Chapter 139

11/30/2006

Ch 139 The Great Camps of ADKs                                 LIVING LARGE                       

with I.E. 7 browser hold down CTRL when clicking links to open as tabs (it's a good thing)

To go along with some of my "camping" chapters, I was inspired to add this one as a result of a conversation over Thanksgiving dinner in Amsterdam (or Hagaman, what's the difference, see East Podunk). Nephew Chris La Porte, motorcycle enthusiast sporting his fresh Maori tribal arm tattoo as a parental surprise, had the opportunity to go up and stay at THIS friend's grandfather's camp in Speculator a while back. As he described it, I realized I'd photographed it a year ago when I circumnavigated Lake Pleasant in Speculator with my Kayak. This spectacular "Bearhurst" property apparently originated over a hundred years ago. I found their web site inviting anyone else to rent out ($20,000 per season for the Boat House quarters alone, the largest boathouse living area in the ADKS, themselves larger than the State of Massachusetts) although Chris stayed free, and in one of the several other dwellings. Couldn't google much on this camp, although the history and architecture of this and some other "masterpieces" belonging to the Vanderbilt/millionaire/barons of the day are discussed here.

When Chris went up with his sport Jeep top removed, his Dad had questioned the wisdom, should it rain overnight. When Chris replied there was a 6 car covered garage, his Dad exclaimed, "What kind of a CAMP is this?"       Now THIS is a camp!

A 24 yr old punk rocker simply wrote:

"So take the photographs, and still frames in your mind

Hang it on a shelf in good health and good time

Tattoos of memories and dead skin on trial

For what it's worth it was worth all the while

It's something unpredictable, but in the end is right.

I hope you had the time of your life."