The Five Bedrooms

Bedrooms in Adirondack camps often have nicknames reflecting their history.  Ours have evolved over time. The five bedrooms at Penwood are knows as (1) the Eisenhower Room, my brother's bedroom that was once the nursery for me, was previously separated into two smaller bedrooms to accommodate a housekeeper; the room is very 50's with mod wicker chairs and 50's lamps. (2) the Boys Camp, my old bedroom and before that, my Uncle Chuck's bedroom, shown here, is decked out with vintage camp signs, maps, fishing creels and snowshoes, as well as a sign with the single word "MAIL" in bold black paint to remind us to get the mail from the mail boat each morning.  (3) Nina's Room, which was the original master bedroom and is the largest of the five.  It was the room in which my grandmother and grandfather stayed when they owned Penwood.  It is connected to the Boys Camp room by a door hidden in the closet, installed by the Kennedys - we think to allow for the Boys Camp room to be used as a nursery with easy access to the parental bedroom next door.  (4) Florence's Room, which was my mother's childhood bedroom. Some people say that this room is haunted with a female presence who visits from time to time, perhaps my grandmother or the original owner of the house, Helen Seymour Sylvester. We know that at least two people died on the property - Helen and one of her relatives named Wiley.  (5) the Master Bedroom, where my parents sleep now.  I don't think we've come up with a more suitable shorthand name for that room yet.

The Beauty of the Bunk House

A few years ago, our friends who have a camp on Fourth Lake saw the writing on the wall: their kids were having kids and the original camp didn't have enough space to support the growing family if they, or some of them, visited at the same time.  Their solution? Build a new, simple and functional bunk house up the drive from the main camp to house overflow guests and family.  The bunk house is small but very functional - it has three bedrooms and two full bathrooms, as well as a living room with a small kitchen and sofas that could sleep one or two more in a pinch.  The guests can sleep, shower and get some privacy in the bunk house and take advantage of the comforts of the main camp the rest of the time.  In the end, guests to our camp always want to be outside when the weather allows -- swimming, boating, hiking and just enjoying the lake and the beauty of the Adirondack wilderness.  And the bunk house is there when they are weary and ready for a hot shower and a restful sleep.  It is a simple solution to a problem that faces the family camp and allows everyone to be together without rolling out the sleeping bags.

Another View of the Old Eagle Cove Dining Pavillion

Old YMCA Camp on Fourth Lake

Cabins at Eagle Cove

The Adirondack Lean-To

There is something very Adirondack about the simple open camp pictured here, the lean-to. This structure was used when the Adirondacks were just being discovered and developed, by builders and loggers and hunters. Today, they are used by local landowners who hold barbecues or sleepovers in them. As a child, I begged my parents to let me sleep in our lean-to, but I was usually spooked by something and scurried up the hill back to my warm bedroom. On the occasions that my mother supervised the kids sleeping in the lean-to, she usually woke up alone! The lean-to affords a closeness to nature and yet provides shelter from the elements. It is eminently practical, useful, Adirondack.