Winter getaways by the compass
North, south, east and west
By Francesca Bruno
Want to get away, but aren’t really sure in which cardinal direction you should travel? The good news is that you don’t have to go too far! Compiled below are highlighted spots to the north, south, east, and west of the Capital Region to give you an idea of just what the outlying area has to offer.
North: Saranac Lake
First settled in 1819 in the great Adirondacks, Saranac Lake was named best small village in New York State. Saranac Lake changed from a logging and outdoor sporting area in the 1800s to a destination resort and getaway in the 1900s. Notable figures like Mark Twain, Robert Louis Stevenson, Albert Einstein and Presidents Harrison, McKinley, Roosevelt and Coolidge, to name a few, made it a point to come to Saranac Lake for rest and relaxation. In 2000, trains made a comeback when The Adirondack Scenic Railroad began summer service.
One of the most perennial customs of Saranac Lake is the village’s Winter Carnival, the oldest in the eastern United States. Established in 1898 as a one-day event, the Winter Carnival is now a week-long festival that includes sporting events, performing arts, parades, fireworks and the famous Ice Palace. Winter Carnival starts the first full weekend in February and runs through the following weekend.
Places to stay:
Saranac Club & Inn
Saranac Lake
891.7212
www.saranacclubandinn.com
The Porcupine
Saranac Lake
891.5160
theporcupine.com
Things to see & do:
Come out and play at the Saranac Lake Winter Carnival from February 1-10. Enjoy the sporting events, parades, arts and entertainment and the fireworks over the Ice Palace, home of Carnival mascot Sara the Snow Owl. For more info: 800.347.1992; www.saranacwintercarnival.com.
All aboard on the Adirondack Lake Scenic Railroad and its High Peaks Wilderness Train, which takes passengers on a 20-mile round-trip adventure from Lake Placid Station to Saranac Lake Union Depot. Spend the day or just a few hours, but be sure to take the time to walk through both scenic areas before heading back. For more info: 800.819.2291.
Strap on your skis for some fun at Mount Pisgah, a small, family-friendly ski center with beginner and intermediate skiing, as well as innertubing. For more info: 891.0970; saranaclake.com.
More into the arts? Scope out the Pendragon Theatre Company, the only year round, professional, producing theatre company in the Adirondacks, featuring local artists starring in year-round performances and education programs. For more info: 888.701.5977.
Twenty minutes away, in nearby Tupper Lake, check out the Wild Center and Natural History Museum of the Adirondacks. The Museum features live exhibits and native animals, including river otters, birds, amphibians and fish. There’s an indoor waterfall and river, towering glacial ice wall and a wide-screen theater, all nestled on a 31-acre, trail-filled campus. For more info: 359.7800; wildcenter.org.
South: Croton-on-Hudson
The tiny village of Croton-on-Hudson, nestled between Peekskill and Tarrytown in the Hudson Valley, dates back to the 17th century, when Dutch settlers arrived to farm and work the mills along the Croton River. The village is known for the Cortlandt Manor, founded in 1697 by Stephanus Van Cortlandt, who later became the first native-born mayor of New York City.
By the 19th century, farming, shipping, ship-building and flour and brick manufacturing took over the area, along with work on the railroad and construction of the Croton and New Croton Dams and the New Croton Aqueduct.
The communities of Mount Airy and Harmon were incorporated into the Village in the early 19th century and served as part- and full-time residences for Greenwich-area artists, writers and musicians over the years (think poet Edna St. Vincent Millay and silent-screen actress Mary Pickford). With the development of the railroad, Harmon became a residential neighborhood for railroad workers and commuters to New York City. The village as a whole became a part of the town of Cortlandt in 1898.
Places to stay:
The Alexander Hamilton House
Croton-on-Hudson
914.271.6737
www.alexanderhamiltonhouse.com
Inn at Monteverde
Cortlandt Manor
914.372.1212
www.monteverderestaurant.com
Things to see & do:
Explore the manor, ferry house and gardens at Van Cortlandt Manor or stroll along the Croton River and experience post-Revolutionary War life in the Hudson Valley. Costumed guides demonstrate and invite visitors to try their own hands at crafts and tasks of the period. View the furnishings and impressive colonial kitchen of this once-prominent New York family. For more info: 914.232.5035; www.hudsonvalley.org.
