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RAQUETTE LAKE, NEW YORK

The Illusion of Roughing It: Adirondack Great Camps of the Vanderbilts and JP Morgan

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Program #14875RJ

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4 Days | 3 Nights
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Love to learn in a small-group setting? This collection of programs has at most 10-24 participants.
See our Small Group programs.
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EasyFor people looking to exercise their minds more than their bodies. There’s minimal walking and not too many stairs.
ModerateThese programs get you on your feet and include activities such as walking up to a mile in a day through a city and standing in a museum for a few hours.
ActiveFor people who enjoy walking as much as two miles a day, perhaps to explore historic neighborhoods or a nature trail.
Moderately ChallengingFor hardy explorers who enjoy a good physical challenge, spending most of their days on the go.
ChallengingGet ready to keep up with our highest-energy group. These demanding — and rewarding — programs are for seasoned outdoor enthusiasts.

Program Details > Daily Schedule

Elevation Note
Sagamore is at 1900 feet.

Itinerary for May 29 — Jun 1, 2012

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Type: Lodge

 Description: Sagamore’s authentic buildings dating from 1897 are situated on a peninsula jutting into pristine and picturesque Sagamore Lake. The Adirondack Forest Preserve surrounds the entire 27-building Sagamore estate owned by the Alfred Vanderbilt family from 1901-1954. Its wood and stone buildings are the vernacular rustic architecture on which our National Park lodges were modeled. Sagamore’s remote location removed from the normal hubbub will allow your full concentration on learning, the camaraderie of the people at hand, and the history that envelops you. As a guest at Sagamore, you will be accommodated in our historic buildings in (mostly) double occupancy rooms with twin beds and bathrooms, many with footed tubs, in the hallways. Most of our guests are housed in one of our three lodges each sleeping 20. In summer you may be assigned to a cottage sleeping up to seven. There are no telephones in rooms, no cell service, and no TV so your relaxation is assured. Our chef will carefully prepare buffet meals from which you will make your selections. The buffet is served in our paneled dining room with splendid views of Sagamore Lake. Everyone is called to meals by the bell. One of the highlights of our dining experience is our excellent water. Please do not bring bottled water with you. You may purchase beer and wine to accompany your meal. The dining hall seats 99. During free time many of our guests enjoy our hiking trails and canoeing. All guests are given a free pass to our award-winning guided tour. We also recommend a cruise aboard the W.W. Durant on Raquette Lake and a trip to the “Smithsonian of the Adirondacks,” the Adirondack Museum. Sagamore has four meeting rooms varying in size from 20 to 150. Two of them have fireplaces. There is also a lean-to where you can sleep or enjoy a campfire. Nothing at Sagamore is paved. Sagamore has 20 miles of hiking trails.

Contact info:
Sagamore Road
PO Box 40
Raquette Lake, NY 13436 USA
phone: 315-354-5311 x21
web: www.sagamore.org

Facility amenities: Sagamore is on a private lake. Canoes are available for guest use. Sagamore is also surrounded by 20 miles of hiking trails. The polpular lake trail is an easy 3 1/2 mile walk.

Smoking policy: No
Smoking policies vary by facility. During all group events and activities, smoking is prohibited.

Bathroom: Not all baths are private. Some baths have a shower only. Some have a tub only.

Additional nights before: 99
Based on availability. We are happy to accommodate these requests whenever possible.

Check in time: 4:00 PM

Day One: Tuesday, May 29 - Orientation 
Arrive To: Arrive at Sagamore between 4PM and 6PM for check in.

Dinner: Dinner is at 6PM in the Dining Hall. You will select from a buffet.

Evening: Dinner is followed by announcements. Then please meet for evening introductions, orientation, schedule overview, and a short presentation on Sagamore's history, preservation, and programs. Then relax and retire.

Lodging: Sagamore

Meals Included: Dinner
Close [ x ]
Type: Lodge

 Description: Sagamore’s authentic buildings dating from 1897 are situated on a peninsula jutting into pristine and picturesque Sagamore Lake. The Adirondack Forest Preserve surrounds the entire 27-building Sagamore estate owned by the Alfred Vanderbilt family from 1901-1954. Its wood and stone buildings are the vernacular rustic architecture on which our National Park lodges were modeled. Sagamore’s remote location removed from the normal hubbub will allow your full concentration on learning, the camaraderie of the people at hand, and the history that envelops you. As a guest at Sagamore, you will be accommodated in our historic buildings in (mostly) double occupancy rooms with twin beds and bathrooms, many with footed tubs, in the hallways. Most of our guests are housed in one of our three lodges each sleeping 20. In summer you may be assigned to a cottage sleeping up to seven. There are no telephones in rooms, no cell service, and no TV so your relaxation is assured. Our chef will carefully prepare buffet meals from which you will make your selections. The buffet is served in our paneled dining room with splendid views of Sagamore Lake. Everyone is called to meals by the bell. One of the highlights of our dining experience is our excellent water. Please do not bring bottled water with you. You may purchase beer and wine to accompany your meal. The dining hall seats 99. During free time many of our guests enjoy our hiking trails and canoeing. All guests are given a free pass to our award-winning guided tour. We also recommend a cruise aboard the W.W. Durant on Raquette Lake and a trip to the “Smithsonian of the Adirondacks,” the Adirondack Museum. Sagamore has four meeting rooms varying in size from 20 to 150. Two of them have fireplaces. There is also a lean-to where you can sleep or enjoy a campfire. Nothing at Sagamore is paved. Sagamore has 20 miles of hiking trails.

Contact info:
Sagamore Road
PO Box 40
Raquette Lake, NY 13436 USA
phone: 315-354-5311 x21
web: www.sagamore.org

Facility amenities: Sagamore is on a private lake. Canoes are available for guest use. Sagamore is also surrounded by 20 miles of hiking trails. The polpular lake trail is an easy 3 1/2 mile walk.

Smoking policy: No
Smoking policies vary by facility. During all group events and activities, smoking is prohibited.

Bathroom: Not all baths are private. Some baths have a shower only. Some have a tub only.

Additional nights before: 99
Based on availability. We are happy to accommodate these requests whenever possible.

Check in time: 4:00 PM

Day Two: Wednesday, May 30 - "Vanderbilt day": Lecture/Lecture/tour/DVD presentation 
Breakfast: Breakfast is at 8AM in the Dining Hall.

Morning: After breakfast we will meet for an overview of Vanderbilt and the Gilded Age era which gave birth to the great camps of the Adirondacks. We will learn the building functions and envision the lifestyle they contained a century ago. We will meet Cornelius Vanderbilt, the first American to amass personal wealth.

Lunch: Lunch is at noon in the Dining Hall.

Afternoon: After lunch we will take the full tour of the 27 buildings at Great Camp Sagamore. Our afternoon lesson will include a visit to the historic gasoline (yes, really) lighting system in the basement of the Main Lodge. In later afternoon there will be free time to enjoy the lake and trails or to view the permanent exhibit and virtual tour or to shop. You might also try your skill at croquet, Mrs. Vanderbilt's favorite game.

Dinner: Dinner is at 6PM in the Dining Hall.

Evening: After dinner, our third buffet meal of the day in the dining hall, we will see a video produced by the A&E network called "Adirondack Camps" a segment of the America's Castles series. After that you may be beckoned by a jigsaw puzzle or board game with your fellow participants. Remember, Sagamore has no TV so your relaxation is assured.

Lodging: Sagamore

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Close [ x ]
Type: Lodge

 Description: Sagamore’s authentic buildings dating from 1897 are situated on a peninsula jutting into pristine and picturesque Sagamore Lake. The Adirondack Forest Preserve surrounds the entire 27-building Sagamore estate owned by the Alfred Vanderbilt family from 1901-1954. Its wood and stone buildings are the vernacular rustic architecture on which our National Park lodges were modeled. Sagamore’s remote location removed from the normal hubbub will allow your full concentration on learning, the camaraderie of the people at hand, and the history that envelops you. As a guest at Sagamore, you will be accommodated in our historic buildings in (mostly) double occupancy rooms with twin beds and bathrooms, many with footed tubs, in the hallways. Most of our guests are housed in one of our three lodges each sleeping 20. In summer you may be assigned to a cottage sleeping up to seven. There are no telephones in rooms, no cell service, and no TV so your relaxation is assured. Our chef will carefully prepare buffet meals from which you will make your selections. The buffet is served in our paneled dining room with splendid views of Sagamore Lake. Everyone is called to meals by the bell. One of the highlights of our dining experience is our excellent water. Please do not bring bottled water with you. You may purchase beer and wine to accompany your meal. The dining hall seats 99. During free time many of our guests enjoy our hiking trails and canoeing. All guests are given a free pass to our award-winning guided tour. We also recommend a cruise aboard the W.W. Durant on Raquette Lake and a trip to the “Smithsonian of the Adirondacks,” the Adirondack Museum. Sagamore has four meeting rooms varying in size from 20 to 150. Two of them have fireplaces. There is also a lean-to where you can sleep or enjoy a campfire. Nothing at Sagamore is paved. Sagamore has 20 miles of hiking trails.

Contact info:
Sagamore Road
PO Box 40
Raquette Lake, NY 13436 USA
phone: 315-354-5311 x21
web: www.sagamore.org

Facility amenities: Sagamore is on a private lake. Canoes are available for guest use. Sagamore is also surrounded by 20 miles of hiking trails. The polpular lake trail is an easy 3 1/2 mile walk.

Smoking policy: No
Smoking policies vary by facility. During all group events and activities, smoking is prohibited.

Bathroom: Not all baths are private. Some baths have a shower only. Some have a tub only.

Additional nights before: 99
Based on availability. We are happy to accommodate these requests whenever possible.

Check in time: 4:00 PM

Day Three: Thursday, May 31 - "Morgan day": Lecture/tour/walk out of doors/Lecture/Entertainment 
Breakfast: Breakfast is at 8AM in the Dining Hall.

Morning: We will go to Uncas, our sister camp. Uncas belonged to JP Morgan. We will make the 2 mile walk on foot (rise of 200 feet), or you may opt to catch our car shuttle instead. We will view Durant's second camp,only half the size of Sagamore, but considered his first fully realized creative ensemble of buildings. Then we will return to Sagamore.

Lunch: After seeing Uncas we will eat lunch.

Afternoon: We will learn about the Adirondack Park itself, a 6 million-acre experiment in a recovering wilderness. Now 50%-50% state and public land, we will discuss the kinds of issues that arise when people live in a park. Following the session, there will be time to play sports or games or relax.

Dinner: Dinner is at 6PM in the Dining Hall.

Evening: Tonight we are in for a real treat. Our entertainment is all-Adirondack with stories and songs from a true raconteur. Crowd-pleaser doesn't begin to cover it!

Lodging: Sagamore

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day Four: Friday, June 01 - Lecture/DVD presentation 
Breakfast: Another hearty 8AM breakfast is our final meal together.

Morning: We will meet for a grand finale with a look inside the Vanderbilt scrapbooks via the magic of digital photography. Good-byes are at 10A.

Meals Included: Breakfast


Free Time Opportunities


Raquette Lake, NY
Adirondack MuseumOften described as the "Smithsonian of the Adirondacks" the Adirondack Museum is a multi-building facility on lovely grounds with views of the Eckford Chain of Lakes. 518 352-7311
For additional information, visit: www.adirondackmuseum.org
The W.W. DurantThe Durant is a dine and cruise boat on Raquette Lake, the largest natural lake in the Adirondacks. Their educational narration will contribute to your understanding of the Gilded Age in the Adirondacks. 315-354-5532
For additional information, visit: www.raquettelakenav.com
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Important information about your itinerary:
Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the information featured on this website. Itineraries are based on our best information at this time. Circumstances beyond our control may require us to adjust itineraries or other details. We regret any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your understanding. Information will be sent to you from your Program Provider approximately three weeks prior to the program start date.
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Our Value Promise To You

You won't find a better value.

Included
at no additional cost on this date ...
•3 nights of accommodations
•8 meals: 3 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 3 dinners
•4 Expert-led lectures
•2 Field trips
•1 Performances
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