Kim Rielly

Kim Rielly is the director of communications for the Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism

Take a journey without leaving the station
May
22
2018

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“There’s a THEATRE in here?” the Amtrak passenger asked, pointing to the Actors’ Equity sign in the lobby of the train station. “There sure is,” I answered as usual, preparing my regular spiel. “It’s very convenient, as actors can ride the train from Broadway directly to the stage here in the Adirondacks!” 

It’s a frequently asked question about a unique situation. The circa 1876 historic building located in the...

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Five Fishing Facts
May
20
2018

The Lake Champlain Region is home to numerous ponds, rivers, and, of course, the big lake itself. Knowledgeable anglers know that all of these bodies of water offer terrific fishing opportunities, but here are five Lake Champlain Region fishing facts for the rest of us!  

1. There’s a fish hatchery that you can visit!

The...

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Topics:Fishing, Adirondacks
3 Super Short, Spectacular Hikes
Sep
25
2017

Contrary to what your super-fit friends tell you, one doesn’t have to hike all day long in order to attain spectacular Adirondack scenic vista photo opportunities! 

The Adirondack Coast of Lake Champlain is home to the Champlain Area Trails (CATS) network of family-friendly trails for hiking, snowshoeing, and nordic skiing. And there are literally hundreds of...

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The Jig Is Up: A Newbie Goes Ice Fishing
Jan
25
2017

January 2017: Once the ice on Lake Champlain formed this winter and I started to see groups of ice fishing shelters scattered across Bulwagga Bay in Port Henry, I remembered that I had planned to get my own ice fishing gear and join them immediately after my surprisingly fun guided experience described below. 


I guess I've been too busy since then to follow...

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Learning to Adapt
Jan
11
2017

Learning to Adapt

Deja vu? 

Blogger's note:
As I was out hiking along the Adirondack Coast this week, I was reminded of this old blog I wrote that seems to describe a January very similar to the one we’re experiencing now. There’s little snow on the ground here, and temperature fluctuations have rendered our trails pretty darn icy.

No worries; we Adirondackers have...

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Coasting our favorite cycling loop
Aug
17
2016

All in the Family

I’ve ridden a ton of miles along the Adirondack Coast on my bicycle over the years, many on my own. But I do find that if I ride with someone else, I’m more motivated to achieve a certain distance goal. Plus, it’s just plain more fun. 

My sister Jennifer lives nearby, and just acquired her first real road bike this summer, so now I’ve got a built-in cycling friend with whom I can share my favorite loops. As a...

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Topics:Outdoor Recreation, Cycling, Champlain Valley, Adirondacks
Top 5 Things To Pair With Ausable Brewery
Jul
27
2016

It’s easy to find the Ausable Brewing Co. when they are open. It stands in stark contrast to the adjacent farmland because there’s usually a crowd of people and a lot of cars filling the converted field that now serves as a parking lot.  

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Ausable Brewing Co. is located at 765 Mace Chasm Rd. in Keeseville, N.Y. They offer tastings, pints, and...

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Topics:Adirondacks, Outdoor Recreation
A year in the life of an AdironDog
Jul
20
2016

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She said/she said

KIM: A few years ago, we adopted a doberman/shepherd mix from a rescue in Vermont. The rescue agency told us we could take her home and if it didn’t work out, we could return her to be adopted by someone else. We got home, named her Katie, and 4 years later we can’t imagine having taken them up on their offer. 

...
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Motorcycling the Adirondack Coast
Jun
08
2016

Living on the Adirondack Coast of the Lake Champlain Region has its distinct benefits especially if you are a fan of two-wheeled activities. The same roads that welcome tons of human-powered bikes each year are also great for touring on motorbikes. 

I am a fan of two-wheeled activities, and since I DO live here, I’ll impart directions for visitors to take a tour along the Adirondack Coast from Ticonderoga to...

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Wilderness Survival - an introduction
Jan
03
2016

Wilderness Survival 201

It’s amazing what you can learn in just 2 hours, even with the smooth sounds of Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive” running in the background of your mind.

I signed up about 1.2 seconds after receiving a notice that Pok-O-MacCready Outdoor Education Center (PMOEC) and Champlain Area Trails (CATS) were partnering up to host a Survival Skills...

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Shop like a Local
Nov
24
2015

I hate shopping. 

