Trip to Central NY Rome/Adirondacks-THE END!!

I just came back from a trip to Central NY and the Adirondacks for my mom's wedding and we all had a fantastic time! I took Amtrak from Penn Station to Rome, NY and had a very quiet, peaceful ride on a train that was only half full, so I snagged two seats for myself. Harold (mom's fiancee) picked me up and we headed out to meet mom at Teddy's Restaurant for dinner.


Wednesday September 17-Day 1

Today's specials.


I started with the cream of broccoli soup. I hadn't cared for it on my last visit, but this was pretty good; creamy and with big chunks of broccoli.


Harold had the Beef Burgundy Stew and switched the mashed potatoes out for cavatappi pasta.


I opted for the Roast Turkey Dinner. It was just okay. I liked the creamy mashed potatoes, but I don't think the turkey was fresh roasted right off the bird. The stuffing was a few steps up from Stove Top and the veggies (peas, corn, orange peppers and green beans) were somewhat lacking in flavor. I was disappointed as I really wanted to like this meal as I have loved so many at Teddy's.


The dessert menu. I was so intrigued by the "Southern Cheese Pie", that I HAD to order it.


I asked the staff what was in the cheese pie and they said they didn't think there was cheese in it, but there was definitely chocolate in it. When this came out, I immediately thought of CajunKing's Chocolate Chess Pie on the recent "All the pies I've loved before" thread. I'm pretty sure that this is a chess pie and someone thought that "chess" couldn't have possibly been the right name. It was dense and slightly chewy, had raisins in it and a homemade crust. It was a pretty good piece of pie and I'd get it again. I think the next time I'm here for dinner though, I'll stick with their specialties like Chicken Riggies and chicken parmesean.


1.) Teddy's Restaurant
851 Black River Boulevard North
Rome, NY 13440
Phone # 315-336-7839
Website: www.teddysrestaurantny.com
Roadfood review: http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Overview.aspx?RefID=4381



Thursday September 18-Day 2

The next day we picked up my girlfriend at the train station and headed to Nicky Doodles for lunch. My mom has said a lot of good things about this place, so I've been eager to try it. 50 flavors of custard? I'm so there!


Doesn't look like a lot of character from the outside, but they have lots of great CNY specialties!


Hot Ham is one of the foods I grew up loving to eat.


Lots of outdoor seating, but it was a bit windy, so we opted for inside.





The menu. Part 1... I'd love to wrap my lips around a Nicky Burger next time!


Part 2... So many CNY ice cream stands/sandwich stands offer Hot Ham and/or BBQ sandwiches. More on the Hot Ham in a bit. The BBQ sandwiches usually consist of simmered meats (beef, ham, turkey or pork) served on a roll that differs from place to place and covered in sauce or served with sauce on the side. Very difficult to find in the fall as most places that serve them close once the leaves start changing colors.


and Part 3. Macaroni and potato salads can be found on many CNY menus in the summertime.


They even have a nod to the Rochester Roadfood favorite, Nick Tahou's, with a Dumpster plate.


And a close-up of the Dumpster plate. They toast their hot dog buns as the bread to go with it.


Mom had grilled veggies as her side. Note: these are "grilled" on a flat-top griddle, not a charcoal grill.


Mom's Bacon Cheeseburger. I love that they butter and toast the buns here and the quality of that bun looks top notch.


My gf's Chicken Pita with french fries. You can't really see much of the chicken in this shot, but it is there.


My Hot Ham sandwich with french fries. This was REALLY good! Lots of moist, spicy capicola ham with a heat that lingered on the lips for a while. The roll was soft in a good way, but was also shored up by buttering and toasting. I don't think they are doing hand cut fries here, but they are pretty good.


The two BBQ sauces on the side. Gold sauce and the regular red sauce. The red was spicy and smoky, not really my thing. The gold was awesome though as it was spicy and sweet and complemented the ham very well. These came from two large squirtable sauce jars, so I don't think they are homemade, but I like that they have the option of letting me decide how much sauce I want.


Lots of indoor picnic tables.


Some of the 50's style tables.


The next few shots are of the listing of the many ice cream, custard, soft serve and sundaes that they offer.

















The #12 and #24 have my name written all over them!


