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Trip High Level Info:
On the 21st the plan will be to start out from Burlington to the Charlotte Ferry to Essex, NY around 9:00. Once on the New York side we will begin a full day of driving in and around the Adirondacks and the foothills eventually ending in Lake Placid for the night. Can be a group dinner or pick your poison on your own. Sunday will head us along the cascades east to Westport and the Champlain Bridge (or the Ferry) for your return to Vermont.
Potential stops include: A & W (Lunch), Hex & Hop Brewery, Raquette River, Smoke Signals (BBQ, Dinner) or any other establishment in Lake Placid including, but not limited to Lake Placid Brewery, Valcour Brewing, Great Adirondack brewing, Big Slide Brewing, etc.
Details of the trip are highlighted below;
I would like to meet everyone in the parking lot across from the ferry dock in Essex by 10:30am. I checked the ferry schedule and there is one at 10 and 10:30. If we have to wait for the 10:30, so be it. I would love to get someone to volunteer to lead the group that far from the Staples in Burlington. It’s approx. 30 minutes to Charlotte, leaving Staples by 9:10 should get us on the 10:00 Charlotte Ferry.
Once we start off, we will be heading towards Keeseville via 9n. We will turn off 9n onto a little used roadway called Highland. The first part is hard packed dirt, much better riding then a lot of Vermont dirt. You wouldn’t even notice it. If folks don’t desire this short dirt road, there is an alternative they could take and meet us at the first bio break at the Sunoco gas at the Keeseville just off the Northway. (*note: the dirt part of this road is short and then you will get some real nice winding hilly driving to the end of Highland.)
Highland winery is on this road, but unfortunately they do not open until 1:00 and we just don’t have that kind of time. You can see the view from the road and it is something. (a future Miata run perhaps?)
From Highland we will head to Mace chasm road, past Ausable Brewing, (not open until Noon, sorry) and down past the chasm to Route 9. Left toward Keeseville and a bio and gas if needed at the for mentioned Sunoco station. This location only has one restroom, to fore warn everyone, but clean. (there are no other rest stops before Keeseville, we checked. Apparently the natives don’t need them. I suggest the ferry be used if possible prior to leaving the boat.)
From the bio break. We will head west on Rt. 9 towards Ausable, Ausable to Jay, Jay to Wilmington. In Wilmington we will stop at the local A & W for a short lunch stop and bio break. Yes they have floats. If there is any interest, there is a Candy shop on the corner which has freshly made chocolates. Nice short stop before going over the mountain.
From Wilmington, we go up and over Whiteface, heading west to Bloomingdale. This is a nice winding road, past some nice scenery. Should anyone want to stop for any photo ops, this is a good road to do it on.
At the end of the mountain road we will be turning left onto Rt 3 and a quick right into the parking lot of Hex & Hop Brewing. This place as only been opened for a couple of months now. We will take a 30 min or so, stop for a drink , which include non beer products for those so inclined. They do not have a farm license yet, so it will be soft drinks and some other interesting things. One of the owners is a bee keeper and the other is the beer snob and the both love a good conversation on either. Also, the bathrooms are clean and gender neutral.
From Bloomingdale, we will start to head west again to meet up with Rt 30 at Paul Smiths corner. We will turn left here and take 30 through the the Lake Clear area and head for Tupper Lake and stop at Raquette River for a bio and or drink. Nice clean bathrooms, food trucks if you can’t wait to get to Lake Placid, free foosball if the table is open.
From Tupper we will head to Lake Placid. Depending on timeline, I would say village parking lot to start and exporting the village on your own or in groups. Betty was thinking we could all eat at Smoke Signals, which is right downtown and has a great view of Mirror Lake, good BBQ and nice selection of beverages. If not there is plenty of choices for the individual tastes. Let us know so we can reservations if possible. For those of us who are staying, we could then go to the hotel and perhaps do a brew walk later in the evening. Breweries include: Lake Placid Pub & Brewery, Great Adirondack, Big Slide and the newly opened Valcour Brewing. Just back up the road is Blueline and the also newly opened Ray Brook Brewing.
For those who wish to head back, I can suggest the cascades road to Etown to Westport and to the Ferry to the north or the bridge to the south. There is also heading back to Plattsburgh to the north and taking the ferry from there.
For the over night people, we will take the cascades road to Etown and Westport on Sunday. We can select a desired departure time as a group. It is not a long ride to Westport and if anyone is inclined to stop at Ledge Hill Brewing in Westport, they have been opening at 12 on Sunday’s.
Also, if anyone is so inclined, we could have lunch at the Old Dock in Essex, NY (if open) before getting on the boat to Vermont.
This is where Betty and I will leave you. Safe journey home from there, Regards, Tom LaPierre