During the summer months, Adirondack State Park in northern New York is crammed with visitors for boating, hiking, mountain climbing, cycling, and countless other activities. Early autumn, the park is filled with people coming to watch the majestic change of color of leaves. In winter, snowmobiling, winter mountain climbing, and skiing are prime activities.
But what about that in-between time, when the summer warmth has disappeared, the leaves have fallen, but the snow has not yet begun in earnest? When gray skies dominate a vast expanse of brown, leafless trees? When the summer tourists have returned home, but the winter visitors have yet to arrive?
Can I tell you a secret, readers? The off-season has become one of my favorite times to visit the Adirondacks.
So come along, then, as we make a quick weekend jaunt up to the ADK. We’ll eat some great food, take in some amazing scenery, watch a movie in a century-old theater, and get our fill of life in the ADK.
Let’s begin:
Off-Season ADK
Longtime readers of this blog can probably find Adirondack State Park on a map of New York from memory! I’d be heading toward the town of Old Forge, located along the western side of the park.I left home early on a Saturday morning, encountering minimal traffic as I crossed the border from New Jersey into New York. I was heading north with a to-do list of items to help family. My wife would be staying home, taking care of our new cat Mikko as he recovers from surgery (he’s doing fine!).The further north I drove, the less blue and sunny the skies became. By the time I stopped to check out Lock 13 of the Erie Canal (built in 1915), only faint hints of blue sky remained.I stopped to visit a family member in the town of Herkimer, and she had the brilliant suggestion for me to get off the interstate and follow NY-28, a winding, two-lane road, up into the Adirondacks. I saw some cool stuff, including the Octagonal House, built by Linus Yale in 1850. Linus was the founder of the Yale Lock Company. As a Harvard alum, this reinforces one of my favorite jokes: “Yale. They make good locks.”I also spotted this cool, vintage sign for a Honda specialist (now seemingly out of business). Of COURSE I stopped for a photo!About an hour after leaving Herkimer, I was crossing into my happy place: Adirondack State Park. For the past eight years, I’ve been meaning to take this shot – I finally made it happen. The absence of cars whizzing by (well, frankly, the absence of any traffic at all) made this photo super easy.My accommodations for the weekend would the Water’s Edge Inn, located in the town of Old Forge. During summer or winter months, the parking lot is completely full. This weekend, I counted a total of five cars, including mine.Pro tip: if you are staying at the Water’s Edge, spring for a room with a lake view. It’s worth the extra pennies. This was the view from my room.I had arrived in town early enough that I was tempted to make a quick ascent of Bald Mountain, which I’ve climbed numerous times. As I walked toward the trailhead, I noticed the particularly sloppy conditions of the hiking path.Just as I was about to begin the hike, I encountered a group of women descending from the mountain. I asked about the trail conditions, and one of the women replied:”Slippery. Very, very, very slippery.” The rest nodded in agreement, their expressions grim. I decided to bail out of the hike.I instead drove to the town of Inlet for a little souvenir shopping. The recent snowfall made for a pretty accent on an otherwise bleak landscape.Arriving in Inlet, I really had to fight for a parking spot in the town lot.My first stop was to the shore of Fourth Lake. No matter how many times I visit, this view never gets old.The first snow fell in the Adirondacks on Halloween. By the next day, snow at lower elevations had dissipated but remained on the mountaintops. It made for a beautiful view.One of my favorite shops in Inlet is Fourth Lake Wine and Spirits. Run by a lovely couple, the shop has an impressive array of offerings, including numerous wines from the Finger Lakes region of the state.Shopping complete, I headed back to Old Forge for dinner. Many restaurants are closed during the off-season, but a few stalwarts remain open. After always thinking “hey, I should check it out,” I finally stopped into the Tow Bar Inn. A neighborhood bar that serves only drinks (no food), the Tow Bar was a warm, inviting spot which on this occasion was filled entirely with locals. “New guy!” I’m sure they all thought as I sat down at the bar. The staff (and patrons) were friendly, though, and it was a fun visit.For dinner I selected Tony Harper’s Pizza & Clam Shack, an Adirondack institution.I ordered the Mountain Maniac: grilled chicken, ham, cheddar cheese, bacon, and honey mustard dressing, served on a brioche bun. It was tasty, the fries were yummy, and the pickles were outstanding. Fueled up, I headed off to the evening’s next activity.I walked down the street to The Strand, a movie theater in Old Forge that first opened in 1923. Having driven past the theater countless times, I decided to finally stop by for a movie.After paying $7 for my ticket ($6 for children and seniors – cash only please!), I headed to the snack counter for some popcorn. The lobby is filled with movie posters, vintage projectors, memorabilia, and countless other items that show this is a theater run by people who love the movies.The collection of vintage cameras alone is worth the visit, as are the countless items of movie memorabilia.The theater opened in the 1920s for silent films. It later was utilized as a barbershop and a dance hall. The current owners purchased the building in 1991 and restored it to its former glory as a movie theater (you can learn more about the history of this awesome theater via ADK Taste). I saw Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere, which was an outstanding film. As much as I enjoyed the movie, however, I enjoyed the theater even more. If you’re in the Adirondacks, definitely catch a movie at The Strand!Arriving back at my hotel after a long day of travel, I stood on my room’s balcony and admired the view. I was glad I splurged on the lakeside room!The next morning I encountered my first sign of winter: frost! With temperatures in the mid 20’s, I had to pull the scraper