Paddle, swim and float your way to serenity this
summer
What better way to wile away the summer than with a
long, lazy weekend on a lake? The three included here
offer peace and quiet, natural beauty and affordable
amenities, and have somehow managed to stay off the
beaten path. Two, in New Hampshire and the
Adirondacks, are far enough to warrant an extra few
days away, and another, in the Poconos, will feel like
a proper vacation stretched over three relaxing days.
So dive in.
Tupper Lake, Adirondacks, New York
There’s a joke that residents of Tupper Lake like
to tell. It goes like this: What’s the population of
Tupper Lake?
Answer: Mostly spruce and hemlock.
It’s not much of an exaggeration. Towering spruce,
hemlock, beech and white pine trees surround this
Adirondack village some 40 miles west of Lake Placid.
Five hours by car from the city, the Tupper Lake area
is a canoer’s paradise. The lake itself is the
source of 10 rivers, and flows into several smaller
bodies of water, including Raquette Pond to the north
(which leads into the Raquette River, the
second-longest river in New York) and Simon Pond to
the east.
Bordering the Adirondacks High Peaks wilderness
forest, Tupper Lake offers miles of hiking and biking
trails, a thread of waterways perfect for short or
extended canoe and kayak trips, a golf course, antique
shops and restaurants. It’s also near the Hudson
River Gorge, one of the best whitewater runs in the
Northeast.
But it’s not likely to remain an insider secret for
long. Plans are in place to relaunch the Big Tupper
ski center, link Tupper with Lake Placid via scenic
railway, open an Adirondacks natural history museum
and build homes and condominiums in the coming year.
“We want to see Tupper Lake become the crossroads
of the Adirondacks,” said Mayor Sandra Strader.
“We know we have to grow, but we want to keep that
small-town atmosphere.”
Tupper Lake’s tiny main drag, with a handful of
restaurants and bars, isn’t much of a tourist
attraction — the beautiful surroundings are the
area’s main draw. I set out to explore Tupper on a
recent weekend and went first to Mount Arab, a nearby
mountain with a wide path to its summit that rewards
hikers with an expansive view of sparkling water
below. I spent the night at the Timber Lodge, a
refurbished Adirondack-style motel with cozy rooms
that boast a collection of hand-crafted cedar
furniture available for purchase. The following day, I
joined a whitewater rafting tour of the gorge.
The 17-mile stretch spills through unspoiled
wilderness where eagles, coyotes, deer and trout
abound. Armed with a paddle, I climbed aboard a rubber
boat to tackle rapids with nicknames like Osprey Nest,
Black Hole and the Big Nasty.
For those who prefer to swim, there’s a
lifeguard-manned public beach at adjacent Little Wolf
Lake, which also has 45 campsites. But one of the
great things about Tupper Lake (and the Adirondacks in
general) is easy access to water. In most places on
Tupper Lake and the nearby ponds and rivers, visitors
can simply park their cars by the side of the road and
set up their beach chairs. A municipal boat launch in
Tupper Lake village is open to everyone.
After my whitewater trip, I had a fine dinner at the
Wawbeek resort and lodge, a full-service refuge on
nearby Upper Saranac Lake with its own hiking and
nature trails, swimming beach and restaurant. The
Wawbeek’s cozy rooms are outfitted with working
fireplaces, decks and Adirondack chairs.
On Sunday, I rented a canoe from Raquette River
Outfitters in Tupper Lake and drove a few miles to
Horseshoe Lake. As I floated over reeds and rocks and
listened to wind blowing through the massive
evergreens, I realized that Nancy Howard, one of the
Wawbeek’s owners, had described the region well when
she said: “I like to think of New York City as the
big apple and the rest of the state as the tree.”
Donna Petrozzello
Lake Wallenpaupack, Poconos, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania’s Lake Wallenpaupack welcomed its
first summer crowd back in 1929. The lake was a gift
to the state from Pennsylvania Power and Light, which
donated nearly 6,000 acres for swimming, boating and
fishing when it dammed the valley’s tiny
Wallenpaupack Stream.
Among the first to welcome New Yorkers to the new
lake — it’s just 100 miles from the Holland Tunnel
(about 2 1/2 hours by car) — were George and
Marjorie Ehrhardt, who turned their Pocono mountains
homestead into the Silver Birches Inn. For just $15 a
week, the Ehrhardts served three meals a day to guests
who spent afternoons playing horseshoes by the lake.
Prices have gone up a bit, and the much larger inn
has changed its name to Ehrhardt’s. But Lake
Wallenpaupack still has the same small-town charm and
reasonable prices that drew those first guests years
ago.
As the number of visitors to Wallenpaupack has
grown, so has the surrounding community. With 52 miles
of shoreline, the lake is the state’s second
largest, and the area is dotted with typical summer
businesses — cottages and motels, ice cream stands
and sub shops and a handful of affordable restaurants
offering cocktails or Saturday supper.
Wallenpaupack’s peaceful disposition is preserved
by its secluded location, smack in the middle of some
of Pennsylvania’s best parklands. Within a few miles
are thousands of acres of scenic drives, waterfalls,
campsites and hiking trails, either along the
meandering Delaware River or in Promised Land State
Park, just 15 minutes south of Hawley,
Wallenpaupack’s town center.
