Northwood Cabins

06/04/2026

Here at Northwood Cabins, we don't really practice tolerance of different people.

In fact, we don't like the idea much.

We tolerate the black flies after the thaw. We tolerate mosquitoes. We tolerate mud season. We tolerate when it rains on a Saturday.

We do not accept any of those things 😁

People are different.

People deserve acceptance, not tolerance.

If your wishes, hopes, beliefs, dreams, or relationships aren't hurting anyone else, who on earth are we to have a beef with that?

We don't have to agree on everything to care about each other.

If your faith, values, or personal beliefs lead you to see things differently than us, we accept you too.

That's the whole point. Acceptance isn't something reserved only for people who think exactly like we do.

Now, since we're being honest...

When my brother and I bought Northwood, quite a few people thought we were a couple.

Few light hearted happy guys buy a 97 year old motel together. Good start to confusion 😂

Then they found out he wasn't actually my blood brother.

That really seemed to confirm it for some folks.

We've been the dearest of friends since childhood, when a few challenges in life made us especially close.

To be fair, I don't exactly help my case.

I sit with my legs crossed like I'm judging a figure skating competition because when I broke my spine in the Army, it made crossing them the "regular guy way" hurt like hell. So I sit rather lady like without shame.

I say "fabulous" without irony. I'm animated when I talk. I tell my male friends they're handsome. I wear shorts with an inseam like it's the 80s. I prefer colorful drinks and don't like beer. I tell my friends I love them. Sometimes I skip; I think it's fun.

I've always been a person who tries to be exactly who I am and not worry too much about what anybody thinks. Apparently that can confuse people.

Since I arrived, I've been asked when I came out, had friends tell me people asked them if I was gay, and heard plenty of speculation.

None of it ever felt mean spirited or offensive.

Mostly it seemed like curiosity.

Heck, maybe somebody had a nice guy in mind and was trying to help ol' Matt out.

What I love is this:

From the very beginning, before people knew anything about me, a whole bunch of folks apparently thought there was a decent chance I was a gay man who had moved to town.

And they welcomed me anyway.

They invited me to dinner.

They stopped to talk.

They offered help.

They became friends.

The people who thought I might be gay accepted me.

The people who knew I wasn't accepted me.

The people who never thought about it one way or the other accepted me.

And that makes me really happy.

Because what it showed me is that most people in this small blue collar Adirondack town honestly didn't care.

Not in the cold "that's none of my business" way.

In the warm "you're welcome here, you do you, happy man" kind of way.

One thing I've learned since moving to Tupper Lake is that this town comes in all kinds.

Old timers and newcomers.

Hunters and artists.

Church folks and agnostics.

Republicans and Democrats.

People who were born here and people who discovered this place later in life.

And yes, straight folks, gay folks, and everything in between.

The reality is that none of that matters much.

Your car is stuck in a snowbank?
Somebody will help.

Your dog gets loose?
Half the town will be looking.

Need a meal?
Someone will bring one.

Need a friend?
One will turn up.

For a place with fewer people than some city apartment buildings, Tupper Lake seems to find room for everybody.

That's a great thing.

Most people really are just doing their best to be good and kind.

So from all of us at Northwood Cabins, Happy Pride Month.

I hope all of you have, or one day get to have, a friend so close people think you're a couple. What a compliment that is.

I hope people are, or learn to be, themselves regardless of what others think.

Life is short.

Just live it the way you wish and be happy.

Whether you're visiting for the first time or you've been here your whole life, we hope you feel welcome.

After all, six million acres is a lot of room. Seems silly to act like there isn't enough space for people to be themselves.

And if there's room in the Adirondacks for bears, moose, woodchucks, trolls, and Matt from down South, there's probably room for everybody else too. 🌈😁

06/01/2026

The Dambo Trolls are settled in and spending their summer and fall in Tupper Lake, NY! Right in the heart of the Adirondack Mountains. You need to join them, it's a glorious plan!

They're big, they're beautiful, they're made of recycled wood and they're on a mission!

The trolls are at The Wild Center which is one of the coolest science and nature museums anywhere, named the number two science museum in all of the US this year.

They're packed with exhibits, trails, wildlife, the Wild Walk and enough fun to fill an entire day.

