Route 9N In The Northeast Adirondacks

I was driving home from the farm through the northern Adirondacks with all six dogs in the car. I'd wanted to take a closer look at the town of Jay, New York and hoped to find an interesting "downtown" area. I found nothing of the sort, so turned south on Route 9N and headed back toward Keene, New York where I'd join Route 73, the route I most often take. I may not have found much of interest in Jay, but the scenery along the road was magnificent:

There wasn't much traffic, so I was easily able to pull over to the shoulder of the road to snap photos. And there were lots of scenic places I wanted pictures of:

An old fashioned split rail fence:

And a mountain behind one of the horse fences:

Whiteface Mountain off in the distance:

I found this scene exceptionally lovely, but by then the traffic was increasing and I wasn't able to stop. I found a place to turn the car around and drove back to snap this photo:

Mountains framed the hay fields in almost every direction:

We were driving southward toward Giant Mountain, Rocky Peak Ridge, Noonmark, and many of the most popularly hiked peaks. That's some of them straight ahead:

I saw a parking area alongside the road and pulled over to give myself a break and look more closely at the natural beauty of the area. There was a bubbling, babbling brook running along the parking area down in that brushy area. A farm field was just beyond that, followed by more forest, followed by more high peaks:
A brief video of this peaceful scene:



A small river flowed quietly past one end of the parking area. Jerusalem Artichokes bloomed along its banks:

Because it was so close to the highway, I didn't let the dogs out. But I certainly enjoyed the quiet beauty and serenity of the scene:

But I still had many miles yet to drive, so I snapped one more photo, got back into the car and continued my journey:

Up, Up Over The Shoulder Of Whiteface Mountain

I was traveling Gillespie Road in the Adirondack Mountains and it took me up over what I'd call the foothills of Whiteface Mountain. The road runs east and west over a sort of ridge which includes Morgan, Esther and Whiteface. The famous Whiteface Memorial Highway leads south from here directly up to the peak of Whiteface. I took my mother there once many years ago and it was magnificent. But the parking lot is somewhat below the peak and one must walk or take an elevator to the very top. With 6 dogs and lots of tourists, I don't plan to visit it again soon. Nevertheless, Gillespie Road - which soon becomes Route 86 is, as you can see, lovely:

There are foothills in all directions:

And, as Route 86 begins to descend down into the town of Wilmington, New York, I continued to snap photos:

And once in Wilmington, I came upon Santa's Workshop:

I'd expected it to be crowded with tourists, but it was closed. I've since checked the internet and The North Pole is apparently open for only a few months each year:

So, after taking a parking lot tour of Santa's Workshop, I continued on my way through the town of Wilmington:

Clearly, Wilmington is a tourist town and motels abound:

The views from Route 86 are fantastic, but there isn't any "downtown" area. At least none that I could find:

I passed a few very nice homes:

And continued driving east toward Jay, New York:

This very friendly looking house with its multiple chairs for sitting and spinning tales was set right along the side of the road:

The Town Of Jay, New York

I was driving up to the farm and decided to try to find a new route. This is more difficult than it might sound because of the dearth of roads in the Adirondack Park. That, after all, is how the area is kept wild. I had a series of small roads picked out and headed north on the main highway. But things began to go wrong from the outset. I missed my exit and began north of where I'd intended. I found roads which the map said didn't exist as well as roads which had different names than what they were called on the map. But I had a pretty good idea which way to head, so I kept driving. I eventually arrived at the town of Jay. I'd never been there before but had seen it listed many times while I searched the internet for affordable properties. Apparently, there are real estate bargains available in Jay which one wouldn't find elsewhere in the Park. So as I approached the town, I was amazed at the magnificent scenery, the kind for which I'd expect people to pay high prices:

Whiteface Mountain dominated the landscape in one direction, but I think it's fair to say that there were Adirondack Mountains everywhere I looked:

Hay fields allowed for expansive views of mountain ranges:

And the shadows of high flying clouds drifted across the green slopes like dark filmy ghosts:

These are some of the highest peaks in the Adirondacks and I knew I was almost to the town of Jay:

When I arrived in Jay, I found it a charming small town with breathtaking scenery. I shot only this one photo in town, but the next time I pass through I'll take more pictures. This was the beginning of my journey with six dogs in the car, and they were getting anxious for a rest stop. So finding one was the next order of business. More on that tomorrow: