For many, winter activities can mean a retreat to the indoors. Sitting under a blanket and reading a book. Putting another log on the fireplace. Watching copious amount of television. In the Adirondacks, however, winter equals outdoor adventure. From snowshoeing to skiing to hiking, there are plenty of activities for visitors during the coldest months of the year. This year, Eagle Bay, a town along Fourth Lake, hosted the Adirondack Ice Bowl, a weekend-long pond hockey tournament that drew visitors from around the Northeast to play and watch hockey on top of a frozen lake!
Held at Eagle Bay Village, a rental property resort, the 2025 Adirondack Ice Bowl saw fourteen teams compete in the two-day tournament. The teams played on four rinks, each one kept in pristine condition by two Zamboni ice resurfacers. There was also food and drinks available, several vendors selling their wares, and indoor and outdoor warming stations to help ward off the cold.
Some come along, then, as we head back to upstate New York to watch some hockey! We’ll also share a couple cool dining establishments, along with some cool aerial views of the mountains.
Let’s begin:
Adirondack Ice Bowl
Eagle Bay is nestled in the western side of Adirondack State Park between the towns of Old Forge and Inlet.Last winter was warm and dry, with hardly any snow. The lack of winter weather really hurt area businesses that rely on tourism during the coldest months of the year. Fortunately, winter has returned in force this year!On Saturday, February 22, the Adirondack Ice Bowl kicked off at 10:00 am (with the thermometer reading a balmy 12 degrees).Capable of hosting four games simultaneously, the rinks saw constant action.On Saturday afternoon, my wife and I headed over to Eagle Bay Village to watch some hockey! Finding the rinks was easy – just follow the signs atop the massive snowbanks.Despite the intermittent snowfall, the path to the tournament was well-plowed for pedestrian access.As we made our way onto the lake, we passed this quite impressive ice sculpture commemorating the event. With temperatures in the teens, there was no danger of it melting!When you’re attending an outdoor ice hockey tournament, you see some interesting signs!Whether it is professional or amateur, good hockey is always enjoyable. I quickly found myself cheering lots of good plays!The low boards encourage players to keep their shots down. Precise passing and shooting is key – too much power and the puck would fly out onto the lake.There are no goalies at this tournament – scoring in the tiny net requires precise shooting.In addition to hockey, the tournament had several vendors selling merchandise – I made a total impulse buy and picked up an official “Adirondack Ice Bowl 2025” beanie. The event was a blast – I was glad we went!A pretty elaborate lighting setup meant that the games could continue well after dark. The tournament also was a popular stop for snowmobilers – if you look closely, you can see headlights heading away from the rink in the upper left of this image. The Adirondack Ice Bowl was a blast – I’d happily attend again next year!
Food, Fun, and Views
Our weekend was not spent just in Eagle Bay. We also made time for some shopping in the town of Old Forge. Fun fact: this weekend marked exactly seven years since I came to the Adirondacks for the first time. On that trip, Old Forge Hardware was my first ever ADK shopping experience.For as long as I’ve been coming to the Adirondacks, Blue Line Coffee House has been my go-to stop for all things caffeinated. That’ll be an almond milk cappuccino for my wife (right) and a Birch latte for me (left).(To the tune of Take Me Home, Country Roads): “Icy roads… take me home… to the place… I belong… west Adirondacks… mountain momma… icy roads… take me home.” While roads are plowed in the ADK, they are often left with a covering of ice and hard-packed snow. Good tires are essential for safe driving!As I said previously, the Adironacks have gotten a lot of snow this year. Some of the snowbanks are taller than Grace!Of course, no The Open Road Ahead trip is complete without food! On our first night in the Adirondacks, we dined at The Eagle Bay House. Formerly The Toboggan, the new restaurant serves upscale American comfort food in a welcoming and warm setting.Service was friendly and prompt. Our drinks came quickly, along with a freshly baked dinner roll (which was delicious).My wife ordered the haddock special, served with mashed potatoes and grilled vegetables. It was quite tasty!My meal, however, was simply out of this world: barbecued chicken and sirloin tips, served with grilled veggies and homemade cornbread. So very, VERY good!Our server asked if we had any room for dessert. My wife inquired if any were gluten-free, and the server informed us that not only were there gluten-free options, but she makes them herself! We chose the chocolate torte – it was simply divine. Did you see the