Let the celebrations begin!The summer season is off to a great start - the water is as blue as the sky, the sun is shining, and our seasonal shops are open for business!The action really heats up this week as our villages prepare to celebrate the long holiday weekend with events for all ages. We invite you to come celebrate with us along the Adirondack Coast; it is really the ideal location for this specific holiday.It was on the waters and...

In the charming hamlet of Port Henry, a new establishment has opened to fill the needs of visitors coming to enjoy the Adirondacks.If you are ready to stop for the night, the Village Inn offers immaculate lodging that lands squarely between a hotel and a bed and breakfast. If you just need a bite to eat, then the Red Brick Café will fix you up with a tasty panini and the best espresso around.Travelers can now better plan their journey knowing...

 Recently my wife and I took a little spring outing. The morning sky was clear and the sun shown warm as we started out. Opening the car door, our two enthusiastic companions and intrepid explorers, Cappy and Waggs, excitedly jumped in and we embarked. We have been exploring our local CATS (Champlain Area Trails), starting with a lovely hike up Coot Hill/Big Hollow last fall. We decided Crowfoot Pond would be a more challenging follow-up -...

(Featured Image Courtesy and Copyright Fort Ticonderoga)  Just a few more days and Fort Ticonderoga will be open for the season! There you find an ever-changing adventure. I recently spoke directly with Beth Hill, President and CEO of Fort Ticonderoga to get the inside scoop on what exciting experiences we might find at the Fort this year. I will share her insight on a few not-to-be-missed features for this coming season:If cannons...

Birding my way around the lakeWhile our recent late-season storms have made the North Country look like winter again – as it should look at this time of year, in this climate – spring continues to press upon the landscape and the birds know it. With that in mind, Wren and I took the chance to bird our way back from Vermont the other day. Birding has been great in the Lake Champlain Region all winter, but I was curious to see what else was...

If ever you’re traveling through Westport on the last Saturday of the month between now and April, be sure to stop in to the Winter Farmers Market in Westport. You don’t need directions - you’ll see all the cars parked along the edges of Main Street in front of the Heritage House.I stumbled upon it quite by accident while out on a drive to battle a little case of cabin fever - it turned out to be the perfect cure for what ailed me. We saw the...

Starting with Boreal Birds and then off to the ValleyMy family recently headed to the Adirondacks to join me for a long weekend of birding. After our success in finding Great Gray Owls in Massena, my brother, his son, and I decided we'd head to the Lake Champlain Region.Before we left the Saranac Lake region, we thought we'd start with a search for boreal birds. We began at Bloomingdale Bog north of Saranac Lake where the Gray Jays entertained...

Norm’s Bait and TackleThroughout your life you’ve probably received all kinds of unwanted advice on those embarrassing topics of a romantic nature. Invariably these are inflicted on you by people whose life choices have been even worse than your own. Who am I to break with such long-standing traditions? I just have one gem to add the pile of axioms, idioms, malaprops, and metaphors given to you by anxious parents, tacky uncles, drunken...

Fresh from the Lake Champlain RegionWe can’t all have our own farms, so luckily our Adirondack Coast farmers are willing to share! All about localThis winter the Westport Heritage House is hosting a family-friendly indoor activity for all ages. A monthly farmers market featuring 18+ participants will be held from 10am to 2pm on the last Saturday of each month beginning on January 28.We got the scoop on what to expect at the region's newest...

Learning to AdaptDeja 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 learned how to adapt to the unpredictable patterns and extreme weather events...

It’s that time of year againHard as it is to believe, we have once again cycled through the birding year to the time when Christmas Bird Counts fill our calendars. A few local CBCs were held on Sunday, 12/18/16, including Elizabethtown, Plattsburgh, and also the Vermont Islands count which overlaps across the lake to include the area surrounding Point Au Roche. I was planning to help with this latter count, but I was unable to do it on the count...

(Feature pic courtesy of Essex Inn on the Adirondack Coast) 'Tis the season for a bit of indulgence. It is like we get a pass for the preview game on Thanksgiving, but the real game kicks into high gear as the end of the year gets closer. Indulging in that rich decadent dessert, that second helping of dressing with gravy, or that third cookie is unlikely to be met with raised eyebrow; even from Aunt Julie who probably weighs about 98 pounds...

As we approach the holiday season, there are two specific events I look forward to every year. In fact, missing either one of these makes the season incomplete for me. I encourage you to add these events to your holiday “list of things to do”- have them become a part of your holiday tradition. Canadian Pacific Holiday TrainEvery year, in late November — this year on November 27 — the Canadian Pacific Holiday Train of Lights winds its...