I went for a small butterscotch soft custard with toasted coconut flakes.


The custard was very creamy and had a wonderful butterscotch note to it. The toasted coconut was actually a sauce that hardened up like Magic Shell. The texture was nice, but it was way too sugary sweet and got in the way of the pure flavor of the custard.


We dropped my mom off at the salon to get her nails done and stopped in at the Gourmet Garden Cafe next door to check things out. It's part of a really neat gift shop with lots of things that are Rome-centric called Utopia.








They had different flavors of gelato that I wasn't too impressed with. Some had a gummy texture and the roasted pistachio nuts were too soft.








On my last trip up here, I noticed Papa Rick's, but didn't have a chance to stop in, so I just had to check it out this time.


This is another seasonal shack and they're open until the first week of October.


The menu. We didn't get to meet Papa Rick, but his dad, Papa Bob, was working there today. I asked him about the place and he said that they are firemen and the theme runs throughout the menu. Sorry about the photo quality, but I couldn't get a good shot without the reflections. On the menu, they have the Extinguish Your Thirst with Drinks from the Hydrant section, Infernos (instead of Blizzards), the Hook & Ladder Parfait, Dalmation Parfait, Stop, Drop & Roll with a Banana Split and Firehouse Chili to name a few!


This is the sign that piqued my interest in August. It's another firefighter's reference and it includes fries, slaw and a roll.


Hofmann hot dogs, fried dough, fried brownies and cheesecake and BBQ sandwiches and soft serve? What's not to like? Sadly, we didn't get anything to eat as we had just come from Nicky Doodles and were stuffed. We talked to Papa Bob for a bit and he was a real nice guy! I hope to make it there next summer.


I never knew they had names, so I was very glad to see this sign. It gives Hofmanns a lot more character!


Dayna and I had some time to kill before picking up my mom, so we took a self-guided tour of the Fort Stanwix National Monument. I hadn't been here since I was a kid and was eager to see it again, especially after they opened up a new visitor's center. The Mystery, Myth & Mayhem sounds like my kind of tour. We had fun walking through the fort, but I think that it would have been much more interesting and informative to go on a guided tour. I'll let the signs in the pics tell most of the story.
Here is a bit of Fort Stanwix history (taken from the National Park Service website): Known as "the fort that never surrendered," Fort Stanwix, under the command of Col. Peter Gansevoort, successfully repelled a prolonged siege, in August 1777, by British, German, Loyalist, Canadian and American Indian troops and warriors commanded British Gen. Barry St. Leger. The failed siege combined with the battles at Oriskany, Bennington, and Saratoga thwarted a coordinated effort by the British in 1777, under the leadership of Gen. John Burgoyne, to take the northern colonies, and led to American alliances with France and the Netherlands. Troops from Fort Stanwix also participated in the 1779 Clinton-Sullivan Campaign and protected America's northwest frontier from British campaigns until finally abandoned in 1781.

















The next four shots are of upcoming events that were posted in the visitor's center.














The walkway to the fort. The row of buildings off in the distance on the right are in the area known as Little Italy (East Dominick Street). There used to be many Italian men's social clubs, restaurants and meat markets down there. The Plaza Restaurant is one such place that still exists and serves up some killer Chicken Riggies, chicken parm and garlic pizza. Rome is also home to the World Series of Bocce every summer.


A shot of the fort. It was tough to get an all encompassing shot of it, so the second shot below this one gives a better idea of how the fort looks from above.


The entrance to the fort.


And an overhead view.


This sunken area around the fort was designed to keep potential invaders exposed should they try to breach the fort. The spikes coming out from the exterior walls are there to prevent ladders from being propped up on the walls and making the fort more easily defendable.








Based on the beds, people seemed to be much shorter back then.























The bastions ensured that the troops could see potential invaders coming and created a higher ground position from which they could defend the fort.











This is actually TWO fireplaces. Pretty cool.








I look at this and I think, lives were discussed around this fireplace, the future was planned. It would be very interesting to sit in on those conversations and hear how much or how little the country has changed since then.






































