Inlet is the perfect place for an Adirondack wedding getaway. My boyfriend Andy and I were invited to a wedding in Inlet last summer, and we decided to make a full weekend escape out of it, camping and paddling before the wedding then staying in a cozy cottage after.
We started the weekend by visiting Limekiln Lake State Campground. Andy is an expert at picking out the best camping spots, and we got a pretty good one on the water that wasn't too busy and only had one neighbor. It was a bit of a hike to the two closest bathrooms, but it's good to get a little walk in here and there when you're sitting around a fire all night.
We got set up, putting our canopy over the tent in case it rained that night. We love camping and we tend to have a pretty elaborate setup for car camping. But we do it enough that we can usually get everything set up in a half hour or so. So we got to work and were ready to sit down with a cocktail in front of the campfire before dark.
We only ran into one hitch: The bear containers. We do a lot of camping, but mostly in the Saranac Lake area, and we always take precautions for all the various wildlife that one encounters while camping, but we've never had a camping spot provide a bear locker before. It was nice to not have to worry about hanging food up in a tree or putting it in the car, which is what we usually do. It took us a little while to figure out how to open and close the locker, though! You have to be smarter than a bear, I guess.
Originally we had thought about going into town that night to meet up with friends, but we had so much fun roasting hot dogs and marshmallows and having a few drinks that we decided to stick around the fire for the evening.
In the morning, we had to check out Limekiln Lake. We packed up the tent and most of our stuff, then put our swimsuits on and hopped in the canoe. As we paddled out into the sunny lake, I was amazed by how clear the water was. We could see the bottom throughout almost the entire area we paddled. We made our way over to the campsite's beach, which was probably a 10 or 15 minute paddle. We went for a swim then hung out at the beach for a little while before heading back to finish packing up and check out of our site.
We went directly to our home for that night: Stiefvater's Lakefront Cottages. I immediately fell in love with the adorable cabin we had for the night. It was tiny but comfortable, and it had everything we needed.
It had a screened-in porch in front:
Then there was the main room, with a kitchenette — a small refrigerator, a sink, a small stove, and some cupboards and drawers holding all the basics like plates, silverware, a pot and pan, and more. There was also a small table with chairs in that room.
In the corner of that room was a tiny bathroom with just a toilet and the sink. In the back of the cabin was the bedroom. We brought our own bedding, but there were some blankets and pillows available there too.
We had a few minutes before getting ready for the wedding, so we explored the property a bit. There's a nice playground area for kids:
They also have a bunch of boats there in case guests want to use them:
And there's a cute little beach and dock area where people can launch their boats, swim, or just relax while looking out at the calming water.
There's even a game room with a ping-pong table, a foosball table, a huge shelf full of board games, an old school arcade game or two, and some big, comfy chairs to hang out in.
Then it was time to get ready and head to the wedding. It was at the Woods Inn, about a five- or 10-minute walk from Stiefvater's. So we got all dressed up and sauntered over to the inn.
The wedding was set up at the waterfront, creating a beautiful backdrop of the lake and mountains.
The party after the ceremony was held in a pavilion behind the ceremony location. The table setup was super elegant.
At some point during a break in the festivities, we ventured back to see the awesome glamping tents the Woods Inn has. There are only a few of them, and the bridge and groom and a few members of the bridal party were staying in them.
There's one on the waterfront, with its own private bathroom, and there's two that are sort of in the woods — it definitely has a secluded feel — that share a bathroom. The bathrooms are in a little shed, and they're surprisingly luxurious.
The tents themselves are made of a heavy canvas, and they have a large, comfortable bed with a sturdy Adirondack wood frame, plus some tables and comfy chairs, and electric lights.
The tent really looked amazing. I want to go back and stay in one myself sometime soon!
The wedding continued on with great food, dancing, music, and lots of fun. Later on in the evening, everyone headed to Daikers in Old Forge for some live southern rock and more dancing. Then we headed back, and we hung out on our adorable little porch in the rain to finish out the night.
In the morning, we just had to clean up the cabin a bit and sweep up so it was ready for the next guest, and then we headed home. It was a great weekend in Inlet, and we hope to have another soon!
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