Waiting for Favor Season: Part 1

It's October 12th, the "traditional" or real Columbus Day everyone and why I specifically waited to post on the actual holiday!  Does anyone even remember anymore?

Columbus Day Weekend is a favorite time of year of ours, especially when I would get a few extra days off from my hectic teaching schedules.  

Wherever I’ve taught, the school districts have workshops for the staff before releasing us for a three or four-day break from classes.

Normally I don’t have a post for this weekend, because, well … I’m usually in workshops (but this year I only have one).  The good thing however, is that I’ve planned ahead!  

Although this is a little different in my regular posts, I thought you might like to know what types of things I’ve done when away from my regular duties.  The descriptions may be brief, but it all comes together with a purpose.

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Driving with Mr. Daily

I suppose for most, Columbus Day Weekend was like any other long weekend, but not for us.  Anticipation began every year in late September, as temperatures start cooling down.  My husband regularly called upstate New York to hear the changing leaves reports in the Adirondack Mountains and Catskills.

Hubby kept up this daily ritual of calling for thirteen years, longing for the time when he could actually visit these truly remarkable places he heard about from the time we first met!  It started after I initially shared with him the details of my family holidays that we made back “home” to NY, as my parents would say (both being from there).

“My son (daughter), do not forget My teaching, but keep My commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life many years and bring you peace and prosperity.  Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.  Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.” (Proverbs 3:1-4 NIV)

We prayed, waited and continued in our faith. Finally, God opened the opportunity for us to go; hubby couldn’t have been more elated!  We made the decision to trek up to New York and see the glory of the Lord through nature for ourselves.  Packed and ready, with our traveling boots on we headed to the Adirondack mountains.  

You might have thought we were about to take a world tour with all the food and “stuff” we brought for the weekend adventure. This was a long time coming and hubby wanted to be prepared.  Believe me – we were!

Peaceful Villa

Traveling from Southern New Jersey, the trip takes about six hours, but the drive in the fall season is worth every minute of it.  Heading northward you see varying stages of color changes in the “Godscape” around you. 

Nearing the Lake George region, you are surrounded by the mountainous tree backdrop, with the leaves at peak colors of bright orange, red, gold, green and brown.  By the time you see the waterfront you have to stop in awe of the magnificence of God’s creation.

Upon arrival in Lake George District we check in to our weekend accommodations.  Hubby learned to make the reservations a year in advance, because Columbus weekend is always the prime time to view the fall foliage, and the village usually closed down for the winter right afterwards.  

Over the years we stayed at different cottages, cabins or lodges until we found favor at a place called Sun Castle Villas.  It was on a private estate that dated back into the 1800's, and the entry to the mansion house served as the office. 

Waking up to the smells of hubby making breakfast in this warm and cozy chalet was so relaxing for the soul, it revitalized me every time we went there.  The favored cooking part my husband likes to do all the time, but eating and sipping hot chocolate in front of ceiling to floor windows overlooking the lake is something we don’t get to experience every day. 

Our rental chalet was a photographer’s and writer’s dream.  Located right on the lakes edge it offered days of peaceful quiet times, and a fantastic unobstructed view of the "Queen of American Lakes".

A Prayer for Christmas Snow

Among a few of the “recreational” activities Hubby has fished right outside the front porch from our villa on a little deck, and we have gone horseback riding in the thick forests that surround the lake. 

With Lake George as our base, it is a good jump-off point for site-seeing in the Adirondack Region.  One of the things on my bucket list was to travel further north to North Pole, NY and Santa's Workshop. 

The only thing that could make it more special is if it snowed while we were there, but the weather had been exceptionally warm and there wasn’t one flake reported for the season.  Sounds ridiculous, but would God hear a prayer for snow?  Why not?

“Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.” (Psalm 37:4)

Christmas snow came early that year and God answered my prayer with a yes!  The day we pulled into the parking lot at Santa’s North Pole it started to snow! 

The staff at “the Pole” were ecstatic as the people poured in to the village.  As a matter of fact, it snowed so hard that the Forest Rangers closed off the road that led to the summit of White Face Mountain.  

