Making an Adirondack Chair

The Adirondacks are synonymous with Summer in my family. Even more, we spent a few extra honeymoon days in the 'dacks following our weeklong adventure in Vermont. 

I was in Lake Placid and stopped at the wonderful little bookstore on main street. It was closing time and I saw Mary Twitchell's simple Easy-to-Build Adirondack Furniture book.  The shop keeper rung me up, took my $4 and smirked and said, "give me a call after you build your chair!" 

Okay, you sassy-pants bookstore guy - I did it! While it is the basic chair, I'm pretty proud of my first attempt. I think all-in-all it cost me about $55 in materials. I used pine and about 1/3  less screws than Mary suggested. It's pretty damn sturdy and what was better, the book was perfectly put and easy to follow. I took some artistic liberties on a few sections, but happy so far. Looking forward to diving into the intermediate version, and hell, maybe a foot stool. 

$55 Materials

$4 book

Pride = you can't put a price tag on that, baby.

A summer that's not too shabby, 2019

Just when you thought this died, I pump a lil' life back into it. 2019 has been a whirlwind of adventure. Getting experienced in a new job, moving in with my now fiancé, and vacationing to beautiful places.

Photos above are from the Adirondacks in New York. Views from Mt. Baker, Haystack, and the Lower St. Regis. Ice cream from Donnelly's, a daily tradition to make sure you don't wither away from all the hiking, and in the end - a coffee from a diner before departing. All in all a fabulous getaway. Check out a previous post on the Saranac Our Legacy IPA

Just got back from a 47mi road bike ride. In the spirit of Le Tour lately. Been spinning a lot lately, but moreso on the mountain bike. Hope your summer is grand.

Adirondack Motorcycle Camping Trip

Armed with snacks, wallet, sunglasses and helmet, I was ready to tackle a long weekend vacation with my dad.  A father/daughter motorcycle trip to Paul Smith's College in the Adirondack Mountains of New York state.  The blue skies would seemingly go on forever, only ever disrupted by a rainstorm now and then.  Lakes speckled all through the region and dotting the topo maps we really didn't even need to carry.  A hike up St. Regis Mountain and a canoe paddle in Lower St. Regis Lake are all you really need to reset and unwind.  

We logged nearly 850 miles on the Harley Davidson bikes we rode.  My dad brought along his Ultra Classic and I rented a Dynaglide since my 400 Yamaha was not in perfect shape.  The Dynaglide was actually a great bike with a ton of power.  The windshield had to go after the first 200mi, so we strapped it onto my dad's bike as to not limit my "coolness factor."  

We drank a lot of crappy beer (i.e. Molson and Labatt), but it was still great.  I caught a fish and reeled in even more sea weed.  It's some of the most pristine nature you could ever imagine.  A world that you find hard to believe is only a 7 hour drive from Philly.  Long, but worth it.  The longer the better when you have the wind in your face and two wheels on the ground.  Ride on

For more pictures...

Adirondack Mountains, NY | Camping Getaway Pt. 2

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A couple more snaps from a long weekend in upstate NY in the Adirondacks.  These were all taken with the handy iPhone.  Since it rained so much I was a little nervous to have the camera out on the water or in camp.  Looking forward to another weekend getaway.

Check out Pt. 1, here.

Adirondack Mountains, NY | Camping Getaway

 

 

There's something special about returning to the same place every summer.  It's relatively unchanged and the beauty unwavering.  It reminds you that even though a million things could happen to you in a year, one place on the planet will remain and welcome you back so you can pick up right where you left off.

Camping is a special kind of getaway.  You make lists, bring food, try to think of everything you need but despite your preparation mother nature always has a trick up her sleeve.  This time it was a few nights of rain storms...then a whole day of pouring rain.  We made it.  We had one gem of a day out on the water, catching fish, jumping off rope swings and drinking adult beverages.

I have a few more pictures to share...stay tuned.

I'm Back From the Adirondack Camping Getaway!

Sorry for the dead air over here, I've been away on vacation!  I spent some time exploring the Adirondack mountains, specifically Lower St. Regis Lake, Lake Placid and the general area.  Lots of fishing, paddling, rain and a bit of sunshine.  Despite the rain, I think it's safe to say we all had a blast being outside and enjoying one another's company.  I'll have a full post coming soon.  For now, here is a panorama of the night sky after a storm.  Just lovely!

Adirondack Panorama & Weekend Links

Click for full size

I have so many panorama shots from past trips that I forgot about!  This one is from the front of a canoe in the St. Regis Lake in the Adirondack Mountains of New York state.  Cleaning out the old memory in my phone...

Weekend Links:

1.) Cardboard Beer Bottles by Carlsberg
2.) Travel Guides via Design Sponge
3.) Mats Anda Flickr Page
4.) Posture and Health
5.) That Snow Day Look over at 10e
6.) This Crazy Motorcycle build by Cyclewerks
7.) The photo of the Sierra Nevada Red Fox in Yosemite!

Have a great weekend!  

Adirondacks, NY - Camping and Fishing Trip

View from the lean to

Trail leading from the camp to shore

Early AM fishing

Looking up!

Towing us over a canoe

The rope swing

Pretty lily pads

Canoe making a shadow and underwater view

Out on black pond

Apple and Banana pancakes

Paul Smith's VIC trails

St. Regis River Fishing

Pulled in a big small mouth bass

Calm before the storm

Mid-July my family and I headed north to the Adirondacks in New York state.  Paul Smith's college is unique in that the campus is right in the center of the Adirondack State Park.  My dad is an alum so we go back every year to camp, fish, cook over the fire, and connect with nature.  This is one of the most beautiful places that I have ever been and I would highly recommend visiting or camping if you can.  On the final evening, once everyone else in the family headed home in their separate vehicles, my dad and I went to Lake Placid for some local beer and prime rib.  Not too shabby!