Your Best US Vacation Option? My 2¢

Critically thinking about lots of choices

OK, the answer to my prior commentary question is The Adirondacks!

THANK YOU to the many who filled out the brief survey. However, despite ten (10) clues, only about a third of the responders got the answer right! I suspected that might happen, which is why I made the post. To have the majority of people not know about the arguably best US vacation place is a huge loss to those blissfully unaware.

Some people said Lake Placid or Lake George — which are close, but incorrect. For instance, several of my clues do NOT apply to either. Lake Placid and Lake George are IN the Adirondacks, but each is just one small part of a huge area — just like NYC is not the same as New York State.

On the other hand, they were closer than other guesses that were literally all over the map. Some examples of other answers: Minnesota, Tennessee, Utah, Grants Pass (OR), Great Smokey Mountains, Yellowstone, Yosemite, Banff (I did say US!), etc., etc.

Technically the Adirondacks refers to both a geographic area and a Park in upstate NY. These are a bit different, but here we are going to treat them as if they are the same.

Note that some Adirondack residents will not be pleased with me publicizing this information, as people can end up ruining a wonderful place. I’m assuming that my subscribers are not those types of people…

Here is some sample support for my ten clues:

1 - Smithsonian: Origin of the American word “vacation”. (Read this fine article if you also want some historical information about Adirondack Great Camps, etc.)

2 - The Adirondack Park is the largest park in the continental US. (It is larger than Yellowstone, Yosemite, Grand Canyon, and Glacier National Parks combined!)

3 - Has 3,000+ beautiful, clean lakes, plus over 30,000 miles of rivers and streams, plus wonderfully accessible mountains (40 over 4000 feet).

4 - Saratoga is one of the top five most important battles in WORLD history.

5 - The first hotel in the world with electricity throughout was in the Adirondacks.

6 - Lake Placid has hosted two Olympics: 1932 and 1980 — and maybe a third.

7 - The Miracle on Ice was the most important sporting event in US history.

8 - Roadside billboards are prohibited throughout the Adirondack Park.

9 - Has superior boating, jet-skiing, sailing, kayaking, white water rafting, fishing, swimming, golf, biking, hiking, camping, hunting, mountain climbing, etc., etc.

10-Is affordable, naturally pretty, peaceful, quiet, safe, etc…

The Adirondacks is about rejuvenation…

Again, take 5 minutes and watch this representative video (also shown above). I LOVE this 3-minute video made by a girl in her 20s about her family having come to the Adirondacks when she was a child, and now she really appreciates what it’s all about. Watch both videos on your computer and full screen.

Some diverse and interesting things to do are found in these sample articles —

Trip Advisor’s Abbreviated Adirondack To-Do List

10 Amazing Facts about the Adirondack Mountains

13 Things You Can Do in the Adirondacks That You Can't Do in Most Places

25 Best Things to Do in The Adirondacks — Family Destinations Guide

Experience 7 Great Wonders of the Adirondacks for Yourself

20 Best Things to Do in The Adirondacks

Amazing Things To Do in the Adirondacks

Adirondack with Kids: 40 Things To Do in this Family-Friendly Destination

6 Facts About the Adirondack Park

Adirondack History Guide

A close well-traveled friend who had a brief visit for the first time last year said that to her the Adirondacks was Americana. Not a bad summary!

For readers who decide to take advantage of this very special area, I’ll be glad to answer questions or give some suggestions — just send me an email. My summer cottage is in the Western Adirondacks, and I’ve been privileged to have been going there for my entire life.

---

Here are other materials by this scientist that you might find interesting:

WiseEnergy.org: discusses the Science (or lack thereof) behind our energy options.

C19Science.info: covers the lack of genuine Science behind our COVID-19 policies.

Election-Integrity.info: multiple major reports on the election integrity issue.

Media Balance Newsletter: a free, twice-a-month newsletter that covers what the mainstream media does not do, on issues from COVID to climate, elections to education, renewables to religion, etc. Here are the Newsletter’s 2023 Archives. Send me an email to get your free copy. When emailing me, please make sure to include your full name and the state where you live. (Of course, you can cancel the Media Balance Newsletter at any time - but why would you?

Thanks for reading Critically Thinking About Select Societal Issues! Please pass a link to this article on to other associates who might benefit. They can subscribe for FREE to receive new posts (typically about once a week).