Plan ahead and get tickets in advance, the upswing in visitors there and in town is already very apparent 😊

After you see them, let the adventure keep going!

The Adirondack Rail Trail is open and it's freaking sweet! We've got beaches, lakes, rivers to paddle, a minor league baseball team, mountains to climb, mini golf, full size golf, fish to chase, great food, cold drinks, and night skies that will blow you away.

Don't forget the awesome towns of Long Lake, Saranac Lake, and Lake Placid are less than a half hour trip away, and it's a beautiful drive too!

We sit right in the middle of six million acres of Adirondack beauty, making it the perfect basecamp for a legendary summer getaway full outdoor adventures and great towns and activities!

I ♥️ TUPPER LAKE

Go Wild In Every Direction!

05/30/2026

What a turnout! This town is the best!!!!

Let's get a crowd and support MAC'S SAFE RIDE ♥️

Mac's Safe Ride Continued is a wonderful organization run by some truly amazing people.

The organization was created after two young men tragically lost their lives in an alcohol related crash here in the Adirondacks. A mother turned unimaginable pain into something that helps protect others from experiencing the same loss.

The Tupper Lake chapter has been helping keep people safe for around a decade, and this is another reason I love this town. People here care about each other and they do things like this to take care of each other.

📍 Raquette River Brewing
📅 Saturday, May 30th
⏰ 3:00 PM Rain or Shine

There will be:

• A co****le tournament with random draw partners, so single players are great ($30 entry)
• A Chinese auction with some fantastic prizes
• Great music from local band HammerLok
• Cold beer from the famous RRB
• Delicious food from the food trucks

If co****le isn't your thing, come buy some raffle tickets, make a donation, grab a beer, and support a great cause. MAC'S operates on a shoestring budget and every little bit helps.

If you're playing co****le, wear thick pants because I'm planning on kicking some ass.

That's completely made up 😂 On Memorial Day I lost to a child. Granted it was Christielee's kid, but sheesh. So yeah, odds are you beat at least one guy!

I REALLY hope to see you there!

📞 518-304-3282

Save that number.

If you've been drinking too much call them. No judgment. No lectures. No questions asked.

Or just tell your bartender you need a ride and they'll make the call.

This is for anyone, you don't have to be a resident or anything.

It's not just you that you might save!

Now come on!!!!! Let's have a fun Saturday!!!!

I ♥️ TUPPER LAKE

05/28/2026

I’m not from here and had never heard of a “redemption center” before. Combined with the fact y’all seem to make up pronunciations for half the town names around here, and also don’t call things what I call them, I was confused from the jump.

A Michigan is just a chili dog. Plenty of people have argued with me about this and I don’t wanna hear it 🤣

So anyhow, Jessie’s Route 3 Redemption sounded to me like either:
• a church youth center
• a program helping folks get back on their feet after prison
• or one of those alcohol-free bars where everybody drinks fancy root beer or kombucha

Well, I was mistaken.

I drove by the other day coming back from Lowville. Case in point, I’m going off topic already...

I had to go to Lowville last week and every person I said it to laughed at me.

It’s written LOW-ville.

Not LAW-ville. Not LAL-ville. Not whatever noise y’all are making.

I’m about two weeks away from calling it Tooper Lake out of spite.

Okay so anyhow, when I saw Jessie’s Route 3 Redemption, curiosity got me and I turned in.

Immediately things stopped adding up. Namely the giant signs for craft beer and bait, which pretty much shot down two and a half of my three theories.

Turns out it’s this sweet little fishing shop with a surprisingly awesome beer selection, gifts, snacks, worms, bait fish, some swag, and yes, they take your cans and bottles too.

Danielle, who runs the place and who I knew from around town already, was kind enough to explain the whole redemption process and show me around. I’m a very curious person.

And I still don’t fully understand it.

I assumed you brought in a can, they handed you a nickel, smashed it flat, and off it went to become a new can.

Nope.

There are bags. And counts. And distributors. And labels. And categories. Sorting. Trucks.

They’re apparently hauling craft beer cans back to the actual brewery of origin. Unsmashed.

They are literally driving around empty aluminum cans. Not compacted?

What??

