By Mary Beth Roach
Those who seek a little more adventure on their vacation don’t have to travel too far to discover some unique rentals that are sure to make for some wonderful memories.
Come aboard
Railroad buffs will want to hop aboard this historic and unique rental located on the southwestern edge of Skaneateles Lake, near Homer.
Sitting on a hillside on North Glen Haven Road is a stainless-steel railcar that was built in the 1930s by the Budd Company and bears the logo of the old Pennsylvania Railroad system. The car, which is about 85 feet long, offers three bedrooms (one has a bunk bed), two bathrooms, and some original features. Across the road and down a staircase, renters have access to a 40-foot dock on nearly 200 feet of lakefront.
Inside the car, there is a hallway that opens up to the kitchen, dining and living areas. Off that hallway, are two bedrooms and a small bathroom, which features what appears to be a vintage temperature control panel. At the other end of the car is a master bedroom and another bathroom, but the door leading into the master bedroom has a stained-glass pane boasting the Pennsylvania Railroad logo. Outside, the deck offers views of the lake and there is a seating area with a firepit on the lawn. Across the one-lane road, there is a long staircase that leads to the dock and the waterfront. So, it has a lot of appeal for those who love water sports as well.
International businessman Ian de Souza bought the property in 2003 from Cortland Judge Charles Mullen, who had purchased it and with some Herculean efforts, brought it to the site in the mid-1970s. The de Souza family used it for several years before moving to another vacation spot on the lake. Extensive upgrades were made over time, de Souza noted.
It’s fully booked from mid-June to early November. There are occasional opportunities for winter rentals.
More info can be found on vrbo.com or Airbnb.com
For lighthouse lovers and anglers
Renters at the Salmon River Lighthouse will not only be staying at fully operational lighthouse and a landmark on the National Register of Historic Places, they can also avail themselves of beautiful sunsets on Lake Ontario; charter a fishing boat at the marina on the property; canoe or kayak on the Salmon River or paddle out into Lake Ontario and enjoy a nearby private beach, according to Christian Burt, who manages the site with his wife, Abby.
The lighthouse is one part of the Salmon River Lighthouse and Marina. It also includes the marina and several other cottages.
According to its website salmonriverlighthousemarina.com, it was originally referred to as the Salmon River Light Station and was constructed in 1838 for $3,000. Throughout its history, it and surrounding grounds have served as a lighthouse, a prestigious hotel and even a hotspot for smugglers during Prohibition. But in the late 1980s, the site fell on hard times. But presently, it is undergoing a transformation that will provide for additional enhancements.
Today, renters can opt to for first floor or the second floor or the entire structure. The first floor includes living and dining rooms, a kitchen, a full bath, and one bedroom that sleeps two. The second floor has a living room with a hide-away bed, a bathroom and one bedroom. There is no kitchen, but it comes with a mini-fridge and coffee area.
And of course, Burt is happy to take renters on a tour to the top of the lighthouse to see its unique birdcage construction and take a walk on the catwalk outside. Other than the specific tours, the door to the top of the lighthouse is locked for safety reasons.
But if the top of the lighthouse wasn’t cool enough, there is a fireplace that dates back more than 100 years and while it’s not functional, there are hundreds of river stones that former guests have written messages on, dating back to the early 1900s, Burt said.
For more information and to book the lighthouse, visit salmonriverlighthousemarina.com
Escape to a treehouse
Kids will often find that a treehouse is a perfect escape, but even those who are a little older now and love the outdoors can find their perfect escape at the The Rock House, which at 10 feet off the ground, is in a sense, a treehouse.
The building is approximately 10’ x 12’ and sits high atop an enormous boulder. Hence the name, The Rock House. It is owned by Sandy and Lou Maine and is located near Parishville, in the northwest part of the Adirondack Park, on the western branch of the St. Regis River.
It includes a futon; and a small dresser and shelving stocked with some soaps from Sandy’s Adirondack Fragrance and Flavor Farm. Outside, the Maines have added a kitchen pavilion, a Finnish sauna with a shower and an outhouse.
The setting of the house is a nature-lovers’ paradise. There are approximately four miles of trails, a landing where renters can borrow a canoe or kayak to take on the river and a swimming hole, according to Sandy.
The treehouse was built by Lou for their daughter when she was younger and he included windows with screens and tongue-and-groove pine, Sandy said. Later, a friend from New York City stayed there for a while and suggested to Sandy and Lou that they rent the place on Airbnb. Sandy said that, at first, they dismissed the idea. But after purchasing an adjacent property with an A-frame home, fixing that up and successfully renting that out, the Maines decided to try renting the treehouse too.
As Sandy and Lou begin their fourth season of renting it, Sandy said that The Rock House is quite popular with tourists.
The Maines are very flexible with the rental periods —from one night to a week or more.
The Maines live on the property on Sylvan Falls Road in a farmhouse dating back to the mid-1800s, with The Rock House situated several hundred feet behind. Once renters park, the Maines have carts that can be used to transport visitors’ gear to The Rock House.
To view this, visit www.adkriversidecabin.com and to check about rentals and availabilities, visit Airbnb.com and click on Treehouses. Sandy is also happy to have visitors tour her business, which is five miles from The Rock House.
Being on the water — literally
For travelers looking for something literally on the water, they can rent one of 11 lockmaster boats from Erie Canal Adventures and tour a stretch of the famed canal and its picturesque port towns.
Completed in 1825, the 363-mile-long Erie Canal was instrumental in the commerce and development of the state and especially the cities along its shores. It has been celebrated as a significant civil engineering achievement.
The 11 canal boats range in size from 34 to 42 feet and can be chartered for round trips of three, four or seven nights, according to Allie Keenan, an owner and vice president of operations of Erie Canal Adventures, based out of Macedon.
The roundtrip, seven-day itinerary, from Macedon to Lockport, is approximately 165 miles and goes through eight locks both ways. The roundtrip seven-night trip from Macedon to Baldwinsville is approximately 135 miles, and boaters experience going through locks 16 times, since there are eight locks one way.
The smaller boats have one private cabin with a double bed, the kitchen area has a bench area that can be converted into a second sleeping area and a bathroom with shower; the larger boats have two cabins; and all the boats have a kitchen with a fridge, stove and oven, all kinds of utensils and even air conditioning. Base pricing starts at $2,635 and they will vary depending on the boat selected and rental length.
Special licenses are not required, but renters will receive a four-hour training program on the day of their departure, Keenan said. They begin with classroom-style training and then they will go out on the canal with one of the Erie Canal Adventures guides to go through water navigation training. This includes going through two locks and learning how to dock the boat properly.
Erie Canal Adventures bought the enterprise from Mid-Lake Navigation in 2019 and Keenan said that the rental adventures are very popular, drawing people from 40 states to the canal area.
Their season begins mid-May, when the canal opens, to mid-October.