Don’t get me wrong; I like HAVING things, I just don’t like the tedious process of selecting the items I want from the dauntingly numerous racks and shelves of other things. I’m this way, I have self-diagnosed, because a large percentage of my younger years were spent tagging along behind my mother, who is a Super Shopper. In fact, my disdain for the activity might really be a...

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A post-foliage hike on the Adirondack Coast
Nov
15
2015

Stick Season

The dog knew where we were headed the moment I made my shoe selection. At least - she knew which activity to anticipate, if not our precise destination.

I’m going to refrain from calling a 60-degree day in November “unseasonable.” These climate-change-days, you never know what the Adirondack weather will bring - better to just smile and take advantage. So on this warm, sunny weekday in November, I told folks at my...

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Topics:Hiking, Adirondacks
The Most Famous Brewery that Didn't Exist
Sep
15
2015

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It didn’t open until August of 2014, but it was the most widely anticipated addition to this growing farming community in the Lake Champlain region for months before the first beer was tapped. 

When I discovered the Ausable Brewing Company’s existence, it had only been open for about a month. In October of 2014, my sister and I had just left...

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The Mystery of the Air Conditioned Road
Jul
21
2015

Chillin' Out

There's an air-conditioned road on the Adirondack Coast.

Locals know it as "the cold spot," and unsuspecting travelers on foot or bikes are likely just baffled (or shocked) by it.

It's just a short section of road in Witherbee, a hamlet in Moriah, New York that is characterized by an ever-present curtain of fog. But for those who dare to pass through it unprotected by the hard shell of a...

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Topics:Adirondacks
Top 5 Tips for Spring Biking on the Adirondack Coast
Apr
28
2015

It’s just like riding a bike.  

Which is to say that it is not like running or skiing. Or sitting at a desk.

If there's one thing I’ve learned over the years, it is that no matter how many miles I’ve run or cross-country skied over the winter, switching to road cycling in the spring offers a few challenges. Sure, it seems like it would be an easy transition from a mix of running and sitting at a desk for too...

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Topics:spring, Cycling, Adirondacks
Skating on Thin Ice
Dec
20
2014

Submitted by guest blogger Kim Rielly

Let me start with the following statement: I am not a strong swimmer.

I’ve always had a slight fear of the water, though I realize it is a necessary evil if I’m going to paddle anywhere. I can swim, yes, but it’s not my best subject. Frozen water is, of course, still a form of water.  And a healthy fear of water has gotten me this far, so I’m going to retain my cautious approach. ...

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Topics:Winter, Outdoor Recreation, Adirondacks
Top 5 Ways to Ensure a Place on the Naughty List
Dec
05
2014

The Good, the Bad and the Naughty

Being ensconced in the awesome natural, historic, and recreational paradise of New York’s Lake Champlain region should inspire goodness in all of us.

But even here, there are some for whom the urge to be “bad” persists year round. If you’re one of them or want to be one of them, I’ve compiled a handy list of ways to ensure your place on the Naughty List.

1. Utilize the...
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Topics:History, Heritage, Adirondacks
Painting the Town
Oct
14
2014

You know that panic you feel when your mother-in-law is on her way to visit and your house is a mess?

Sometimes the situation is overwhelming, so you just dust the obvious surfaces and hide stuff under the bed. And sometimes that panic inspires you to look at the situation from a different perspective, and it leads to real progress. 

Lucky for us, artist Linda Smyth takes the latter approach.

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Topics:Cycling, Champlain Valley, Arts, Adirondacks
Learning to Go Back in Time
Sep
30
2014

I have found a foolproof way to learn history.

I admit it; History was never my best subject. I have trouble remembering all the dates and timelines, which territories belonged in the Holy Roman Empire or what king begat which war. 

If I had only BEEN there, I’m sure I could remember it, though. (After all, I remember most everything that I’ve actually lived through.)

On a recent visit to...

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Topics:Summer, History, Fall, Adirondacks
Lake Champlain Road Cycling: the 5 Steepest Climbs
May
22
2014

Lake Champlain Adirondack Coast Biking

The term “coast” as applied to a stretch of land elicits a certain image in your mind, right? You’d think that a region along a “coast” would consist of a largely flat, waterfront landscape.

Well, the Adirondack Coast IS, indeed comprised in part of rolling farmlands along the western shore of Lake Champlain. But it is also the eastern edge of the...

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Legend of the Ugly Boat
Mar
27
2014

Growing Up on Lake Champlain

I grew up in a house right on Lake Champlain’s Adirondack Coast in Westport, NY., where we had a pretty extensive lake shore, complete with a dock, a swim beach and a boat house with an antique winch system to easily launch boats right into the lake and pull them back in to store for winter. 

