WARREN PEACE: Northern county known for its museums, lakes, history

Those are great Adirondack memories; but as I got older, I discovered there was more to Warren County than Lake George. In high school and college, I began to visit some different Adirondack towns that tourists rarely visited, such as Warrensburg, Brant Lake and North Creek.

Since my in-laws have a camp on Loon Lake in Chestertown, for the past 18 years I've spent a lot of time traveling throughout that part of Warren County.

Warren peace

It has, in short, just about everything.

The county stretches from the populated southern locations of Glens Falls, Lake Luzerne and Queensbury to some very remote areas in the west near the towns of Stony Creek, Thurman and North Creek.

Falling for Falls

We began in Glens Falls, the town made famous in James Fenimore Cooper's classic book "The Last of the Mohicans." Glens Falls was also one of the early centers of the lumber industry, and today the Finch, Pruyn & Company is still one of the leading paper manufacturers in the Northeast.

Glens Falls is also known as the home of two wonderful museums: The Hyde Collection on Broad Street and The Chapman Historical Museum at 348 Glen Street:

* The Hyde Collection was founded by Charlotte Pruyn Hyde in 1952 as an art museum. Her father co-founded the successful paper company that was the source of Charlotte's great wealth; during her lifetime, she collected many important works of the European Old Masters and American artists.

Among the noted works in the collection are paintings by such artists as Botticelli, da Vinci, El Greco, Rubens, Rembrandt, Degas, Renoir, Cezanne, van Gogh and Picasso.

This is an art museum that doesn't overwhelm you. Whenever I've been there, I felt like I was wandering through a friend's house looking at their art collection. I also enjoy just being in the house with its Spanish and Flemish architectural characteristics. There's a beautiful sky-lit courtyard right in the center, and plenty of comfortable chairs to sit, observe and think. The staff is always knowledgeable and friendly. (The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. For more information, call 792-1761).

* The Chapman Historical Museum is located in a restored Victorian house, not far from the renovated downtown section of Glens Falls.

There are changing exhibits on regional history; the day we attended, there were photos of the Adirondacks past and present by both amateur and professional photographers. Our kids had fun looking at pictures of the Adirondacks from the early 1900s.

This old house

Mr. Blake, a retired high school music teacher, did an impressive job of bringing the Victorian family and life during the time alive. We learned many things about the DeLongs: We saw what they wore, what jobs the children had to do on a daily basis, and how often the members of the family bathed.

We all found it rather disgusting that a typical Victorian would bathe about once every ten days. "No wonder they wore so much perfume," said Paul.

We also came away from the visit with a better understanding of how the DeLong family enjoyed their simple yet difficult life. They seemed to be a much closer family than many of our more modern families of today. They also seemed to enjoy quiet times more than we do. According to Mr. Blake, the DeLongs would often spend a couple of hours dining, and they would always spend time talking as a family after dinner.

Onward

The bikeway, 12 miles long with rolling hills, begins in Glens Falls near the downtown section on Leonard Street and takes you all the way up to Battlefield Park in Lake George. The narrow trail goes over small bridges, through quiet wooded sections and even along the congested Route 9N area just past The Great Escape.

We saw quite a few bikers, a few runners and some people on rollerblades. We had fun walking part of the trail and look forward to returning this fall to bike the entire way when the leaves turn color.

Lake George

We pulled into the parking lot of The Great Escape, which bills itself as the largest theme park in New York. There are more than 125 rides and attractions, including a water park with slides and a wave pool called Splashwater Kingdom.

I remember coming to the amusement park when it was called Storytown. The theme park I recall was very tame, with mild boat rides, and it was based on famous fairy tale characters. Today's park has rides named The Boomerang, The Comet, the Alpine Bobsled, The Nightmare and The Desperado Plunge.

We stood in the crowded parking lot and watched as people riding the Steamin' Demon were hurled upside down three different times in the span of 30 seconds. It looked like a training ride that NASA astronauts should go through. We stumbled back in the car and drove slowly north toward Lake George along with all the other vacationers.

Priest's discovery

Since it was the eve of the feast of Corpus Christi, Father Jogues named the water Lac du St. Sacrement (Lake of the Blessed Sacrament), and it was known by this name for the next 100 years.

The lake quickly became an important location, chiefly as a land/water crossroads en route from Lake Champlain to the Hudson River. Fort William Henry, built in 1755, was the first of four strongholds in the area. In 1757, British General Montcalm captured the fort from the French; to impress his king, King George, Montcalm changed the lake's name to Lake George.

Getaway point

Today, the entire area is like one big amusement park with miniature golf courses, batting cages, take-out food shacks and wax museums. The lake still retains its beauty, but the atmosphere is more Coney Island than a quiet place to get away from it all.

We stopped for a few minutes in the town to gaze at the beauty of the lake, but to also experience the noise and congestion. We were repulsed to see a woman dropping half an ice cream cone into the lake to feed a duck, and I couldn't help but think how sad the area had gotten from the 1960s when I first went there.

I still encourage people to go to Lake George, but not in the summer; go in the fall when the beauty returns and the noise disappears.

I also encourage people to visit the rebuilt Fort William Henry, where you can wander around the bastions and display areas, and see French and Indian artifacts. The docents wear dress of the 18th century and show you what life was like back in the days of the French and Indian War. (For information on Fort William Henry, call 668-3081. To find out about the numerous attractions in the Lake George area, contact the Warren County Tourism Department at 800-365-1050, ext. 2760.)

