Saranac Lake
Some pictures are combined from the two trips.
For those of you who have not been to Saranac Lake or the area, it's beautiful. In these pictures, we are tent camping at Donaldson's.
Grandma's camp:
Barb & Ralph's camper:
Immediately to the other side of the camper is the beach:
Barb in the morning:
Some young guy having his coffee.
Are we SURE he's old enough to be retired???
Are we SURE he's old enough to be retired???
Lake picture from the boat:
We also had a very interesting encounter with an angry loon.
Check out the dance/wings!
Ron listening to Grandma's story.
Dinner's on!
The best behaved, veggie loving, sweetest dog, Eve.
Advice for first time travelers:
Before you leave the town of Saranac Lake, there is the opportunity for a grocery store, gas station, Dunkin Donuts, and limited AT&T cell service all in the same spot. Once you get to the lake, you are out of luck unless you have Verizon. Even though this is a very popular place to visit, there isn't much for shopping or gift shops in the area.
There are some state campgrounds that we've been to: Fish Creek and Rollins Pond. These sites are really combined, and you have to drive through Fish Creek to get to Rollins Pond. Last year we stayed at Rollins Pond, site 66. You need to give yourself a LOT of time to get to/from your campsite from the entrance because the place is pretty large and you've got the camp speed limit. Fish Creek charges $ for the showers, Rollins Pond had free showers. However, showers are in a big communal building like a college dorm and there is only one shower building per campsite. You really need to drive your car/ride your bike there. Bathrooms are really spread out too. Try to get some advice on your site before booking, because our site was terrible, on a hill, and barely big enough for the tent and the Envoy. People were very loud even after quiet hours. The positives: There was a truck driving around and selling wood and ice. People were pretty friendly. Motorcycles are OK.
Donaldson's is a private campground. This year, we are staying there for the convenient access to family. If you are not in a camper with your own bathroom, you will be disappointed. There are no shower facilities or even mirrors in the "Russian Prison Camp Bathrooms". No motorcycles allowed. There is no "beach" to hang out on, because campers are parked on the beach (as per pictures). You can pay a dock fee for your boat if you want, and there are two boat launches at the campground. On the plus side: everyone is very friendly and it's really quiet at night! It seems like everyone there has a dog too, and they are all friendly. There are very few children, which is a huge plus for us!!! There is also a general store with a decent selection of beer, camp supplies, and even cold foods such as meat and cheeses (like a mini-grocery store selection.)