Since 1994, the Croton Arboretum and Sanctuary, Inc., a volunteer, non-profit organization, has provided environmental stewardship for the 20+ acres of wetlands and woods at the Jane E. Lytle Memorial Arboretum to promote ecological literacy and environmental education programs in wetland restoration, wildlife habitat enhancement and water quality monitoring. Take Rubin’s Trail and follow it to the Village Highland Trail and the Brinton Brook Sanctuary, the largest and first sanctuary managed by Saw Mill River Audubon. For more info: www.crotonarboretum.com; www.sawmillriveraudubon.org.
Keep your boots on and check out Croton Gorge Park, 97 acres of land at the base of the Croton Dam owned by Westchester County where hiking, fishing, cross-country skiing and sledding abound. Be sure to locate the 26.2-mile Old Croton Trail at the end of the park and follow along the route of the Old Croton Aqueduct. For more info: 914.827.9568; www.westchestergov.com.
Follow the aqueduct down to nearby Irvington and see all that this likewise quaint Hudson Valley village has to offer, like the mansion where Madam C.J. Walker, America’s first female millionaire, lived, jazz great Stan Getz’s Shadowbrook estate, and Irvington Town Hall, where stained-glass works by village resident Louis Comfort Tiffany can be found, and whose theatre is modeled after the infamous Ford Theater in Washington, DC. For more info: 914.591.3010; www.irvingtonchamber.com.
Special summer event!
The Clearwater Festival, also known as The Great Hudson River Revival, is America’s oldest and largest annual festival of its kind and it’s located right in Croton. For over three decades more than 15,000 people annually have attended this June weekend event, the proceeds of which benefit Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, Inc., a nonprofit environmental organization. The project is driven by musician Pete Seeger, and has had guests from all over the American Roots’ musical spectrum like Janis Ian, Arlo Guthrie, and Dizzy Gillespie. The festival now features, in addition to the music, various water-based activities, such as kayaking and ship rides. For more info: www.clearwater.org.
East: Shelburne Falls/Deerfield, MA
Shelburne Falls is a district composed of the towns of Buckland and Shelburne. Famous among native Americans for its salmon population, the village gradually changed over into an industrial community centered on the Deerfield River.
The town resisted the “urban renewal” trend of the 1950s and ‘60s, which allowed it to retain its local, historic feel. Nevertheless, in the 1980s and ‘90s, the village experienced a revitalization and evolved into a vital downtown and blossoming arts community.
Perhaps the greatest draw to this area is the world-famous Bridge of Flowers, which attracts more than 35,000 visitors a year. Geology and natural history enthusiasts also enjoy the beautiful rock formations, left in Shelburne after the melting of the glaciers. Shelburne Falls is also home to humorist Bill Cosby.
Shelburne Falls also happens to be a walking community, so visitors can park in the free public lots and walk just about anywhere within the village.
Places to stay:
Kenburn Orchards
Shelburne, MA
877.536.2876
www.kenburnorchards.com
Deerfield Inn
Deerfield, MA
413.774.5587
www.deerfieldinn.com
Things to see & do:
Resting at the end of Deerfield Avenue and below Salmon Falls are over 50 glacial potholes, ranging in size from six inches in diameter all the way up to 39 feet, the largest on record. The striations of metamorphic make this one of the most fascinating natural wonders in Western Massachusetts. View the potholes from the observation deck and see how the melting glaciers shaped the Connecticut River Valley thousands of years ago.
Photographers and those who appreciate a good sunset will want to hike the High Ledges trails through Audubon-protected woods on Mt. Massamet. For families and casual strollers, there are well-groomed trails and for those looking for a bit of a challenge, there are more demanding hiking trails off to the sides.
When the snow thaws…
Stroll along the Bridge of Flowers, the only one of its kind in the world. Starting out as a trolley bridge in the early 20th century, the bridge was funded to be decorated by flowers after it was abandoned decades later. Cared for by its gardener, the Shelburne Falls Women’s Club and other volunteers, the Bridge boasts over 500 varieties of flowers, vines and shrubs, which bloom from April through October along a 400-foot span. For more info: 413.625.2544; www.shelburnefalls.com.
