Adirondack Camps
When it comes to vacation homes everyone has a different idea of what is the ideal getaway.
It seems that people will refer to these vacation spots by a variety of names based not only on the type of building but also where they come from.
Most people in the Adirondacks will refer to these recreational properties as camps.
Some people are familiar with the term summer home but they may not understand when someone from the Adirondack region talks about "going up to camp" for the weekend.
Many think of the term camp as a temporary place to sleep when traveling or back packing but it could actually be much more.
To some a camp may be a cabin in the woods, but others are thinking of multiple bathrooms, a wine cellar and 5000 square feet for entertaining.
The idea of a "camp" as a summer time getaway in the Adirondacks began in the second half of the nineteenth century when wealthy people wanted to spend their summer away from the cities.
These wealthy urbanites would pack up their families, servants and trunk after trunk of supplies and head for the mountains to escape the heat and odor of the city.
They would often camp in tents along the shores of lakes.
They generally camped on land owned by local hotels.
The north country hotels of the time were primitive themselves but they gradually improved and expanded the lodging from tents to cabins.
These summer compounds of tents became groups of cabins and eventually grew into the famous great camps of the region.
These mountain lake mansions generally featured separate guest cabins instead of rooms and allowed their owners to entertain in relative luxury.
The famous great camp Top Ridge built by the Post family in 1923 had an enormous dining and entertaining facilities to create luxury in the wilderness.
After the party wound down friends would retire to one of 68 guest cabins each staffed with its own butler.
Not exactly roughing it.
When you are looking for a recreational lake property in upstate New York don't discard any "camps" before you get more information.
It may be a little more than you expect.
You can always benefit by having a local guide on your side.
It seems that people will refer to these vacation spots by a variety of names based not only on the type of building but also where they come from.
Most people in the Adirondacks will refer to these recreational properties as camps.
Some people are familiar with the term summer home but they may not understand when someone from the Adirondack region talks about "going up to camp" for the weekend.
Many think of the term camp as a temporary place to sleep when traveling or back packing but it could actually be much more.
To some a camp may be a cabin in the woods, but others are thinking of multiple bathrooms, a wine cellar and 5000 square feet for entertaining.
The idea of a "camp" as a summer time getaway in the Adirondacks began in the second half of the nineteenth century when wealthy people wanted to spend their summer away from the cities.
These wealthy urbanites would pack up their families, servants and trunk after trunk of supplies and head for the mountains to escape the heat and odor of the city.
They would often camp in tents along the shores of lakes.
They generally camped on land owned by local hotels.
The north country hotels of the time were primitive themselves but they gradually improved and expanded the lodging from tents to cabins.
These summer compounds of tents became groups of cabins and eventually grew into the famous great camps of the region.
These mountain lake mansions generally featured separate guest cabins instead of rooms and allowed their owners to entertain in relative luxury.
The famous great camp Top Ridge built by the Post family in 1923 had an enormous dining and entertaining facilities to create luxury in the wilderness.
After the party wound down friends would retire to one of 68 guest cabins each staffed with its own butler.
Not exactly roughing it.
When you are looking for a recreational lake property in upstate New York don't discard any "camps" before you get more information.
It may be a little more than you expect.
You can always benefit by having a local guide on your side.