Charlene Comes to Visit, Cycle Adirondacks too

On Friday, Cousin Charlene and her caregivers drove over from Ogdensburg for a birthday lunch at the Pine Cone Grill. Our rental place is directly across the river from the Pine Cone so we get to smell their ribs smoking in the outdoor smoker all day. Yum! They had live music one evening in the covered picnic area on their river side lawn. It wasn't 60s folk music, but heck, when we can sit on our deck and have live music for free all evening . . . we have no complaints!

 

We had a fun afternoon with Charlene. She was in fine fiddle, joking with all of us about the coffee, the food, and the ride over. We gave her a Wanakena mug but what she really liked was the M&Ms tucked inside, and the birthday card with a cat on it. The staff and customers all sang Happy Birthday when the owners sent out ice cream for her. The Pine Cone folks made it really special.

Sunday we volunteered at Cycle Adirondacks. It was the first day of riding for a 7-day bike tour of the Adirondacks. The cyclists arrived from Saratoga Springs into Star Lake about 2:00. The tour sponsor had a camp set up at the school in Star Lake. The organizations in the area hamlets, Star Lake, Wanakena, and Newton Falls, welcomed the riders, carried their packs from the trucks, served the dinner, and joined the riders for live music and a bonfire in the evening. We also shuttled the cyclists to local retreat/camp where they were picked up by residents with rafts and taken to the sandbar for a real Star Lake experience.

The kids in Newton Fall made these souvenirs for cyclists (credit for photo to Cycle ADK facebook page)

Folks here have rafts that are like docks you can detach from shore and power slowly around the lake. Each raft is handcrafted. Each is unique in its design. Every warm afternoon, there is an impromptu gathering at the sand bar for conversation, beers, and frisbee. The cyclists were duly impressed.

credit for photo to Cycle ADK facebook page

Here is the video -- the raft scenes begin at 1:28.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eiPmJJpPXAg