Explore the Adirondacks in your RV home away from home

Summer is just around the corner and a number of truly unique RV Parks are opening across the Adirondacks this month.

ADIRONDACK PARK, N.Y. - When you were a kid, camping meant pitching a tent in your backyard, making s'mores and telling ghost stories by flashlight. Fast forward a few years. A growing number of RV lovers have recaptured that lost adventure by refining their definition of camping in their homes away from home.

RV's provide transportation, accommodation and, perhaps most importantly, bathroom and kitchen facilities. They provide vacationers entre to everything from romance- inspired settings and pet-friendly trips to unforgettable family experiences. It may just be the next grown-up thing that makes you feel like a kid again.

Luckily, the Adirondack Park is within driving distance of several major cities including New York City and Montreal - and offers six million acres of outdoors to explore. With more than 3,000 lakes, 30,000 miles of rivers and streams along with 46 high peak mountains, New York State's Adirondack Park is truly one of America's most exciting destinations for RV enthusiasts. There are literally thousands of areas to explore, as well as a wide variety of outdoor sports and activities unmatched in the North American continent.

So while you are enjoying a nice hike in the High Peaks, don't worry about whether or not woodland creatures are congregating at your campsite for lunch.

Where to go:

Adirondack Adventure Resorts in Lake Saratoga Springs and Schroon River offer a beautiful setting for your RV vacation. With water, sewer and electric hook-ups, Swan Lake access, an annual Luau, an aqua playground and a pool - these resorts are truly family friendly. Call 1-800-340-CAMP, e-mail info@adirondackadventureresorts.com, or log onto AdirondackAdventureResorts.com.

In Westville, the Babbling Brook RV Park is fully equipped with laundry facilities, fire rings, and picnic tables. Visitors also have access to freshwater fishing in the Little Salmon River, tubing, kayaking, horseshoes, pool tables and a playground. Call (518) 358-4245 or (518) 483-7139, e-mail info@passport-america.com or log onto Passport- America.com.

Located on a 200-year-old farm, the Barber Homestead Park in Westport is off the beaten path, but well worth the trip. For more than 10 years, the Barber family has been welcoming big riggers, tenting enthusiasts and cabin dwellers to the secluded and peaceful grounds. Visitors enjoy access to fishing on nearby Lake Champlain, along with golfing, Summer Theater and shopping in the village of Westport, which is only two miles away. Abundant facilities and activities await Homestead visitors. Call (518) 962-8989, e-mail bhp@westelcom.com, or log onto BarberHomesteadPark.com.

Spend the night, week or season on the beautiful shores of Lake Champlain at the Port Kent Campsite. Located just west of the ferry dock in Port Kent, it is within walking distance a golf course, train depot and beach. Theme weekends and events are fun for the whole family; the Campsite is ideally located within easy driving distance of some of the Adirondacks best attractions. Call (518) 834-9011, e-mail pkcamp@westelcom.com or log onto Port-Kent-Campsite.com.

In Peru, the Ausable Point Campground is operated by the state Department of Environmental Conservation and is open from mid-May until Columbus Day. Although the campground does not have RV hook-ups, it does offer a shower house, a sand beach with a boathouse, recycling center, and toilet facilities and dump station. Wind surfing at the Stone Jetty, views of Garden Island, believed to have been the site of the first major sea battle of the American Revolution, and easy driving distance from Montreal and Lake Placid make this camp site a unique stop. Call (518) 561-7080, e-mail dpaeweb@gw.dec.state.ny.us, or log onto http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/24452.html

For more information on these and more RV sites, log onto visitadirondacks.com.

About the Adirondack Region

The Adirondack Park, named for the Adirondack Mountains that lie within its boundaries, offers some of the best opportunities in the United States for outdoor recreation in a superb natural setting. The wilderness lands of the Adirondack Park are an outdoor-lover's paradise and vacation packages offer a wonderful opportunity for visitors to sample all that there is to see and do in the region.

The Adirondack Regional Tourism Council can provide information about planning a vacation in the Adirondack region. Call 800-487-6867 or visit VisitAdirondacks.com for package listings, events, activities, restaurants, lodging and maps.