Vacation: Good.

At long last, our late summer vacation. Our first vacation in a few years that didn’t involve camping, and frankly it was a bit of a relief to not have to worry constantly about keeping people warm (or cool) and dry. Seeing how the early summer was shaping up, tropical-storm-wise, and adding to that the electrical strikes a vengeful god has been sending out against scouts this summer, and we thought it better not to take the chance. As it turned out, we would have had some cold nights but the days were perfect, it only rained once, and it was just magnificent.

Most important criterion in a motel for those accustomed to eating from tin for a week? Heated outdoor pool, of course! That put us in the only efficiency at Christy’s Motel in Old Forge, which was suitable, had a nice little private deck, but could seriously use some stiffer mattresses (this is always my problem with hotels – do the rest of you people really sleep on marshmallows at home?). Not one good night’s sleep in a week, which isn’t really in keeping with the vacation theme.

So here’s what is still great about Old Forge, our favorite Adirondack village since the late ’80s:

• Bald Mountain Fire Tower trail (formerly Rondaxe Mountain), where the tower has been restored and reopened, and which has stunning views for those who can take the heights. Me, I didn’t see the need to look down.
• Paddling Old Forge Pond (the fingers of First Lake) and, further up the road, a choppy Fourth Lake and the little inlet that runs behind Inlet.
• Biking the relatively new Tobie Trail, a bike trail that runs behind the village and provides very quick access from the west end of town to the beach, without all the traffic and tourists. (In fact, it runs in bits and pieces, some of which were being paved while we were there, from Thendara to Old Forge to Eagle Bay and Big Moose and Inlet.)
• Old Forge Hardware. If you’ve ever been there, you’ll understand. Its bookstore always gets most of our business, but Hannah fell deeply in love with a $35 skein of yarn that she wanted wanted wanted, but decided against in the end.
• Other delightful shops, where the useful and beautiful still outnumbers the crappy t-shirts. And, of course, the best outdoor outfitting shops anywhere.
• The Donut Shop in Eagle Bay. There are no better donuts anywhere, and they still serve both kinds: plain and cinammon.
• Deer. Many, many deer. The girls counted 99, including at least 6 bucks.
• Water Safari. We used to scoff at the idea of a water park in the middle of the Adirondacks, where it is rarely warm enough to take off your sweatshirt. But on a sunny, almost hot day, we had the best time we’ve ever had at a waterpark, and it kicks the Great Escape’s butt. I’ve never had fun being wet all day in Old Forge before.
• The Adirondack Scenic Railroad. We went on Wednesday. The train often gets robbed on Wednesday.