10. Thank you for the escape! We were surrounded by all of your natural gifts from morning to night and never even thought of turning on the TV. Also, having our wifi and cellphone connection wavering allowed us to put that aside as well. No news for a week! This allowed a sense of peace and calm to well up within my being.
9. The 5 hour ride to your destination was a wonderful way to begin. I was able to spend that time chatting with my adult daughter about so many things. She even came up with retirement plans for me! My husband truly enjoyed his time with our son in their car as well. We talk with both of them often, however, they both live away so this allowed time to dive deeper into topics than a typical phone call on a busy day. I never knew that car rides could be such a treasure.
8. Your piney, woodsy scent filled my nose with the opening of the car door. It is a soothing balm, a comforting scent. Breathing it in for many days in a row was a delight. I wanted to bottle it up and bring it home with me. (Actually, I purchased a small pillow filled with fallen pine needles so I could bring some home. My writing room now has a faint scent of ADK.)
7. All of your small towns were fun to explore, especially on the rainy days. We definitely supported local businesses through our shopping days in Saranac Lake and Lake Placid. On our last night, we went out for a nice dinner to The Hungry Trout. The view was beautiful and the food was delicious. Great meal to end a great week!
6. I could stare at your vistas of lakes, forests and mountains for hours on end. No matter which direction I turned, you are just stunning. Its like being wrapped in a hug from the natural world reminding me to notice the magnificence of it all.
5. Your days are beautiful, however, your night skies are stunning! All 4 of us gazed at the specks of light ranging from bright to dim stars. The dark canopy was bejeweled! Mesmerizing- honestly. We all saw the same shooting star. It was the brightest and biggest one that I have ever seen. We hoped for clear skies each night.
4. Your High Peeks offered a bonding experience for my husband and 2 adult kids. They hiked Porter and Cascade. On vacation, they willingly got up early so they could get to the trail head before it became too crowded. The smiles in the photos from the summits are so big. I know that they are all proud and happy that they did it.
3. Thank you for the wildlife visitors to our “cabin”. The deer, fawn, turkeys, beaver and birds were often a surprise to look up and find them staring right back at us. The birdfeeders were filled with bluejays- 10 at a time! I have never seen that many together. Through binoculars, we watched the beaver swim in the pond and munch on the pond plants. At one point, the beaver looked so playful splashing amongst the green. The 2 fawns were adorable. They would bound across the yard with such energy. One night, a doe watched us ever so carefully as it approached the pond to get a drink. We were only a few feet away around a firepit. We were told that a moose often wanders down the driveway but we never saw one. Maybe that is a gift for when we return.
2. The bonfires granted us the chance to relive childhood memories. We roasted hot dogs, enjoyed s’mores, made Banana Boats and Mountain Pies. It’s great when you are packing for the trip and your daughter requests that we bring the pie makers because we haven’t had them in a long time.
1. TIME- time with the 4 of us together! Relaxed time… time for laughter, playing games at night, chatting, cooking, watercoloring, reading, kayaking, hiking, and disc golfing. Time in your place seems slower. It highlights the important things in life. I so appreciated each second of this family time. Your gift of treasured time will be forever cherished.
THANK YOU ADK for all you have given us!
Doodads and Doodles 