This week my husband, daughter and I spent a few days in the Adirondack Region of New York. The Adirondack Park spans over six million acres, has more than 3,000 lakes and ponds, 30,000 miles of streams and rivers, and 42 mountain peaks higher than 4,000 feet in elevation. This area has something for everyone, from fishing, boating, hiking, golfing & biking in the summer months to skiing, snowshoeing, skating, & snowmobiling in the winter months.

We stayed at the Dartbrook Lodge in Keene, NY about 15 minutes from Lake Placid. The lodge provides private cottages and suites nestled in the valley of the High Peaks Region. Our cottage was tatefully furnished with handmade rustic furniture and decor and was equipped with a small kitchen and a cozy fireplace. The bathroom was charming with its pedestal sink, local handmade soaps, slate floors, and rainwater shower and the bedroom was roomy with an attached screened in porch. Comfort was guaranteed with the sleep number bed and fluffy down pillows. A cafe and bakery located on the property provided great meals at reasonable prices and was very family friendly.

 During our stay we visited Whitface Mountain in Lake Placid, home of the Winter Olympics in 1932 & 1980. We drove up the Whiteface Mt. Veterans Memorial Highway, to the top of 4,867 foot high Whiteface Mountain, where a spectacular view awaited us. The drive was 5 miles to the top and there were several areas where you could pull over on the way up to enjoy the views from different elevations and angles. Once we made it to the top of the mountain, the summit, we parked and then hiked a rocky one fifth of a mile to the higest point where we enjoyed 360 degree panoramic views of the surrounding mountains and valleys along with views of Lake Placid & Lake Champlain. On a clear day you can also see the Green Mountains of Vermont, as well as areas of Canada. We then headed back down the top of the mountain in an elevator carved deep inside of the mountain and exited through a tunnel where we then returned to our vehicle. Access to the elevator allowed everyone to enjoy the spectacular views and wonderful experience of visiting the top of Whiteface Mountain and was great for parents with small children. I even saw a stroller in line to go up!

Next we enjoyed a relaxing gondola ride up the Little WhitefaceMountain. The eight person gondolas take you up the mountain over steep rock faces, thick forests and streams where you may even see some of the native wildlife. My daughter was very excited to spot a deer on our way up. Once our ride reached the top we enjoyed more beautiful views of Lake Placid as well as Lake Champlain and the Ausable River. There were several areas to enjoy a picnic or just to sit and enjoy the views.  During the winter months Whiteface Mountain provides amazing skiing experiences for beginners to the experts and the gondolas are used to transport skiiers up the mountain.

On Tuesday we visited the High Falls Gorge in Wilmington, NY where we took a half mile round trip walk on gravel paths and a series of bridges to see some amazing views of waterfalls where the Ausable River was flowing over ancient granite cliffs formed over a billion years ago! The bridges were constructed on the sides of the cliffs and over the falls which provided unobstructed views of the falls. In addition to the half mile trail to see the falls there was also an intermediate 1 mile hiking trail, and they offered a mining area for children to mine for gems. My daughter is still a little too young, but the other children there seemed to be very excited at the opportunity to mine for treasures! They also had a beautiful picnic area right on the river where you could sit and enjoy a quiet picnic or just take a break and enjoy the scenery.

Wednesday marked the end of our trip and the start of our journey home. We walked to the cafe next to the lodge for breakfast, to get our day started and our bellies full and then we hit the highway. The ride home was a bit long but tolerable (thanks to the portable DVD player that we stowed away for those tired and cranky moments.) Overall we had a great trip and I would recommend a trip like this to anyone looking for outdoor adventures. The Adiorandack Region is a beautiful area, there are tons of things to see and do and most activities are kid friendly.

For more information visit:

Adirondacks: http://visitadirondacks.com/

Dartbrook Lodge: www.dartbrooklodge.com  

Whiteface Mountain: www.whiteface.com 

High Falls Gorge: www.highfallsgorge.com

Accommodations were provided by Whiteface Mountain and High Falls Gorge, however no portion of this article was written or suggested by their owners or staff.