LOCALadk Magazine

Napping seems like an unlikely source of outdoorsy inspi- ration. But my love of the great outdoors is rooted in my mother's need for a bit of mid-day quiet time. As the young- est in my New England neighborhood, I was sometimes over- looked during the summer shenanigans of the older children. So, when it was time for mom to have a much-deser ved rest, she sent me to the woods behind the house. "Go find an adventure," she'd suggest, and I'd hightail it into the oak and evergreen with nothing more than my ad- venture-worn sneakers and imagination. As the paper calendars of the 80s and 90s gave way to the hec- tic tech-based schedule of adult- hood, times were changing. But one thing remained constant - - my homegrown love of nature, and I was recently transported home to the Adirondacks. To be clear, I'm a fiercely proud New Englander – but yes, I returned "home" to The Adirondacks by way of the Weekender hotel group. Freshly founded by Adirondack-local Keir Weimer, in the spring of 2021, the Weekender philosophy is born from Weimer's balsam-infused boyhood adventures and his pas- sion for the transformative power of the great outdoors. Weekender hotels, with a quickly expanding collection of properties in the Adirondacks and the Northeast, are a re- freshing concept that makes it easy for would-be travelers to balance their longing to explore nature with modern-tech touches that allow them to plug into the grid as needed. The brand's mission is to help guests reconnect with re- storative outdoor experiences, something that wanes as our weekends are more mired with the wired world and its many demands. To offset that, Weekender properties seamlessly incorpo- rate technology. So, when guests arrive, they have that mo- ment of exhale and start to slough off the numb-like layers that have built up since their last getaway, but they also have the peace of mind that comes with reliable Wi-Fi. In fact, Alpine Lodge (North Creek, NY ) is Upstate New York's first "smart hotel," boasting large-screen T Vs inclu- sive of streaming apps, exceptional broadband Wi-Fi, and even Tesla charging stations. And, along those lines, Plac- id Bay Hotel (Lake Placid, NY ) is another siren of serenity, wooing would-be guests with the wonders of nature and technolo- gy alike. Sure, going off-grid is an incred- ibly powerful experience, but it's not always feasible. Weir's Week- ender philosophy recognizes this, and its inclusion of technology gifts travelers with reassurance. Yes, the dogsitter can reach you in an emergency, and you can access the patient portal for your aging parent's doctor's office if necessar y. And this, for many, might be the peace of mind that allows them to sink fully into their outdoor experience. At its core, Weir's collection of hotels is designed to inspire engaging in all the outdoorsy goodness – from kayaking and bonfires to snowmobiling, hiking, biking, and boating. But there's something more, a special magic best described through my experience at the Old Forge property, Great Pines, which was Weimer's first hotel acquisition in 2015. I found myself roasting a marshmallow to evenly charred per- fection, overlooking Fourth Lake, wondering just how the heck I could feel at home in the Adirondacks - - having never stepped foot into its forested lands or dipped a toe into its pristine lakes. Weekender H o t e l s By Melanie Carden photos provided by the Weekender Organization "e Brand's mission is to help guests reconnect with restorative outdoor experiences..."

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