A Gem to Behold

We visited Blue Lake Mountain and a Garnet mine.  Actually, the mine tour was closed for the day when we got there.  We did, however, see how they go about the mining process and view the end result of their labor - the gorgeous deep dark red garnet gemstone.

Olympic Size Travel

Before we made plans for our yearly Lake George trips, we tried to include various places we wanted to go and scheduled each appropriately so we could see as much as possible. Sometimes that meant doing marathon driving to get to a certain place and back to our villa by nightfall on the lake.

An example of that was being able to visit the ski resort and Olympic Village of Lake Placid which is also in the Adirondacks.  The ski jump structure from the 1980 Olympics is still in place. Obviously it's been renovated for repairs.

Hubby always thought that it would be so cool to go off the ski jump.  After seeing this towering structure, he changed his mind.  It’s massive!

Ferrying Along

A day trip from Lake George that became an annual event for us was taking the seven-minute Fort Ticonderoga cable ferry across Lake Champlain into the New England States.  The ferry had tables set up to sell cute little bags of fresh Vermont apples for munching on while relaxing as we saw the shoreline drawing near.

From there it was a short trip into a town where we visited apple and pumpkin farms that sold their specially made Vermont maple syrup, cider, fudge, jams, preserves and extra sharp cheddar cheese. 

On one particular trip Hubby participated in a taste test between Vermont and New York Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese.  When they asked for his decision of which state won, he didn’t have a favorite liking both selections but smiled and said, "Not sure yet.  You keep cuttin' and I'll keep testin'."   Funny enough – they did!

If you came to pick apples or your own pumpkins the festivities begin with a hayride out into the fields and back.  Along the way you could stop off at the petting farm with turkeys that followed the visitors, chickens, a donkey and a litter or two of piglets.

The family that owned the farm were always so friendly and made our visit outrageously enjoyable with all the activities and goodies they provided.

Shop the Day Away

Making a semi-circle from the ferry lead us back to Glens Falls just south of Lake George and into the shopping districts, where we saw a mint conditioned candy apple red Corvette belonging to someone visiting the area.  It got to the point that we looked for it and without fail she was there ten years in a row.

Shopping was spread out over three areas for us.  The Lake George Village Mall, the quaint shops at Bolton's Landing and the more "citified" Aviation Mall in Glens Falls. 

Things have changed over the years around Lake George.  I guess now it is more of a year-round resort, which sort of takes away from the heritage of it all (at least for me anyway).

Oooo … that’s it for now friends!

Have you enjoyed reading about some of our weekend excursions from over the years?  Come back next time for part 2 of "Waiting for Favor Season".

I’d like to leave you with this thought from the Lord … remain faithful then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man!  

If this article has encouraged or helped you, please share it by using the social media icons provided at the end of this post.  

Until next time, remain faithful and God will favor your heart's desire!

“I delight in favoring the prayers of the Righteous.”

- Jesus Christ

*Unless noted, the names in articles are changed to protect the individual(s) privacy.  

Note: When used, the words satan or devil are not capitalized deliberately, because we give him no place in our lives. 

Disclaimer: Article information is not meant to be used as treatment for mental or physical issues, but geared toward spiritual awareness. 

What’s New This Week: Click on link.  

                        The Adirondacks Season by Season by Heilman Carl (Hardback/ color) 

   

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Disclaimer Notes: Results may vary due to lack of belief.

Scripture reference was taken from the New King James Bible Version provided by Bible Gateway.

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Image Columbus Day  Genesis 1:31  North Pole NY and Santa Workshop  Olympic Village of Lake Placid Fort Ticonderoga Cable Ferry

Labels: Daily Favor Blog, Favored1, Waiting on Favor Season Part 1, Holidays, Columbus Day Weekend, Columbus Day, Seasons of Favor, Waiting on God, Steamboats, Lake George, Adirondack Mountains, Horseback Riding, Fort Ticonderoga, Lake Champlain, Vermont, New York Regions, Lake Placid Olympics, North Pole New York Santa’s Workshop.