out of my car and clear my windows before I could head to breakfast.One of my favorite places to grab breakfast in the Adirondacks is Walt’s Diner in Old Forge. Walt’s has been a go-to spot for locals and tourists alike for the past 25 years.Breakfast was excellent. During the meal, I struck up a conversation with a gentleman seated nearby. He runs a local motel, and we chatted about the Adirondacks. He shared with me a wild story: a few years ago, tourists baited a deer into their motel room and took photos of it to post on social media (not his motel, fortunately). Don’t feed the wildlife, people. And don’t do stupid stuff with the wildlife, either. Better yet, just observe the deer, bears, foxes, loons, wild turkeys, eagles, and other creatures from a distance.After breakfast, I had to run a few errands around Old Forge. I started off with a stop at Blue Line Coffee House. It’s my one of my favorite coffee shops anywhere.That’ll be one oat milk latte, to go! Properly equipped with caffeine, I was off to my make my rounds.My next stop was Old Forge Hardware. It was established in 1922 by Moses Cohen, a Lithuanian immigrant who began his career by peddling hardware items on foot around the Adirondacks. The opening of the store meant that nearby residents no longer needed to travel to the city of Utica (about 50 miles away) for hardware items. On this day, I picked up some stuff I needed for my house in New Jersey.For as many times as I have visited Old Forge, I do not think I’ve ever mentioned the covered bridge in this blog. Built in 1985 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the founding of Adirondack State Park (via Adirondack.net), the Old Forge Covered Bridge offers great views of Old Forge Pond.And, of course, no landmark is complete without an automotive selfie. This shot was inspired by my friend Justin, who parked his million-mile Honda Accord in this very spot earlier in the fall during his trip to the National Acura Legend Meet in New Hampshire. Although my schedule was tight, I did make time to take a joy ride on South Shore Road. Following the banks of Fourth Lake, South Shore Road connects the towns of Inlet and Old Forge, and is the most fun you can have while doing the speed limit. Blind crests, sharp turns, sweeping curves… it makes 45 miles per hour feel like 80.South Shore Road also offers one of my favorite spots for an automotive glamour shot – Quiver Pond (and the pond is a really peaceful place to hang out as well).I also put my drone aloft for a few minutes to capture the unique beauty of a gray November Day in the Adirondacks.This is my favorite way to view Fourth Lake – looking west, with the mountains in the distance.No matter the season, this view never gets old. After finishing my to-do list in the Adirondacks, I headed down to the city of Herkimer to visit with family.The next morning, I departed my hotel in Herkimer bright and early. Aside from a bank of fog in upstate New York that felt like a scene from a Stephen King novel, my drive back to New Jersey was uneventful.About 4 hours after leaving Herkimer, I was back home. Along the way, my 2020 Acura TLX crossed the 65,000 mile barrier. As much as I loved my old Honda Accord coupe, the Acura is a far better companion for long road trips. The cabin is comfortable, the engine is more fuel efficient (despite producing more power), and the all-wheel drive system makes it sure-footed in any inclement weather it might encounter. Onward!
Updates
Grace, our 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee, recently went in for some scheduled maintenance. New oil, fresh brake fluid, a tire rotation, new front brake pads and rotors, new fluid for the all-wheel drive system (front and rear differentials, transfer case), a new air filter, and rotated tires were all on the menu. Everything went off without a hitch, and the shop even threw on a generous discount of nearly 25%. Onward!Recently, I heard a commotion on our second floor while I was making dinner in the kitchen. I went to see what was the matter, and encountered this scene: Betty and Mikko (wearing his post-surgery cone), both staring at me innocently as if to say, “What? We didn’t hear a noise! We’re perfect angels!” These two rascals bring a lot of joy (and excitement) into our home.
Wrapping Up
I first visited Adirondack State Park in February 2018, as my wife (then girlfriend) wanted to share with me a place that has been part of her life since childhood. Since then, I have been in the ADK for seemingly every season… from hot days in July to frigid temperatures in January. I’ve shoveled snow in a blizzard, gotten eaten alive during black fly season, and drove through a white-out snowstorm on nothing but faith, adrenaline, and luck. I’ve climbed mountains, witnessed an eclipse, swam in a lake, and hung out with a family of loons. So with that depth of experience, believe me when I tell you that there is never a bad time to visit the Adirondacks.
Thanks for coming along on another journey down the open road ahead.
I’m surprised you visited so many new places this trip. When I passed that covered bridge, I turned around as quickly as I could. I’m glad you reminded me about that picture. I need to put that on the wall in our garage.
Lake George and Lake Placid get all the attention, but smaller towns like Inlet and Old Forge are equally awesome in the Adirondacks. Thanks for reading!!
The Open Road Ahead 
I’m surprised you visited so many new places this trip. When I passed that covered bridge, I turned around as quickly as I could. I’m glad you reminded me about that picture. I need to put that on the wall in our garage.
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That’s the thing about the Adirondacks – no matter how many times I visit, each time I find something new!
For as many times as I’ve driven past that covered bridge, I’ve never thought about doing a “car selfie” there. Thanks for the idea!!
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looks like a beautiful place to visit and a quaint little town!
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Lake George and Lake Placid get all the attention, but smaller towns like Inlet and Old Forge are equally awesome in the Adirondacks. Thanks for reading!!
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