WHAT!! I slept until the 21st century? EGAD! What is that iron eagle in the sky? There is a lot of history in this picture for me. I slept in this bed about 25 years ago with my scout troop. My dad and I came to the fort with the Boy Scouts and lived like the Revolutionaries did for a night. We made beef stew and biscuits over an open fire and listened to stories of what life was like at the fort in the 18th century. A pretty cool experience. The fort smells just like I remember (in a good way).














Exiting the fort.


I've always loved this house. I just think it's beautiful.


When we went to pick up mom at the salon, I saw this on the door. Figures, I move outta Rome and all the dang yodelers just move right on in!!


Outside Coalyard Charlie's. Not much has changed in this place in the last 25 years. There is a lot of history to this building. It started out as a general store and boarding house on the Erie Canal more than 150 years ago and has been a restaurant for more than 50 years (taken from their website).


The hours.


The salad bar here is okay. Nothing fancy, just your standard iceberg lettuce and a few toppings options. I opted for the French dressing, which I haven't had in years and it was as thick as I remembered. In the time it took for the dressing to get from the ladle to my salad plate, I did my taxes, ran the Boilermaker Road Race, and toured the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown!!


Can you believe it??!! I HAD to try this!


It was pretty good. They really nailed the flavor of the riggies.


My salad.


Cheddar bread. Something I grew up on for years when I lived in Rome. I don't know how recently they've served it here, but there used to be a grocery store called Gillette's and my family always bought a loaf of cheddar bread to have in the house. It made great toast and was perfect for cold cut sandwiches. Especially when they made their jalapeno-cheddar bread! Coalyard's bread was really good and complemented the meal quite nicely.


Dayna's steak and shrimp with a baked potato.


My steak and scallops with a baked potato. The scallops were tender and swimming in butter and lemon juice and the potato was very tender. My family and I have been coming here since I can remember and I've always had a great meal, especially steak. It's not a touristy place and I always know I'll run into 3 or 4 people I know between the bar and the dining room. It's one of my uncle's favorite places to eat and we usually get him a gift certificate for Christmas.


Look at that crusty beef!


Cooked medium and to perfection. Juicy, tender, nice crust and it didn't require anything but my appetite.


My Coconut Cream Pie. It was okay. The thing I didn't care for about this is that the texture seemed droopy. It wasn't runny, but the custard and the whipped cream sagged a great deal. I might order it again in the hope that this was just an abberation.


The crust on this was definitely homemade and had a flaky, buttery quality to it.


My mom's warm Toll House Pie with vanilla ice cream. I didn't try it, but it sure looked good.



1.) Nicky Doodles
1159 Erie Boulevard West
Rome, NY 13440
Phone # 315-339-5395
No website

2.) Cornucopia Candles & Toy Shoppe and the Gourmet Garden Cafe
2051 North Madison Street
Rome, NY 13440
Phone # 315-336-8059
Website: http://www.cornucopiacandles.com/

3.) Papa Rick's Snack Shack
2005 North James Street
Rome, NY 13440
Phone # 315-339-2622
No website
Open 11am to 11pm, 7 days a week until Oct. 4th. Not clear if they close for the season at that point.

4.) Fort Stanwix National Monument
112 East Park Street
Rome, NY 13440
Phone # 315-338-7730
Website: http://www.nps.gov/fost/index.htm

5.) Coalyard Charlie's
100 Depeyster Street
Rome, NY 13440
Phone # 315-336-9940
Website: www.coalyardcharlies.com


COMING UP ON Day 3 and 4...my first "headlight" in years, off to the Adirondack Mountains for some great Italian food (and character) to match, a hit & miss breakfast, a trip to my most favorite store, Old Forge Hardware and spending time up in Big Moose and cruising on Raquette Lake for my mom's wedding!! STAY TUNED......

Great pics!

Thanks.
I always enjoy your fotologues.

Thanks for the tour and the history lesson!

So the "hot" in "hot ham" refers to spice and not temperature? I don't think I've ever seen it here in the Midwest.

Brad

quote:

Originally posted by Brad_Olson

Thanks for the tour and the history lesson!

So the "hot" in "hot ham" refers to spice and not temperature? I don't think I've ever seen it here in the Midwest.

Brad

Or both? The ham looks like it could have been put on a flat top, yes? No?