What are the places doing with them when they get them back? Tucking them in at night? Asking how their trip went?

It’s honestly one of the more confusing systems I’ve encountered, which somehow makes it feel even more New York. Classic. I'm surprised there's not more forms involved in dropping off the cans.

When I got my Driver's License in Saranac Lake there was some sort of point system and the paperwork was four pages.

You want an ID, a Real ID or an Enhanced ID?? What I wanted was a big drink of Titos. I just fired up a real southern accent, used good manners, talked as dumb as I could sound so she felt bad for me, smiled at the lady and she gave me the "good one"

Do what ya gotta do 🤠

Sorry I went off subject again...

Anyhow I’m not even gonna try to explain this redemption action because I absolutely can't. Take your stuff, get your nickels and let it be.

What I CAN tell you is Jessie's Route 3 Redemption is a really neat little store 👍 run by a wonderful lady where you can get your bottle and can money back, grab fishing supplies, camping stuff, firewood, craft beer, kegs, snacks and all sorts of other random goodies. Flowers too, which were inside because the weather was maybe gonna get chilly 🌷🌹

In classic Tooper Lake fashion, even the not-really-recycling recycling center is pretty darn cool!

05/27/2026

What a great trip! Along the way there are lots of great stops too. Shopping, waterfalls, hikes, good eats. It's a perfect day adventure from Tupper!

A little about Whiteface:

• It has the biggest vertical drop in the entire East at 3,430 feet. You haul ass when you ski here.
• The summit is so exposed they’ve been doing weather and atmospheric research up there since 1937
• Winds on the summit have hit 120+ mph
• There is an actual tunnel and elevator INSIDE the mountain. It's super neat.
• On a clear day you can see Vermont, Lake Champlain, and even Canada
• It hosted the alpine events for the 1980 Olympics. Side fact, that's my birth year.
• The top is above tree line, which gives you those great views!

I ♥️ THE ADIRONDACKS

05/26/2026

We have a winner! Thank you to Jacob Brydges and everybody who joined in 😊

We’re gonna tweak the design a bit and use local peaks instead!

The neon sign is still king out front, so the flag idea was really always just meant to be a fun novelty thing to make the place feel a little more like a summer camp.

Truthfully I wanted bugle calls at sunrise or maybe a small cannon blast every morning and apparently that was “too much,” so the flag became my compromise 🤣

Probably best, guessing the ol reviews on Northwood Cabins woulda taken some hits if I got loud in the early hours.

Maybe some fun kids will be around this summer and participate in flag raising and lowering with BB Gun shots at dawn and dusk!

I really appreciate all of you!

Summer is upon us! It's SO beautiful here!

I ♥️ TUPPER LAKE!!!

05/25/2026

05/24/2026

Please like the image you think is the best flag idea! 😊

Hope your weekend is going good!

05/22/2026

From two former military fellas, we just want to say we hope this weekend is full of joy, laughter, gratitude, and people you care about.

We’ve seen hard days and had our bumps and bruises from our service. We’ve lost friends. We know life is precious and time moves fast.

So hug your people a little tighter. Tell folks you love them. Sit by the fire. Pet the dog. Take the boat ride. Eat the good food. Laugh too loud. Stay up too late.

Make the days count and spread some love around. That’s the good stuff right there!

Honor those we have lost by living life fully ♥️

I'm off to the brewery to see some new friends! See ya later!

05/21/2026

After watching some replays of my absolutely electric wiffle ball performance at Northwood today, I think it’s time the Tupper Lake Riverpigs start having some serious internal discussions.

Now listen, I’m not saying I should be batting cleanup or anything reckless like that. I understand there are “standards” and “athletic ability” and “medical concerns.”

But surely there’s room somewhere on the roster for a middle-aged man with unlimited enthusiasm, and the hustle of a raccoon stealing hot dogs behind Stewart’s.

At minimum I deserve a pinch runner role 🤸

I may not look fast, but I am surprisingly spry when properly motivated. Especially if there’s crowd support, free snacks, or the possibility of embarrassing myself publicly.

I can absolutely give you one emotionally inspiring trip around the bases a week.

The talent may not be there, but the heart is there. The grit is there.

You know where to find me River Pigs!

I ♥️ TUPPER LAKE