New York's Northwoods: the Southern Adirondacks abound with fun year-round - vacationing at Lake George

Travel America, May-June, 2003 by Paul Hurd

I LOVE TO VACATION AT Lake George! There is an adventure for every season, be it boating, swimming, fishing, skiing, golfing, hiking, whitewater rafting, berry-picking, or leaf-peeping. The 44-square-mile lake is the gem of New York's Adirondack foothills.

Located less than an hour north of Albany (and about four hours north of New York City), the pristine mountain lake first earned fame as the summer playground for the "movers and shakers" of late 19th century Wall Street. (Some of their colossal estates, known locally as Millionaires Row, still line the lake's western shore.)

The classic Sagamore Resort was born as a private "clubhouse" for the elite in 1883. Today it has evolved into one of the premier golf, tennis, and spa resorts in the Northeast. If pure relaxation is your goal, plop your Adirondack chair on The Sagamore's immense lakeside lawn and simply watch the sailboats drift by. Should a stay at this luxury resort strain your budget, perhaps a visit to one of its gourmet restaurants would be worth a splurge.

Lodging choices ranging from "mom and pop" motels, comfy B & Bs, family campgrounds, and quaint lakeside cabins, abound in and near the village of Lake George at the south end of the lake. The "village" is a family fun haven, especially in the summertime. Here you can careen down a waterslide, play putt-putt golf, slurp down a sno-cone, and buy that souvenir T-shirt. And for real gut-twisting adventure, try the famous Comet roller coaster at Great Escape, New York's largest theme park. Should a relaxing boat ride be more your speed, hop aboard one of the Lake George Steamboat Company's sightseeing cruiseboats--the Minnie-Ha-Ha, Mohican, or Lac du Saint Sacrement. Drive the scenic route to the summit of Prospect Mountain for a commanding five-state view of the lake and the Southern Adirondacks.

A trip to Lake George is a wonderful history lesson in colonial war strategy. James Fenimore Cooper's novel, The Last of the Mohicans, depicts, in graphic detail, the bloody siege of Britain's Fort William Henry during the French and Indian War. Today a replica of the fort stands in the village. Tours of the wooden bastion recall the harshness of life for the ill-fated defenders.

To the north, at the choke point between Lake George and Lake Champlain, looms the strategic citadel of Fort Ticonderoga. Built by the French in 1755, the fortress changed hands often. In May, 1775, Ethan Allen and his Green Mountain Boys, and a young patriot officer named Benedict Arnold, surprised the fort's British forces. The capture of Fort Ticonderoga was the Colonies' first victory of the American Revolution.

Consider these day trip ideas: Lake George offers easy access into the scenic Adirondack Park. The famous Adirondack Museum at Blue Mountain Lake depicts in wondrous displays and dioramas the history of this colorful region. Experience Olympic glory in enchanting Lake Placid, host to both the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympics. The New York City Ballet and Philadelphia Orchestra are featured on summer eves at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center. Charming Sarasota Springs boasts several hundred buildings on the National Historic Register, including rows of massive Victorian homes, many of which have been converted into bed and breakfasts. Hint: Lodging can be scarce around Saratoga Springs when "the ponies" are running in August, though the nearby Lake George area usually has rooms available.

For information on the Lake George region, contact Warren County Tourism, Municipal Center, Lake George, NY 12845; (800) 365-1050; www.visitlakegeorge.com.