I love living in the Adirondacks. It's not like other places. For example, the majority of people in this country battle traffic on their way to work, on their way home from work, and then again when they venture out to play. If I were anywhere else but here and I wanted a meal out, I'd possibly be faced with the prospect of navigating through red lights and irate drivers.My “ordeal” to eat out tonight involves a beautiful ride through the...

Thank you to this week's guest blogger: Kyle MillerA Jaunt Through The Gloaming No matter how many fine choices there are for dining in your little town, do you ever feel restless and in the mood for something different?That was just my predicament recently. The wife and I had each just arrived home from our respective jobs, and as we approached the house together we could sense a shared but unspoken disinclination to cook supper. It had...

Welcome to a huge water playground. Lake Champlain has over 435 square miles of surface — that’s 271,000 acres of fun for any water sports enthusiast. There is a multitude of options to get you on the water along the Adirondack Coast, so pick your pleasure.On the WaterEveryone should have an “on the water” experience on Lake Champlain. The sights, smells, and sensations are unsurpassed. The surrounding landscape takes on an entirely different...

Were you aware that we, North Americans, live on the back of a turtle? So says an old Iroquois legend that I recently learned about. I’m not sure I will remember it exactly as it was told to me, but the fundamental gist of it was that at one time there was nothing but water and sky. The earth was covered with water and inhabited only by water animals. The sky contained the “sky people.” The sky began to fall to the earth and in order to save the...

After a couple long weeks on the job it’s inevitable that we would get out and enjoy nature, the best prescription for whatever ails you. On this ridiculously hot and humid day in May, Corenne and I set out for a most attractive hike, one which we'd wandered on before. Rattlesnake Mountain was where we ended up with the post-hike plan of visiting a new brewery in Keeseville called Ausable Brewing Co. Needless to say, we were excited about both....

As I started to write this blog it was snowing! Are you as anxious as I for some real spring/summer weather and all the opportunities and activities to choose from? A major summer treat for me are the farmers’ markets. I find them a feast for all senses. The colorful sights, smells, and tastes of summer are all on display at the numerous farmers’ markets throughout the region. Luckily, Ticonderoga is not making us wait until the depths of summer...

There is a little culinary treat right on the main street of Ticonderoga that I feel compelled to place on your radar screen. Bodette’s Barbecue is located at 133 Montcalm Street and the corner of Tower Avenue. You can easily find it by following the delicious scent across the street from Ticonderoga’s Community Building and adjacent to the Ticonderoga Heritage Museum and Bicentennial Park. Any carnivore who appreciates slow-...

If you've ever hiked in the Adirondack wilderness and experienced a pop-up storm along the way, I suspect you were happy to stumble across a remote rustic shelter welcoming you in from the rain. That may have been your first appreciation of an Adirondack lean-to. The three-sided cabin with a floor and an overhead roof might have seemed like a luxurious accommodation miles from civilization. Even if your pack had included a tent, the solid roof...

The season may be off to a bit of a slow start, but that doesn’t stop the excited anticipation of snowmobile enthusiasts here along the Adirondack Coast. Conditions are improving as I write - with a good 3 inches of fresh powder last night. If you are one of these enthusiasts that like to venture onto some remote Adirondack trails, then more often than not you can thank a local snowmobile club for that opportunity. It is the effort and hard work...

An unseasonably warm start to winterWinter has had a difficult time making it to the Adirondacks and the entire northeast this year. A strong El Nino, a jet stream which remains far to the north, and perhaps a dose of climate change have mixed together delivering a concoction of warm air for much longer than many of us would like. Our ski centers were screaming for snow through Christmas and my skis and muscles were getting dusty with neglect....

Wilderness Survival 201It’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 Workshop at the Blueberry Hills Trail system in Elizabethtown. There was a family-...

Skiing and Snowshoeing the Champlain ValleyThe Champlain Valley is chock-full of unique trails located up and down the Adirondack Coast, but sometimes the best bang for your buck are areas with many trails, loops, and levels of enjoyment. At the five locations I'm going to highlight, you will have the opportunity to XC-ski at all levels, snowshoe as long as your heart desires, and in non-snowy conditions you can trail run, hike, or just sightsee...

