Crisp air, bright sunshine: ideal ADK

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by Kim Andresen

Crisp air, bright sunshine: ideal ADK

We're already thinking spring, how about you?

1.

Feeling sappy

Each March we are lucky to be treated to two NYS Maple Weekends - a celebration of that honorable upstate tradition of harvesting the sap of the sugar maple on the cusp of spring and boiling it down into maple syrup. However, here on the Adirondack Coast, we love our maple all year long! If you are wondering where you can get some of the best maple syrup around, boy do I have a tip for you.

2.

Insider’s guide to Whiteface trails

New York State has more ski areas that any other state. That’s led to a solid ski culture. Most of these areas are small to medium-sized. I learned to snowboard at one of the smaller areas called Dry Hill. Dry Hill has 11 trails and only 300 feet of vertical, but it was enough to cut my teeth on and work on the basic skills I needed to become an intermediate rider. And that’s the beauty of New York’s ski areas. They produce some of the best skiers in the country.

But not all of New York’s ski areas are small. In fact, one of them stands head and shoulders above all the mountains in the East: WHITEFACE!

3.

Bloody Pond & wonderful waterfalls

The snow is melting away now that the weather has turned more spring-like. All that snowmelt is running into the rivers and creeks and there are waterfalls everywhere. Tristan and I headed to North Hudson to search for waterfalls in Black Brook.

4.

Maple and Mark Twain

Turns out, maple syrup has a connection with Mark Twain. At least it does now.

Mark Twain Mapleworks is a sugarhouse on the shores of Ampersand Bay on Lower Saranac, part of the same complex where Mark Twain stayed for the summer of 1901. It's utterly appropriate, as it turns out. A list of "Mark Twain's Favorite Foods" reads: maple syrup, cranberries, raccoon, garden produce, canvasback ducks, and wild turkeys.

So he would be pleased.

5.

Lodging neighbors: stay & explore

Our lodging properties are each unique in their own way, yet they're all experts in creating wonderful experiences for their visitors. Their differences are what make them great -- and what allows Malone to offer you a one-of-a-kind trip to be remembered. To make your visit even more memorable, we've highlighted activities located within close proximity to your lodging of choice - visit these nearby neighbors to enhance your stay!

6.

P-2’s pub history

Joseph LeBlanc bought a pub in Tupper Lake in 1966, not knowing the history he would create to this day. I had the chance to sit and chat with Michelle LeBlanc, Joseph's daughter and current owner of P-2's Irish Pub, and learn about the history that sits on the corner of Main Street and Pine Street in Tupper Lake. 

Joseph, the smallest of nine children, had many nicknames -- the most famous being "P-2." This name was originated from his aunt, who called him "her little pitu" because he was the tiniest of the bunch. Over the years the nickname transformed into P-2 (the dash was very important to him; don't forget the dash). 

7.

Sweet! It’s maple time!

It's a special time of year in the Adirondacks. Maple time.

It's only in a small slice of North America, in early spring, that you can experience the sights, scents, and tastes of real maple syrup as it goes from tree to pancake. The specific climate of chilly nights and sunny warm days gets the sap running: both for the sugar maples, and the people. That is one of the appeals of our annual Maple Weekends, which are the second and third weekends of March. 

8.

Speculator for the summer

While we are quickly heading into spring, I've got sun and fun on my mind. I'm thinking summer and vacation!  As I have lived in the Adirondacks my whole life, sometimes is can be difficult to see my home as a getaway location rather than just a beautiful place I get to work and live. So, for a minute, I've decided to take off my local hat and trade it in for my vacation hat and come up with the ideal plans for the perfect Speculator vacation.

9.

The ADKs are a happenin' place!

Check out this sampler of our upcoming events & plan your spring break now!

Irish Road Bowling 
March 17 

Maple Weekends at Mark Twain Mapleworks 
March 17-18 and 24-25 

Maple Weekends at Maple Knoll Farm 
March 17-18 and 24-25  

Maple Weekends at The Wild Center 
March 17-18 and 24-25 

Adirondack Maple Weekends
March 17-18 and 24-25 

Fort Ticonderoga's Living History Event 
March 24 

Maple Fest and Vintage Snowmobile Show 
March 24 

18th Annual Ausable Two-Fly Challenge 
May 19-20