The main lodge at Timberlock

I told you last week that I was going to unplug for a week. It wasn’t some noble attempt to step away from technology, but rather, the type of vacation my family chose (and has several times in the past few years). We went to the Adirondack Mountains, to one of our very favorite spots on the planet, Timberlock , which is a “family camp.”

How was it being unplugged? Um, fantastic? Amazing? Incredible? Worth. Every. Minute.

The view from one of the mountains we hiked

Timberlock is located on Indian Lake within the “blue line” that designates the six-plus million acre Adirondack Park. There are 23 lakeside cabins in the camp, none of which has electricity–reason number one why you must unplug. WiFi? Doesn’t exist there. Bars on your phone? Nope. And I love it. So does the rest of my family.

What do you do when you’re unplugged? Let me list a few things:

• Swim in the crystal clear mountain lake (complete with water trampoline and rope swing for the kids of all sizes)
• Hike
• Horseback ride
• Go kayaking or canoeing (there for your disposal)
• Water ski
• White water raft on the nearby Hudson River
• Trail run
• Read more than you would any other time/place
• Fish (my son was at it ’round the clock)
• Get to know some really nice/interesting camp-mates
• Eat three fabulous meals/day prepared by the incredible Timberlock staff
• Take some beautiful road rides along quiet (HILLY) country roads

I could go on. The Catlin family, which has owned the camp since the early ’60s, provides a first-class experience for their guests, year after year, which is why, even after five years going to Timberlock, we still feel like newbies. You meet families who have been at it for upwards of 30 years, many of them consecutively. And while the amenities seem to get better every year, so much of the experience remains the same–simple, peaceful pleasures that are so often overlooked today in the face of technology.

Heading out for a trail ride