| Date | Rating | Comment
[Guest Comments: 0 positive, 0 negative]
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| 08/29/08 |
N/A |
Guest Comment Entered By Homeowner:
What a wonderful time we had! The views f the moon over the lake will always be with us as will the beautiful sunrises. The Kids really enjoyed fishing in the lake - caught many fish! We had such a great time - can't wait to come back!
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Family from Pelham, NY
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| 07/19/08 |
N/A |
Guest Comment Entered By Homeowner:
We had a great time. Our collective children [ages 3 to 11] swam an estimated 5 hours per day! They loved the boats and caught lots of fish. Two of us adults swam to Birch Island and back - and to Dock Island! We had so much fun - great house and great spot!!
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Two Families
Delmar, NY & Seattle, WA
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| 07/19/08 |
N/A |
Guest Comment Entered By Homeowner:
We had a great time. Our collective children [ages 3 to 11] swam an estimated 5 hours per day! They loved the boats and caught lots of fish. Two of us adults swam to Birch Island and back - and to Dock Island! We had so much fun - great house and great spot!!
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Two Familes
Delmar, NY and Seattle, WA
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| 07/12/08 |
N/A |
Guest Comment Entered By Homeowner:
We had a great week at Camp Kidura! The house was comfortable and easy to make into our home for a week. We spent most of our time playing in the water - swimming, fishing, kayaking and canoeing and tubing. Our kids loved playing many of the games (thank you!) and the puzzles amused us adults as well. I highly suggest the Wild Center as an activity. Thanks for putting a lot of thought into the house - it showed!
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Family from Wantagh, NY
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| 07/04/08 |
N/A |
Guest Comment Entered By Homeowner:
The two of us had this magnificent house all to ourselves after several friends had to change their plans at the last minute. Undeterred, we packed our gear and headed north for ADK. As we both had to take care of “day job” activities, we really appreciated the internet access and scanner. Once free of our work duties, we took advantage of the well-stocked boathouse: first we canoed to Chapel Island, another day I took out one of the kayaks (Tina wasn’t so sure about the “trapped leg” seating) and then today we took the rowboat out to the middle of the lake for a better view of the amazing wooden boat parade. We also braved a swim each morning before the rest of the Sekon neighbors even had their first cup of joe. And as I schlepped my bike all the way up, I found the roads ideal for cycling (30-40mi routes abound along scenic roads lined with forests and lakes). There were also many rousing nights of championship board-gaming (of which we both won a few rounds and decided to call it even for the sake of our relationship…). Tonight we settled down on our blanket next to the Saranac Lake (downtown) for the fireworks show. And of course, the kitchen is so well setup and stocked that we had a wonderful, home-cooked meal each night. Clearly worth the 13 hours of driving from Kentucky! Thank you for making this wonderful home available to the rest of us!
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T&J
Germany (via Kentucky)
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| 06/03/08 |
N/A |
Guest Comment Entered By Homeowner:
Yes we had a wonderful and eventful time at your cottage. We were hiking up Ampersand and almost - but not quite - interrupted a marriage proposal. I think we missed the moment by about 15 seconds! Hiking down Big Slide (I think that's the correct name), one of our group broke her wrist. Just an unlucky slip of her foot. We absolutely loved your cottage. We enjoyed meeting Chick - we had so many questions for him about the history of the area. I'm sure we will rebook next year
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Kathie and friends
Toronto, Canada
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| 05/29/08 |
N/A |
Guest Comment Entered By Homeowner:
We had a great time at the camp. Everyone loved it. Ed was wonderful, he was very nice and helpful. Very attentive.
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Family from North Lawrence, NY
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| 03/02/08 |
N/A |
Guest Comment Entered By Homeowner:
From the moment we walked into your beautiful home until we left we had a great time. Your home is just perfect. Our hockey tournament came second to sitting around the roaring fire playing games and talking. Thank your for a wonderful weekend!!
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The C. Family
Tomkins Cove, NY
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| 02/25/08 |
N/A |
Guest Comment Entered By Homeowner:
What a wonderful place. We had a terrific weekend. Thanks for everything.
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Brielle, NJ
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| 01/15/08 |
N/A |
Guest Comment Entered By Homeowner:
BEAUTIFUL! We loved it at Camp Kidura. The camp, the area... all lovely. The camp was immaculate. The area was pristine. We enjoyed tubing, skiing, snowshoeing, and lots of time around the fire enjoying games, books, family dinners, and of course the view. We can't wait to return! Nothing better than a relaxing, peaceful retreat with family and friends.
