I'm on a mission to explore every indie bookstore possible, so while recently visiting family in…read morethe Adirondacks, a quick Google search had me adding The Book Cabin to my list to explore. The Bookstore Passport book was honestly the best concept ever and I'm lowkey bummed to have not discovered it at any other indie bookstores to date! Even if your TBR is full, you still need to stop here to grab this for all your future bookstore runs.
I will admit this is not the most accessible location, but it's 100% authentically Adirondack. You follow the main road around the lake until you curve around a corner that puts you right in front of the parking lot entrance, so be ready for it to sneak up on you. The parking lot is gravel with a gravel trail curving up the hill to where the cabin itself is, so that may be hard for some to navigate with the incline and uneven path. However it's so quaint and peaceful once up there!
The cabin has a wraparound porch with some goodies on it, including sale items! I found two books off the sale cart to come home with me (combined cost was less than a brand new book!), and also checked out a little of the bookish travel mugs before actually heading inside through the wooden screen door (again, quintessential Adirondack feature). The interior of the store is maximized to every possible opportunity even though it's only one actual room. Bookshelves line every wall, and a few mini shelves create a couple of aisles. There's a great section dedicated to books either set in the area or by authors from the area, as well as an extensive fiction selection. There's also nonfiction, YA, and kids, plus some puzzles and crafts. Their bookish selection is extensive, more than just bags and stickers - I saw travel mugs and coffee cups, coasters, bookmarks, candles, small shelf trinkets, and more. Plus they offer blind dates with a book! I'm always a sucker for those so of course I picked one up. And then right by the checkout, the glorious bookstore passport! I was instantly obsessed when I saw it, then incredibly disappointed that I hadn't seen this in the dozens of other indie bookstores I've been to. You best believe I will be hyping it up to every bookseller I know!
When I first got there, a mom & son were browsing as well, then it was just me for a bit. The shopkeeper was quietly doing her own thing, which honestly I prefer - if I'm looking for something specific I'll ask, but places like this are meant for browsing and taking your time. She was sweet when it was time to checkout, and it looks like they have a loyalty program that could be nice for locals.
Overall a great find tucked at the base of the Adirondacks and outside of the craziness of the outlets or the village of Lake George!