It's all about the holidays in the Lake Champlain Region during December. Most communities will host some kind of holiday celebration throughout the month from craft shows to week-long, full-blown, multi-event bashes.  North Country Christmas WeekTiconderoga celebrates the holidays with a wonderful week of holiday magic known as North Country Christmas Week through December 6. With community events, retail promotions, Garden Club events,...

Here it comes - the holiday season. The turkey is barely digested, when we start to think about SHOPPING! I’ve never have gotten into the Black Friday frenzy though I’ve seen the television news clips filmed at the big box stores. No tryptophan residue apparent there; it looks more like a contact sport. Stampedes, crowds, waiting lines, aggressive shoppers, and harried clerks do not look like my idea of a good time - particularly on a recently...

When I think of fall, spectacular scenery, musical goose migration, finding the perfect decorative pumpkin, colorful hikes, and of course, apples, spring to mind. Have you noticed the nights are getting cooler? Some of them are dropping into the 40s. This makes the apple growers smile. I learned it takes the cooler nights for the apples to develop their desired red color. That’s not all I learned during a recent visit to Gunnison’s Orchards,...

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 our last stop on the Essex County Cheese Tour, with a visit to the North Country Creamery. On our way...

Paddle the Adirondack Waters with the Right GearFlatwater paddling, sure it’s relaxing, calming, and great exercise, but it should not be taken lightly. The Adirondacks, and especially the big waters in the Lake Champlain Region, have fast-changing weather patterns and sometimes ice cold water. When unforeseen mishaps occur, you can quickly go from a fun day in the sun to a very cold swim in deep waters. Hopefully this will never happen to you,...

Flower Show AlertGet ready for the Grand Opening of the Adirondack's Annual Flower Show. It is a little early yet, but time to make plans and preparation. As the temperatures warm and the snow melts our forests and woodlands begin to display their finery. For me this is the best time to get out on a hike, connect with nature, and get a peek at some of the gifts it has to offer. I love the Adirondack's earliest blooms, perhaps because it has been...

Abundance of Recreation and NatureSituated directly on the Adirondack Coast, on Lake Shore Road about half way between the hamlets of Westport and Essex, is an unusual site - a remarkable playground for any outdoor enthusiast. There is a plethora of outdoor experiences and recreational opportunities to be had all in one place, rather a one-stop “shopping mall” for nature lovers. This site has everything: history, water, views, cliffs, forest,...

Winter Birding in the ValleyWhile winter offers us fewer species of birds than does the summer, winter birding is no less interesting as a variety of species from the north come into our area to enjoy our relatively balmy temperatures (when compared to the arctic). I guided a few recent birding trips into the Champlain Valley and while each was a success, the composition of the species we found varied from day to day. For instance, there was a...

A Holiday TraditionChristmas Bird Counts (CBCs) have now started across the country and on Sunday I was out with a friend helping count birds in the area surrounding Point Au Roche north of Plattsburgh. This one is actually part of a count of the islands of northern Lake Champlain in Vermont, but the count circle overlaps the state boundary. After a week filled with snowy, windy, and overcast weather, we had lucked out with a good day. Cloudy...

100+ MilesWhen out enjoying the public recreation land along the Adirondack Coast it’s easy to become enamored with the undeveloped natural landscape and captivated by the scenic beauty of the mountains, streams and forests. But, are we sufficiently appreciative of all the components that make this possible? Do we ever consider who maintains the trails that permit us access, or wonder who built the convenient lean-to for our shelter and how it...

A Great Day to go Birding in the ValleyWhile the late fall in our region has been marked by a string of snowy days and wintry weather – which may portend a good ski season – I was happy to have a sunny (if cold) day on the weekend to head out for some birding in the Champlain Valley. I had been in and out of town and I hadn’t been able to make it to some of my favorite spots in the Valley for a while so I was excited to see what birds were...

Something new around every cornerThe Split Rock Wild Forest is made up of 3,700 acres which lies on the Shores of Lake Champlain in the Eastern Foothills of the Adirondack Park. The wild forest is made up of nine different trails, all of which intersect at least one other, making for nearly countless loops and adventures at your fingertips. Want vistas, mountain views, wildlife, water access, wild flowers, birding, trail running, snowshoeing,...

Lake Champlain Adirondack Coast BikingThe 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 Adirondacks, after all, so there’s bound to be a hill or two....

Growing Up on Lake ChamplainI 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. When my sister and I were young kids, we watched...