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Allison, family and friends
Virginia, Ohio, and Connecticut
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| 11/25/07 |
N/A |
Guest Comment Entered By Homeowner:
The Baker Street Team truly enjoyed our corporate retreat at Camp Kidura. In some ways, fall/winter is the best time to visit with the great fireplace roaring and the snow falling outside – a true holiday setting. Views are unbeatable and the décor of the camp is perfect! See you again!
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Baker Street Team
New York
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| 11/12/07 |
N/A |
Guest Comment Entered By Homeowner:
What a wonderful, well constructed home with gorgeous views! It was so peaceful and relaxing – I do believe we were the only people in the entire camp. We really enjoyed the pheasants. The fireplace kept us toasty during these cold days. Thanks again for opening up your beautiful home to us.
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Family from Loudonville, NY
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| 10/14/07 |
N/A |
Guest Comment Entered By Homeowner:
Thank you so much. We had a wonderful time and your home is absolutely beautiful. We hope to make many return visits.
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Family from Highland Park, IL
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| 10/08/07 |
N/A |
Guest Comment Entered By Homeowner:
Lovely house by the lake!! Great place to stay. We had a great relaxing stay. Beautiful view. Love the woodwork and space. The best rental house we’ve had!!! “Chick” was very helpful and attentive. Thank you.
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Family from Stamford, CT
(and the Philippines)
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| 09/01/07 |
N/A |
Guest Comment Entered By Homeowner:
We loved our vacation on Saranac Lake and hope to return. Your house is beautiful, the views are incredible and the Camp Sekon is a great playground for the family. We had a wonderful time!
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Family from Gillette, NJ
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| 08/25/07 |
N/A |
Guest Comment Entered By Homeowner:
We’ve had a glorious 5 weeks here at Camp Kidura. We love the house, the view and the woods. Everyday we were visited by a family of loons (parents and almost-grown child). We had a lovely family baptism at Chapel Island. Great place. Thank you!
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Laurel, Michael and family
Family from New York
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| 07/14/07 |
N/A |
Guest Comment Entered By Homeowner:
What a beautiful home! We've especially admired the gorgeous woodwork. Had a great stay.
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Leslie, Robert, Peggy and family
Kingwood, TX
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| 11/24/06 |
N/A |
Guest Comment Entered By Homeowner:
Camp Kidura proved to be the perfect place to spend Thanksgiving. The house was well kept, warm and my new family loved it. The house has spectacular views and once you get the fire going, it warms the entire house without turning on the heater. The kitchen is full stocked and had everything we need to cook a full Thanksgiving dinner. The price was reasonable and I’m sure we will be here in many Thanksgivings to come.
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Carmen
Oakland, CA
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| 10/30/06 |
N/A |
Guest Comment Entered By Homeowner:
(guest comments published online in a WomenOf article titled: "Saranac Lake: Mother Nature’s Health Resort")
Part One of Three
In late August, my husband, Russ, and I joined a group of friends in renting a house on Saranac Lake in upstate New York for 10 days. A vacation in the Adirondacks sounded like a good escape from the stresses of work-life, but being busy New Yorkers, we wondered if 10 full days in the middle of nowhere would leave us bored. To our delight, we found the region rich in all kinds of outdoor activities with an interesting historical backdrop to boot. Perhaps the greatest enjoyment came from learning how to slow down and relax. No wonder Saranac Lake is famous as a therapeutic destination for everything from tuberculosis to rejuvenating the soul.
Located in the middle of New York State’s 6-million-acre Adirondack Park – the largest park in the nation outside of Alaska – the village of Saranac Lake is the gateway to Upper, Middle and Lower Saranac Lakes. The eponymous lakes extend west of the village center as you come from the interstate highway and nearby Lake Placid, the host of both the 1932 and 1980 Olympic Games.
Our rental house, called Camp Kidura, was situated on the southern end of Upper Saranac Lake. In the Adirondacks, locals call these lake houses “camps”, a term that harks back to the late 19th century when wealthy New Yorkers built summer homes there to better commune with nature – never mind that these homes were simply rustic versions of their urban mansions, complete with guest cottages and servants quarters on the premises. These historic “Grand Camps,” owned by such venerable families as the J.P. Morgans or the Vanderbilts, still dot the region, although few are still family-owned. Camp Kidura is located on the property of former Grand Camp Sekon Lodge.
