There’s really nothing quite like the fall months here on the east coast. Specifically, the changing leaves, that first chill, and of course all of the fall activities that go hand in hand! As busy as our schedules may be, there are staples that we’d never miss. These include apple and pumpkin picking. Furthermore, which have become one of our favorite ways to welcome the cooler weather and segway into the holiday season. One year we opted to dive head first into the fall! We did this by booking a weekend trip to the Adirondacks! Let me just say, it puts a whole new perspective on looking at vibrant foliage.
One Friday afternoon, the fam and I headed up to North Creek, New York. For those of you unfamiliar with the area, it’s about thirty minutes north of Lake George. This makes it about a four hour drive from New York City. To avoid massive grid lock, we pulled the kids slightly early from school, which they had no objections about!
Our hotel for the weekend was The Alpine Lodge. The Adirondack-style rooms and suites which we booked include WiFi, flat-screen TVs, DVD players and coffeemakers. Other rooms feature gas wood stoves, porches and whirlpool tubs.
The suites are available in with 1 or 2 bedrooms, and have their own kitchens and living rooms. The amenities were superb! They include a lodge-style common room with a fireplace, TV and games. Moreover, there was an outdoor fire pit, where we roasted some marshmallows. The rustic motel is only 3 miles from Gore Mountain Ski Resort. Making this 23 miles from Adirondack Extreme Adventure Course and 36 miles from West Mountain Ski Resort, which is ideal for those ski buff families when the season kicks off!
They are much more than cozy cabins, the accommodations feel like luxury resorts but log cabin style. My top visitor recommendation for families is the queen bed route, so you can get a room with 2 of them and add on guest rooms for more family members. A quiet place in small towns is ideal for the winter seasons. With how busy the city is, it’s so nice to escape to New York’s Adirondack mountains for nature lovers.
Following a few unscheduled stops, we arrived in the town a little later than planned, so we dropped our bags and snuck out for a quick dinner at Basil & Wicks. The food and atmosphere was great, and I could totally see how cute it would be in winter, after a long day on the slopes. The mountain views and intimate setting also make this an ideal place for a romantic getaway, too!
Having arrived well after sundown, we made it a point to wake bright and early on Saturday to explore town. Fall was definitely in full swing, with trees donning the perfect collections of burnt orange, yellows, and amber colors. Just down the street from the Alpine Lodge, we stopped for breakfast in Cafe Sarah, a super cute kitchenette featuring homemade muffins, scones, breakfast sandwiches, and really good coffee! It’s the perfect place for a serene morning before heading out to a day for of outdoor activities and outdoor adventures. Good food is the best way to begin a long day!
After a nibble, it was onto the pumpkin patch! At It’s About Thyme Farm, the kids were all about loading up on extra pumpkins this year, since we love to stock up for Thanksgiving decor. We pulled our cart through the acres of the farm searching for the perfect size pumpkins and gords. And we found 9 in total!
Across the pumpkin patch were some apple trees, and even though it was late in the season, we were fortunate enough to find 2 bags worth of apples. With our wagon stocked with pumpkins and apples, we headed to the shop for checkout. Siella begged me for new pumpkin carving tools and some new decorations, which I was happy to oblige. Check how the farmers decorated their grounds with rows of scarecrows lining the perimeter!
Once our trunk was loaded with pumpkins, it was back to town for North Creek’s 4th Annual Nightmare On Main Street! Kids and adults alike were decked out in full costumes listening to entertainment, trick or treating and hanging out. There were raffles and prizes for best costume. As we walked around, we heard some of the townspeople talking about the haunted house in the basement of the tattoo parlor. I didn’t know if the kids would be too scared, but there were other little ones walking out ahead of us giggling put my mind at ease. Considering I’ve never been to a haunted house, I didn’t know what to expect, but it was awesome!
The owner of the tattoo shop went all out, with real live people jumping out the wood works to scare the guests. It was really well done! During the evening hours, there was a Hocus Pocus themed party for the grown ups, but naturally we needed to steer clear of that part of the festivities.
Since North Creek is so close to Lake George, we decided to drive over. Having been to Lake George two summers ago, it was interesting to see the town so quiet and the trees along the shoreline proud with fall color. We walked along the lake, and visited a park where the kids were literally rolling around in the leaves, and throwing them up in the air! Guess that’s a true testament to how city kids can appreciate the country life!
In town, we stumbled upon a wax museum called House Of Frankenstein. Why not visit two haunted houses in one day to get into the Halloween spirit! Here, we roamed the hallways, and looked (and screamed!) at the different vignettes with haunted creatures and characters. We laughed as we jumped in fear- it was really a lot of fun! Our jam packed day ended with dinner at Beck’s Tavern, at the Gore Mountain Lodge. Another super cute, lodge-like dining spot in North Creek, that had some tasty German inspired dishes. Pierogies, big pretzels and poutine- of course the kids enjoyed it!
Finally, the following day, our plan was to make it to the Adirondack Extreme Adventure Course, but the massive rain storm put a damper (pun) on our plans. What a bummer, because these outdoor high-altitude courses with zip lines, rope swings, nets would have been a blast. I don’t know who was more upset to miss out- Jason or the kids!
Overall, another fun filled weekend in the books, and a family first in the Adirondacks. It was so nice to leave the face paced hustle and bustle behind, for some clean, crisp, laid back upstate time. Sometimes we forget how much more there is to New York State than just New York City!
A big thanks to Visit Adirondack for hotel and accommodations, and organizing a great getaway to my family!
For more New York National Park info and fun check out this great article!
This post was originally published September 18th, 2020
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