(When Sarah sent this over to me, I do not know if she was aware that if I could live in the Adirondacks, I would already be there. Here is a link to an article I wrote about being over in Lake George earlier this year. And right before I receive her article, I had just booked a place over in the Warrensburg area, for the week of the car show in September. And we have a special advertising program just for Adirondack businesses!)
When the weather is nice, it is hard to stay cooped up inside. Winter in New England can feel like a lifetime sometimes. This past winter it snowed in my town on May 14th. By May, I am normally ready for BBQ’s. My flowers should be starting to bloom and I should be sipping on some beers on my front porch. Not this May… No! I was still rocking my good old trusty winter coat. Winter is just not my season, sorry for those of you who love it; I am a Spring, Summer, Fall kind of girl.
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My husband turned the big 30 this past winter. I wanted to do something special to commemorate this joyous occasion. I booked us a trip in the Adirondacks of New York. The trick however was, I wasn’t going till it was good and sunny out. I gathered all of our close friends creating a large group of us. Now what to do with a large group of adults, that would be memorable? Naturally, a group vacation was in order. Any good vacation is going to include the major fundamentals: GREAT BEER, GREAT LOCATION, AFFORDABLE, and FUN! With such a large group, I needed to find a place that could accommodate the size of our group, make travel arrangements for the group easy and have something that we all would enjoy. This brought me to the “Adirondacks” of New York.
If you have never been to the Adirondacks of New York, I highly recommend that you go. The Adirondacks are a mountain range that are in a dome like fashion. There you can find things like Lake George, and various other natural attractions such as Natural Stone Bridge & Caves. If you are an outdoorsy person you are truly going to enjoy your adventure in the Adirondacks. Another thing the Adirondacks are known for is their craft beer and wineries. Naturally I was sucked into this spot on the map. The area is only a couple of hours from my home in Vermont.
Once I picked our spot on the map, I needed to pick where we were going to put our heads at night. Now… I love everything outdoors. I love camp fires, hiking, swimming, all of it. I am not keen on the idea of sleeping on the ground outside. My Mama, is from the city, she brought me up in the countryside of New Hampshire. I have never in my life have gone camping and to start now in my 30’s seems crazy to me. For all of our friends and my husband however, camping is living the dream. I needed a happy medium if I was going to have a good time too. That’s when I found the answer I was looking for.
The Adirondack Safari.
“Look deep, deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.
– Albert Einstein
The Adirondack Safari is the perfect place to stay for your adventure in the Adirondacks. The Adirondack Safari is luxury camping. AKA Glamping! You have all the benefits of camping without the hassle. No more worrying if your air mattress has a leak. Here, you are sleeping on real beds off the ground and your tent has electricity. Every tent has their very own charcoal grill and fire pit. At night they come around and light torches around your tent so you can keep the bugs away and provide some outdoor lighting. Guest what the best part is!… They even come around and check to see if you need anything like ice or fire wood. It gets better!!!…
THEY DELIVER your ice and fire wood. Yep, that’s right folks, you arrive and your campsite is set up and if you need or want for something they bring it to you! They have showers that actually have HOT water! There is even a vanity suite next to the showers with vanity mirrors and hair dryers. This place is not only accommodating to your lodging needs they have an array of activities that happen daily there from Bingo, paint and sips, river tubing, silent disco and more.
In June of 2015, owner and Founder Mark Metteo, opened the Adirondack Safari. He saw a vision for an experience that others are trying to duplicate now. The Adirondack Safari has over 40k Facebook followers. Mark turned a vacant lot owned by the town into this luxury camping experience. He started out with only a few tents in his operation to now being home to this incredible glamping resort. Mark and his team are truly incredible. Their slogan is Come Back to Nature. Come to the Adirondack Safari. We found our way to nature while we were there and so much more.
“First we eat, then we do everything else.” – M.F.K Fisher
Once our group was settled in at the Adirondack Safari, we were ready to explore what they area had for us. 1st stop on our list was food and beer! We needed to fill our tummies and get some of both for the camp. We ventured over to Adirondack Pub & Brewery. They are only about 15 minutes from the Adirondack Safari and 2 minutes from Lake George. I had been following this brewery on Instagram for months. I first discovered them when I started research to start Country Brew Tours. I was beyond excited to finally visit this top listed brewing destination. Let me tell you not a single one of us was disappointed. We loved it so much we made sure to go back a 2nd time before leaving the area.
