Mark and Sharon Piper with their niece,  Allison.Photo Courtesy The Pipers — Mark and Sharon Piper with their niece, Allison.Photo Courtesy The Pipers

We first met the Pipers when we stayed at their glorious Bed and Breakfast just after they had become the inn's new owners in 2009. What an experience! And what a breakfast! It was in the fall and it was cold. But the hospitality offered was swarm and heart felt. After years of renting, we were up here looking for a camp, which we eventually purchased the following year.

Meanwhile, soon after arriving,, Mark and Sharon soon became fixtures around town. Sharon took on multiple roles at the Schroon Lake Chamber of Commerce, got involved with ROOST and was one of the architects behind the Schroon Community Garden, to name just a few of her philanthropic endeavors

Mark -- with his guitar and ukulele -- found out how to play and share his passion at every conceivable location in the North Country. He's most known for his role as the Master of Ceremonies at the now famous Open Mic Night Thursdays at Witherbee's Carriage House. He's written and recorded dozens of songs, including homages to Schroon and Witherbee's.

He's played most restaurants and bars in town, and is one of the star attractions on the Schroon July 4th Concert PlayBill. He's also a guitar teacher and has a new career, which you can learn about when you read their profile!

Where do you live?

Schroon Lake (north end of town)

Full time? Part time? Seasonal?

Full time

When did you move here or discover this part of paradise?

2009

Where did you grow up?

Sharon in Massachusetts and Mark near Washington DC

How do you -- or did you -- make a living?

We are Innkeepers but have "side" jobs too. Mark is a voice over actor, musician/music teacher and Sharon works in the travel business as an online implementation manager for business travel.

How do you spend your free time?

What's that? (We do enjoy traveling)

Coffee, Tea, or…?

COFFEE!

What’s your idea of a perfect Saturday?

If there are no guests, it would be to sleep slightly later, but not too late, pack up the car with hiking gear and get out into the woods and the Adirondack quiet. Then dinner al fresco, by the firepit.

What’s your favorite local restaurant?

That is an impossible question….we have a favorite on every menu!

Favorite season(s) and why?

Fall. The leaves are turning, the weather is slowly cooling down and we are practicing gratitude for another wonderful summer in Schroon Lake.

What’s on your nightstand?

An alarm clock, a good reading lamp, a book, hand lotion, and in Sharon's case, Tums. :)

What are you listening to?

We play piano music in the living room of the Inn, but in the owner's quarters, we never listen to the radio because Mark plays his guitar every chance he gets.

What are your current addictions?

We confess to none, although Mark is lost without his podcasts. :)

Who/what makes you laugh?

Classically funny movies/Monty Python style humor

Talent you would most like to have?

Our superpower would be knowing every language, to be able to communicate with anyone in the world, including animals.

What’s the best kept secret about Schroon Lake and or surrounding areas?

The ruins of the fort in Crown Point by the bridge (not really a secret, but a great picnic spot by Lake Champlain.

What do you hope they say about you at your funeral?

That we brought joy to people's lives and they were happy to know us