Wonderful report. Thank you. Very interesting to me because I've never been to that part of the country. I especially loved the way the steak looks in the pics from "Coalyard Charlie's".

Great pictures..Thanks! We went to I believe it was Ft. Jackson right outside of Savannah? It looked a lot like the one you were just at. Especially the beds! We had a Park Ranger give us a tour. Perhaps you got that, too? It really is pretty amazing to go though one of these Forts and see how they lived.

Great report! Look forward to future adventures.

Great pictures, thanks for sharing them!

WONDERFUL steak pic!! I'm generally a rare - med. rare kind of gal but that looked PERFECT!!!!! Congrats to your mom & Harold on the nuptuals, looked like an awesome trip. OH! the cheddar bread looked soooooooo good! nothing beats good bread IMHO DAWN

What a great tour of Upstate New York. I used to drive by this area for years, and never knew about the great eateries.

Friday September 19th-Day 3


Harold and I made a coffee run in the morning before heading up to Old Forge for the weekend. I picked up one of my childhood favorites, a headlight. It's a raised yeast donut with a chocolate glaze on top and cream in the center of the top (not cream filled). They also make a variation of that called a "tail light", a white glazed donut with red jam in the center. When I was a kid it seemed that every bakery in the area always had these in stock: Roman Pastry, Hemstrought's Bakery, The Home Bakery, etc... I don't see these often in the city and it definitely was a taste of home. It's not the very best yeast donut I have ever had, but it is very good. The glaze has a good chocolate flavor and the cream is sweetened, but not overly sugary.


I've always found it funny that many places in my hometown don't have actual street numbers listed on them since most locals know where they are, but it would be helpful to promote the area to out-of-town visitors.


We made our way up to Old Forge, NY and checked into our motel and then headed to Frankie's Taste of Italy for dinner. My family has raved about this place for some time, so I was definitely looking forward to it!


They used to be in a much smaller space and ended up having huge lines, so they moved to their current space a few years ago.


I love that the post office is in the same building!


My Saranac Pomegranate Wheat beer ($3.50). Tasty, but the finish was a little more bitter than I like.


We started with the Antipasto Misto ($9.95)-soprasetta, Genoa salami, roasted peppers, marinated mushrooms, olives, artichokes and fresh mozzarella. A very tasty start to the meal.


Dayna had the Veal Saltimbocca ($18.95)-scaloppini of veal sauteed with prosciutto and mushrooms in a white wine-marinara sauce on a bed of greens. I tried a couple of bites and it was tender and had lots of flavor.


I had scoped out the website the night before and set my sights on the Chicken Casa Franco ($16.95)-chicken breast cutlet topped with Prosciutto, eggplant, Italian greens, melted mozzarella and sauce. This was one amazing dish! Layers of great flavor from the crispy chicken, salty proscuitto, tender eggplant, fresh, gooey mozzarella, piquant greens (escarole) and homemade sauce. This was a huge portion too.


And a close-up of the Casa Franco. Right sexy, isn't it? All meals come with salad and bread, which was served family style since there were 13 of us.


My Lemon Cream Cake. Moist cake with a bold lemon cream filling and a top that reminded me of coffee cake. Every bite was bliss!


Me and Frankie. Not only was this meal top notch, but Frankie spent time with us before and after the meal. He and his son do the cooking. There was a bit of a wait for our table when we first arrived, so we went downstairs to the bar and had a few drinks. About 10 minutes later, we were called up and Frankie was giving hugs and kisses to the ladies as we walked by. He looked at me and said, "No kiss for you, I saw the look on your face!" After which he let out a huge laugh. When we were leaving, he wished my mom and Harold the best for their wedding and let me take a couple of pictures with him. When we told him who was doing the reception, he said we'd really love it as they do great work. Now THERE is a guy who is confident in his food! Frankie's does serve greens as an appetizer and Chicken Riggies (as well as Vodka Riggies) which is definitely regional fare. I wasn't sure if I would call this Roadfood, but given the quality of the food, the attention and service and the ever present Frankie and his gregarious personality, I'd definitely add it to the Roadfood list.


On our way back to the motel, we stopped in at a Byrne Dairy for some provisions. I saw this sampler pack and had to get a shot of it.




