Mt Van Hoevenberg Bed & Breakfast

We took our anniversary/​New Year’s Eve trip to the Adirondack mountains in New York and it was perfect. We were staying in the Mt. Van Hoevenberg cabins a few miles before the town of Lake Placid. We pulled up to the entrance, and as we approached the main cabin, the owner — Wayne — opened the door his inviting eyes glowing, his smile stretching across his face, his arms open welcoming us inside.
Knowing the name and location of the cabin we’d be staying in for the next three nights, we pulled up slowly and parked near the other snow-​covered vehicles — we had either just missed a snow fall or these guests didn’t want to leave their cabins. Either way, it was a positive indication. Wayne had shoveled the short sidewalk to the cabin’s door and told us he lit a candle and turned up the heat. The light shining through was warm and receptive. Learning from past bad experience with hotels, we had rather low expectations, knowing we’d be glad if all the amenities mentioned on the web site were actually inside. We were not, however, prepared to be stunned when we opened the door. This is indeed what happened, accompanied by simultaneous gasps of relief, shock, and pure satisfaction. We had only seen photos of the outside of the cabins and if we had seen what was inside there would have been no hesitation or trepidation when making our reservations.
The 1 – 2 person cabin was small but cozy, offering us everything we needed and nothing more, surrounding us in a comfortable atmosphere. We were able to experience the cabin with almost all of our senses. The sight of Adirondack style design, the feel of wooden floors beneath our feet, the smell of balsam fir emanating from a lit candle, and the silence of being in a cabin in the mountains with absolutely no distractions. The cabin was simply one room — couldn’t have been bigger than 500 square feet, if that. There was a wooden table with two wooden chairs tucked underneath. A small kitchen area with a sink, two stove tops, and a small refrigerator. A vanity with a mirror and a sink. A door to the toilet and shower. A small night stand and a bed pushed in the corner and topped with piles of warm fluffy pillows, flannel sheets, quilts and a thick warm comforter.
It was all so natural. Nothing was forced. Nothing looked out of place. Everything looked as if it belonged only there, in that cabin, as if that were its only and original purpose. As I said before, this cabin had everything we wanted — a hot shower, a stove and refrigerator, a warm bed, a heater and nothing more — Wayne mentioned there was wi-​fi, but with no laptop in sight we definitely didn’t need it. No TV, no phone, no bath tub or jacuzzi, no heated floors. It was a comfortable but authentic mountain experience.
After unloading our car and carefully finding a spot for all of our things so as to not disturb the natural feel of the setting, we reluctantly got our coats and gloves together to go to the town of Lake Placid to have a hot dinner and to look around and discover this new mountain town. We left the cabin with the unusual feeling of being excited to return to it in a couple of hours, looking forward to night’s end when we could cuddle up with a glass of wine in hand and be cozy in this home-​like place.
The following nights and days were spent enjoying the mountains and the many attractions offered in Lake Placid. The cabin was wonderful and more than we could have asked for. We’d eagerly recommend it to any of our friends — but if our friends were more ‘high maintenance’ which usually isn’t the case — we’d caution them of the lack of unnecessary amenities like a TV. Our idea is that if you go the mountains to watch HBO, you shouldn’t go to the mountains at all. If there had been a TV in the cabin would we have watched it? Perhaps. But the fact that there was none made the trip even more intimate and memorable. We read, talked, listened to music on the bedside radio, my husband played the guitar. All in all, this is no Aspen resort. No celebrities. No frills. This is authentic. This is special. This is a place where memories are made.
Everything else, every need is accounted for. Wayne says he’ll sometimes sit in a vacant cabin and imagine what need could be met. A coffee maker. Filters for coffee maker and sugar. Salt and pepper. A candle and matches.etc. etc. When he told us this, neither of us had even a hint of doubt that he actually does this. We had already noticed it and probably imagined him doing so.
We are eager to return to Lake Placid and stay in these cabins again. The prices are reasonable and moderate, the location is great, and the stay so enjoyable. At night we walked through the snowy forest and gazed at the star-​filled sky. Every morning we’d emerge outside with our car heavy with freshly fallen snow. When we returned for lunch, the warmth of the cabin welcomed us back in. It was more than we could have hoped for.