Adirondacks
PLACE: ADIRONDACK MOUNTAINS, NY
DATE: August 2016
WEATHER: 31ºC and cloudy
TRAVELLERS: Peter Johansen and Oxana Sawka
COUNTRY: USA
THE RUGGED ADIRONDACK MOUNTAINS are the largest publicly protected area in America’s Lower 48 states. Visitors have long hiked and fished in summer, admired autumn’s blazing boreal forests, and cavorted with snow and ice in winter ( postcard-perfect Lake Placid has twice hosted the winter Olympics). Fortunately, the region boasts great agritourism and dining, too. ADIRONDACKS AL FRESCO
In the 'Dacks, you embrace the outdoors. Picnic by the Ausable River at Cedar Run Bakery and Market in Keene; its homemade treats include blackberry lemon bread and cinnamon-spiced turkey and pepper moussaka. Then lick soft-serve Donnelly's Ice Cream (Saranac Lake). There's just one flavour each day, milked from cows grazing behind the tiny roadside stand www.cedarrunbakery.com
FARM FRESH
Surrounded by mountains, the Keene Valley Farmers' Market is a lively Sunday scene. Our top stall: Fledging Crow vegetables, organically grown by two millennials who met while volunteering in Ecuador. Other worthy vendors include Hid-in-Pines, a farmstead Lake Champlain winery; South Meadow Farm for maple products; and Underwood
Herbs, which also sells unusual jellies. www.adirondackfarmersmarket. com/keenevalley.html
SAY “CHEESE!”
At Sugar House Creamery in Upper Jay, Alex Eaton and Margot Brooks raise a dozen Brown Swiss cows and churn the milk into a delicate surface-ripened Little Dickens cheese that's been called “a rare revelation.” In Au Sable Forks, Asgaard Farm — once the pretty home of artist Rockwell Kent — produces award-winning goat cheese, some flavoured with herbs from their own garden. www.sugarhousecreamery. com; asgaardfarm.com
AWASH IN BEER
Thirsty? On Raquette River Brewing's patio in Tupper Lake, pair your mango wheat ale or salted caramel porter with brisket or a Rodeo Dog. Fulton Chain Craft Brewery (Old Forge) prides itself on local sourcing: all its hops and most of its grain are New York grown. Ubu Ale, Lake Placid Pub's flagship brew, was a favourite of Bill Clinton's White House. For variety, try Blue Line gin, infused with white pine sprouts personally harvested by distiller Mike McGlynn of Lake Placid Spirits. www.raquetteriverbrewing.com; www.fccbrewery.com; www.ubuale. com; www.lakeplacidspirits.com
DINING IN THE ’DACKS
Cordon Bleu-trained chef Mark Hannon specializes in local fare, from Angus beef to amara, at rustic-chic Lake Placid Lodge, a Relais & Châteaux property with stunning views. He's backed by star mixologist Lori Kudelski. Sip her Barkeater cocktail — maple infused, of course. At Bitters & Bones (Saranac Lake), a plaid-shirted waiter might perch on your table to take your order. Opt for house-made pickled veggies and hand-chopped salmon atop lemoninfused faro. www.lakeplacidlodge. com; www.bittersandbones.com