Lake George: Good Food/Drink, Fun Activities, and a Big Orange Goonysaurus
Written: Jul 26 '04
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Pros: great restaurants, plenty of stuff to do, AWESOME ATMOSPHERE
Cons: so much to do, so little time...
The Bottom Line: Lake George became my favorite vacation spot, just like that. (snaps fingers)
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| MattA75's Full Review: Adirondacks |
I first went to Lake George fifteen years ago, when I was a mere lad of nine and I was still busy rocking out to Bon Jovi's New Jersey album. I remember very little about that trip; in fact, my main memories are of being stopped on an amusement park ride while upside down 25 feet in the air and fearing I was going to fall out, Fort William Henry, and being amazed at how much the arcades rocked.
Earlier this year, my girlfriend and I intended to go to New York City, with the main intention of our trip being to see a taping of Conan O'Brien's late night TV show. But when I called in February, I was informed the first taping available was around Thanksgiving. I was all set with that. And so, after doing some thinking, I suggested Lake George to my girlfriend. She agreed after I explained what was up there. And after being up there for a good four and a half days, my only regret is that I didn't plan it to get another day or two out of my trip.
From the Boston area, it is about a four hour ride, not including stops to stretch your legs and food. We left at 9:30 am and found our hotel on New York State Route 9 by 2:15pm, which included a 10 minute leg stretch and a forty minute diversion for lunch at Wendy's.
There are seemingly hundreds of choices in the area for lodging, be it in a chain hotel (The Holiday Inn, Days Inn, Howard Johnson's), cabin/cottage (too many to name), or small bed and breakfast with outdoor pool places (too many to name again). In fact, I really wish I had done some more research before booking where I did. Had I, we may have been able to stay for 5 or even 6 nights for the same amount of money (or a tiny bit more) instead of the four nights we did stay.
And I know what you're thinking: six nights? In a little lakeside village? What could you possibly do to take up six days? And therein lies the great thing about Lake George: there is so much to do, most likely you still won't be able to do it all if you're staying any less than a week.
If you like shopping, then there's plenty for you. The village boasts a long line of souvenir and knick knack shops that can easily take a couple of days to get through them all. If you drive about 3 miles south on Route 9, you can hit Queensbury, where the Outlet Mall is, boasting outlet stores for stores like Eddie Bauer, Champion, Kay Bee Toys, and a book store where you can easily score 5 books for around $20, thanks to their almost never-ending "buy four, get 1 free" sale. Granted, you won't find Dan Brown or Michael Moore bestsellers, but you will find some interesting choices (I scored a book on the Rolling Stones for example) for $5-$7.
In terms of cuisine, you can find it all in the general area. My personal pick though is George's, which is nestled on Route 9L, a road which can be a pain in the butt to find. And once you find the road, be careful not to blow right past the restaurant's parking lot, which is nothing more than a dirt hill leading up to a dirt lot. But don't let the 'rustic' parking lot fool you, George's cuisine is nothing but the best. Here you can get a cut of prime rib in between 24-26 ounces for $28, or dine on some succulent shrimp scampi for $20. Yes, it is a bit on the pricey side, but it is well worth it. Don't forget the huge salad bar, which not only gives you the chance to pick and choose for your own garden salad, but also gives you the option of grabbing some potato salad, chicken salad, or making your own Caesar salad.
For Italian cuisine, I would suggest Luigi's, which is about 1/2 north of the village on Route 9. Not only was this place dead (meaning no wait), but the food was delicious and reasonably priced. If you prefer to be near the hustle and bustle of the village, Trattoria Siciliana is a good alternative. However, regardless of your tastes, you should be able to find a good restaurant at a good price. And in keeping with the tourist village atmosphere, the only chains in the center of town are McDonald's, Subway, and Ben and Jerry's. And only Ben and Jerry's seemed to be doing much business.
If you're looking for a good spot for a cocktail, there is no better place than Fire and Ice. The prices are reasonable, and you get a great view of the village bustling at night from the outside patio that makes up most of the bar space.
Lastly, for breakfast, I would recommend The Meeting Place, which is the restaurant run by the Days Inn. This will work well for you shoppers, since the Days Inn is located right across the parking lot from the Outlet Mall entrance. At $7.95 for the buffet, you can choose from your normal breakfast cuisine like bagels, pancakes, sausage and bacon, or watch a chef prepare a specially prepared omelet based on your specifications. If you're a pancake fan, you may want to try the Lake George Pancake House, which is located about 1/2 mile south of the village.
There are two public beaches in Lake George. Shepard Beach is a part of Shepard Park, where the town hosts summertime concerts at night. This beach doesn't have the biggest shoreline, but there are all sorts of good lunch and dinner spots nearby for when you've had enough sun and need a quick bite to eat. There's also Lake George Beach State Park, which has more room to it, as well as offering lockers, showers, and a refreshment stand that will be happy to serve you up a burger or hot dog for a few bucks.
But even if you aren't a beach person, Lake George has plenty for you. Head four miles south on route 9 and hit The Great Escape and Splashwater Kingdom, the biggest amusement park of the 2-3 in the area, now run by Six Flags. If you're a mini golf fan, there are plenty of courses, be it the two locations of Pirate's Cove, or the most fun mini golf course I've ever played: Goony Golf, which features classic holes like the windmill as well as the big orange Goonysaurus referenced in my title.
You can have all sorts of fun on the water as well. Various companies offer parasailing trips (ranging in price from $50-$65), and it looked like a blast. Despite my fear of heights, I'd be up for that in a second. One company promises you'll be "500 feet above Lake George." There are also a ton of tour boats that take off for various types of tours. Some do a quick one hour run around the lake, while others offer two hour lunch or dinner cruises, and one was even offering a 90 minute fireworks cruise.
If you prefer something more quaint and romantic, head over to Beach Road where a company offers horse drawn carriage rides. We went at about ten o'clock at night (they ride until about 11) and it was just one of those perfect things: a gorgeous night, a great tour guide who was personable, friendly, and informative, and Bill, our horse, who proved to be plenty friendly himself by giving us an enthusiastic "neighhhhhh" at the mere mention of being fed. It was also a pretty good take at $8 per person for the 30 minute or so ride.
If you have kids, you might want to give them a history lesson at Fort William Henry, which offers tours. We didn't go there (my girlfriend had no interest), so I can't comment on prices. The arcades are still there as well, but I honestly was not impressed. There used to be wall to wall games, but now, it seemed most of them had most of the same games (this didn't stop me from feeding my Time Crisis 2 obsession). You also may want to check out The House of Frankenstein Wax Museum and it's sister business, Dr Morbid's Haunted House. These would appeal more to couples with kids, as we both thought they were kind of cheesy, especially the haunted house, which my girlfriend described as a cheesy looking 15 year old girl leading you around while a cheesy sounding 15 year old boy came up and yelled behind you a few times.
While we didn't get to do everything, we're already planning on returning to this gorgeous town in the next 2-3 years. The weather was unbelievable, the atmosphere is terrific, and most everyone we encountered seemed to be in a jovial mood. It's the type of place that gives you third and fourth winds over the course of the day, nevermind a second. If you're looking for a great vacation, romantic, family, or otherwise, there aren't many better places than the Queen of Lakes.
Related Reviews:
The Great Escape and Splashwater Kingdom
The Days Inn Lake George/Queensbury
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Families
Best Time to Travel Here: Jun - Aug
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Epinions.com ID:
MattA75
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Member: Matt Aucoin
Location: South Berwick, ME
Reviews written: 1162
Trusted by: 465 members
About Me:
Gonna be a daddy, April 2010!
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