Happy Thursday!
NEW SPRING HOURS - Beginning NOW Otto's Abode's hours of operation are as follows: Wednesday - Saturday 9-7pm & Sunday 9-5pm & CLOSED on Mondays and Tuesdays. These hours will remain in place until Memorial Day Weekend.
WITHINANUTSHELL - We've been on holiday for the past week and a half, so we don't know what the hell is goin' on around here! But you don't read Wanakena Weekly for the REAL FACTS, do you? NO! YOU read Wanakena Weekly for the... uh... umm... well... why do you read Wanakena Weekly!?? It's terribly inconvenient, having to hunt it down on a website and all. Not to mentions, sometimes we're late to publish or skip weeks altogether. Why don't we just use Facebook or have an emailing list or something? Who knows, who cares? NOT YOU! Cause if you did you wouldn't be reading this! Anyway... snowmobile trails are open and looking good! Ice fishing should be good! Skiing should be good! All that good stuff! LOOKS LIKE A SNOWY WEEKEND AHEAD - WOOHOO! See you around - We're back and open ALL weekend. Here's some stuff we've uncovered while sniffing around the web: Adirondack "Hamlets2Huts" just released DETAILED information about their super summer glamping on the Cranberry Lake 50 opportunities/itinerary HERE (complete with NO mention of Otto's Abode! But, hey! What do we know about The Fifty?! It's not like we're right on the trail and meet and help out tons of hikers every year for the past seven years or anything! It's funny! Like funny ha-ha funny! Fun-knee! We're not upset! You're upset! Maybe 'cause "glamping" is "convenient" and we're a self-proclaimed "inconvenience" store? No? Yes? Okay! FINE! Change the subject! Enough already!) It's back: "LIVE, IN PERSON, OPEN MIC @ DAC (Downtown Artis Celler, Malone) JOIN US". Every 3rd Thursday of the Month at 7pm.The Cranberry Lake Boat Club ICE OUT contest has begun - deadline is MARCH 18th - a very cool ICE OUT document with graphs and data on the CLBC Facebook. SEEK AND YOU WILL FIND! Check this out: Store Cranberry Lake | Birch's Lakeside General Store, Campground and Marina (lakesideoncranberry.com) Hey teens! The deadline is approaching but check it out: https://adirondackcenterforwriting.org/wildwords/ Check out the RENTALS AT MASSAWEPIE - we've heard whispers of these though the years... here's some more info! Claude and Ola have a NEW ALBUM here: Hilary Hawke and Claude & Ola (bandcamp.com) Don't forget: DEC closing gates to Bog River Dam in Piercefield due to construction. DEC closing gates to Bog River Dam in Piercefield due to construction | NorthCountryNow Make sure to "CLICK BACK THROUGH THE YEARS" via our 3 YEAR archive of Wanakena Weekly! See WOW of the past! Regular Town Board Meeting Second Wednesday, March 8th @ 6:30 Star Lake. Here’s a link to the most recent town board meeting minutes HERE: Town Of Fine: Minutes: February 08, 2023: February Meeting Minutes [Digital Towpath] Today's Ice Jam Danger remains LOW (two years in a row without an ice jam).
