News From The Fulton House - Vol. 25, Winter 2019

The View

As in years past, I sit here at a nordic ski facility, sometimes in a bus, sometimes in a chalet. It's 7 am and it will be a clear day, blue sky, few clouds, sun! As the sun's golden glow appears to the east, I take it in for more than a few moments and smile.

The Fulton House

Last fall we replaced the roof on Fernhill--just in time, too. The following week winter's grip was upon us and the hope of working on additional projects came to a halt. Hopefully, spring will be kinder and gentler to us. We hope to replace the lower roof of the Main House and work on a number of other projects that we hope will enhance your vacation experience.

The Baileys

All signs indicate that Fern's first semester of college was a good one. She quickly made friends, she did well academically (though she was not inspired by one of her classes), she managed her daily life just fine without us, and, this can not be over stated, she loved and continues to love Southern California weather. Fortunately, Scripps College is not near the wild fires that devastated the coastal area near Malibu.

Caitlin graduates with a masters degree in Nutrition Science and Behavioral Change from Tuft's University (The Friedman School) in May. She has become a Bostonian over the last year-and-a-half but she is excited to move to DC in June , where career opportunities and her boyfriend can be found.

All is well in Old Forge, January has provided us with lots of snow and frigid temperatures. Life is good, though we welcome the possibility of a bit more sunshine and warmer temperatures as we turn the corner into spring--April, May?!

Be well and peace be with you in this new year!

Jon

Reservations

Please let us know by February 1 about your reservation for the 2019 season. Deposits are due by February 15. You can send half of your deposit then and the other half byMarch 15, if you prefer. Please let us know if you have any questions. After February 1 we will be taking new reservations, so please let us know if you want us to hold a cottage for you.

We offer a 5% discount on the weeks of June 22-29 and August 10-17, a 10% discount on the week of August 17-24, and a 15% discount on the August 24-31. For rate information, please visit our website at www.fulton-house.com.

Hope life is good on your end...looking forward to seeing all of you during the summer months!

P.S. We hope to have a work weekend in early June...maybe the weekend of June 7-9. Let us know if you would like to participate.

News From The Fulton House - Vol. 24, winter 2018

The View

This morning I sit in my warm, comfortable office looking out the window at a beautiful world. The sun’s rays reflect against the snows’ surface creating the illusion of millions of tiny lights--jewels in the snow. I imagine this as a metaphor for our world, a world whose beauty sometimes eludes us but will always have light to guide us and show us its beauty. 

It is cold--frigid in fact--10 below. Like many of you, we are experiencing well below average temperatures with plenty of white stuff this new year. As you read these words, wherever you are, I hope you are finding and providing warmth and comfort with your friends and family.

The Fulton House

Though this winter is proving to be a difficult one to work on various projects, we do hope to accomplish some of our list before the arrival of summer. This year we hope to replace the outer cribbing of the Boathouse and, in the process, raise and level the building. We expect to continue the next phase of the project we started on Fernhill last winter/spring. And, we will continue to replace older mattresses and furnishings where needed.

The Baileys

Fern will graduate from high school in June. Her big news is that she received an acceptance letter to attend Scripps College beginning in August. Scripps is a small women’s college located about 35 miles east of Los Angles, California. It is part of a larger consortium of colleges called the 5Cs--a wonderful place! Now, as the clock ticks down on her senior year, we cherish each game, concert, or other memorable event, knowing that graduation and the next chapter of Fern’s life are just a few months away.

Caitlin is enjoying her first year of graduate school. In addition to a full course load, she is the Resident Director of about 40 fine-arts students living on Beacon Street. Up until December, she was living in the garden apartment of one of the two buildings she is responsible for. In late December, a fire broke out in the boiler room causing smoke and water damage to her apartment. Fortunately, no one was in the building when the fire occurred, but most of her stuff was ruined by the smoke and water damage. This semester, she will be living in an apartment on Tufts University’s main campus until the necessary repairs can be made to the building she was living in. What’s not to like about Boston!

Leslie and I continue to chug along at life. We are looking forward to a trip to Florida over our spring break. We haven’t visited my brother and sister-in-law in a few years and the mention of warm, sunny weather elicits smiles from all!

We appreciate your holiday greetings and your Facebook posts. We hope that you had a wonderful holiday season and that this new year we be filled with joy! 

Peace be with you.

