluemountainrest.com
Memorial Day Weekend kicks it all off, not only in a series of upcoming events in the central Adirondacks but this is the true beginning of the 2011 summer vacation season. In the following weeks there will be several major events: the Birding Festival, Black Fly Challenge, The Americade and Fathers Day Weekend throughout the Lake George, Indian Lake, Moose River Plains, Blue Mt Lake and Inlet areas.
The central Adirondack region has a maze of trails in a topography that can range up to 3,900 vertical feet. Snowy Mt in Indian Lake, Blue Mt in Blue Mt Lake and Oak Mt in Long Lake are some of the highest peaks in New York. The Adirondack State Park is a perfect unspoiled back drop to your vacation adventure offering spectacular panoramic views overlooking dozens of crystal clear lakes.
The NY State Trail System in this central region has a rich variety of terrain for the beginner or expert; Sprague Pond offers the flatest, easiest and shortest trek of just .3 mi, more moderate to difficult trails Chimminy and Wakely Mts are 1.1 to 3 mile jaunts or the 7.9 mile difficult to steep Sucker Brook trail is in Indian Lake. Hiking Blue Mt has the Castle rock and Tirrell Pond trails that can even connect you to the Northville- Lake Placid Trial – 130 miles for the hard core long distance enthusiast. But there are dozens of other trails Rock Lake, Baldface Mt, Sawyer Mt & Bullhead Pond just to name a few.
If you road bike Rts 28, 30 & 30N are the main thorough fares that will bring you to the towns of Speculator to south, Indian Lake, Blue Mt Lake, Raquette Lake to the northwest and Long Lake or Tupper Lake to the northeast. Just pedaling thru these areas will give you the true flavor & sheer beauty of the Adirondacks. You’ll see majestic mountains, blue lakes and picture perfect vistas at almost every turn.
All of the off road trails are good for hiking, many for mountain biking in the warmer seasons and snowmobiling, snow shoeing or x-country skiing in winter. In the town of Inlet there are some of the best mt biking trails in the whole northeast. For the avid mt biker contact Pedals and Petals for more info. The local chambers of commerce have trail maps as well as many of the lodging facilities for easy review of the general area.
Blue Mt Lake is the epicenter of this hiking and biking mecca. Blue Mountain Rest has Hiking and Biking Specials for discounted loging rates and is just one of the recommended lodging facilites there; as well as, Prospect Point Cottages, The Hedges & Hemlock Hall. Do a Google search and enjoy your experience in the overwhelming expanse of the Adirondack State Park.
What a way to start the summer vacation season! This is the official kick off. Doesn’t it feel great to know the winter is gone and summer is coming? If you have the extended weekend off come to the central Adirondack region. So much to see, so much to do. All the businesses will be geared up and ready to go.
Come to nature incarnate, the Adirondacks is a national park that is protected and deemed “forever wild”. Go boating, fishing, water skiing, golfing, tubing, jet skiing, hiking, mt. biking, kayaking, canoeing, horseback riding, white water rafting or go to a beach (bet you didn’t know almost ever lake has sandy beaches) for some swimming and golden sunbathing. You can relax in the palpable silence of these mountains, gain access to dozens of scenic lakes or find adventure everywhere to fulfill your weekend getaway. Bring your sweetheart or the whole family.
But there is also so much history here. Discover how William Durant created the “Great Camps” for the richest families of the industrial revolution and started a new architectural style that permeates the whole region. Durants’ architectural creations over the centuries have become mainstream and contributed to the “naturalist” movement. Take the Heritage Tour to Sagamore one of W Durants’ first camp creations, onto the wondrous Adirondack Museum and finally a lunch cruise tour on Racquette Lake for a fabulous day outing. Did you know that Prospect Point in Blue Mt Lake had the first hotel in the world with electricity? That there is the Cultural Center in Blue Mt Lake and there is Wild Center in Tupper Lake? Come, discover the richness of this region.
Blue Mt Lake is where the Adirondacks Museum is and is the central hub of all this activity. For lodging on lakefront properties there is The Hedges, Prospect Pt Cottages, Hemlock Hall, Curry’s Cabins and La Pairie’s. A B & B at the Blue Mt Lake Inn and Blue Mt Rest if you are looking for affordable comfortable accommodations that include fully equipped kitchens.
For more information go to www.indian-lake.com.
Sure you have gotten her flowers, taken her our for dinner thanking her for all she has sacrificed to make you who you are today. This year why not do something different? Take her to the lakes and mountains, add scenery and maybe some adventure to her memory book. You can still bring the flowers, take her out or maybe cook her dinner instead, in a rustic cabin that will house the whole family, where you can reminisce in front of a wood burning fireplace.
During the day take her whitewater rafting or horseback riding, mountain hike or rent a bike, kayak or canoe . That vibrancy is still there, get her out there. Or take it down a notch, bring her to a scenic water fall or pristine lake with stunning views where you can take out the picnic basket and a bottle of wine. Public but amazingly secluded and palpably quiet with renowned vistas the Adirondack Mts in NY, can be, should be on your “must do” list this Mothers Day.
The central Adirondack region offers 30 lakes in a 45 minute radius. Pick a town…..Old Forge, Inlet, Raquette Lake, Blue Mt Lake, Long, Tupper or Indian Lakes are the perfect backdrop to have some fun and strengthen your family ties.
Blue Mt Lake is in the center of it all. Some lodging facilities there are lakefront properties like Prospect Point or Steamboat Landing, a B & B at the Blue Mt Lake Inn or vacation home rentals at Blue Mt Rest. You can find all of these accommodations on the local chamber web site- www.indian-lake.com.
What a way to say “thanks Mom”!
Yes we do!! BMR
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