FORECAST - This weather forecast is brought to you by Wanakena’s own PATTIJACKNAN weather team – a Wanakener garage-pole-mounted weather station and crew. THANKS, TEAM! Wanakena, NY 10-Day Weather Forecast | Weather Underground (wunderground.com)
CLIFTON-FINE ADIRONDACK WHITE OUT WEEKEND 2023 - From our perspective the event was a smashing success! What else do you need to know? Oh, we'll tell you: Instead of asking, "WHEN IS WHITEOUT WEEKEND?".... It ALWAYS HAS AND ALWAYS BEEN PRESIDENTS DAY WEEKEND. WOW 2024.... STAY TUNED! Adirondack White Out Weekend | Wanakena NY | Facebook and Adirondack WhiteOut Weekend - Area Info (google.com)
DOWN AT THE ABODE - NEW SPRING HOURS - Beginning NOW Otto's Abode's hours of operation are as follows: Wednesday - Saturday 9-7pm & Sunday 9-5pm & CLOSED on Mondays and Tuesdays. These hours will remain in place until Memorial Day Weekend. We're back from our lovely holiday. Thanks for bearing with us and apologies to those who may have shown-up at the shop when we were closed. A couple weeks ago we celebrated our 7TH BIRTHDAY in conjunction with Clifton-Fine's "Adirondack White Out Weekend". It was super-duper. Thanks everyone for joining in! Friday night it got down in the single digits, but that didnt stop us from having a GREAT Open Air Open Mic out in the Gazebo! The CROQUET COURSE was in TIP TOP SHAPE! Seriously... if you played the course that weekend you were treated to world-class snow croquet conditions. We could go on and on about how fantastic it all was (FIREWORKS!) but we've got other stuff to do. Also, we didnt take any photographs.... sooo if you have any please send them to us - would love to see how we looked. In other news: a reminder: No more FLOWJAK. But we plan to host OPEN MIC perhaps Memorial Day Weekend or sooner! And thoughout the summer! Keep it in mind! In the shop: WE'RE OPEN YEAR-ROUND! The produce rack is STOCKED with a bunch of Juniper Hill greens'n'gourds and more. Organic farm eggs $5.75! Swickamillo Sourdough every Saturday morning and random baked goods throughout the week. Fresh Cheese Curd THIS FRIDAY PM. Got some great gifts from local crafters here in the shop (NEW SCRUNCHIES FROM BIRD HAVEN OF WANAKENA). Lots more to look at! Not a bad place to hang out, ether. C'mon down to Wanakena and poke around a bit! Otto's Abode is a self-proclaimed Adirondack Art-Centric Travel Agency an Inconvenience Store. Why be a square when you could be a deconstructed cube? Blah blah blah.
ABODE CONTINUED - Sure, shopping at a big box store saves you a few bucks, but does it help save a small business such as Otto's Abode? What are you really saving? We're not telling you NOT to shop BIG, but if you are ABLE to shop small and shop local, every bit counts. Thanks! Fresh produce stocked all year long. Dry, cooled and frozen groceries galore. Bread, milk, eggs. Beer cave with other sixty varieties of beer, seltzers, hard cider and more! Ice cream, candy and snacks. HOT coffee and tea as well. TONS of Maps for browsing and/or buying. Check out our books, music and art supplies. Fishing, camping, hiking knickknacks. Gifts, goodies and more! "Where's the Art?" Open your eyes! On top of buying/selling stuff we provide local information about events and trail conditions to the best of our knowledge and have often helped outdoor recreationists in a pinch; the cool kids call it a "Trail Center" these days. Community message board out front. Clifton Community Library DROP BOX on the porch. Wee-Kena Library on the porch as well - take a book, leave a book. Missing something? Perhaps what you've lost is in our lost and found? We have every issue of Bargain Hunter from 2018 - Present. And don't forget: Wanakena Weekly online every week! Missed a week? No problem.... CHECK THE THREE-YEAR ARCHIVE! Cheers to us and cheers to you. Thank you for taking the time out of your day to go out of the way to support small, local, family-owned businesses!
WANAKENA POST OFFICE 13695 - Open for business six days a week! Thanks, Mary for running the show! Send us a postcard: POB # 1 Wanakena, NY 13695
BLACKWATERS CAFÉ AND TRADING POST - Open 8AM - 3:30PM Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Special dinner hours Fridays until 7pm! Closed Sundays and Mondays and Tuesdays and Wednesdays. www.blackwaterscafe.com The business and property are for sale. Check the website.