Newly built, the house is equipped with most of the modern amenities one might need. However, by some stroke of fortune, there was no service for cell phones or other portable work gadgets for miles around. Consequently, Russ and the other workaholics of our group were forced to think outside of the BlackBerry on how to entertain themselves....
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Julie, Russ and friends
New York City, NY
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| 10/30/06 |
N/A |
Guest Comment Entered By Homeowner:
Part Two of Three
...As it turns out, one of our friends enjoys making bread. Each morning he would bake a fresh loaf for breakfast, with flavors ranging from sour dough to raisins and cinnamon, to bananas, blueberries and walnuts. Unsurprisingly, breakfast became a meal not to miss. Gathering in the great room of the house, with its floor to ceiling windows overlooking the lake, we’d enjoy coffee and fresh bread each morning together as we watched the sun rise and burn the mist off the still, glassy water. While these breakfasts, book-ended by a big, delicious dinner at night, leant a kind of familial structure to each day, we all pursued different adventures according to our interests during the day.
In Saranac Lake, outdoor activities comprise the lion’s share of local diversions, and we indulged in as many of them as we could. We took in numerous hikes, berry picking, bike rides and so forth. Shopping at the local markets also became a frequent pastime as we bought fresh local corn-on-the-cob and other fixings for our nightly feasts.
Being lakeside, water sports were naturally big on our agenda. From our dock, it was about a half mile to Chapel Island, where many locals, and even some tourists, go to get hitched in the pretty little chapel on it. For us, it served as a convenient destination for a hearty swim or a leisurely paddle in one of Camp Kidura’s canoes or kayaks. A few of us even renewed our wedding vows, dripping wet from the swim, with the birds as witnesses.
For longer excursions on the lake, we rented a small motor for Camp Kidura’s row boat and put-putted around the shoreline to check out some of the lake houses. While most houses were tastefully hidden from view, keeping the lake from looking overdeveloped, some of the Grand Camps, or at least their boathouses, could still be spotted.
On one motorboat trip Russ and I headed off to see The Point, the Rockefeller’s luxurious former camp, which sports a boathouse the size of a suburban McMansion. Before we turned around to go home, Russ decided he couldn’t make it home without answering the call of nature. So, we cozied the boat up to the shore out of view of any buildings, and, with the engine idling, Russ proceeded to do his business off the side of the boat. As luck would have it, the lake currents shifted and sent us drifting towards the boathouse. Before we could swing ourselves around, the Rockefeller estate’s guests, who pay as much as $2,600 per night for a nature experience, got to witness Russ having his own experience of nature.....
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Julie, Russ & Friends
New York City, NY
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| 10/30/06 |
N/A |
Guest Comment Entered By Homeowner:
Part Three of Three
... Before vacationing there, I never knew that Saranac had such an interesting history. While Saranac is famous today for its outdoors activities, it was once better known for its therapeutic powers for sufferers of tuberculosis. In the late 19th century, one Dr. Edward Livingston Trudeau, who suffered from the disease, came to the region intending to live out the remainder of his days in an idyllic setting. To his surprise, he completely recovered. Sensing an opportunity to exploit the curative effects of pure air and a beautiful setting, Trudeau soon founded a sanatorium to treat other tuberculosis patients. Up until the 1950s, when a cure was finally found, Trudeau’s hospital was apparently one of the foremost tuberculosis hospitals in the world.
Trivia buffs might be interested to learn that Trudeau’s legacy in the community is not limited to his work on tuberculosis – he is also the forebear of cartoonist Garry Trudeau. Best-known for the politically inspired comic strip, Doonesbury, Garry Trudeau hails from Saranac Lake and is the great-grandson of the doctor.
By the time Russ and I were packing the car to go home, we were wondering how 10 days had passed so quickly, leaving us with still so much we wanted to do. But one thing that we did succeed in doing was to let the stresses of the daily grind slip away with the hikes, the swims to Chapel Island, and especially the daily bread-breaking. We learned to relax – and in doing so came to understand why Saranac Lake was, and still is, Mother Nature’s health resort.