February events in the Lake Champlain RegionThe Lake Champlain Region is gearing up for a busy February, with historic re-enactments, concerts, rock climbing and snowshoe hikes for starters.Ice and rock climbing talkWinter Climbing will be the subject of the CRUX Climbing Center's event on February 4th. Famous Adirondack ice and rock climber and author, Don Mellor, will be on hand along with Mark Scott to discuss ice climbing technique in the...

            Wren and I visited AuSable Marsh and AuSable Point the other day to look for birds and take a walk.  Even though our goal was to look for waterfowl, our first bird was a Merlin flying fast and low along the road as we were arriving.  The small falcon turned toward the road and came directly over our car!  Merlins tend to make beelines between their destinations and...

Updates on Fresh Catch & Peak Ice Fishing SpotsOnce Lake Champlain starts firming up with the cold weather, local fishermen start thinking ice fishing. Jigs and tip ups are rousted out. Shanties cleaned and prepared for their annual trip out onto the ice. Sub- zero ice making temperatures are wished for like the pre-Christmas sugarplums. Not a lot of the colorful wood constructed shanties have appeared as yet, but some recent artic temps...

            Our invasion of Snowy Owls in the Northeast continues.  Snowies are being found up and down the Atlantic seaboard with large numbers in places like coastal Massachusetts and New Jersey, where I saw four while visiting family over the holidays.  In the past week in our region alone a Snowy Owl was found along Moffit Road in Plattsburgh, at least one and perhaps two...

            Over the holidays I took a trip to the Champlain Valley for some birding. I started at the Westport boat launch where there were a few species of ducks assembled including Bufflehead, Common Mergansers, and Common Goldeneye.  The area around the wastewater treatment plant held it usual flock of gulls as well as a few ducks, but it was fairly quiet.  I did find a small...

            We have reached the time of year when birders everywhere span out across the landscape and conduct Christmas Bird Counts.  This past weekend’s winter storm was cancelling, postponing, and threatening many counts held on Saturday and Sunday and so a friend and I went up to Plattsburgh on Saturday to scout and look for count week birds should the Plattsburgh count (held on...

The Hand-Hale Historic District is an important historic and architectural resource which represents the cultured, sophisticated lives of two prominent families of New York State jurists in the Adirondacks during the nineteenth century.  The Hand-Hale Historic District in Elizabethtown was listed on the National Register in 1979. The district encompasses two adjoining homesteads and law offices. The Hale House, which dates from 1818,...

In the past, I’ve not thought a lot about Essex, NY as much of a destination after Columbus Day but tonight is making me rethink that notion.This Thursday evening finds me at the Belden Noble Memorial Library in Essex for a poetry open mic night led by Essex’s own George Davis--Rosslyn Redux author and storyteller.There are about a dozen writers here who have braved the cold to listen and share their words. I am especially excited that my co-...

            Over the past couple years I’ve occasionally seen a Red Fox in my neighborhood.  I first noted fox scats on the rocks which border my steps – something which caught Wren’s attention as well.  Sometimes when something out of the ordinary has visited the yard I can tell by how excited Wren is when I let her out first thing in the morning.  I finally had my first...

            I had to be in Plattsburgh at the beginning of the week and so I took the opportunity and a beautiful day to go birding in the area in the afternoon.  My goal was to check out an immature Sandhill Crane which had been found a few days earlier.  The bird was discovered hanging out along Moffit Road a little north of Plattsburgh, feeding in some recently plowed farm...

How lucky is the Lake Champlain Valley?Unbelievably. We may live 5 hours or so from NYC but we are always learning of a new talent who has decided to settle in this quiet and picturesque valley.For about a year now, I have been hearing about one such resident--composer/trumpeter, Taylor Haskins.According to his website, Mr. Haskins is being hailed as one of the most original new voices on the trumpet today. Downbeat magazine declared him...

            While I was out birding a couple weeks ago with friends, we found good numbers of rusty blackbirds.  The first birds we noted were in some state land north of Westport in Webb Royce Swamp.  Rusty’s spend most of their time in such wetlands – both breeding in the north, and during the winter months in the southeast.  The birds we found were migrating on their way...

It is a quintessential autumn day, slightly past peak, sunny and warm enough to walk around with just long sleeves yet there is a slight crispness to the air. It is Canadian Thanksgiving and Columbus Day weekend, one of the busiest weekends of the year in the North Country.I am celebrating by taking a ride to Ted Cornell’s Art Farm (aka Crooked Brook Studios) in Westport, NY. This blog is more or less a continuation of a blog on Ted’s slide...