RANGER SCHOOL - Class of 2023 in session! Campus hiking trails remain open to the public. Stay away from the buildings, though. Park way up in the student parking lot if you must. Cool map of trails: James F. Dubuar Memorial Forest Trail Map | Trailforks CHECK OUT THEIR TRAIL CAM. Webcam | The Ranger School | SUNY ESF
PACKBASKET ADVENTURES – Website says: "For the comfort and safety of our guests and ourselves, we accept reservations only from those with proof of complete COVID vaccination and booster(s). Come have a relaxing stay in safe environment!" Adirondack Lodgings & Adirondack Guide Services: Old fashioned Adirondack Lodge & Guide Services Packbasket Adventures - Packbasket Adventures
WANAKENA HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION – Big white pine branch in the yard... who gonna cut it up?!?! There are a few permanent kiosks that stay up all winter long! Worth a look! C'mon out and take a peek. History Center and The Walking Tour around Wanakena has been CLOSED-UP and TAKEN DOWN for the cold-weather months - will re-open end of June 2023. Home (wanakena.com)
WANAKENA CHURCH – Closed for the season! See you in the spring. Did you know this song was performed and recorded via the Wanakena Church Organ in May 2016? Keen Dream | Z Plan (bandcamp.com)
WANAKENA PUBLIC BATHROOM AND DOCK - Funds for the NEW WANAKENA DOCK have been fully raised thanks to donations big and small! Get ready! Here it comes! The old dock has sold! Make way for new this spring. As of 11/16/22 the BATHROOM IS CLOSED FOR THE SEASON - buried in snow. In case you or anyone else was wondering: Wanakena Sewar and Wanakena Water are well and in working order as well. Speaking of pickles: Wanakena Saturday Morning Pickleball has wrapped it up for the season; pickle paddles are packed-up! Croquet in ZPark ALL YEAR LONG; whack 'em balls!
WANAKENA CEMETERY ASSOCIATION – Cemetery buried in the snow! Cremation Remains burial has gone up from $150 to $250. Also, there is no longer a backhoe charge for cremation burial because they don’t use a backhoe for cremation burials any longer.
WANAKENACCOMODATIONS - As the Zplan song goes: "I got the Hotel Wanakena tryna' find a place to stay-a blues" but less-poetically and more often heard: "Where do people stay?" is the question... the answer: IN A TENT. Just kidding - it's more complicated than that. But we'll start with the tent (or hammock, or under stars, etc...) Lots of primitive camping!!!!!! All free and open to the public!!!!!! State Campground when it's open. Looking for more? A roof over-head? Coyote Den Motel in Cranberry Lake. Besides that, Packbasket Adventures Lodge in Wanakena. Wanakena has a number of "vacation" rental homes available. They are all of ADKbyOWNER/AirBnB/VrBo variety -only available during warm months only, usually. It's someone else's place that YOU stay at. In other words: you can't just show up in Wanakena and expect to get a hotel roof under your head. You need to plan accordingly with your fancy pants smart phone. Do an internet search for Wanakena ADKbyOWNER/AirBnB/VrBo rentals and stuff will pop-up. Also, check it out: Massawepie Boy Scout Camp has rentals in the offseason - seek and you will find.
HAREWOOD – Check this out! Store Cranberry Lake | Birch's Lakeside General Store, Campground and Marina (lakesideoncranberry.com) The Cranberry Lake Boat Club ICE OUT contest has begun. SEEK AND YOU WILL FIND! Cranberry Lake Mountaineers voted BEST club in the STATE last year - TRAILS LOOKING GOOD! Clifton Community Library in Cranberry Lake is OPEN six days a week (closed Mondays)! Don't forget about the Book Drop Box at Otto's Abode! Bridgework has FINISHED over the Oswegatchie in Cranberry Lake. Vroom vroom! Lakeside Genral Store has CLOSED for the season. The business has been sold to new owners and we should all be excited to see what happens next! NEW Motel in town (CLOSED FOR WINTER)! It's called Coyote Den. Right by the Oswegatchie on Rt. 3. The HUB and TILLY'S are still in early developmental stages. Five Ponds Partners kickstarted and initiated port-o-johns at some local trailheads and will do it again next year! Tooley Pond Duck Decoy Showroom in Cranberry Lake is OPEN! John Dragun NEON ARTWORK and MORE down in Windfall! Cranberry Lake State Campground is CLOSED FOR THE SEASON. Don't forget about our other nearest-by neighbors to east: Sevey's Point and Thirsty Moose! By January 1, 2025, every operator of a motorized boat in New York State must obtain a boating safety certificate in order to legally operate their boats. There are no age exceptions to this law — and, if you're from out of state, New York will recognize your boating safety course certification.
