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"Balsam" is a 1940's summer cottage with relaxed charm on quiet 
Balsam Avenue in the village of Caroga Lake, just a three-minute 
walk to a neighborhood association beach on West Caroga Lake, which 
has gorgeous sunset views and a great sandy beach with safe, shallow 
swimming for children.

Freshly painted barn red with creamy trim, "Balsam" has an authentic 
camp interior of "knotty-pine" paneling. Neat as a pin and 
comfortably furnished, much of "Balsam's" charm comes from its 
nostalgic decor, personalized with regional knick-knacks, floral 
paintings, vintage prints, fabrics, lighting, accessories, and flea 
market finds.

Comfortable maple furniture in the living room is covered in vintage 
quilts and coverlets; ruffled curtains hang at the windows, and an 
oval Colonial braided rug rests on the hardwood floor. The living 
room features a console TV (local stations only) with VCR and DVD 
player and a cabinet record player with a stack of LPs. There's a 
closet full of board and card games. Several floor and table lamps 
provide attractive light for activities; baseboard heat takes the 
chill off cool evenings.

An open shelf filled with a collection of knick-knacks which include 
bronzed baby-shoes and demitasse cups separates the living room from 
the eat-in kitchen. The fully-equipped kitchen has a refrigerator, 
electric range, enameled sink, microwave, toaster, toaster oven, and 
coffee maker. There are pretty dishes and serving pieces, as well as 
a full complement of cookware and utensils, in the classic knotty-
pine kitchen cupboards with wrought iron hardware.

Beyond the kitchen is the bathroom, equipped with a shower, a sink 
with vanity cabinet and mirrored medicine cabinet, and low-flow 
toilet. The bathroom has ample space for storing towels and 
toiletries. There's natural light from a multi-paned window and a 
pretty vintage wall mirror.

Across a hallway running the length of the cottage are three 
bedrooms, each attractively furnished with a bed, a cushioned chair, 
a tall dresser, reading light, and small closet. Windows are draped 
in white Battenburg lace cafe curtains for privacy. The front 
bedroom has a queen bed, the middle bedroom and the back bedroom 
have full beds. Additionally, the sun porch spanning the front of 
the cottage has a fold-out full futon sofa.

All the beds are provided with pillows, blankets, and coverlets. You 
bring your own linens: sheets, pillowcases, and towels.

The sun porch spanning the front of the cottage is fully glazed, its 
windows lit with tiny paper lantern string lights and provided with 
narrow blinds for options of privacy or watching the world go by. At 
one end, a square table and chairs are set up for cards, games, or 
puzzles; at the other, the full futon sleeper-sofa and an easy chair 
make another comfortable sitting area. 

"Balsam's" front garden has been planted with young apple trees and 
an assortment of perennials, with flower-boxes at some of the 
windows. A gravel driveway to the right of the cottage provides off-
street parking for two cars. The backyard has a patio with picnic 
table, charcoal briquette barbeque grill, and Adirondack chairs 
facing a Franklin woodstove for an evening fire. The backyard's 
lovely view is of tall, fragrant balsam trees.

It's a two-block, three-minute walk to the neighborhood's "Lakeview 
Grove Association" beach. The beach is sandy with a shallow, hard-
bottomed swimming area marked off by a rope of floats. There are 
park benches for enjoying the gorgeous views of the mountains 
surrounding West Caroga Lake, the charming buildings of Sherman's at 
the far end of the shore road with its Ferris wheel and carousel, 
and spectacular sunsets. The beach is also a great spot for 
launching a kayak or canoe, which you may rent for an additional fee.

Water access, beach, canoe, kayak, rowboat, fireplace, outdoor 
grill, equipped kitchen, telephone, television, VCR, DVD player, 
standard cable, stereo.

There is a nearby internet cafe and wireless connection.

"Balsam" is within walking distance of restaurants, taverns, post 
office, laundromat, general store, coffee shop, gas, ATM, video 
rentals, and a chapel. All the amenities of a friendly, small city 
are 15 minutes away in the historic sister-cities of Gloversville 
and Johnstown.

Hiking, golf, mountain biking and ATV trails, trout-fishing streams, 
state hunting land, and gorgeous views from a mountaintop fire tower 
are all nearby. The county has 44 lakes to enjoy, ranging from small 
hidden lakes on hiking trails to the 26 mile long Great Sacandaga.

Centrally located in the accessible southern Adirondacks, just 30 
minutes north of the NY State Thruway, "Balsam" is a great location 
for easy daytrip excursions to Saratoga (Performing Arts Center, 
Thoroughbred Racing, and much more), Lake George, Great Sacandaga 
Lake, Cooperstown (Baseball Hall of Fame, Farmer's Museum, Fenimore 
Museum, Howe Caverns), the Albany capital region, and much of the 
six million acre Adirondack Park, including Blue Mountain Lake and 
Tupper Lake, homes of renowned Adirondack regional museums.

