Vacations are meant to be a break from the stresses of everyday life –a pause from the chaos.  For many of us, it also means taking a break from the heat of our home kitchens and treating ourselves to new dining experiences.  Local restaurants help to build the overall vibe and culture for vacation destinations. Imagine a trip to Maine without lobster pounds, a visit to St. Louis without barbecue joints or a stop in Chicago...

Springtime in the Ticonderoga area is usually a flurry of activity with businesses, attractions, and the community preparing for visitors and the busy summer season. This year, the COVID-19 pandemic made for a HUGE setback. Come March, many local businesses were shuttered, and those that were deemed essential were operating in limited and modified capacities. Fast forward a few months and a sense of normalcy has begun to creep back into our...

Guest blog by Erin Mullen, Ticonderoga Area Chamber of Commerce Besides the draw to its natural beauty, restaurants, retail shops, and wonderful attractions, visitors to the Ticonderoga Area return year after year to experience a little bit of small town charm. Guests can enjoy a quieter, slower pace than they are used to in their more metropolitan home towns. A friendly interaction with a store owner, enjoying a delightful meal in a quaint...

Guest blog by Ticonderoga Area Chamber of Commerce In today’s busy, fast-paced, multi-tasking world, taking the time to care for ourselves can be overlooked. Even on vacation, most of us don’t unplug and fully recharge. Self care, or the act of tending to our mental, emotional, or physical needs, can often feel more like a treat than a necessity for our personal well being.   For visitors to the Ticonderoga area, there is a...

Submitted by Guest Blogger Lisa Polay, Site Manager for Crown Point State Historic Site I arrived to the Champlain Valley via Maine, where winters are truly unrelenting: stormy grey skies above, the Atlantic thundering over the rocky shore below and where the wind and plunging temperatures can freeze the tide in place as it hits the sand. Looking out over the gentle vast expanse of Lake Champlain, flanked by the craggy peaks of the...

The Adirondacks — all six million acres — is full of artisans crafting everything from rustic furniture to sterling jewelry to delectable baked goods. Visitors to the Lake Champlain Region with a taste for homemade bread, bagels, and freshly baked treats should be sure to stop at Dogwood Bread Company in the hamlet of Wadhams. I made a visit to Dogwood recently, where the scent of fresh bread was enticing and comforting on a chilly winter day...

A ducky time of year With the calendar continuing to lead us toward winter, it is a great time of year to take a trip along the waters of Lake Champlain. After all, the past several weeks have seen growing contingents of ducks on the lake with species like Gadwall, Green-winged Teal, Redhead, Canvasback, and White-winged Scoter mixed in with the much more common Greater and Lesser Scaup, Bufflehead, and Common Goldeneye. Noblewood Park in...