OUT WEST - Quilt Fest folks meet at the Presbyterian Church a couple times a week - join in! SOS is OPEN here and there for programing. UB's has live minnows and more! Star Lake Ice Rink ("Town of Clifton") did NOT open this winter.... bummer! Cranberry Lake Mountaineers voted BEST club in the STATE last year - TRAILS ARE LOOKING GOOD! FREE COMMUNITY MEAL at St. Huberts Church Wednesdays at 5PM! Hop on shuttle #22 of the St Lawrence County Volunteer Transportation Bus if you need a lift! Wanakena's closest neighbor, Mountain Gate Redemption near Benson Mines, is open. Twin Lakes Hotel, American Legion, Todd Hardware are OPEN! Dollar General and Circle J’s in Star Lake are OPEN! CF Golf Course (seasonal), Clifton-Fine Hospital, Community Bank, Adirondack Pharmacy, Clifton-Fine Community Center OPEN! Have you heard about the Holy Grail Gift Shop opening up this spring in Star Lake? Still further west in Oswegatchie UB’s, and Adirondack Rustics are open (HOME OF THE LEGENDARY "BARGAIN HUNTER" NEWSPAPER)! CCL Book drop has moved from the (CLOSED Coffee Fever) to the Star Lake Community Bank. Clifton-Fine Hometown Heros Banner initiative has been engaged... banners on rt. 3 like Harrisville, Croghan and more! More information to follow. AA every Friday night at SOS 7pm. Largest Adirondack solar project to date goes before APA (adirondackexplorer.org) Coffee Fever has CLOSED. "For good." Yikes! That also means NO CCL book drop-box there - luckily there is one at Otto's Abode in Wanakena. Hillside Diner has recently closed for good, also. SCOOPS Ice Cream has closed for the season. Jrecks has closed for the season. Check out Green Pinky Farm near Oswegatchie! CFCSD Fitness Room: OPEN to community members (paperwork required). Also, the school is ALWAYS hiring, various positions. Lots more to discover on their facebook page. GO EAGLES! Need a good port-a-potty? Call-up the H Brothers! What else?
KIM AND TOMS LOST DOG REPORT - As of today, there are NO lost dogs in Wanakena. Woof Woof!
THIS TIME LAST YEAR HERE - Otto's Abode: WANAKENA WEEKLY #108 - 02/24/22 - 03/02/22 (ottosabode.org)
AND TWO YEARS AGO, HERE - Otto's Abode: WANAKENA WEEKLY #56 - 02/25/21 - 03/03/21 (ottosabode.org)
AND THREE YEARS AGO, HERE - Otto's Abode: WANAKENA WEEKLY #4 - 02/27/20 - 03/04/20 (ottosabode.org)
WHAT ELSE? - Any questions, comments, concerns, trail condition inquiries, legends, jokes, animal sightings, cartoons, etc… Feel free to email otto@ottosabode.org or call 3158483008 or pop-in the shop! How about a SUBMISSION?!! Write “submission” in the subject line if emailing. Wanakena Weekly is archived on our website. www.ottosabode.org Wanakena Weekly is brought to you by the folks at Otto's Abode. We appreciate all of our friends, neighbors, family and strangers who are able to take the time out of their day to go out of their way and support small and local businesses!
"Whoever tells a lie cannot be pure in heart - and only the pure in heart can make a good soup." - Ludwig Van Beethoven (1817)