Recreation

Backyard Vacations

by Mimi Wacholder

We all have them — friends who head off for a getaway to some tropical island and come back tan and relaxed with photos of an ocean so bright that it would be impossible to paint. And then, others, who head out west and come back with a glow and the goggle tan-line while regaling you with stories of face shots of the epic fresh powder. Perhaps a budget, children, or a busy schedule have kept you from having that weeklong vacation in the Caribbean or British Columbia, but don’t give up on a getaway.

Everyday, we are surrounded by families that come to vacation in our very own playground: the Adirondacks and Capital-Saratoga region. While we go about our daily lives, the visitors are sleeping in romantic cabins, enjoying the quiet bliss of the woods (or lakes) and having four-course, fireside dinners.

Why not take a vacation in your backyard — one night, two or even a few? Eliminate the hassles of plane travel, or a long, frustrating and tiring car ride. Spend all of your time enjoying the beauty that attracts us to all live in upstate New York in the first place. Surround yourself in the simplicity of the Adirondack lifestyle — away from the demands and routine of your everyday, stressful lives. Stay for a night in the cozy comfort of a lakeside log cabin — with no phone or television — just a magnificent view, a prepared fireplace and a fluffy down comforter. Exercise just out your door, take on a game of chess or checkers, or enjoy a novel while eating breakfast in bed.

For your backyard getaway, there are hundreds of bed and breakfasts, lodges, and hotels to choose from and either the Internet or local chamber of commerce can be great resources. Often, winter and spring will have lower “off-season” rates. One beauty about getting away this time of year is you can avoid the crowds and your vacation should have plenty of the quiet and solace to leave you feeling as if you truly have gotten away from it all. There are plenty of accommodations to suit many price ranges and vacation options. The following highlights just a small sampling:

The Lake Placid Lodge is set on Lake Placid (the lake itself), outside of the village of Lake Placid and away from the populated Main Street. Although this luxury hotel is only a few miles from the activity of downtown, the pristine, wooded lakeside setting of this charming 34-room retreat literally takes you away from it all. There are rooms, suites and cabins, all adorned with original log, twig and bark furniture. There are antique rugs and granite fireplaces. Many have idyllic views of the lake and surrounding mountains. Throw blankets, down-filled pillows and a welcome basket of treats for you and your dog (in the cabins only), offer touches of home that feel even homier than home. All rooms have private baths and some with claw-foot, soaking tubs, complete with a loofa scrub and a selection of bath salts.

The main lodge offers common relaxation areas such as a game room, fireside bar, boutique, wine cellar, dining room and more. Although this retreat comes with a generous price tag, the entire operation is first class and well worth the cost. From the warm cider at check in, to plush robes and the savory lobster bisque, everything about the stay pleases the senses. If you are not too “cocooned” in luxury to venture out, you can take advantage of recreational opportunities on the lake or adjacent lakeshore trails.

The Wawbeek is a turn of the century Great Camp property consisting of a 40-acre compound on Upper Saranac Lake. Included on the property are the original buildings: the Mountain House and Lake House Lodge, and the Wawbeek Restaurant, cottages, individual cabins, game room, basketball court, tennis, beach and miles of nature trails. This is a place to truly get away, where it is very quiet enough to hear the lake water and where on the approach, you are more likely to see a deer than a streetlight. Plan to dine in at the Wawbeek Restaurant, where you hang your coat and hat at the door and sit down by the fire. Not only is the closest restaurant a good 15-minute drive, but why would you want to go anywhere else when there is orange/cranberry demi-glazed half duckling entrees and wonderful Swedish pancakes for breakfast?

At check-in, the owners, Norm and Nancy Howard and their pet poodle are likely to welcome you themselves, or after hours you may just find a folder with your name and a room key set out on the desk. Although deemed a “resort,” this remote oasis feels more like the grown-up version of sleep-away camp — where the rules include no TV, no phone, no hurried pace, no stress, early bedtime and a daily dose of fire-building, reading, checkers and nature. The list of summertime activities in the welcome package is endless from fishing and boating, to beachside games and more. The winter list, aside from snowshoeing or cross-country skiing, simply includes: “doing a little bit of nothing — a popular option in the woods.”

The Best Western Golden Arrow Hotel, on the shores of Mirror Lake and on Main Street in Lake Placid, offers a getaway suitable for families with young children and for those who want to be in the midst of the bustling Olympic Village. This 153-room resort includes one-of-a-kind suites, specialty rooms, kitchenettes and fireplace rooms, many with their own private balcony with spectacular views of Whiteface Mountain. A variety of activities from shopping to a 2.7-mile run/walk on the fitness trail around Mirror Lake only require a step outside the hotel. There’s a heated indoor pool with sauna, steam room and hot tub, or you can relax on their private beach. The canoes, kayaks, rowboats and paddleboats for exploring the lake are complimentary to all guests.

If hitting the spa for a mineral bath, outdoor recreation and a stroll through a charming, downtown shopping area is your speed, check out the Gideon Putnam Hotel located in the Saratoga Spa State Park. The great brick, Georgian Revival structure is visible from the grand approach down the Avenue of the Pines. The lobby and dining rooms offer a formality and elegance of a time gone by in years past. The rooms, however, are filled with the modern amenities of cable television, a phone and hairdryers.

The state park offers acres of cross-country ski or hiking/running trails, a tree nursery, picnic areas, an outdoor pool complex, two golf courses, the Roosevelt Mineral Baths, Fitness Center and Spa as well as the Saratoga Performing Arts Center. Dine in formality at the Gideon Putnam’s Georgian Room on prosciutto-wrapped shrimp in a garlic cream sauce, or visit a downtown Thai restaurant before catching a show for the evening. Top it off with some morning exercise through the pines followed by a mineral bath/massage combo in one of the 42 treatment rooms at the spa.

Another grand, historical destination is The Sagamore in Bolton Landing, located on its own 72-acre private island on Lake George. The Sagamore originally opened in 1883 and after being twice damaged by fire was fully reconstructed in the 1930s. This resort community offers the historic hotel with over 100 elegant guest rooms and suites — indoor pool, spa, fitness center, conference rooms, restaurants and more. The Lodges include rooms, suites and condos all complete with gas fireplaces and lakeside terraces. The Castle is a six-bedroom, four-bath house available for larger party rentals. This impressive colony on beautiful Lake George has five restaurants, its own golf course and a full service spa offering Adirondack hot stone therapy and a mountain maple sugar scrub. Look for Mother’s Day spa getaway specials this spring.

On a more intimate scale, the Friends Lake Inn in Chestertown is a quaint and charming inn with 17 guest rooms, a 32-acre cross-country ski center, and a legendary wine cellar and shop. The rooms in this romantic retreat range in décor from old country to rustic Adirondack. All rooms have private baths and views where many have luxuries such as personal Jacuzzis, fireplaces and lakeside balconies. Both dinner and breakfast are served in the dining room and the sommelier is available nightly for advice on a wine selection. You can reserve your room on the full meal plan or the bed and breakfast rate, which includes choices such as locally smoked Oscar’s bacon and eggs Florentine to Grand Marnier French toast. When you have finished working out on their trail network, save time in the afternoon for a wine tasting from an International selection of over 2,200 types of wine.

There’s still time to plan a last-minute backyard getaway before the chores of spring and the crowds of summer descend upon us.

Mimi Wacholder resides in Lake Placid where she is a freelance writer, marketing consultant, yoga instructor and figure skating choreographer. She enjoys hiking, climbing, skiing, snowboarding, triathlon and everything about the Adirondacks.

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