Our New York tour continues with time spent near Lake George.  Lake George is 32 miles long and up to 2.5 miles wide.  It was important during the French and Indian War and American Revolution.  It has been a holiday destination for New Yorkers since the early 1800s.

We stayed at the Encore Lake George Schroon Valley RV Park near Warrensburg NY.  It is one of the Thousand Trails Collection parks we added by joining the new offer from Life Style Equity Properties.  Two weeks, no charge, no problem.

The area is full of history, kayaking and hiking.  The town of Lake George is at the southern end of the lake and very touristy and crowded.  Fortunately there are many other places to explore.  One of our first hikes was Kipp Mountain, a moderate hike with fabulous views of Loon Lake.  We found delicious chicken of the woods mushrooms on the Hackensack Mountain trail.

Loon Lake from Kipp Mountain

Chicken of the woods mushrooms

We met more friendly New Yorkers, Brian and Lynda, who told us about kayaking the Northwest Bay part of Lake George.  Its a little finger of the lake not suitable for large boats and near Tongue Mountain, an area famous for large numbers of timber rattlesnakes.  We kayaking the bay out into Lake George.

Kayaking Northwest Bay

Into Lake George

Our new friends also told us about Jabe Pond, a small lake in the mountains above Lake George.  We explored the area hiking before rolling our tandem kayak to the lake on our kayak dolly.  It was our best lake paddle ever.  Total wilderness, rocky islands, an old chimney from a long lost cabin, and loons with their unforgettable call.

Paddling Jabe Pond

Chimney relic from old cabin on an island in the lake

Luch stop on a little rocky island

Another adventure was a lake cruise on the Mohican.  The boat was built in 1917 and still cruises the full length of the lake weekly.  It was a lovely cruise even though we did have some heavy rain.  Very scenic and historic.

Mohican tour boat

Sagamore Hotel

Classic boat on the lake

Rogers slide

Happy cruiser

Another happy cruiser

Storm on the water

The major historic draw of the area is Fort Ticonderoga at the southern end of Lake Champlain.  Built by the French, the fort changed hands many times during the French and Indian War and the American Revolution.  Its a classic star shaped fort overlooking the lake.   The foundation run property does an awesome job of recreating life on the frontier with live musket demonstrations, cannon firing and trades like shoemaking and tailoring.  We also took a nice boat tour of the waterside of the fort.

Fort Ticonderoga

Period costumed guides

Musket firing

Fife and drum

Beautiful day

Carillon boat tour

Ft. Ticonderoga from Lk. Champlain

Lake George is in the Adirondack Park region of New York.  The park is an enormous expanse of public and private lands.  We took a circle tour of the area including the train depot at North Creek where Teddy Roosevelt learned he had become President.  We stopped at Blue Mountain Lake, Long Lake, Tupper Lake, Saranac Lake and Lake Placid before returning to our one bedroom apartment RV near Lake George.

North Creek depot

Saratoga and North Creek RR – sadly not running

Lunch on Long Lake

Historic Saranac Lake depot

So much to see and do in Upstate New York.  We’ll have to return someday.