I’m all about hiking and paddling with a qualified naturalist. Maybe it’s a sign of my age, but it adds so much to my outdoors experience when there’s someone to point out hidden gems and explain a little biology, geology or history along the way.

Usually when you think about a farm tour, you’re envisioning fruits, vegetables, cows, maybe sheep. But why not include a flower farm on your next Adirondack driving tour? Fields and fields of flowers. Here are a few options if you’re around the Lake Placid area or Lake Champlain Valley.

It’s July. Time to go jump in a lake! Don't forget your towel.

Here’s my list of top 10 best summer activities around Lake Placid. All these recommendations are within 30 miles or 45 minutes from the village, and most are in town.

We love hosting families at the cottage, and summer is a great time to plan a Lake Placid visit with the kiddos. I’ve put together this list of recommendations for a precious family we know with a 10 year old and an 8 year old. They all love outdoor activities, so family-friendly hikes, paddles and swimming top the list!

I already have Adirondack summer events on my mind. Looking ahead to the months of June, July and August, there are a number of great arts and theatre performances worthy of planning a trip around.

We love watching winter sports in Lake Placid, but let’s be real … sometimes it’s freaking cold standing out in the snow as a spectator. Right? I’d argue that you can achieve the best of both worlds — comfort and the thrill of being there in person — when you watch winter sports in the summer or fall. There are plenty of opportunities. Everything from Hockey, Speed Skating and Figure Skating competitions to Nordic Combined, XC Skiing, Ski Jumping and Freestyle Jumping.

Just like chicken noodle soup, a walk through the woods to a pond is good for the soul. It’s different from hiking to a mountain top. Not only are these hikes less strenuous, but having a lakeside destination is often much more serene and peaceful. Generally less human traffic. Low key. Usually forested walks. Great in summer if you’re looking to take a dip in the water. Good in the spring mud season when we need to avoid higher elevations — but be prepared with bug spray in black fly season. Ideally, try these trails in autumn to catch reflections of fall color in a crystal clear pond.

I post a lot about hiking and paddling, but recently I went biking for the first time in the Adirondacks. It was excellent! A new favorite activity for sure. While there’s a ton of downhill mountain biking trails in this area, I’m going to focus on road and gravel biking. I’m a newbie, so my experience and recommendations are geared toward entry-level cycling, and family-friendly.

While farmers’ markets are fun, there’s nothing quite like picking up fresh products right on the farm. Going straight to the source. Here’s my favorite driving circuit for picking up delicious goodies in the Adirondacks.

We get plenty of Airbnb guests up for a long weekend in Lake Placid. Sometimes two nights and often three nights. So here’s a suggested itinerary designed for first time visitors with 72 hours in town. This is good for May through October.

Like many, when we first started paddling we rented tandem 2-person canoes. My husband now jokingly refers to them as “divorce boats” because different paddling styles and techniques can sometimes (ahem) result in disputes. Once we tried paddling solo canoes, we never looked back. Here’s why you should try it and what you need to know.