Schedule
Saturday, 13 August 2016
Welcome Dinner, Blue Mt Lake, 7pm (6pm rehearsal for the wedding party)
Join us for an informal welcome to the weekend. You've traveled far, but at least dinner's taken care of. THANK YOU for making the trip. We're so excited to see you!
Sunday, 14 August 2016
Wedding Ceremony and
Dinner, Raquette Lake, 3-6pm; followed by Hoedown, Blue Mt Lake
Let's get married and enjoy dinner while cruising around beautiful and historic Raquette Lake. Please be at 224 Main St, Raquette Lake at 3pm sharp! Lively hoedown and cake at Blue Mt Lake to follow! Please RSVP your entree choice here before July 15.
Monday, 15 August 2016
Farewell Brunch and Swim, Blue Mt Lake, 1130am
What beats eating breakfast food al fresco at a civilized hour on a Monday? Bring your swimmies and a towel if you fancy a dip in the lake. Grab a floaty noodle or a buddy and swim to The Rock.
Dress
For the wedding: summer smart casual. Wedding = festive, but woods = informal, so somewhere in the middle. Philipp ordered a 3-piece suit, no tails. So that's kind of formal, but not terribly. Meanwhile, best ladies Alex and Nicola will wear cocktail length chiffon dresses. Hope that helps!
Otherwise, there are lakes and mountains, so bring your swimmies and comfortable hiking clothes if you want to get out and about.
Location
Welcome to our Adirondack wedding! Blue Mt Lake is a tiny blue dot on the map in the center of New York State’s Adirondack Park, our rustic paradise for the weekend. It’s halfway between the Left Coast and the European Continent. Serena also spent happy summers here as a wee tot. There are hiking, swimming, boating and water sports, to say nothing of fresh air and relaxation to enjoy. More about the Adirondacks here if you’re curious.
Local Recreation
Adirondack Museum
We are lucky to have one of the premier regional museums in the country right in Blue Mountain Lake. This gem is a fantastic place for visitors of all ages, offering lovely grounds and exhibitions, featuring a view of the wildlife, history and issues of the region, as well as hands-on exhibits, special events, and workshops. We have discount passes for all of you, so hit us up for those.
Other Recreation
| Airplane Rides - Tom Helms offers scenic rides over the Adirondacks. | (518) 624-3931 |
| Adirondack Lakes Centre for the Arts - exhibits of visual & performing arts | (518) 352-7715 |
| Boat Livery - boat rental, fishing tackle and bait, and ice cream. | (518) 352-7351 |
| Pedals and Petals - will deliver road bikes and mountain bikes with helmets | (315) 357-3281 |
| Blue Mountain Outfitters - hiking gear & guides | (518) 352-7306 |
| The Wild Center - natural history museum | (518) 359-7800 |
| Old Forge Water Park and Enchanted Forest | (315) 369-6145 |
| North Creek River Rafting - various rafting organisations operate out of North Creek NY | |
Dining
We find it easier to buy groceries in Albany and then hunker down and eat in every day. To be honest, in this environment, we’d rather eat frozen dinners than spend any significant amount time not enjoying the outdoors or your company. Still, there are a few options. Here are all that I know of. We haven’t been to all of them, but wanted to give as robust a list as possible.
Hamlet of Blue Mountain Lake
| The Cafe at the Adirondack Museum Full menu of soups, sandwiches and salads |
(518) 352-7311 |
| The Ole Station/Gas Station at the corner of Highway 28 & 30 Pick up a sandwich or a slice of pizza. Also carries a few groceries. |
(518) 352-9010 |
| The Hedges Lake-side dining. Reservation recommended. |
(518) 352-7325 |
| Hemlock Hall Lake-side dining. Reservation recommended. |
(518) 352-7706 |
Indian Lake (15 min*)
| Indian Lake Tavern and Restaurant | (518) 648-5115 |
| The Pig Deli II | (518) 648-5251 |
| Stewart’s Shop/Gas Station | (518) 648-0707 |
| Puterko’s Family Pizzeria | (518) 648-0007 |
| Chrissy’s Café | (518) 648-9905 |
| Bear Trap | (518) 648-5341 |
| Marty’s Chili Nights | (518) 648-5832 |
Long Lake (15 min*)
| The Adirondack Hotel | (518) 624-4700 |
| Long Lake Diner and The Owl’s Head Pub | (518) 624-3941 |
| ADK Trading Post | (518) 624-2357 |
Raquette Lake (15 min*)
| The Tap Room | (315) 354-4581 |
Inlet (30 min*)
| Seventh Lake House | (315) 357-6028 |
| Daikers Restaurant | (315) 369-6954 |
| Screamen’ Eagle Pizza | (315) 357-6026 |
| The Woods Inn | (315) 357-5311 |
North Creek (30 min*)
| barVino | (518) 251-5533 |
| Basil & Wicks | (518) 251-3100 |
| Pete’s Ahh! Pizza | (518) 251-5775 |
* origin point for drive times is Blue Mountain Lake
Nearest Groceries
| The One Stop at The Mobil Station, Indian Lake | (518) 648-5592 |
| Stewart’s Shop/Gas Station, Indian Lake | (518) 624-4796 |
| The Lake Store, Indian Lake | (518) 648-5222 |
| Northern Borne The General Store, Long Lake | (518) 624-3271 |
| Topps, North Creek | (518) 789-3610 |
Wildlife
You might see loon, beaver, otter, fox, coyote, raccoon, bear, chipmunk, and hundreds of other birds and animals, but please keep a safe distance.