Jon

Reservations

Please let us know by February 1 about your reservation for the 2018 season. Deposits are due by February 15. You can send half of your deposit then and the other half by March 15, if you prefer. Please let us know if you have any questions. After February 1 we will be taking new reservations, so please let us know if you want us to hold anything for you.

We offer a 5% discount on the weeks of June 23-30 and August 11-18, a 10% discount on the week of August 18-25, and a 15% discount on the week of  August 25-September 1. For rate information, please visit our website at www.fulton-house.com.

We look forward to seeing you in a few short months.

P.S. Please let us know if you would like to participate in a work weekend this spring. We will probably have just one work weekend this spring: June 1-3.

News From The Fulton House - Vol.23, Winter 2017

The View

We had another outstanding summer in 2016. The weather was remarkable and I enjoyed wonderful conversations with many of you. The positive energy you all generate seems to keep me going through out the rest of the year. When you stay at the Fulton House, it is my hope that you are receiving a vacation most of us wish for; one that provides rest, relaxation, family time, laughter, and memories.

As in past years, I am writing this newsletter while sitting in a 66 passenger bus--a big bus! This morning I am parked in an ice covered parking lot at the Osceola Ski Center. We arrived a few minutes ago. Our Nordic ski team will compete this morning against other ski teams in our section.

As a school bus driver, I am often transporting various sports teams for our school. As a result, I’m surrounded by teenagers a lot. Most of these kids have been raised by parents who have inculcated them with good values. Raising a child is perhaps the most difficult but rewarding “project’ any of us will undertake. It’s worth noting that this is an endeavor that we should be putting our best effort into--not a save-it-for-Sunday-hand-it-in-on-Monday deal. Why? Because one day we are likely to become an equally difficult “project’ for our sons and daughters!

The Fulton House

We hope to continue to work on the projects we started last year in Hillside and the Main House. We are in the process of removing the fireplace chimney in Fernhill and hope to replace it with a propane fireplace insert. Various painting projects are also on the “list,“ and we hope to continue to replace mattresses and other furnishings as needed.

The Baileys

By the end of January, Fern will have completed the first half of her junior year in high school. Shout it out! Noteworthy, yes, but from Fern’s perspective, completing the road test to acquire her driver’s license holds significantly more meaning! Life is good…ya think?! Fern is having a fun year. She has a boyfriend and she socializes with a group of 8 kids (4 couples) that refer to themselves as the “magnificent 8,” no modesty there. We are proud of Fern, and Dad is particularly looking forward to taking a trip this spring to investigate one or two colleges.

As most of you know, Caitlin graduated from college in May of last year and, beginning in September, has been working primarily as an assistant coach for our high school’s cross country running and nordic ski teams, and as a substitute teacher. She is really enjoying these experiences and thinks that teaching, on some level, may be part of her future. She completed the first semester of a two semester chemistry course at Mohawk Valley Community College in December and, after much thought, has applied for admission to the Friedman School at Tufts University. The program she is interested in offers a Masters/Doctoral degree in nutrition interventions and communication. She is also applying for a position with Food Corps, a nonprofit organization that helps educate underserved communities in nutrition and health. It’s a joy to hear her talk passionately about this subject. She has broadened our thoughts about nutrition, health, and sustainable methods of growing food. Fun stuff!

As most of you are aware, Leslie had open heart surgery in September. The surgery went very well, though it was a bit more complicated than her surgeons had anticipated it would be. After about two months of recuperating, the effects from the surgical trauma subsided and her day-to-day living improved. Now, we rarely have a conversation about her ordeal so I think her life is much improved. Interesting note: Santa gave Leslie a Fitbit for Christmas and boy does that device give her the business if she’s not up and moving on regular intervals!

Thank you all for your thoughtful holiday greetings and your lively updates on Facebook. We hope all of you had a joyous holiday season filled with family, friends, food, and laughter.

We wish you peace and joy in this new year!

Reservations

Please let us know by February 1 about your reservation for the 2017 season. Deposits are due by February 15. You can send half of your deposit then and the other half by March 15, if you prefer. Please let us know if you have any questions. After February 1 we will be taking new reservations, so please let us know before then if you want us to hold anything for you.

We offer a 5% discount on the weeks of June 24-July 1 and August 12-19, a 10% discount on the week of August 19-26, and a 15% discount on the week of August 26-September 2. For rate information, please visit our website at www.fulton-house.com.

