Sunday, September 19, 2004

Old Forge, NY

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Old Forge is a small town in the western Adirondack Mountains. A water park, the Water Safari, is a popular tourist destination. The town sits on the Middle Branch of the Moose River and the Fulton Chain of Lakes. Despite the tourist appearance of the water park and other tourist shops, it's an attractive setting and one need not venture far to get away from the commercialism.

The bike took a rest today after the seven days of riding. I was up early and decided to explore the area on foot. We arrived late the previous night and had no idea what was nearby. Unexpectedly, there was a sidewalk that runs through town along Route 28. There were even a few people out for a morning walk in this town of a few hundred people. The summer season is nearly over and some stores are closed till spring. There are still tourists braving the cool temperatures to catch an early glimpse of the turning leaves.

I was concerned that Old Forge was little more than a tourist trap with tacky stores and little natural beauty. While there is plenty of kitsch available, this is a relatively isolated and natural area. The clear northern air and water certainly add to the appeal.

One of the last events of the season was being held today, the village of Inlet Fall Fair.
Inlet canal between
fourth and fifth lakes
We had our breakfast cereal in the room and watched a little of Sunday Morning, one of my favorite TV programs. We drove the 10 miles to Inlet, stopping at the Old Forge Visitor's Center along the way. The Inlet fair was a typical local event, with local crafts, greasy food, and a good folk/indie band providing entertainment. While eating lunch we chatted with a couple from Cincinnati who have rented a cabin in the area for many years. They were curious about our bicycle adventures.

The rest of the day was spent exploring the area. We drove north on Route 28, past the many numbered lakes of the Fulton Chain running parallel to the road. The lakes have mostly merged into one lake formed by the dam at Old Forge and the one further upstream, both used to control the flow of water in the basin. We stopped several times to walk the shoreline and take a few pictures. It's not easy to stop on Route 28, as the speed limit is 55 mph, with most people going faster, which is crazy on the narrow, winding road. There is a paved shoulder and it appears possible to cycle along this route, which is designated as a bike route. The shoulder is a little rough; the better route between Old Forge and Inlet is the parallel road on the other side of the lakes, South Shore Road. The ride between Inlet and Old Forge is described at the Adirondack Sports and Fitness site.

We stopped at a combination bike shop, gift shop, book store in Inlet, Pedals and Petals. There was also a real bookstore in town, Adirondack Reader, located in a converted garage. I talked for a while to the owner's husband, who was filling in for the day.

Raquette Lake has a scenic island located just offshore from the “town” of Raquette,
Raquette
Lake
where the general store was closed at 2 pm and the other commercial establishment, the Tap Room of the Raquette Lake Hotel, seemed to be doing a good business. There was another business in town that docked shortly after we arrived, the W.W. Durant, the boat that hosts tours of the lake, which has the longest shoreline, 99 miles, of any other Adirondack lake.

Church at
Long Lake
The Adirondack Museum had a very good gift shop, but we didn't feel like spending the time in the museum to justify paying the $14 entry fee. We drove on a little further, to Long Lake where we stopped to take a photo of one of the churches glowing in the evening light.

Dinner was at the Old Mill restaurant next door to the Blue Spruce Motel where we were staying. The food was good and copious, large communal bowls of soup and salad, and plenty of bread. Surprisingly there is a movie theater in town that is showing 4 or 5 new movies. So new that we hadn't heard of most of them and didn't care to risk wasting an evening. We stayed inside and read the Sunday Tiimes instead.

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