Forever a Lover's Paradise

Meadows full of wildflowers fringed in mountains, fall leaves tumbling over brooks, summits ringed in the glow of freshly fallen snow — walk into any store in the Adirondacks, and you will be sure to see postcards, books, posters, CD covers, and paintings exemplifying the spectacular nature of the park.  Many may say the Romantic movement is long over, but the same landscapes that drew city-folk of the 19th century to the lakes and peaks of the Adirondacks draw even more today.

The Romantic period never ended with the onset of the 20th century, it instead took a different form.  Romanticism in the late 19th century, especially in writing, poetry, and art, offered an ethereal escape for those living in cities.  Concrete jungles and constant work surrounded these people, and the Adirondacks offered a haven for the mind and body away from these toils.

This past weekend visiting the park, I payed particular attention to what aspects of the Adirondacks business owners were capitalizing on.  The Mountaineer in the town of Keene lures outdoor sportsmen from ice climbers to fly fishermen into her midst, advertising for prominent brand names on its facade, such as Black Diamond and Patagonia, which are likely not found anywhere else in the Adirondacks.  For the "armchair outdoorsmen", those for whom nature may no longer be easily accessible for, books of poetry praising the solitude of the wilderness and majesty of nature abound at this store, and local Adirondack writers speak of tales of tried and failed back country expeditions within the park.  Even the postcards The Mountaineer sells, far from the focal point of this outdoor retail supplier, adds an air of mysticism to park.  These pieces of paper, intended to be sent far and wide to friends and family of visitors, are a source of advertisement in themselves, enticing outsiders to venture into the wilderness just as artists did over a century ago.

Our means may have slightly changed, but the ends remains the same.  Adirondackers use the beauty of the forests to lure visitors into the park, mainly using postcards and outdoor recreation books instead of philosophical novels and paintings.  In a world full of technology, we can expect these means to change once again.  But if local businesses cannot harness the power of social media, the romantic ideals of the Adirondacks will have a tough time reaching a generation with their heads in their phones instead of in the woods.