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The Adirondacks of northern New York State hold a special place in my heart. A place where Pa and I paddled for miles and miles with binoculars hanging on our necks, and fishing rods in our hands. Pa and I would spend days canoeing, birding and fishing this area when I was younger, camping along the way and creating memories that have lasted my lifetime.  A beautiful wilderness with mountain peaks that dot the horizon every direction you look, and pristine lakes that echo the eerie calls of loons from shoreline to shoreline. Our family also vacationed here several times during the summer, each time on a new and different lake. It’s also the reason I wanted to share a little of this northern lake country magic with my family, as we decided to vacation here together to relax, and explore the region. The Adirondacks were calling me home!

Adirondack Park is the largest park in the mainland United States with more than 6 million acres – about the same size as the state of Vermont. The park features more than 3,000 lakes and ponds and 30,000 miles of brooks and streams. The park contains 85% of all wildernesses in the Eastern United States. It has the largest trail system in the U.S. with more than 2,000 miles of hiking trails. Two thousand mountains are in the park, 100 of them are more than 3,000 feet high. For anyone who enjoys the outdoors, it’s a fantastic region to spend some time in.

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Our destination was Cranberry Lake, the 3^rd largest lake in the Adirondacks, on the western border of the park. Although the lake is large (nearly 7,000 acres), it sits directly adjacent to almost 50,000 acres of wilderness, with over 50 miles of hiking trails. There are no big crowds of people here (yet), like there are at some of the other popular Adirondack hotspots, such as Lake George, Saranac Lake, Blue Mountain Lake, Old Forge or Long Lake. The lake shore isn’t overly developed with million-dollar mansions and speed boats that zoom up and down the lake all day long. We wanted something a bit more laid back and quiet on our vacation, less hectic, where we could enjoy sunrises each morning, take a quiet paddle on a lake, do a little fishing, and take some day trips to explore the region. And of course, selfishly, I wanted the chance to once again hear that lonely call of Common Loons that I heard when I was a boy! As a family, we found it at Cranberry Lake in the Adirondacks.

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During our week in the rented lake house, we peacefully sat on the dock with our coffee each morning gazing at the early morning sunrises, and how the sky seemed to glow then quickly fade in shades of pink, purple and orange, as loons and Barred Owls called in the distance. We held daily fishing contests from the dock, and leisurely paddled kayaks (that the house graciously provided) into a quiet, hidden cove to see a beaver lodge.

Lake Life

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We enjoyed smores at our lake side campfire, and had a blast when my sister Cathy and her husband Dave visited for a couple days, as we rented a pontoon boat that was perfectly set-up for tubing, swimming and exploring the lake. It was a super fun play day, and so happy they could join us!

Play Day with the Pontoon Boat

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We also wanted to wander, and explore the area on some day trips. We discovered some local hiking trails, took a trip north to Alexandria Bay and the 1000 Islands, and stepped back into “Olympic Times” and visited Lake Placid, where we watched hopeful ski jumpers practice their daring flights down the steep jumps. We enjoyed nature and learning about the local culture at The Wild Center, and  took a walk past the raging waters of High Falls Gorge, and the Ausable River. We gave ourselves enough adventures to settle in each evening with some fine wine and cold beer!

1000 Islands Boat Tour and wineries

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Lake Placid

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The Wild Center-Tupper Lake

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Coney Mountain Hike

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It was just the kind of family vacation I had hoped for, with flashbacks of my visits as a child with Pa, to creating many new memories for all of us! The Adirondacks quickly grow on you! We’ll definitely be back!