Safety & Emergency
Safety is a paramount concern in the woods, especially in the North Country, fairly far from major urban centers and hospitals. Be Safe! In case of emergency, here are some contacts.
| Indian Lake Police | (518) 648-5757 |
| Blue Mt Lake Fire Department and Ambulance | (518) 352-7710 |
| Indian Lake: Hudson Headwaters Health Network, 6356 NYS Route 30 | (518) 648-5707 |
| Long Lake Medical Center, 8561 Newcomb Road | (518) 624-2301 |
Travel
The nearest airport is Albany, NY, which is about 2 hours east/southeast of our destination. We feel that the connection to the minor airport is not worth it, so we are flying to NYC and driving from there. Other folks are taking the opportunity to check out Montreal in Canada and Burlington, VT.
Albany is the best place to stop for groceries and any other needs. There are Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s and Grandma’s Pies and Restaurant among others. After that, one quickly finds oneself in North Country, where the rustic life rules, the natural landscape is grand and goods and services are, um, far away. Stock up in Albany and then enjoy fresh air that smells of balsam!
Housing
We grabbed housing when there was still snow on the ground because it sells out years in advance. With everyone's travel dates finalized, we made housing assignments and emailed them to everyone. Please let us know if you haven't received them.
Note: Most units come with a kitchen. As there are only limited options for going out, we recommend that you stop for groceries on your way up.
Venues
Welcome Dinner, Hoedown, Farewell Brunch
Everything in Blue Mt Lake is at Three Oaks. This is at the end of Maple Lodge Road, past Hemlock Hall and Minnowbrook Conference Center (which is incorrectly marked on Google Maps, but you will pass it, nonetheless; the sign outside says “S”.) Set your GPS to “Hemlock Hall” or use the map below to find your way there and then just keep going. Stay to the right, ignore all driveways to the left, even when the road turns to dirt. When you see a sign “PRIVATE NO MOTOR VEHICLES,” that means you're close and you should keep going. When you see a sign for “III Oaks,” we're just past the little wooden bridge.
Ceremony and Dinner Cruise
On Sunday, the wedding ceremony and dinner will be on a boat! Be at 224 Main St in the nearby town of Raquette Lake ready to depart by 3:00 pm sharp! Any trouble finding us? Call Donna Pohl at (315) 354-5532. Vegetarian options will be available all weekend. Please RSVP your entree choice here before July 15.
Who's Who
Serena & Philipp
Bride & Groom
Serena and Philipp met on a bike commute heading down the San Francisco peninsula toward Silicon Valley in 2013. They haven’t spent much time apart since. Among other things, they enjoy making gnocchi and riding bikes together.
Christopher Blizzard
MC and Preacher Man
When Philipp first came to the Bay Area, he met Chris and joined his car racing team. Since then Philipp has been proud to call Chris a teammate, close friend, and mentor. And now we're both delighted to call him the man who married us.
Alexandria Hoffman
Brooklyn Best Lady and Boss of Flowers and Frocks
Alex and Serena met in Brooklyn, NY, when Alex came to study Visual Culture: Costume Studies at Steinhardt, NYU. The connection of their creative souls was almost immediate and cemented with many good times spent together en famille in Fort Greene with Hilda, Nathan, Esme and Lion who will also be present.
Nicola Knipe
New Jersey Best Lady and Chief Decoration Officer
Nicola and Serena met on a press check. Their relationship grew from professional to personal over time and after many deftly written, tough negotiations by email. In "crossing over" into personal territory, they realized that they enjoy mutual inspiration in culinary, artistic and sportive explorations.
Kai Kuenheim
German Best Man
Kai was one of Philipp’s housemates while both attended university in Dresden. Their shared interests in bad puns, “affordable” beer, the Die Hard trilogy, and debating politics sparked their friendship and remain strong pillars of it to this day.
Daniel Witte
Kiwi Best Man
Daniel and Philipp met at their first full time job after grad school. They became friends after discovering their mutual passion for single malt Scotch and building race cars. They became work husbands a couple of years later, when they ended up on the same team at Facebook.
Scamper
Best Cat
Scamper came home with us July 2015. Many laughs later, she's grown into a full and fluffy mischief maker, with a great purring V8 engine and a mind of her own. You may not actually see her, because she's become shy, but she's our best cat.
Registry
Your presence at our marriage is the best gift of all. If you would still like to get us something to mark the occasion, we accept! Here are a few items we could really use.
