Next week is spring break, so we’re thinking about historical vacations! There were more than 20 grand hotels in the Saranac Lake area where wealthy families would spend weeks or even months at a time resting and enjoying the fresh air. The Saranac Inn was a large, luxurious hotel on the north end of Upper Saranac Lake. It started as a small hotel called Hough’s in 1864, and by 1909 could house 250 guests. This postcard shows part of the main hotel building around 1949. Major guests in the hotel’s history included U.S. Presidents Chester A. Arthur and Grover Cleveland, and New York Governors Charles Evan Hughes and Al Smith. What are your vacation plans? (Photo provided — Historic Saranac Lake Collection, 2023.2.10. Gift of Mary Hotaling.)