All Over Albany

Squeezing the last out of summer: Jess Lyons

It finally hit us the other day that summer is almost over (yeah, we're trying not to think about it too.) So we thought we'd take a week to enjoy a little of the season before it's gone.

For tips on how to wring the best stuff out of the last of summer in the Capital Region, we checked in with a few folks who always seem to be doing interesting stuff. We'll post some of those tips each day this week while we're sipping lemonade by the pool and whatnot.

Today's ideas come from doctoral student, make-up artist and crafter extraordinare Jessica Lyons.

About Jess:

I'm a doctoral student living in Troy, but I'm originally from Clifton Park. Aside from working on my doctorate in science and technology studies I spend most of my time designing and making things for my Etsy store, traveling and working as a freelance makeup artist.

What should we make sure we squeeze in before the end of the summer?

The Adirondack Scenic Railroad
This streak of warm and sunny weather makes me think that summer might be hitting a second wind...or is this its first wind? Hard to tell these days. Either way I'm hoping to get in a few more weekend trips. High on my list is taking a ride on the Adirondack Scenic
Railroad . There's just something so majestic about the Adirondacks, it's such a beautiful area with so much history that I can't help but being proud to be from upstate.

As we have all learned from the commercials, the Adirondack State Park is so big that the five largest parks out west will fit inside. That's a lot of driving and a lot of gas. Thankfully the Adirondack Railway is there to solve my problem in an economical fashion. The railway has stops in Utica, Thendara (near Old Forge), Saranac Lake and Lake Placid and I plan on riding the loop between Saranac Lake and Lake Placid for the low price of $19.

Lake Placid and Saranac

I have a dark secret to confess. Although I was raised north of the twin bridges, I've never been to Lake Placid. The fact that there are people from New Jersey who have explored more of the Adirondacks than I have is something I'm a little ashamed of.

Anyway, I'm going to fix that before this summer is out. While I've based a few camping and kayaking excursions out of the town of Saranac, I've never taken the time to explore that town either. So here's the plan: I'm hoping to check out the local shops in Saranac as well as The Robert Louis Stevenson Tea Room and the Stevenson Cottage and Museum (fyi, he's who wrote Treasure Island & also had a love for the 'dacks). My plan is to stay overnight, grab the next morning's train back to Lake Placid, spend the day checking out the Olympic Village and any touristy attractions and then head home that night. Seems like a perfect weekend to me.