Saturday September 20th-Day 4

I love the saying on this menu! Dayna and I came here last year on our trip with my college friends and we loved it.


Here is the sweet roll I had. I was really disappointed with this. It wasn't as good as the one I had last year as seen in the next picture.. This most recent roll seemed to be somewhat dry and over-baked and not as tender as the other one. I was really sold on the frosting last year and was disappointed that this one had a glaze on it and a sparse amount at that. Still, I'd try it again.


My sweet roll from July 2007.


Dayna's Western Omelet and toast. Very tasty and loaded with ham, peppers and cheese.


My favorite breakfast here. I think it's called the North Country. Three eggs, home fries and country ham. Now, I don't believe that this is anything like the country ham of the South I've seen on RF as this, while salty, is fairly thin sliced and not served with red eye gravy. Mix it with the over easy eggs and well spiced home fries and I'm fueled up to face the day!


It also came with two tender pancakes, syrup and butter. A pitcher of real maple syrup was an extra $2.50, but I didn't feel like shelling out for it.


We went a short ways up the street to the Old Forge Hardware Co. A must stop if you're in the area!


Everything they have is housed in these two buildings and it seems to go on forever when you step inside.


Various Santa Clauses for sale.


Lots of Lodge-made products. Corn sticks, anyone?


I know these are pretty common nowadays, but I love 'em.


Adirondack themed door knockers.


Take you pick from the jarred goods...











Dig this table!


Or how about some old fashioned signs? Sorry about the photo quality on these two shots. I was struggling with the camera all weekend.





Black bears and moose are pretty common sightings in this region.


The Book Store also extends back past the Exit sign in this photo into another room!


A section on cabins and their design.


For the hiker in you.


Looking to bone up on your Adirondack history and lore? You've come to the right place!





I love this series of books. You can find them on just about any region in New York State.


I really like these Guide posters.


Before Orenthal James Simpson & Co. came along, the "Trial of the Century" was based on a murder that had taken place up on Big Moose Lake. Chester Gillette was accused of murdering his pregnant girlfriend, Grace Brown in 1906 during a canoe trip on the lake and the trial was a media frenzy at the time. He was found guilty and executed. Many folks have heard of this story as told by Theodore Dreiser in his novel, "An American Tragedy" and also in the 1951 film, "A Place in the Sun" with Montgomery Clift, Elizabeth Taylor and Shelley Winters. For more info on the trial, click here: http://www.courts.state.ny.us/history/Gillette.htm


Nice bed!


I sat in one of these for a while and just rocked the afternoon away. Oooh, my big toe is a-throbbin'! Must mean a storm's a comin'!


More Adirondack gifts...











I haven't tried their cheese, but I hear it is quite good. They have a shop on Rte. 12 in Barneveld and another one in Clinton, NY.


The section of the store that is in the Cohen building has less of the Adirondack items and more of the hardware store about it. Shovels, light bulbs, etc, plus camping and fishing gear. I love this place and could shop here all the time. It's not an inexpensive store, but one certainly worth a special trip!


Sassafras or Anise candy, anyone? Love this old fashioned stuff!


We saw many deer on this trip: in the yards of homes, in the street (we stopped near Enchanted Forest Water Safari so a family of four could pass), and this one outside of our motel.



1.) Dippin' Donuts
Black River Blvd. & Erie Blvd. West
Rome, NY 13440
Phone # 315-339-3383 (Black River Blvd.)
315-339-5029 (Erie Blvd. West)
Website: http://www.dippindonuts-rome.com/ (Website currently under construction)


2.) Frankie's Taste of Italy
Frankie's Plaza, Rte. 28 (if you've driven north past the Kinney Drug store, you've gone too far), or just plug in the U.S. Post Office address for Thendara, NY into your GPS and it'll take you right there.
Old Forge, NY 13420
Phone # 315-369-2400
Website: http://www.frankiesoldforge.com/index.htm
Hours: Summer- 5:00pm to 9:00pm (closed Mondays)
Winter- 5:00pm to 9:00pm (closed Mondays and Tuesdays)


3.) The Muffin Patch
2946 Rte. 28
Old Forge, NY 13420
Phone # 315-369-6376
No website
Roadfood review: http://roadfood.com/Reviews/Overview.aspx?RefID=4985


