The Adirondack Village Of St. Regis Falls

Tuesday morning arrived and I shut off the water supply to my little farm apartment, cleaned the floors and packed the dogs up into the car for the drive back home to Albany. I followed the usual route except that I detoured into the little village of St. Regis Falls. When I saw a sign pointing to the left and reading "Waterfalls," I turned to go have a look. I had to enter a private campground, but it was winter and no one was around:

I parked my car and walked close to the riverbank, being very careful of the ice on the ground. The thought of slipping into that frigid water was enough to make me cautious. The first thing I saw was an American flag atop a giant boulder in the middle of the St. Regis River:

The falls themselves were beautiful indeed:

The campground consisted of many rustic cabins, apparently rented by the week during the summertime and looked to me like they'd provide a reasonably priced and friendly vacation for a family:

I drove out of the campground and into the village of St. Regis Falls, stopping to photograph the Adirondack Cafe, located in a sort of geodesic dome:

This classic Adirondack style building was the home office of 21st Century Construction, located right in the center of St. Regis Falls. I looked them up on the Internet when I got home and discovered that they build many Great Camps and high end homes in the Adirondacks. Click here for a gallery of their work:

St. Regis Falls had its own Post Office:

And a big old school which appeared to have been abandoned. I checked on the Internet when I got home and learned that it had indeed been closed due to safety concerns and a new school built nearby (though I didn't notice the new building when I was there):

The village had a bustling gas station and convenience store where I've stopped more than once on my way home from a hike (I'm always extra hungry and thirsty after a hike):

The Riverside appeared to be what used to be called a Bar & Grill:

And St. Regis Falls had its own bank:

I have searched the Internet without much success for an explanation of this dam and building. It appears to be a hydro-power generating dam and part of the Azure Mountain Power Company. It's certainly scenic. But I was on my way home and already dallied far too long. So I pulled back onto Route 458 and pointed my car homeward: