In terms of athletic activity, the heart of the Terra Alta experience
is our beach. In addition to our lifeguard-supervised swimming
area, our guests participate in such activities as sailing, kayaking
and canoeing on the lake or up the Schroon River, and water-skiing
and tubing. Rowboats are also available, and the fishing on the
lake is outstanding.
Sailing
on the Lake
Terra
Alta also features two state-of-the-art tennis courts right on
site. The grounds also include a soccer field, a volleyball/basketball
court and a Champ court (Champ is the “official” sport
of Terra Alta). Golfers can take advantage of the many excellent
courses in the area, including a beautiful public course just
on the other side of town. We even organize softball games at
the field behind the school in town! And, of course, some of the
most spectacular hiking and climbing in the East is right in our
backyard.
The
Girls
For
kids, the highlight of life at Terra Alta is our day camp, which
welcomes children from ages 3-12. The camp runs on weekdays from
9:30 until Auntie Frannie says so (usually around 12:30). Among
the many activities of the camp are tennis, volleyball, kickball,
soccer, swimming lessons, rowboat and canoe trips around the lake,
cooking and dance, which is Auntie Frannie’s specialty.
Our campers also participate in Arts and Crafts with Auntie Shirley,
who has been leading the A and C program for over 35 years!. Juice
and Cookie Time is also a daily favorite. Every summer, camp activities
culminate in an epic “Color Peace.” After lunch, and
perhaps some tennis, everyone heads down to the beach around 2:00,
where the kids tend to stay in the water until their fingers get
wrinkly or until the lifeguard goes off duty at 5:30.
Even
though cable arrived here a few years ago, most Terra Alta residents
still choose to spend their evenings in communal activity. Built
as an ice house in the days before refrigeration, our Social Hall
is the heart of activity at night in T.A. On most Saturday nights,
residents will organize a party, a cookout, or perhaps a bonfire
on the beach. Some nights, people will just gather on the beach
to watch the stars. We also have folk dancing, and there is a
kid-friendly square dance in town every Wednesday night. The town
also features a first-run movie theater, classical concerts and
children’s programs at the Boathouse, and professional-level
productions of opera and musical theater at the nearby Seagle
Colony. And the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, just over an
hour way, features the NYC Ballet, the Philadelphia Orchestra
and a wide array of rock and pop concerts.