4.) Old Forge Hardware
Old Forge, NY 13420 (if you've driven north past Enchanted Forest Water Safari, then you've gone too far)
Phone # 315-369-6100
Toll Free # 1-800-821-1454
Website: http://www.oldforgehardware.com/


WHEN WE REJOIN OUR SHOW ALREADY IN PROGRESS...a wedding in Big Moose, an amazing dinner cruise reception on Raquette Lake with some killer apple crisp, brunch and the views at the North Woods Inn on Fourth Lake, dinner at Eddie's Restaurant in Sylvan Beach, NY (a long overdue return!) for some hot ham and pork BBQ sandwiches and the Tony Luke's connection, some of the best pie I have ever eaten and a chili dog and some (Gifford's Ice Cream in CNY?)

billyboy-
You are one serious pie loving guy! I tip my hat to you. The toll house pie and the Southern cheese pie both look like real keepers.

I don't know which amaused me more.....the fully involved fish fry or the no yodeling.

BTW, the hot ham looks along the lines of a Pittsburgh-style ham bbq.

Thanks for the report!

I was going to ask if you saw any horehound candy in those barrels but I studied the picture long enough to see that there was! My Grandfather always had bags of that laying around, he was addicted, me not so much. I would always try it again whenever we went to visit or he came here and could never aquire a taste for it. And the deer, it would take 2-3 of ours to equal that one.

Brad, yes, hot ham is mainly about the spice level of the capicola or "snappy cappy" as it's sometimes referred to.

Rusty, I forgot to mention that I watched the guy making the hot ham and he took it out of the simmering water, drained it, the warmed it up on the flat-top for a bit.

Ben, we just took a tour on our own and had fun, but I think it would have been more informative and engaging to do one with a ranger or historical interpreter.

Don, I keep a pen and pad at the ready, plus I pick up most of the free local newspapers and now have about 50 more places to add to my list. Many of them are seasonal, so I'll have to hit them next summer.

BB, the best pie of this trip is yet to come!!

I am enjoying this trip report very much. I have never driven through Old Forge without a long stop at that great hardware store......always found something there that I "really needed".

BB. Thanks again.
I know how much work these reports are.
I, for one, sure appreciate them.

Originally posted by billyboy


"Daisy Daring" sounds like a good screen name for a Roadfooder. I'd claim it for myself but I just don't have the legs to pull it off...

Brad

You brought back a lot of memories from the late 60's for me. We lived about 20 miles from Rome back then...my first teaching job. I worked one summer at the BSA camp at Long Lake. I do remember the Hot Ham sandwiches available at the summer food stands and at EDDIES in Sylvan Beach. The short summers were great but the winters were a real ordeal for this SoCal boy being introduced to Upstate NY the hard way !!

Thanks for a fine report.

Billy, there is so much good stuff in here but the thing that looks the best to me is the Chicken Casa Franco and the lemon pie afterward. Jeez those look yummy. I almost forgot the donut.

I think the first section of the Old Forge Hardware is very very similar to the Mast General Stores in SC/NC.

Saturday September 20th-Day 4 (Part 2)

After fueling up for the day at the Muffin Patch and strolling through the Old Forge Hardware Co., we made our way back to the motel and got ready to head up to Big Moose for Mom and Harold's wedding. Here is the outside of the Big Moose Chapel, on Big Moose Road, in Big Moose,NY. No, that's not a joke!


It's a non-demoninational chapel.


And the close-up.


Ready to walk mom down the aisle.


Sorry about the quality on this one. This was the best of 6 that I took. It really doesn't do justice to how beautiful this place is.


I hope you all can read this. I really was moved by this prayer.


The fireplace at the back of the chapel.


Always a bridesmaid!!


After the service, we made our way up to Raquette Lake for the reception. And we boarded the W.W. Durant for our 3-hour tour on the lake. Ok, I was gonna crack wise about that, but many of us spent enough time at the reception with "Skipperrrr!" and "Lil Buddy!!" impressions, so I'm just tuckered out on it. We kept referring to Harold and mom as "Thurston and Lovey". Yeah, we pretty much milked that gag for all it was worth!


Since it was such a beautiful day, we had use of the lower and upper decks for the whole cruise and the views were spectacular!