Heading north

What Rev. Peter Young, pastor of Blessed Sacrament parish in Bolton Landing, enjoys most about the area is how relaxed the town is. "The parishioners have been very supportive of me these last 20 years," he said. "They've allowed me the opportunity to travel extensively around the country and carry the message of recovery."

Father Young's programs, recently profiled in The Evangelist, serve the needs of people suffering from alcoholism and drug abuse. "I'm away from the parish from Monday through Friday," he said, "but I love returning to Bolton Landing every weekend to say Mass and relax in the area."

But he worries about how crowded the town has gotten in the past decade. "The real estate market is booming," he said. "What went for $20,000 in the 1970s now can go for $500,000. People seem to be willing to pay anything to buy property on the lake."

He regrets that he doesn't get out on the lake as much as he should to enjoy the solitude. "My favorite time of the year is September when the weather is still nice and the crowds have all gone home," he said.

Music in the air

Marcella Sembrich was an opera diva, pianist, violinist and teacher who sang for the New York Metropolitan Opera from 1883 through 1909. Known throughout the world, she spent her final summers (1922-1934) in the pink stucco home located on the shore of Lake George on Route 9N, one-half-mile south of the traffic light in Bolton Landing.

On display at the museum are costumes, art objects, signed photo tributes and original furniture. The house is situated on a wooded peninsula that looks out on to Black Mountain, Tongue Mountain and the Sagamore Hotel. It's a nice place to learn about the golden age of opera, to see her beautiful teaching studio and to wander around her lovely picturesque property. (For more information, call 644-9839.)

Favorite spot

Years ago, Chestertown attracted many businesses and visitors to what became a rather prosperous community. Old photographs of the town reveal homes flanked by carriage barns, sheds and smokehouses. The Main Street was lined with stately elm trees, expansive lawns and even some grand Victorian structures that gave the town an air of wealth.

Rev. Joseph O'Brien of Sacred Heart parish in Lake George, who was a travelling pastor for four years to the parish communities of Hague, Chestertown, Brant Lake and North Creek, said: "I found the people in those locations to be full of hunger to learn more about their faith. They worked together very hard with the other parishes and embodied what it means to truly cluster with another church community. You might think that being in such a remote area the people would stay isolated and want to be left alone, but I found those communities very willing to reach out with other parishes and collaborate on shared goals. It was an area with a real sense of community."

Water guide

"The people in this area are great," he said. "They have tremendous faith in God. They're always willing to help you if you need anything."

Mr. Gibaldi, who grew up in Brooklyn, has now lived in the Adirondacks for 14 years. "I need the solitude," he said. "I need to be around birds, trees and animals. I need to hear the wood frogs after a rainfall."

Nature lover

Some of his favorite Warren County locations are the little towns of Riparius and North Creek, which are both situated on the Hudson River.

"They're beautiful quaint towns with friendly people," he said. "I love climbing Panther Mountain which is right in Chestertown above the Grand Union. You get a great view of Gore Mountain and all of Chestertown itself. I also love exploring the ponds around Brant Lake because they're so remote." (If you are interested in having him as a guide or hiring him to present his slide show, call him at 494-7059).

Rockwell moment

The store is jammed with antiques, old advertising and photographs, farm implements, and the telephone switchboard that once served all of the southern Adirondacks.

The sandwiches are always tasty; and when you order the ice cream cone or the ice cream float, make sure that you sit right at the bar with the swivel stools. I always expect Barney Fife or some other character from Mayberry to wander in.

If you're looking for a really nice pottery store with plenty of platters, bowls, vases and place settings in a gorgeous variety of glazes and geometric designs, visit Bill Knoble's Red Truck Pottery Store and Studio, just a few miles south of Chestertown on Darrowsville Road. You can call him at 494-2074, but my best advice is to stop in and see him work.

Time warp

We love this place because it's a real, authentic country store with a nice mix of the modern and the antique. The building, which dates to the 1850s, was once a tannery. Now it's a place where you can eat a delicious breakfast or lunch.

You can hang out by the wood stove when it's cold or read the paper on the porch when it's warm. You can buy a gift or groceries, and the pies are about the best around.

Sites to see

In the past few years, a train has patrolled much of this stretch. The Upper Hudson River Railroad leaves from North Creek on a two-hour-and-20-minute round trip along the Hudson River to a refurbished station at Riparius. (Call for schedule and departure times at 251-5334.)

This is also a big area for whitewater rafting, and the best known company in the vicinity is the Hudson River Rafting Company in North Creek. They offer different rafting excursions throughout the year (call 251-3215).

One of my favorite inns -- Garnet Hill Lodge -- is located near North Creek, high up in the mountains. I visit every winter when I go cross-country skiing, but it's also a place popular in the summer where visitors can swim on their private beach, rent a row boat or sail the placid waters of Thirteenth Lake. (For more information, contact them at 251-2444.)

Quiet place

Seated on the dock, we watched the sun slowly sink behind a small rounded mountain and talked about our favorite places in Warren County. The lake was still, and all was quiet except for the croaking of a few frogs.

We were only about 30 miles from the busy-ness of Lake George, and yet we were a world apart. We all agreed that our favorite part of Warren County was right there on that dock, surrounded by the solitude and sitting with the family.

(08-17-00) [[In-content Ad]]