Long Lake
I grew up visiting the central Adirondak Mountains with my family. A family friend had a cabin that we would visit at least once each year for a vacation. We didn't have much money and this was an affordable way to get out of our house on a trip.
My last visit was more than 15 years ago. My wife (before we were married) made a 12 hour Amtrak trip from Indiana to Utica, NY where we picked her up and then drove the last hour and a half to the house. Since then, we moved overseas and back, bought a house, had kids, built a house, and settled into midwest life. This year, my brother took the initiative get our schedules worked out to make a trip back to the house together.
If you've never been to the region, it's the largest publicly protected area in the lower 48, but it is neither a national or a state park. There is private and public land intermixed which means there is a lot of space to both stay and explore.
The house is just past Long Lake, the nearest town. Long Lake itself is unique because...well...it's really long. It's the closest town to the house and, as a kid, was the last landmark before we made it to "The Mountains." We didn't spend much time there on this trip but I enjoyed driving through with our kids and then making one grocery run back to the small store right on the shore. Most towns along the way are small, but they maintain their own distinctive vibe. I'm a particular fan of Long Lake's because they have great mugs and an even better logo.
The house is on a smaller lake just up the road: Lake Eaton. We spent time in the canoe and on the paddle boat, enjoying the silky smooth water and listening to loon calls echoing off of Owl's Head Mountain to the southeast. We took several hikes up local mountains and even completed the Tupper Lake Hiking Triad with the older girls. It was a proud dad moment when we made it to the summit of that last peak.
This house has a very special place in my heart. This trip was punctuated by the probabilty that it was our last trip to this particular house. We're not in close contact with the owners any more...this trip worked out because of a funeral gathering back in New York earlier in the year and my brother floated the idea. While I love this house and the Adirondacks in general, it helped my wife and I solidify our resolve to take our kids to new places as much as we can. We took our first family camping trip back in 2017 to Wilderness State Park and then a big adventure to Cumberland Island National Seashore in 2023. We're looking forward to our next adventures.
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