Hi, We are going to Adirondacks area for Memorial Day weekend. We have a one year old and not a huge budget. We like to walk around cute towns and see interesting, even historical things. We like to eat good, not too expensive (vegetarian even?) food, including breweries, pizza, fish. We can spend 2-3 nights in one place and daytrip around (to where?) or stay at different places if we can arrange it beforehand. We like to stay at a place that allows us to walk 'downtown' for dinner or breakfast or for activities. Any ideas? We are definitely planning to visit Saratoga Springs but I don't know where else we should head. THANK YOU!

Saratoga fits all the requirements you have except it is not really in the Adirondacks!

You have to go north and west to really get in the mountains. Then you leave civilization behind. But there is so much beauty who needs it?

Maybe Lake Placid? Old Forge? Travel can be slow so plan ahead for places you want to see.

Old Forge is a really cute little town. They also have the "Enchanted Forest" Watepark for the kids. Plenty of restaurants and cute little shops. Lake Placid is also a good choice, as is Lake George.,with Memorial Day being so close, you may have trouble finding accomodations..Not sure if you've ever been to the Adirondacks, but you will love it. Have fun!

If you choose Old Forge you also might want to drive a bit further north and check out the smaller town of Inlet on 4th Lake.

Oh, yes, I forgot about Inlet...smaller than Old Foge, but still cute little mountain village

Ok. So, now I see that Saratoga is not part of Adirondacks. If we stay 2-3 nights in Saratoga, where are good day trip destinations? And any ideas where where to stay in Saratoga? Know anything about the Saratoga Downtowner Motel? Is it really walking distance to shops/restaurants? How's the Children's Museum? Any info is helpful - thank you!

Dear Barb65, please explain to me your statements <Then [North of Saratoga] you leave civilization behind> and <Travel can be slow>. Trying to plan my sister's trip
THANK YOU

I'd probably recommend Lake Placid I guess. It's a pretty civilized place.

Unless it's warm and you can hang at a beach (unlikely in May) a 1-year old will probably not be thrilled with the usual Adirondack activities (hiking, kayaking, canoeing, fishing, hunting). The wilder areas (i.e. most of the park) will be very buggy in May, so plan accordingly.

If you do venture into the park both Interpretive Centers, one in Paul Smiths and one in Newcomb, are great and there are easy but beautiful trails to walk with a 1-yr old on your back.
http://www.northnet.org/adirondackvic/

The Blue Mountain Lake Musuem might be worth a stop.
http://www.adkmuseum.org/

Plan your trip carefully - the Adirondacks are HUGE. You don't just hop in the car and do a day trip from Saratoga Springs to Lake Placid, unless you really like being in the car. (It's almost 2 hours each way.)

To get the best of the Adirondacks I'd suggest July, but I think you'll enjoy it in May too if you think of it as a "sampler" perhaps. It is a lovely area.

How about this plan:
One night in Saratoga Springs, then head up to Long Lake, stopping at Adirondack Museum in Blue Mountain Lake. Maybe stay at Long View Lodge Hotel.

Alternatively, you could head up to Chestertown and stay at the Friends Lake Inn. The towns up there are REALLY small. There's an interesting historic train ride you can take out of North Creek.

Then head up to Lake Placid for a night, via Newcomb Interpretive Center. Lots of choices of where to stay in Lake Placid - see tripadvisor.com.

z: Most of the towns in the Adirondacks north and west of Saratoga are very small. Some cater to tourists and may have a few small restaurants and shops. Others may not have much of anything and no big hotels.
The roads (if you get off I-87) are two lane and often you can get stuck behind slow trucks, etc.

That said, there are some beautiful mountain drives and lakes. Just plan ahead. There are some well known inns and resorts but again you have to plan what area you want to visit.

This may help
http://adk.com/home/z-home.htm

So, small roads, in your opinion, are indication of no civilization? Wow! Barb65. This is news to me, you have to have four lane roads to be civilized. You forgot to add there is no urban sprawl and no Wal-Mart in Lake Placid. The village of Lake Placid refused all attempts to bring Wal-Mart. If civilized people lived there they wouldn't object and have wal-mart by now. All small towns in Adirondack should be huge with mega stores, restaurants, fast food places, wal-marts and k-marts. Then we could say Adirondacks is civilized. Until then there is no civilization? So, it seems only metropolitan areas are civilized. Please define "civilized"

Calm down z!

I was merely trying to differentiate between, say, backpacking the 193,000 acres of high peaks with a toddler vs. staying in a town!

Chill why don't ya?

thanks wliwl!

Actually I was trying to make the point that having no "civilization" was more desirable for a vacation in the Adirondacks.

If you expect to travel a long way - plan for it to take some time. Do not be in a rush - it is vacation.

Actually since I grew up in the Adirondacks, it is more desirable for growing up as well! I miss it now that I live in the uncivilized world of civilization!

Barb,

Ha! Actually it was the reason I didn't recommend Old Forge (although I like Old Forge just fine). People haven't see the true Adriondacks until they've spent some time in the lesser traveled small towns! The little towns in the Adirondacks are some of the few genuine places left.

I think the Intrepetive Centers are very under-visited and they really are very nice, especially for people who might just be starting out hiking or kayaking or those with small children. Newcomb really has a wonderful mix of typical Adriondack ecosystems and forest types, and it is lovely.

They are also building a Natural Heritage Museum in Tupper Lake. It is set to open July 4 and I'm sure it will be fabulous.

We have spent a large part of every summer for the past 30+ years in the Adirondacks. My parent's have a place near Speculator and we rent a place in Minerva and we camp all over. We used to backpack and we've climbed over 30 of the high peaks.

To me it is one of the greatest places left. It's funny how rarely it's mentioned on here. I guess it is smaller niche of people who aren't looking for amusement parks, shopping outlets, and that sort of thing, and of course the hard-core outdoor enthusiasts have their own forums.
http://www.wildcenter.org/