It's about an hour to Saratoga, Cooperstown, and Albany; about four 
hours to New York, Boston, Buffalo, and Montreal.

Family Excursions 
Fun family excursions include Adirondack Animal Land, Eagle Mills 
cider mill with gemstone mining & “Dino Dig,” mining for 
Herkimer “Diamonds,” Great Escape and Magic Forest theme parks in 
Lake George, Howe Caverns and Secret Caverns, drive-in movies, 
bowling, roller skating & go-karts, miniature golf, and a trip to 
the Stinky Art Company in Northville. 
 
Spa Treatments
Enjoy a spa day at the mineral springs in Saratoga. We recommend 
great massage therapists in Amsterdam. 
 
Historical Sites & Museums 

The region abounds in museums and historical sites. Caroga Lake has 
its own history museum. Gloversville is home to the Fulton County 
Museum. Johnstown is the home of Sir William Johnson, head of Indian 
Affairs during the French and Indian War, and the first-wave 
feminist Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Amsterdam has the Walter Elwood 
Museum of the Mohawk Valley. The National Shrine of the North 
American Martyrs in Auriesville and the Kateri Tekakwitha birthplace 
in Fonda are historic and religious pilgrimage sites. Native 
American museums include the Noteworthy Indian Museum in Amsterdam 
and the Iroquois Indian Museum near Howe Caverns. The Erie Canal is 
just south of us along the Mohawk River. Covered bridges in the 
Adirondacks include three in our area. 

The Adirondack Museum in Blue Mountain Lake is widely acknowledged 
as best of class; it has recently been joined by the new Wild Center 
Adirondack natural history museum in Tupper Lake. Saratoga has a 
children’s museum. Cooperstown has the fascinating Farmers’ Museum & 
not-to-be-missed Baseball Hall of Fame; the Northeast Classic Car 
Museum is nearby in Norwich. Schenectady offers a walking tour of 
the Stockade, one of the oldest and best preserved neighborhoods in 
the United States, dating from 16th century Dutch colonial 
settlement. America’s first Shaker settlement is in Albany. The 
Schenectady Museum & Planetarium specializes in science & 
technology. 

Music & Theater 

Sherman’s, a 1920’s vintage former amusement park with a charming 
carousel and Ferris wheel, hosts live music most summer weekends. 
Harry’s Place, a 3 minute walk from “Sunset” on Pleasant Lake, 
offers acoustic music (as well as delicious food and drink) on 
weekends year-round. Summer band-shell concerts are held in 
Johnstown and Sharon Springs. Saratoga Springs’ Performing Arts 
Center (SPAC) hosts the New York City Ballet in July, the 
Philadelphia Orchestra in August, headliner concerts and a jazz 
festival. Cafe Lena in Saratoga Springs is a famous acoustical music 
venue. Saratoga and Cooperstown host renowned summer opera seasons. 
The Pepsi Arena in Albany has headliner concerts. 

Johnstown and Gloversville have community theaters. There’s a comedy 
club in Gloversville. In Schenectady, Proctor’s Theater’s year-round 
programming includes national touring companies of Broadway hits. In 
Albany, the Egg hosts a variety of performing arts events. 

Antiques & Art

Antiquing is popular, with several shops in the area and antiques 
malls in nearby Dolgeville and Little Falls. Gloversville has 
Saturday night auctions. Eagle Mills hosts a crafts fair in 
September. Many communities, including Caroga Lake, hold annual town-
wide garage sales. 

The state capital at Albany is home to the New York State Museum 
(natural & cultural history exhibits) as well as great art 
collections by the Hudson River School of landscapes and the New 
York School of modern art. Regional fine art collections worth 
visiting include American folk art, Hudson River School and Native 
American collections at the Fenimore Art Museum in Cooperstown, 
American and European Masters at the Hyde Collection in Glens Falls 
and the Munson-Williams-Proctor Museum in Utica, and 21 Winslow 
Homer paintings at the Canajoharie Library and Art Gallery. 


"Balsam" accommodates a maximum of six guests at all times. There is 
off-street parking for two cars. Sorry, no pets and no 
smoking. "Balsam" has a NO SHOES policy; bring slippers or flip-
flops for indoor use.

$150 for the first two nights, $100 each night thereafter
Two night minimum; Three night minimum Holiday weeks
The Season, May - October: $7500
Inquire for “last minute getaway” rates.
Kayak Rentals: $25/each per day or $100/each per week 

Credit Cards Accepted

May be interested in an exchange almost anywhere warm or exotic 
during the off season, especially Christmas Holiday time.