The Spirit of Local Love

With Valentines Day in the middle of February, it is certainly the season of love.  How about involving the community of local businesses in the declaration of love?  How about lovingly going local?  To advance this concept, Eco-Local-Living has developed a LOCAL LOVE campaign and promotion with the logo “Unlock the LOCAL LOVE.” 

We are starting out in this Winter 2012 edition celebrating a marriage of sorts – that of the communities of Saratoga Springs and the Adirondack hamlet of North Creek, home of Gore Mountain.  These two towns have been brought together by the Saratoga and North Creek Railroad.  This historic rail line is known for bringing Teddy Roosevelt from out of the Adirondacks and down to the White House to become President after the McKinley assassination.  50 years ago the Snow Train brought skiers from the Capital District and elsewhere up to North Creek for the emerging sport of downhill skiing.  Now the Snow Train is back, and it’s a great opportunity not just for skiers, but for everyone to ride this historic rail line that follows the Hudson River into the Adirondacks from Saratoga Springs.  Leave your car in Saratoga Springs and see how easy it is to get around in North Creek and environs.  Free shuttles can take you up to Gore Mountain or Garnet Hill Lodge to have an Adirondack adventure for the day or maybe the weekend.   The hamlet of North Creek is a wonderful community of locally owned shops and eateries, all within walking distance to the train station.  Upon your return to Saratoga Springs, don’t forget to visit the many locally owned shops and eateries there as well.  It is in these two uniquely local towns that we are introducing the new LOCAL LOVE campaign.  LOCAL LOVE allows stores, restaurants, local banks, businesses and organizations to declare that they want to be part of rendering the community more loving. You can unlock the LOCAL LOVE by showing your Snow Train ticket at a participating shop, or buy something at one place and show your receipt to the next participant, and you will get a discount on that purchase by showing your love for local! Look for that very pretty logo with the green sun and the red heart.  We have only just started spreading the word, but it is quite possible that this idea spreads wildly as people long to create new local communities.  Check it out and participate.  Fill out a “I Love Local” card in either town (after a $10 minimum purchase) and you can enter a drawing for some free stuff, with a Grand Prize being awarded at the end of February for an overnight stay for two at the Garnet Hill Lodge.  It’s Winter; love is in the air, new loving, healthier concepts and lifestyles are germinating; as Spring approaches we’ll may just see LOCAL LOVE blossoming…