Sunday, August 12, 2012

Spectacular Wanakena, New York - Part 1

I was having a great weekend up at the farm and had just hiked up to the Cathedral Rock fire tower and back. But the day was still young, so I drove to the hamlet of Wanakena:

Wanakena is a hamlet on the shores of the Oswegatchie River and Cranberry Lake. I once began a week long wilderness canoe adventure in Wanakena, so I remembered much about the village and this felt a like a bit of a homecoming. The Cranberry Lake Wild Forest was evident even in the hamlet itself, with big trees shading the homes:

And many of the homes had a summer camp feel to them. Indeed, many of them were only summer residences:

And nearly all front porches were screened. This is prime Black Fly and Deer Fly country:

It was a relaxed and friendly place:

And water was everywhere, so owning a boat was a natural thing to do. The golf cart, I guessed, was for driving around town:

Adirondack siding. How appropriate:

Red Adirondack chairs on a deck without screening. Oh wait, there's a screened porch behind the deck. Black Fly and Deer Fly seasons are not to be trifled with:

I stopped at the Post Office and General Store to buy myself a sandwich for lunch. They had prepared sandwiches, all organic and very healthy at - well, very healthy prices. Apparently this is a high-end tourist town:

This 171 foot suspension footbridge was constructed in 1908 between the village and the Rich Brothers Lumber Mill to get employees to and from work. It still stands today and has become a bit of a tourist destination. I remembered walking across it when I was in Wanakena years ago for my canoe trip:

I was enjoying my driving tour of Wanakena and thinking how pleasant it must be to spend summers here. But there was still more to see. I'll post more tomorrow:

3 comments:

  1. Soooo nice to see all of these pictures of Wanankena. I have not been there to visit in many years. It has changed so much that I only recognize the store, church, and the foot bridge. :)...I never actually lived there, but my husband (Bill (Peanut) Sawyer) was born and raised there, but the old home place has been sold and we don't get there much anymore.

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    1. Yes, I remember you Glenda, and Peanut. I am Doris (nee) Rushmore from Wanakena. I did live there while in high school. It was a great place at that time. I was married in that little Church in 1958. It is so sad to see the bridge like that. I spent many happy hours on it.

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    2. I'm Ducky and Leo's girl Linda , best friends with Jean Sullivan. I miss Wanakena!

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