We look forward to seeing you in a few short months!

P.S. Please let us know if you would like to participate in a work weekend this spring. We hope to have two work weekends, depending upon interest: May 26-28, and June 9-11.

News From The Fulton House - Vol. 22, Winter 2016

The View

I find myself with my head down a considerable amount of the time. Like many of you, I'm in those middle years where there rarely seems to be sufficient time to accomplish the tasks we ask of ourselves. The list...always stuff to do. At nordic ski races you often hear coaches bellowing  to their racers "heads up, hands up, hips up!" Occasionally, my head is "up" and I'm prepared to absorb life within my field of vision. What a life it is! While driving the "3pm run" on Monday, I asked a 5th grade boy about his weekend. "What did you do over the weekend?" I asked. His reply, "We snowshoed up a mountain." And then he said, "I can't believe we own that view!" Apparently his family owns the mountain they climbed! I think we can all lay claim to our "view." Not just the wonderful natural beauty that surrounds us but the wonderful people that intersect with our lives. Thank you all for meeting us at that intersection. For the new year I'll take the advice of nordic coaches and resolve to get my head--if not my hands and hips--up and take ownership of the view!

The Fulton House

Our big project this year focuses on Hillside. We have removed the deck and the deck bedroom/bathroom and we have begun the process of replacing the bathroom and re-configuring the the bedroom space on the lower level. In addition, we have excavated along the north wall of the building, improved the drainage and built new retaining walls. In the spring we will complete the interior work and build a new deck. For those of you who spend time in Hillside, we hope you will be pleased with the result of our efforts. In the spring we are also planning to replace the ceiling in the living room of the Main House.

The Baileys

Leslie is now working full-time at View, Caitlin will graduate from Wellesley College in May, Fern will take on the role of Brenda in this year's musical, The Pajama Game, and Jon will happily pick his head up and observe the wonderful things they are doing!

We hope this new year finds you with your head up and your life filled with peace and joy!

Reservations

Please let us know by February 8 about your reservation for the 2016 summer season. Deposits are due by February 15. You can send half of your deposit then and the other half by March 15, if you prefer. Please let us know if you have any questions. After February 8 we will be taking new reservations, so please let us know before then if you want us to hold anything for you.

For the third year in a row, there will not be an increase in our rates. For rate information, please visit our website at www.fulton-house.com.

We offer a 5% discount on the weeks of June 17-25 and August 13-20, and a 10% discount on the weeks of August 20-27 and August 27-September 3.

We look forward to seeing you in a few short months!

P.S. Please let us know if you would like to participate in a work weekend this spring. We hope to have work weekends on two of the following three weekends, depending upon interest: May 20-22, June 3-5, and June 10-12.

Summer Highlights and Fall Rates

Dear guests and friends,

We are happy to report that we’ve had a wonderful summer season here at The Fulton House. Like all friends, the summer months come so fast and leave too quickly. Highlights of our season included:

Jon whipping cream into butter at a 
Fulton House picnic table. 
All in a day’s work!

Jon and Caitlin took some father daughter hikes 
before she headed back to Boston for her senior year. 
Here is Jon at the Woodhull Lake Fire Tower.

The Mail Boat still makes its rounds on Fourth Lake. 
Sadly, George (our Boston Terrier) is no longer around 
to chase the mailman for five docks in pursuit of treats. 

Though we are sorry to say goodbye to the heat, breathtaking fall foliage more than makes up for the dropping temperatures in our neck of the woods. (Woods, get it?) 

The view of Fourth Lake from The Fulton House.

Autumn in the ADK is a beautiful sight. There is no moment quite like a foggy morning out on the dock with a cozy blanket to bite the chill, a book in hand, and fresh brewed coffee to warm your senses as you look out across a lake bordered in red and gold. Come join us! 

Our weekend rates this fall are as follows:

$105 for 2 people

$135 for 4 people

$288 for 10 people

For mid week rates and last minute specials give us a call at (315)360-6496.

Additionally, we are now hoping to publish newsletter updates more regularly. Are there things you'd like to stay up to date with? Tell us what you miss about the Adirondacks when you're not here! We want to hear from you, so please leave us feedback comments or email us at fultonhouse@frontier.com. We'll do our best to make sure that a little ADK flavor is always in your life. You all make The Fulton House a joyful place and we greatly appreciate your continued support. We look foreword to seeing you in the mountains again soon!

The view of Fourth Lake and Third Lake from 
Bald Mountain. This is our backyard!

News From The Fulton House - Vol. 21, Winter 2015

Like last January, we are experiencing another deep chill. Temperatures--day and night--seem to hover in negative territory more often than not…along with my mood! Empirical data: George picking up his right forepaw and attempting to balance himself on his bad leg verifies that the temperature is below zero. Hey, I’m there for him!

Anybody counting?! Using complicated mathematical modeling software--lots of Vs, Xs, and Is--our crack staff (no, not our staff on crack!) has recently informed us that the summer of 2015 marks our 20^th season at the Fulton House. A celebration is in order!

Projects! This year we hope to begin remodeling parts of the Main House. We hope to complete other smaller projects as well. We’ll attempt to keep you posted.

We are well. Fern is now in ninth grade and continues to serenade us with her musical talents. During the holiday season we enjoyed a piano recital, two band concerts (stage band and senior band), a senior choir concert that included a wonderful solo, and a flute solo during our Christmas Eve service. Caitlin looked at me during Fern’s flute solo, and with non-verbal language she said, “That’s my sister!” We are looking forward to the school musical: “How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying,“ in which Fern is a cast member.

Caitlin, now a junior in college, was in Beijing, China for her fall semester. Her study abroad experience in a language immersion program was focused on incremental improvement in her study of Mandarin. Her trip was a great success. She had a wonderful Chinese roommate (Xiao Xiao) and she enjoyed a fun group of about 35 students in the program. Her adventure included memorable travel and cultural experiences. Caitlin was home for less than two weeks in December, just enough time to enjoy a birthday cheesecake, connect with a few friends, do laundry, pack for school, and enjoy a bit of quality family time.

Leslie continues to enjoy doing development work at View. She just moved into a new office which she is excited about. I continue to drive the big yellow bus for our school district. Last week, an eight-year-old boy asked me what else I do besides being a bus driver. “Justin,” I said, “My family and I operate a cottage colony on Fourth Lake.” Justin’s reply was: “ So, how’s that workin’ for ya?” Art Linkletter was correct when he said: “Kids say the darnedest things!” Friends of ours and longtime guests of the Fulton House, the Berzoks, hosted us at their home in New Jersey during the holiday break. While we were there, we spent a wonderful day in NYC, enjoying the sights and sounds of Midtown. Our day was followed by a delicious dinner and then, to cap the evening off, we were treated to the Broadway production of "You Can't Take It With You." What a fun time we had!

As I observe our kids and their friends making small and perhaps not so small differences in their immediate world, I have moments of joy. Lots of good happens in this world, our world, that isn't observed by the gods of technology; nonetheless, we get to be part of this good stuff. For me, as long as I have cognitive function, these moments will be my greatest treasures!

Your thoughtful holiday cards and letters are appreciated. And, while our responses aren’t frequent, we thoroughly enjoy your Facebook entries. We look forward to your arrival in a few short months!

We wish you a happy, healthy, and peaceful new year!

Please let us know by February 1 about your reservations. Deposits are due by February 15. You can send half of your deposit then and the other half by March 15, if you prefer. Please let us know if you have any questions. After February 1 we will be taking new reservations, so please let us know before then if you want us to hold anything for you.

Rates will not change for the 2015 season and can be found on our website or on this blog.

P.S. Please let us know if you would like to participate in a work weekend this spring. At this time we expect to have work weekends on at least two of the following three weekends, depending upon interest: May 22-24, May 29-31, and June 5-7.



　

　

2017 Summer Rates

Boathouse:          $1065   (Deposit = $532.50)

Fernhill:              $1050   (Deposit = $525.00)

Carriage House: $1215   (Deposit = $607.50)

Hillside:             $1380   (Deposit = $690.00)

Main House:      $2770   (Deposit = $1385.00)

We offer a 5% discount on the weeks of June 24-July 1 and August 12-19, a 10% discount on the week of August 19-26, and a 15% discount the week of August 26-September 2.

2017 Spring and Fall Rates

                                                         Weekend     Midweek

Boathouse and Fernhill, 2 people    $105             $95

Carriage House, 4 people                $142             $132

Hillside, 4 People                            $157             $147

Main House, 8 people                     $288             $258

Each additional person is $18/night

8.25% sales tax on rental less than a week

To make a reservation, call us at (315) 360-6496