scene in Jurassic Park when the goat is dropped into the pen with the velociraptors, and moments later all that emerges is a tattered harness? That’s kind of like what it looked like when we ate this cake. The Eagle Bay House gets two enthusiastic thumbs up!For dinner on our second night, we parked Grace beside the Moose River in Old Forge in time for a gorgeous sunset and then headed into The Mill, a well-known restaurant in Old Forge.We started our meal by sharing a stuffed mushroom (portobello mushroom stuffed with sausage and spinach), and then my wife had a rice bowl with chicken. Both were supremely tasty!Meanwhile, I had the Nashville Hot & Spicy Chicken Sandwich. I love spicy food. In fact, I can be a bit of a snob about it – it’s hard for something to be “too spicy” for me. But I broke a sweat eating this sandwich! It wasn’t just heat, however; the sauce had great flavor, and the chicken was done very well. Add to it some yummy tater tots and I had a great meal. We left the restaurant stuffed and content.Lastly, no trip to the Adirondacks is complete without some scenic views! It is hard to believe that in seven years I’ve gone from someone who had never set foot in Adirondack State Park to now being completely enchanted by this beautiful slice of nature that is kept forever wild.The next morning, we set off in the midst of a snowstorm. Of course, when you’re rolling in a vehicle equipped with Jeep’s ferocious all-wheel drive system, the elements are less of a worry!And, of course, rolling on the right tires matters just as much. In our case, a trusty set of Nokian WR G4 SUV tires kept us securely on the road for our drive home.We made a pitstop for lunch in Kingston, New York at the Broadway Lights Diner. The diner had good reviews and offered a number of gluten-free options, so we thought we’d try it out.My wife had the corned beef hash, served with home fries, over-easy eggs, and gluten-free toast. The corned beef hash was excellent!Meanwhile, I had a BBQ chicken wrap, served with fries. The sandwich was good, but the fries were out of this world! Fueled up, we were ready for our last push toward home.A few hours later, we pulled our Jeep into the garage. Grace was a dependable, rugged winter machine, transporting us with ease to the mountains. 120,000 miles is fast approaching… onward!
Sandy Hook, NJ
With my wife out of town for a family event, I took a solo Sunday drive to Sandy Hook, part of Gateway National Recreation Area. It had been a while since I last visited Sandy Hook – seeing the Atlantic Ocean come into view as I drove along Route 36 made me grin from ear to ear.Despite having come to Sandy Hook more times than I can count, I realized that this was the first trip to the park with my Acura TLX. I parked the car and proceeded to take a few glamour shots of it. Of course.During the winter, seals typically haul out onto the rocks on the bay side of the park. Longtime readers might remember my first encounter with Sandy Hook’s harbor seals a few years ago. I had no such luck this time, as it was too cold and windy for them. That’s ok – this view of the Atlantic Ocean was a lovely consolation prize.The only wildlife I spotted were deer. LOTS of deer. More deer than I ever remember seeing previously. Although deer have long been a resident of the park, a few years ago a cold spell caused several rivers and streams to freeze over, and more deer migrated into the park. Subsequent breeding has led to a population explosion, and with no natural predators, the deer roam freely (via 94.3 The Point). Exacerbating the situation, too many visitors are feeding the deer, leading to the animals losing their instinctive fear of humans. Don’t feed the wildlife, people!A battery of Nike missiles on Sandy Hook once guarded New York City against possible Soviet attack during the Cold War. These missiles kept watch over my TLX when I went hiking.My favorite stop at the park is Sandy Hook Light. Built in 1764, this is the oldest continuously operating lighthouse in the nation. It’s literally older than the United States!I hiked up to an observation post on the northern edge of the park and was rewarded with a spectacular view of Manhattan!And, of course, I made time for one more glamour shot of the TLX before heading home. The Acura continues to hold up well, and how has 54,000 miles on the odometer. Onward!
Wrapping Up
It’s hard to believe that it has been seven years since I first stepped foot in the Adirondacks. This beautiful land of mountains, lakes, forests, wildlife, and adventure has won me over completely. There really is no bad time to visit the park, as there is always something cool to do! Whether it is climbing a mountain, swimming in crystal-clear waters, hiking to a waterfall, or standing atop a frozen lake to watch hockey, the ADK has plenty of ways to entertain.
Thanks, as always, for coming along on this journey down the open road ahead.
The Open Road Ahead 