A little info on the company that conducts the cruises. Mom and Harold took the dinner cruise a few weeks ago with some friends to experience it firsthand and they loved it.


The big day with a nice personal touch.


I spied this gift shop next to the boat, so I popped in to check it out...


...and of course took some pics! Love the ceiling light and what they've done with the inside!


And I love this map of Raquette Lake. 99 miles of coastline here.


I think I'll let most of the pictures do the talking with respect to the views.


On the upper deck, they had set out a fruit platter and cheese & cracker platter. the cheeses were sliced, which I've usually found to be low quality, but they took the time to label each one and these were very good: extra sharp NYS cheddar, gruyere, comte swiss and havarti, I believe.














Family and friends enjoying a beautiful day together on the upper deck in the heart of the Adirondack Park.





Captain Dean Pohl. He was a great guy and gave a bit of narration about the lake and surrounding areas at the beginning of the cruise. He grew up in nearby Ava, NY and built this boat! I do have to say that they run a really wonderful, efficient cruise and I would highly recommend it to anyone visiting the area. Captain Dean and his wife, Donna (who is also the first mate) do an exceptional job! The professionalism of the staff, the quality of the food and the spectacular views were definitely a big part of an already special day.


I couldn't resist taking this photo. It's of the stained glass window in the men's head on the ship. Don't see many of those!





I can only guess how much some of these camps must sell for...$250,000? 500,000?


What I wouldn't give to have one of these. Kayaking, hiking, the leaves in fall! Although winters would be a bit brutal.





This was the view I had from my table and we were able to keep the windows open and get a nice, gentle cross-breeze going for the entire tour.





I forgot to take a shot of the salad course, but this is the Southwestern Grilled Chicken & Corn Chowder and it was Dyno-mite!! Thick, with lots of corn, chunks of chicken, carrots, peppers and a nice chile pepper spice that lingered just long enough. The bartender was really great. I'm not much of a drinker and I spied a pitcher of lemonade and one of iced tea, so I had her make me half & halfs (aka Arnold Palmers). Very refreshing!


Our entree choices were chicken, salmon, prime rib or duck. I went with this roasted chicken and it was really good. I do prefer it roasted on the bone like this for the moistness factor, but I usually don't eat the skin. If I do, I prefer it a bit darker and crispier than this, but no matter as the meat was so tender and moist. The sauce is a Dijon mustard/brown sugar glaze that was at once tangy and sweet and it was perfect with the chicken. As good as this was, the real star were the horseradish mashed potatoes. Creamy (with some lumps, just hows I likes 'em) and a an assertive kick to them. I could have easily plowed into a whole bowlful of them. Hmmm, maybe they'll show up on the holiday dinner table...?


A closer shot.


Dayna's duck. I usually am not a fan of duck as I find it to be too fatty, but this was comparatively lean and very tender.


The best part of this whole day was being able to spend time with the people I love. I spent most of the cruise having conversations all over the boat with many relatives that I don't get to see very often. I missed the dessert course, but it was worth it for the time I spent with family. Naturally, when I found out I missed it, I asked one the staff if they had anymore left. He was really cool and brought this shining example to the table. Mom and Harold thought that it being fall in the Adirondacks, apple crisp was most appropriate and boy, were they ever right! This was soooooo good! Lots of soft cooked apples, oats and crisp and a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. A perfect end to a perfect day.


When we disembarked, I noticed this library and thought it was really cute. Reminded me of a one room schoolhouse in my town when I was a kid.


Even cooler was the this bear out in front of it.





Coming up as a mid-season replacement this fall on NBC. Catch Adirondack Fever with the new life in the wild series, "bb and the Bear". Sundays at 8:30 pm. Okay, that's probably the worst tagline ever. Sounds like a rare mountain disease.


The motel where we stayed. It used to be a Best Western, but it has new ownership. We liked it a lot.


A nighttime shot of the Adirondack Lodge. The building on the left with the ladder propped against it is the indoor heated pool which was very refreshing and they had a dry sauna in there too! the first room directly behind the gazebo in the one-story section is an Adirondack room furnished with Adirondack furniture: bed, chairs etc... The other rooms were good, but this one really had the feel of the region to it. We all had a great time here hanging out in chairs in the parking lot, drinking some local beers, telling stories and just enjoying each other's company.