The Adirondack Pub & Brewery was started in 1999 by owner John Carr. John found his passion for great beer and brewing after college during a backpacking trip through Europe. When he returned to the States, he was unsatisfied with the beer options and began brewing at home. Soon his family and friends began requesting repeats of brews he had created. This is when he decided to open the Adirondack Pub & Brewery. The brewery has gone from brewpub to being recognized as a micro-brewery by the Brewer’s Association. They are putting a new meaning to “Drink Local”. To the Adirondack Pub & Brewery, you are not drinking local unless it was brewed, processed and bottled right there on site. John and his team use all natural local ingredients. He wanted to create a beer that was drinkable on a hot summer’s day on Lake George and drinkable their beers are! It was a scorching 90 degrees when we arrived to Lake George. We were ready to cool down with some refreshing handcrafted beer.
“Drink Fresh, Drink Local”, that is the motto from the Adirondack Pub & Brewery. We were a group of excited, hot, thirsty, and hungry travelers when we arrived at the brewery. We found our beer oasis. We sat on the beautiful patio to the brewery. We noticed they have screens and tent like walls that they can fully close for those buggy, rainy days. The wood work on the outside of the building is beautiful. I couldn’t help but take notice of the siding is natural wood slabs.The ambiance made for a relaxing, sociable feel. We all made ourselves right at home.
“We all eat, and it would be a sad waste of opportunity to eat badly.”
– Anna Thomas
While at the Adirondack Pub & Brewery, we all ordered a flight of beer. A flight there consists of your choice of 4 brews. The sample glass is quite hefty. The beer list is vast. There were so many choices to choose from. Some of us ordered ciders, other ordered pilsners. I ordered an array of Pilsners, Ambers, Cider and IPA.
When I get a flight of beer, I like to throw in a style of beer that I normally wouldn’t order a glass of. I do this because flights are your best opportunity to expand your taste pallet. You never know when your taste buds are going to change. This is a great way to compare. Plus, craft beer is like wine in a manner of speaking. Some beers taste better with certain food groups. If paired well you can really enhance your food and beverage experience. I would say my favorite brew of the day was the “Tang” It was a tangerine brew. It was a tie however. Half of us picked the Tango as our top pick while the other half selected the “Wave #11” as their favorite and order themselves a big old pint glass of it. LET ME TELL YOU!!…..
If you think the beer is good the FOOD is INCREDIBLE!!! I can’t tell you which I liked more the beer or the food. Either way these guys really know how to impress. I ordered the Fried Calamari appetizers. Anyone who enjoys calamari knows, it can be hit or miss often times. Sometimes you order and it is a bit chewy. Other times its is great. This time it was AMAZING!!!!! I cannot stress that factor enough! It was the BEST fried calamari I have ever had in my life. NO JOKE and I am no stranger to seafood. My family is from the coast, seafood is a must for us. We ordered an array of appetizers, cheese curds, calamari and more. Then we each ordered a light fair meal. I ordered the veggie burger, while my husband ordered the brisket. The veggie burger was really good but let’s face it, it is no Brisket. I had a few bites of his sandwich and seriously, my mouth was salivating at the sheer site of it. With one bite of his sandwich I had buyer’s remorse. I thought the Calamari was amazing!!! This Brisket sandwich, I am unsure I can describe how good it was properly. All I can tell you is it was FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC!!!!. When we went back for a second time, I think it is safe for you all to assume what I ordered.
“Experience is the teacher of all things.” -Julius Caesar
Millennials, are known for seeking experience. Each person’s experience and journey is different from the next. We are an eager group of Millennials. We know this world has so much to offer us, and we want to seek out as much of it as we can. My desire for experience came from my Grandfather. He was an explorer and a well educated traveler. You only get this way by trying out new adventures. This new adventure is one worth taking. The Adirondacks were better than any of us imagined. From a fantastic time at the Adirondack Pub & Brewery, to exploring the nearby lakes, caves and waterfalls. To the incredible time at the Adirondack Safari.If you have the chance to have yourself an Adirondack Adventure, TAKE ONE! You won’t be disappointed. Go out there Dream, Explore and Discover what this world has waiting for you.
Cheers Friends!
-Sarah E. Blair
