An Architectural Tour of a Great Rustic Tradition
September 18-21, 2009
Great Camp Santanoni
You see it everywhere and you don’t even know it. Some even call it “National Park Service Rustic“, but we know it as Adirondack.
Thanks to a Cultural Tourism Grant from the Arts & Business Council of New York, Adironcack Architectural Heritage of Keeseville was able to organzize and promote what may be a once-in-a-lifetime tour of some of the Adirondack’s most special places.
For four days tour private and public camps of the Adirondacks, led by experts in the field of architectural history and preservation, and local historians. The tour includes meals, local transportation, and accommodations.
Did I mention there was a fee? It’s not cheap: $1400 Per person/Double Occupancy, $1700 Single Occupancy. But this, as mentioned above, includes meals, transportation from Albany International Airport to Minnowbrook Conference Center in Blue Mountain Lake, and accommodations.
Though built as a private camp, Minnowbrook became an executive retreat for a chemical company during the 1940’s. In 1953 it was given to Syracuse University, who used the 28-acre property for educational conferences and workshops. Following a devastating fire in 1988, the school dedicated themselves to rebuilding the center while respecting the history and architecture of the original. The lodge that occupies the site today is reminiscent of the opulence that came before it, incorporating rustic artistry with modern luxuries.
The lodging is always part of any experience, and Minnowbrook is pretty cool. Plus, there is a limit of 30 for this trip.
The itinerary for the tour is as follows:
- Friday – Pick-up at Albany International and transport to Minnowbrook. Dinner and lecture.
- Saturday – Raquette Lake. Camp Pine Knot, Lunch Cruise on WW Durant, Great Camp Sagamore
- Sunday – Wagon-ride to Great Camp Santanoni, Adirondack Museum
- Monday – Piseco Lake. Various private camps.
For more information and registration, visit Rustic Study Tour or contact Susan (at) aarch.org, (518) 834-9328.
Four of the oldest campgrounds in the Adirondack Park are closing due to low occupancy and state budget constraints. There is no doubt that these two factors are undeniable, but part of me wishes it wouldn’t be so. Two campgrounds in Essex County will be closed – Poke-O-Moonshine and Sharp Bridge and two in Hamilton County – Point Comfort and Tioga Point. The 
