Throw off your cabin fever and welcome spring with a visit to the Adirondacks! Book your stay at Friends Lake Inn, a boutique hotel in the heart of the Adirondacks in Upstate New York. Enjoy one of our many packages: onsite hiking trails, acclaimed cuisine, craft beer and award winning wine selection. While you’re here visit the town of Thurman for Maple Days and enjoy the tradition of Maple Sugaring.
Everyone loves the sweet taste of Maple Syrup, but do you know how it’s made? Well, a visit to Thurman, New York will make it all clear. When the temperature hovers around 20 degrees F a tree is selected, a hole is drilled and a tap inserted. As spring approaches and the days warm sap begins to flow into either a bucket or vacuum tubing for collection. After the sap has is collected it is boiled so the water will evaporate. The result is the golden and delightful maple syrup.
Only 10 miles from Friends Lake Inn is the small Town of Thurman, New York and is home to four maple sugar producers. Visitors are welcome in late March and early April to celebrate Thurman Maple Days. Visit the farms below on March 19-20, March 26-27 and April 2-3, 2016 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. each day. Then kick up your feet and enjoy a relaxing night at Friends Lake Inn.
Adirondack Gold Maple Farm, 74 Bear Pond Road, Thurman – www.AdkGoldMaple.com
Visit an old fashion sugarhouse! With 1200 taps you can see sap being collected in both buckets and vacuum tubes.  Test your taste buds with a maple syrup tasting to determine which syrup is artificial and which is real.
Toad Hill Maple Farm, 151 Charles Olds Rd, Thurman, www.toadhillmaple.com
Toad Hill has been producing maple syrup for 40 years. Visit their farm (and 3700 taps) to tour their production and packaging center. While you’re there stop by the gift shop and browse a large selection of local products and crafts or take a ride on a tractor drawn wagon.
Hidden Hollow Maple Farm, 312 Dippikill Rd, Thurman, www.hiddenhollowmaplefarm.com
Visit Hidden Hollow and take a tour of their large operation – over 5000 taps! Learn the tradition of making maple syrup from three generations that farm the land together. Sample some of their delicacies such as maple cream, maple candies, maple pepper and many other goodies.
Valley Road Maple Farm, 190 Valley Road, Thurman
3400 taps using state of the art reverse osmosis to produce maple syrup. While you’re there try their candy, sugar, maple peanut brittle and maple cotton candy.