Check out the Trolley Museum for a glance at transportation history, then take a trip back to the early 20th century with a ride on the beautifully-restored Trolley Car No. 10, the last surviving trolley car from the Shelburne Falls & Colrain Street Railway. For more info: 413.625.9443; www.sftm.org.
Head on over to neighboring town of Deerfield for a blast from the past and some good old-fashioned New England ingenuity. Walk along Historic Deerfield, a 330-year-old, mile long street, where the architecture, artifacts and lifestyle of a prosperous early New England town have been preserved. There are many historic homes to visit, such as The Wells-Thorn house. Though it’s closed during the winter months (but reopens for daily guided tours on March 29, 2008), you can schedule a private tour-by-appointment by calling Nancy Bell at 413.775.7132. For more info: 413.775.7214 / www.historic-deerfield.org; 877.636.7707 / www.yankeecandle.com. At the Yankee Candle Museum and flagship store in South Deerfield, visitors can dip their own candles or learn about the art of candle-making.
West: Greater Binghamton
The Binghamton area, which in located in New York’s Southern Tier and borders Pennsylvania, is cut by the Susquehanna River and Chenango River, and is surrounded by hills. Binghamton was named for William Bingham, a wealthy Philadelphia banker who was interested in developing the land following the Revolutionary War. Later, the now-defunct Chenango Canal, part of the Erie Canal system, brought more people and business to the area.
Greater Binghamton is also home to the State University at Binghamton, the birthplace of the IBM corporation (in the nearby village of Endicott), has the world’s largest collection of functioning antique carousels, has the largest public observatory in the northeastern United States, was a significant hub of American footwear production as the home of Endicott Johnson Corporation, and is home of the modern flight simulator.
“Twilight Zone” creator Rod Serling grew up in Binghamton, where his boyhood home still stands at 67 Bennett Street. There are some key points of interest for Serling fans to visit in the area, such as local sites used in “Twilight Zone” episodes and a permanent display at the Forum Theatre for The Performing Arts. For more information call 607.775.0250.
Places to stay:
Pickle Hill B&B
Binghamton, NY
607.723.0259
www.picklehill.net
Verde Views B&B at Endwell Greens
Endwell, NY
607.766.9973
endwellgreens.com
Things to see & do:
Step back in time at the Bundy Arts & Victorian Museum, a Queen Anne-style mansion built in 1892 by architect Elfred H. Bartoo. Specifically built for Harlow E. Bundy, founder of the Bundy Manufacturing Company which produced various time recording clocks which evolved into IBM, the three-building complex features a variety of time pieces and extensive collections of antique Americana, Africana and Orientalia available for sale. And down the road in Endwell, the Amos Patterson Museum showcases a collection of Victorian parlor items, a 1930s kitchen, military memorabilia, photographs, scrapbooks and quilts. For more info: 607.772.9179 / www.bundymuseum.com; 607.786.5786 (Amos).
Tap into your inner science geek with a trip to the Roberson Museum and Science Center. This nationally-recognized museum and center features art history, folk life and technology exhibits and programs and is home to the Link Planetarium, Heritage Area Visitor Information Center and Binghamton Visitor Center. Then hike it over to the town of Vestal to scope out the Kopernik Space Education Center and Observatory, one of the largest public-access observatories in the Northeast. For more info: 607.772.0660 / www.roberson.org; 607.748.3685 / www.kopernik.org.
To the extreme Winter sports with a twist
Snowboarding
Snowboarding is probably the best-known “extreme” winter sport. Just think of it as a booted, winterized version of surfing or skateboarding. Snowboarding originated in the U.S. in the 1960s. Once considered an offbeat activity in comparison with skiing, it’s now viewed as both a skilled sport and has been a part of the Olympic games since 1998 (you may have heard of events like the halfpipe, boardercross, slopestyle and parallel giant slalom). There are two main styles of snowboarding: freestyle/freeride, which is as its name suggests, and alpine/carving, the original type of snowboarding also known as “hardbooting”—a cleaner and more precise style. Both styles require special equipment.
Test your skills at:
Hunter Mountain
Hunter, NY
www.huntermtn.com
Greek Peak Ski Resort
Cortland, NY
www.greekpeak.net
Killington Resort
Killington, VT
www.killington.com
Ice biking
When others tuck their bikes away for the winter, this type of cycling allows you to keep yours on the go. Ice biking is just like regular cycling, but with ice and snow. It can be done on either the road or trails. However, on account of the terrain, some adjustments (i.e. studded tires) may need to be made to the bicycle. Techniques also differ depending on the riding conditions. Check around for biking groups in your area, or visit websites like icebike.org for more information on the sport.
Test your skills at:
Champlain Bikeway
New York/Vermont/Quebec
www.champlainbikeways.org
Finger Lakes Trail
Watkins Glen, NY
www.fingerlakestrail.org
Kushaqua Loop Trail
Saranac Lake, NY
www.trails.com
Snowmobiling
Riding a motorized vehicle around in the snow doesn’t seem very out there, does it? But snowmobiling, like snowboarding, has evolved into a world of its own, and an extreme one at that. Nowadays, snowmobiles are making jumps and other aerial maneuvers. Equipped with a track in the back and skis in the front, snowmobiles can also be raced (in a manner similar to that of motocross, or other all-terrain vehicle racing) or ice-raced over frozen bodies of water. Because this type of racing requires consistently low temperatures, ice racing with snowmobiles is typically done in higher and more northern terrain.
Test your skills at:
Mount Greylock State Reservation
North Adams, MA
www.mass.gov/dcr/
Tug Hill
Jefferson/Lewis/Oneida/Oswego Counties, NY
www.snowmobileny.com
VAST Trail System
Berlin, Vermont
www.vtvast.org
Free skiing
Ski freely by adding a few tricks into your old downhill skiing routine. Traditionally referring to skiing without doing so for racing or training purposes, this sport is now considered to be essentially a skater-style version of skiing. Over the years, this brand of skiing began to encroach on the snowboarding terrain. Some resorts have now started to include terrain parks with rails, tabletops and funboxes (ramped, table-like rises) to accommodate this and other freestyle sports. It’s also part of the Winter X Games and has begun appearing in other aspects of pop culture, such as movies.
Test your skills at:
Whiteface Mountain
Lake Placid, NY
www.whiteface.co
Gore Mountain
North Creek, NY
www.goremountain.com
Belleayre Mountain
Highmount, NY
www.belleayre.com
Ski biking
Also referred to as “skibob”, this device resembles a mountain bike with skis in lieu of wheels, which gives it balance, stability, and control as the rider uses nothing but gravity to descend a snow-covered hill. These bikes can be used for downhill or tricks; however, for an “extreme” sport, snowbiking is considered to be pretty safe. Because of the uniqueness of the equipment, lessons are strongly recommended for this particular sport, although word is that it’s easier to pick up than other snow sports. For proper technique and other information on this sport, check out websites like ski-bike.org.
Test your skills at:
Sugarbush Resort
Warren, VT
www.sugarbush.com
Woodbury Ski Area
Woodbury, CT
www.woodburyskiarea.com
Wachusett Mountain
Princeton, MA
www.wachusett.com
Ice climbing
Ice climbing involves using crampons, i.e. spiked footwear and ice axes to scale a frozen formation, such as a waterfall or iced-over cliff side. To do so, one must generally travel to the mountains or higher, colder terrain. The equipment needed to climb depends on the texture (soft, hard, brittle, tough) and slope of the ice. Many mountaineers don’t consider ice climbing to be anything out of the ordinary until it reaches vertical proportions, as they frequently encounter ice in their climbs. There are a variety of techniques that a person must learn before they start climbing, such as rope systems, tying into the harness, and how to lead a climb.
Test your skills at:
Adirondack Mountains
visitadirondacks.com
Catskills/Shawangunk Mountains
www.visitthecatskills.com
Berkshire Mountains
www.berkshires.org