Next location: Lake George, NY: The place where I stayed for a summer with my best friend.
While I was only there for one summer, I might not be the best person in the world to make recommendations, my friend Colleen who visited every summer and who's parents own a small place up there would be your best author for this post...but I'll share what I learned in one summer.
What to Love: There is a lot of natural beauty in the Lake George area. You can get lost for a long time in the gorgeousness that it is. There are old houses, shops and quaint places to stay. I mean, after all, it's in the Adirondacks of NY. With that, during our summer in Lake George, we got to visit a lot of cool places. Saratoga is a reasonable drive away. If you like horse racing...this is the place to go. If you're a history buff (which is part of my nerd resume) you can visit the Battle of Saratoga site. If you're looking for a family vacation...this is a great place to visit. Lake George is pretty reasonably priced...and if you've got little ones...you're not going to run out of ways to entertain them during your week long stay. There's arcades, mini-golf, boat tours, beaches, family friendly restaurants. If you've got bigger kids over the age of 21, there's plenty of places to go for a night out. Are you a golfer? Plenty of places to pick up a tee and spend the day on the course.
What Not to Love:If you're not big on the whole tourism thing...then this might not exactly be the location for you. Well...at least not in the summer...the other seasons I'm sure you'll avoid the tourism crowd. But not so much in the summer. Granted...it's not super busy like Disney or theme parks, not even close. But a majority of the people you'll meet will likely be out-of-towners. While there's tons to do on a week or so family vacation...after spending an entire summer there...the "Things-to-Do" list got shorter pretty fast.
Tips for Traveling: I don't know how similar it is to Papa's Ice Cream Parlor but try visiting the UpRiver Cafe. If for nothing else then the view. When I was there it was Papa's, an old favorite of locals and yearly visitors. It had the friendliest service and the best ice cream choices. I'm not sure what the menu is for UpRiver...but if you get the chance to sit outside and watch the Hudson wash by...it's incredible.
Another incredible place to visit in the Adirondacks is Saratoga Spa State Park. It's a fantastic place to just walk around. It's up to you if you want to try the Mineral water. My friend made me....it's not the most pleasant taste in the world, but it's one of those "things you should do while you're here" type deals.
And if you're in Lake George...take a ride on the Minne-Ha-Ha. It's a fun way to see the Lake and get an idea of what's around it. And you'll have the chance to purchase one of those cheesy pictures that they take of you before you board.
Bring sunscreen...just because you're in the North doesn't mean you won't get burnt to a crisp. It happened to both Colleen and I on more then one occasion...especially since the place we were waitressing had outdoor seating.
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