We could see the big lake, and Vermont on the other side, from our house....

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Tracking Bigfoot in the Adirondacks
Mar
08
2014

Tracking Wildlife on Snowshoes

Sure, a lot of people love snowshoeing on a marked trail to the top of a mountain or along a loop through a beautiful Adirondack forest. That’s admirable.

In contrast, my recent snowshoe excursion involved bushwhacking through deep snow over downed trees and frozen swamps; all to solve a mystery.

It all started when I saw that Champlain Area Trails (CATS) was hosting a winter wildlife...

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Topics:Winter, Wildlife, Snowshoeing, Outdoor Recreation, Natural History, Guides, Adirondacks
Winter Rock Climbing at The Crux
Feb
20
2014

Spider Kim at The Crux - Indoor Rock Climbing

Does everyone know that there’s an indoor rock climbing gym in Willsboro on the Adirondack Coast? I have known for years. Amazingly, however, this winter represents the first time I’d visited our local indoor gym, The Crux. After all, it has been there since 2009, and...

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Topics:Winter, Outdoor Recreation, Adirondacks
Polar Vortex Ice Fishing
Jan
29
2014

 

Look out perch; the jig is up.   


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I can’t believe it, but I think I want an ice fishing rod for my birthday. 

On the nonexistent list of things I do NOT like, being cold and touching fish would be in the top 14. It seems odd then, that I would proactively seek out an adventure that included the...

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Top 5.5: Cross Country Skiing the Adirondack Coast
Dec
09
2013

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Living in the Lake Champlain Region sure has its benefits

Because of its topography, linking the peaks of the Adirondack mountains to the fields of the Champlain valley and eventually to the big lake itself, the region offers some of the very best terrain for two of my favorite outdoor recreational activities; road biking and ...

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Topics:Winter, Outdoor Recreation, Cross Country Skiing, Adirondacks
Biking to Brunch
Jul
06
2013

You know that moment when you’re about to come to a stop on your road bike, and realize that you’ve unclipped from your right pedal, but you’re leaning to the LEFT?

Well, that happened the last time I cycled on the Stevenson Road. This time, I paid better attention.

We live in one of the best places in the world for road cycling here on the Adirondack...

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Topics:Outdoor Recreation, Cycling
Paddling the Calm Before the Storm
Jun
11
2013

I wondered why the parking lot at the boat launch was empty.

All day, I knew that it was predicted to rain late that afternoon, and all day I planned to get out on Lake Champlain for a short paddle. Yet I didn't pack up a boat and gear until around 4pm; the time after which there was an increased chance of rain.

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No matter. There wasn't a hint of a breeze at our house, only a few miles away from...

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Early Spring Bike Ride
Mar
18
2013

To me, early warm days in March - even the short-lived ones - are more fun than a January thaw; because they are sure to be back for good very soon.

This time of year in the Adirondacks offers the same advantages as the November off-season. Depending on the elevation you choose, you can often ski in the morning in the High Peaks and bike in the afternoon on the Adirondack Coast. I'm happy to have the trails and roads to myself during...

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Mayor of Coon Mountain
Feb
27
2013

I shy away from politics generally, but I wear proudly my Mayor of Coon Mountain badge.

I know every step of this hiking trail, and now, with the advent of social networking, the world of Foursquare knows that I know what I know, too.

I'm not one of those who "checks in" to this popular geolocation application every time they get coffee,...

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Topics:Hiking
A Favorite Hiking Trail on Skis
Feb
12
2013

Nemo, as the most recent snowstorm was named, brought wide-ranging amounts of snow to the Adirondacks. On the Adirondack Coast of Lake Champlain, reports ranged from 5 inches to a foot. Where I live, we received about 10 inches of white, fluffy trail covering.

Today began at freeze-your-fingers temps and was predicted to rise to about 20 degrees Fahrenheit, so I waited for it to be right in between the two, and packed my cross country...

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Conquering the Trails: Winter Hiking
Jan
27
2012

Learning to Adapt

Get out and hike!

Now, I'm not going to pretend that the Adirondack Coast of Lake Champlain is covered in a blanket of white fluffy snow. Right now, it's not. Mother Nature has handed us a smorgasbord of weather so far this winter, with wildly fluctuating temperatures and at least 14 types of precipitation. This week? Sleet, rain, snow, sun. We haven't...

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