The streets of Hawley are lined with Victorian
homes and stores, tiny museums like Wayne County’s
Historical Society shop and plenty of antiques and
summer tag sales. There’s also bowling and movies, a
historic train to the Delaware River and the Costas
Family Fun Park.
But the best part of Wallenpaupack is still the
lake itself. Whether you take a dip or a sunset
stroll, its presence demands a slower pace. If you
visit this summer, you just might become another one
of the regulars. Rachel Wharton
Squam Lake, New Hampshire
Perhaps you’ve heard of Squam, a calm New
Hampshire lake of sparsely populated shores and quiet
inlets, where the fishermen cast their lines in the
predawn light and the loons dive for trout beyond the
shallows. Squam is the more secluded cousin of nearby
Lake Winnipesaukee and onetime cinematic backdrop for
the 1981 drama “On Golden Pond.”
The Oscar-winning film caused a surge in tourism,
and a quarter-century later families still come here
to revisit the cinematic ghosts of Katherine Hepburn
and Henry Fonda. Others come simply for the lake’s
peaceful panorama of rolling hills and glistening
water.
About a 5½ -hour drive from New York, the Squam
Lake area consists of two bodies of water, Big Squam
and Little Squam. Together, they contain 65 miles of
winding shoreline and 30 islands. To the north lie the
White Mountains, and buffering the lake is White
Mountain National Forest, 780,000 acres of hiking and
cross-country ski trails.
To the south lies Lake Winnipesaukee, an immense lake
flanked by housing developments and resort hotels.
Squam has distinguished itself by limiting development
on its shoreline and enforcing rules that restrict Jet
Skis and other watercraft.
“The reason you come to Squam Lake is for
privacy,” Lisa Wardlaw, a 20-year resident, told me.
“There are so many coves and inlets that each one is
like its own little lake.”
Because so many people return here year after year,
finding a room in the summer can be a challenge. But
if you plan ahead, there are many places to stay.
Those in search of modest but friendly digs should try
the Cottage Place, on the border between the towns of
Ashland and Holderness. This two-story motel also
rents eight private cottages with full kitchens, all
facing Little Squam. At the end of the day, the picnic
tables are the locus of conversation.
The ritziest place in town (read: spa treatments and
croquet) is the Manor on Golden Pond, a grand home on
Shepard Hill overlooking the lakes. For a quiet
getaway closer to the mountains, try Jonathan Beede
House, a lovingly restored 1787 center-chimney
Colonial on a quiet road in Mount Israel, near the
town of Sandwich. Owners Susan and John Davies have
decorated it with family antiques, heirloom quilts,
antique hat boxes and watercolor paintings.
For great local eats, try The Corner House in
Sandwich, serving a variety of American fare. The
Sandwich Cremery, tucked away in the nearby mountains,
has superb homemade ice cream and cheese, and the
Squam Lake Inn in Holderness makes boxed lunches to
go.
Squam Lake offers an endless list of activities.
Squam Lake Tours launches cruises three times a day in
the summer. Adventurous types can choose from miles of
hiking trails or the Squam Lakes Natural Science
Center, where you’ll find everything from bobcats to
bald eagles. Or, check out the free public beaches in
the Chamberlain-Reynolds Memorial Forest. The Squam
Lake Association maintains a few islands on Big Squam
for public use. If you have a boat or canoe and know
where to look, said Capt. Buddy Nassar as we toured
the lake, “You can usually find a beach and call it
your own for a day.” Steve Bryant
if you go...
Lake Wallenpaupack
Just north of the intersection of Routes 306 and 507,
Ehrhardt’s Waterfront Resort (1-800-678-5907, www.ehrhardts.com)
has a full-service restaurant and pub and a variety of
rooms, including regular and two-bedroom motel units
($160 per night, $97 in fall), two-bedroom cottages
with kitchen and living room ($1,225 a week, $646
off-season) and lakefront apartments. For other
cottages and motels in the area with similar pricing,
call 1-800-805-3559 or visit www.poconosbest.com.
Tupper Lake
Raquette River Outfitters offers guide services and
rents canoes, kayaks and camping gear for day- or
week-long journeys. (518) 359-3228 or www.raquetteriveroutfitters.com.
The Wawbeek Restaurant and Resort is a country-style
lodge and restaurant on nearby Upper Sa-ranac Lake
with traditional guest rooms starting at $195.
Reservations advised; call 1-800-953-2656 or visit www.wawbeek.com.
The more affordable Timber Lodge motel has rooms
and suites with kitchenettes and fireplaces ranging
from $55-$75. (518) 359-2320 or www.thetimberlodge.com.
For more information, contact the Tupper Lake
Chamber of Commerce at 1-888-TUPLAKE or www.tupperlakeinfo.com.
Squam Lake
Cottages at The Cottage Place start at $89, cottage
suites at $125. Call (603) 968-7116 or visit www.cottageplaceonsquam.com.
For a bed and breakfast experience, try The Squam Lake
Inn, with rooms starting at $130; (603) 968-4417 or www.squamlakeinn.com.
Or try the Jonathan Beede House, with rates from
$85-$90 per night for a double room with shared bath
and breakfast; (603) 284-7413.
For more on visiting Squam Lake, contact the Squam
Lakes Association (603) 968-7336 or www.squamlakes.org;
or try the Squam Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce at
(603) 968-4494 or www.squamlakeschamber.com.