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Julie, Russ and friends
New York City, NY
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| 10/09/06 |
N/A |
Guest Comment Entered By Homeowner:
I enjoyed my stay so much that its sad to have to go back home. Your home is beautiful and welcoming and its nice to lay your head somewhere so homey and cozy. The great view, lake, heated floors :-), large open kitchen/great room, and stone walkways are great amenities to have for guests. I came here with my 2 little sisters, my mother and our lifelong friends and neighbors, the Legno girls. We try to take beautiful mother/daughter trips once a year at least. This year, your home won the prize – LOL! We laughed, we cried, canoed, hiked, layed around and soaked up the view, & of course, ate a lot of great meals in your wonderful kitchen. My one sister and my great friend Tina were both pregnant this trip, and it was so great to be here & spend time together. The babies in the bellies I’m sure will enjoy it with us next year, cause we will be back! May every guest that comes here enjoy themselves as much as we did! We loved it here & thank you for another great memory in the Adirondacks.
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Amy, Elaine, Christy, Alicia, Joy
Spencerport, NY
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| 09/16/06 |
N/A |
Guest Comment Entered By Homeowner:
Loved everything. The house is AWESOME! I can’t believe how well equipped it is, the kitchen has just about everything you can need. Our family has decided to vacation together every year if possible and your wonderful place helped make that decision. This is a great place to relax.
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Diana
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| 09/16/06 |
N/A |
Guest Comment Entered By Homeowner:
Our group was favorably impressed with your beautiful and well-equipped lodge. We all enjoyed the view from the “window walls”. We may make this an annual event.
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Doug and family
Springfield,PA;Cleveland;Chicago
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| 09/04/06 |
N/A |
Guest Comment Entered By Homeowner:
Thanks for the fabulous house!
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New York City, NY
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| 08/26/06 |
N/A |
Guest Comment Entered By Homeowner:
We hiked, canoed, fished, and biked. Our week was too chilly to swim in lake. We cooked at home for every meal but one. House is extremely we equipped (although I never did find the top for the martini shaker – oh well – just had to improvise). The one meal we went our for was the restaurant called the “Tale O’ the Pup”. Decent food, fun atmosphere, and on the night that we were there – entertainment was two guitarists/singers who were very good.
House is absolutely beautiful! You can spend your stay here just gazing around at all the wonderful features. If you’re looking for peace and quiet with lots of fresh mountain air – this is the place! Lake Placid downtown area is nice to shop and browse. While you’re there, check out the gondola ride. Scenic boat ride (Lake Placid) very interesting, but skip the scenic train ride – nothing to see but more trees.
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Two families
Kansas City, MO
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| 08/19/06 |
N/A |
Guest Comment Entered By Homeowner:
We had a wonderful time at your lovely house. It was a wonderful week. Hope to be here again. The water sports were great. Thank you
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Edward, Hannah, Colin and family
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| 08/12/06 |
N/A |
Guest Comment Entered By Homeowner:
Our family spent a week in your lovely new home, and it will be one we will always remember. You have impeccable taste and the craftsmanship that went into the construction of your home was beyond that we have ever seen.
We will have special memories of our week at Camp Kidura – the quiet kayak rides early in the morning – the lakeside family feasts – and watching the moon rise over the east side of the lake each evening.
We also enjoyed meeting and working with Ed, your wonderful caretaker. He was always available and seemed to truly care about every detail relating to your home and “breaking it in” properly. We did have some minor suggestions to make the experience here even better and Ed made a list of these for you.
We hope we have the priviledge of spending 1-2 weeks here next summer in August. What a special spot!
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Lynn, Scott and family
Malvern. PA
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| 07/15/06 |
N/A |
Guest Comment Entered By Homeowner:
See you next summer!
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Christopher
Philadelphia, PA
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| 07/15/06 |
N/A |
Guest Comment Entered By Homeowner:
What an utterly wonderful place! You have built such a beautiful spacious, livable home, with such amazing views. We all had a wonderful time; we only wish we could stay longer. Many thanks
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Sara, Michael, Christopher & Alex
Philadelphia, PA
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| 06/30/06 |
N/A |
Guest Comment Entered By Homeowner:
We spent a week doing just what we wanted, sometimes “nothing”. The weather was fickle, but did not keep us from canoeing, hiking and even 9 holes. You have a fantastic camp to do all of the above. Enjoy your new home!
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David & Peg
Latham, NY
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| 06/01/06 |
N/A |
Guest Comment Entered By Homeowner:
A beautiful camp in a beautiful spot. We look forward to many more fun times at Camp Kidura. We’ll be back!
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Ann & Teb
Middletown, OH
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