1.) Big Moose Community Chapel
Big Moose Road
Big Moose, NY 13331
Phone # 315-476-6215 (Mary Riposo White-for wedding inquiries, although I suppose you could call her for chapel hours)


2.) Raquette Lake Navigation Company
P.O. Box 100
Raquette Lake, NY 13436
Phone # 315-354-5532
Website: http://www.raquettelakenavigation.com/


3.) End of the Line Caboose Gift Shop
P.O. Box 100
Raquette Lake, NY 13436
Phone # 315-354-5532 (run by the same family, I guess)


4.) Adirondack Lodge Old Forge
2752 State Route 28
Old Forge, Ny 13420
Phone # 315-369-6836
Website: http://www.adirondacklodgeoldforge.com/

I was going to post the remainder of the trip, but the wedding day was an event in and of itself! MORE TO COME!!!

What a great report...great food and what a lovely area of our country!!!!

Loved the report. What a beautiful area of the country. Thank you so much for all the wonderful pictures!!!! Keep the reports coming!!!

Again, what a great report. I feel like I experienced it with you without leaving my chair.

I am pretty speechless, here, but an excellant report from the start.Glad you are amongst the roadfood family, Billyboy!!

Billyboy, if we lived near each other, we'd be best of friends. We enjoy many of the same things.
Too much to comment on, suffice to say, thanks for bringing back the memories of Fort Stanwix, Raquette Lake, and the mohawk river valley.

I'm still planning to do a second Erie Canal trip next summer. I haven't decided on whether to hit the middle portion or the eastern portion of the canal (may last trip was the western portion (Tonowanda to Fairport). I'm thinking either Bridgeport to Fairport and include Seneca Falls, or Start in Cohoes and head west - maybe as far as Herkimer.

Billyboy, I don't have much to add since I haven't been to the Adirondacks in years, but I just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed reading this trip report on a rainy chilly night in New Jersey. Thanks for the tour!

Billyboy

First of all CONGRATS to Your Mom and Harold!!

Now on to the comments

I didn't realize there was such a yodeling problem in Rome, NY. Yikes, no yodeling, next they will outlaw skipping. :-)

The Southern "Cheese" pie somewhat resembled a chocolate chess pie, but raisins????

Were the beds at the fort rope beds with straw ticks or were they wooden slats??

That Lemon Cream Cake looked AWESOME, I am now searching for a recipe. America's test kitchen had a layered lemon curd cake they looked sort of similar.

I love the "Fully Involved Fish Fry", I sent a copy of the sign to my friend who is the fire chief here in town, they do fish frys during Lent and several times during the year.


The boat Capt did sort of remind me of the skipper, I could see where there would be WAY TO MANY jokes about the SS Minnow.


Your trips were visually stunning as always keep up the great reporting and good luck at the Pie Social this weekend.

Again, Congrats to your Mom and Harold

Donald

Great photos!

Thanks for sharing them with us!

$ 250,000 or $ 500,000 for one of those camps eh? Based on the real estate ads in the current and recent issues of ADIRONDACK LIFE Magazine, those numbers might be ok for PART of a down payment. Now of course I'm not sure how many sales are actually closed at or near the asking prices of many properties but many, many are priced in the 7 figure range!

Such real estate prices are causing a problem in numerous Adirondack communities (not just Lake Placid and Old Forge), making it difficult or impossible for local folks to be able to afford to live in their communities due to the huge school tax (and to a lesser extent, local property tax) bills resulting from the increased property value assessments caused by huge selling prices.

Wally
Plattsburgh, NY

quote:

Originally posted by Greymo

I am enjoying this trip report very much. I have never driven through Old Forge without a long stop at that great hardware store......always found something there that I "really needed".

Greymo..
I know what you mean!..
When I lived there, I always would wander the aisles, and sneeze the whole time in there. After 2 years there, I dont think I ever saw everything they had!...

So,, BB,.. did you get to The Seventh Lake house? and meet Jim and family?....I see you met Frankie.. He's a nut!..Another one of my favorite restuarants when I lived there also.
Waiting your answer with baited breath...