The First Hoorah of Autumn

The weekend after our last hoorah of summer, we had our first hoorah of the Autumn season. The location was the Adirondacks, where the beautiful fall foliage was already starting to show. We were attending Ed's best friend's wedding at Inlet, NY. Ed had best man duties but we had plenty of free time to explore. We opted to stay at a "guided tent" at the inn the wedding took place instead of a regular room. Unlike our usual camping routine, we were "glamping" it on this trip. I borrowed that term from a show on I caught on the Travel Channel; it is a portmanteau for "glamorous camping". The tent was equipped with a comfy bed, basic furniture, heaters, a furnace, and it even had electricity. 

We had a private bathroom a few feet from the tent that was luxurious for normal standards (double shower heads?!). The inn did not allow pets, but the groom got special permission for his dog, Cabela. We were asked to keep her in our tent the night before the wedding. Niko stayed at a pet friendly motel with Ed's brother.

Coincidentally, on the day of the wedding, there was a special event going on in the small town of Inlet (population of 400).  The town was hosting an event called One Square Mile of Hope, an attempt to beat the Guinness Book of World Records for the most boats floating on a lake. It was also an event to raise money for the Susan G. Komen Foundation, for the Cure for breast cancer research. We almost brought our kayaks to partake in the event, but didn't for various reasons. Fourth Lake was right in front of the inn and we watched from the shore. It sure was a lot of people, a reported 1,925 canoes and kayaks. Congratulations, Inlet, for beating the world record! 
A group of us decided to go on a hike that would take us to the top of a peak, in hopes of getting a birds eye view of the kayak and canoe laden lake. Niko and Cabela went along on their leashes. It was quite a challenging hike up the mountain. There was a light mist and the trail was muddy and slippery. When we reached the top, we were highly disappointed. There was a heavy fog and we couldn't see two feet in front of us, let alone the lake. We needed a rest, so we loitered there for a bit. Not too long into our break, the fog started to break. It was amazing to see the view in front of us slowly appear. To our surprise, most of the boats had dispersed by this time. We enjoyed the scenery anyway and I caught Niko sneaking a kiss with Cabela:

Cabela, Best Pet

After the hike, we separated Niko from his pal Cabela. Cabela had some important tasks ahead of her at her parents' wedding. She is an exceptionally well trained dog. She performed her ring bearer task right on cue and melted guests' hearts. At the reception, she held the basket during the dollar dance and didn't drop a penny. Cabela truly surpassed her title as Best Pet in the wedding party.

Although Niko didn't get our fullest attention this weekend, it still beat being home. Here he is sniffing the air and saying good bye to the good old Adirondacks. 

See you next summer. We can't wait to return.