A Day of History

What does a figure skater and a lumberjack have in common? Maybe a mountain lion and a stagecoach? Or perhaps a hermit and a bobsledder? Even a president and a canoe? What ties all these things together? I’ll give you a hint…… It’s 6 million acres in size and covers 12 counties….. It’s the Adirondack Park. Recently I took the trip down to Blue Mountain Lake to visit the Adirondack museum. I know, I know, Blue Mountain Lake is not in St. Lawrence or Franklin Counties, the counties I said I would be covering with my blog. But with close to a third of St. Lawrence County and roughly ¾ of Franklin County sitting inside the blue line, I had to go explore the history of this great park. A park we love to explore and have life changing adventures in.

The two hour road trip seemed to fly by as my wife, son and I talked and laughed all the way. It had been a while since we had taken a day trip and we were excited to be on an adventure together. When my wife had first suggested we should go to the museum for our 18th wedding anniversary I said “great idea” right away. Rolling over the foothills and along the waterways to Tupper Lake, I pointed out places like Catamount and Arab mountains, places I’d explored and written about before. As we pulled into Long Lake I was amazed at all the activities and people in this little mountain town. The small beach was buzzing with children swimming and splashing in the cool Adirondack lake. Boats zipped around while kayakers and canoers glided upon the surface. Sidewalks where full of families walking the tiny main street. Cabins and campers lined the banks of the lake with campfires and beach towels drying in the clean mountain air. It was a great sight, people cherishing their family time together, partaking in all sorts of outdoor activities. To be honest, it kind of reminded me of the little summer community in the 1988 comedy The Great Outdoors (with John Candy and Dan Aykroyd). I kept waiting for "Suck My Wake" to come screaming by.

Pulling into the parking lot of the museum, the rustic red pillars and wooden shake roof really set the tone for the day. Immediately I felt like I had gone back to an era long ago. A time of exploration and newfound freedom. A generation of the few that dared to roam the uncharted wilderness. Walking in the front door I was awestruck by the large wooden sailboat with full sails that appeared to be afloat above the knotty hardwood floors.

Topographical maps lined the walls and large wooden beams pulled the opening scene to this adventure together perfectly. We paid our very fair entry fee, grabbed a map and started exploring. The first thing I had to go see was the Whiteface Mountain fire tower. This was the original tower that sat high on the mountain. Climbing the metal framed tower I thought about the forest rangers that used to sit high above, watching over the vast wilderness, hoping not to see smoke on the horizon.

From there we toured the Work in the Woods displays that covered the full history of the logging industry in the Adirondacks. From logging trains to chainsaws, this exhibit dives deep into the life of a lumberjack in the early logging days of the park.

We worked our way over to the trout pond where we got there just in time to feed the fish. Looking over our map we decided it was time for lunch.

We ate at the Lake View Cafe that is located on the property. With a full menu to choose from we ordered our meals and sat out on the large open deck overlooking the lake and several mountains. A light mountain breeze blew as we enjoyed our meal with a stunning backdrop.

After lunch we decided to explore the many cabins, cottages and an old school house that once housed the settlers of this great land. From there we toured the Bull cottage and Merwin Hill. Scattered along this hillside are the remains of old fireplaces and chimneys from cabins long gone. From there we decided to take the hike over to Minnow Pond. This ¾ of a mile hike through the woods brings you to a picturesque mountain pond where they have traditional wooden canoes that you can take out and explore the water.

Next we wandered through what I have to say was my favorite exhibit, Life in the Adirondacks. This exhibit covered everything from the original mountain climbers, hunters, wildlife, camping, and the Olympics. The stuff that we today embrace as Adirondack adventures.

We finished up our day at the boat house. Here they have everything from the original guide boats to old wooden motor boats that used to cruise the lakes.

As we pulled out of the parking lot I couldn’t help but think about how much this landscape has changed since the Native Americans first called this land their home. On our way home we decided to take the long way and partake in one more Adirondack tradition………Ice Cream at Donnelly's. You can’t leave the Adirondacks without having a Donnelly’s ice cream cone.

About this Location:

Adirondack Experience the Museum on Blue Mountain Lake is located at

9097 State Route 30, Blue Mountain Lake, NY in Hamilton County. This small mountain community sits right in the heart of the Adirondack Park. The museum offers a vast variety of indoor and outdoor exhibits.

It does a wonderful job of exploring the rich history of the park from all angles. From the logging camps to the rich city vacationers, it doesn’t miss a thing. I was so impressed by the thousands of photos and artifacts they have on display.

We spent a full day there and I can tell you that really wasn’t enough time to cover every detail. To absorb it all and truly read every bit of information you would need two to three days there. Their cafe was really top notch with a wonderful variety of sandwiches and treats. Even though they have a captive audience they keep the prices very reasonable and if you want a lunch with a view this is the place to eat. The indoor exhibits flow seamlessly covering each subject from beginning to current day. The time and energy spent making sure all the exhibits are clean and full of detail does not go unnoticed. The outdoor exhibits make you feel like you have stepped back in time.

The cabins and camps that you get to walk right into are fully furnished in historic items. There's even plenty of interactive exhibits for the kids to play with and enjoy while getting a little history lesson.

The trail over to the pond was very well maintained and easy to maneuver. It was well worth the trek to see Minnow Pond.

The staff members that are located all over the property were so friendly and very knowledgeable. They can do everything from giving you directions to history lessons about the exhibits and displays. Just a quick look at their extensive website shows you the dedication they have to the history of the park. The website covers everything from the current exhibits, online tours, future exhibits and a full history of the museum. If you have an Adirondack vacation coming up or you are just looking for a day trip away I highly recommend putting this on your to do list.

You will be glad you made the trip. It is truly an Northern NY Adventure that you will want to return to many times.

Aaron Hardy

Northern NY Adventures