On day 89, Monday August 3rd I took a walk around the
Richfield Springs Cooperstown KOA and the farm road in front of the campground before we left. Today we have a little less than 150 miles to get to Lake George.Our main reason for going to Lake George was to see Brian and Lisa. We also are using our free 13-months of Thousand Trails Membership for the last time. We have so many friends that use it and love it. But, Charlie and I never got the "draw" to it. But, more about that later.
On our drive, we drove through rain most of the morning. So, not much to see. We did pass The Saint Kateri Tekakwitha National Shrine. It is dedicated to the first Native American saint. The Saint Kateri Shrine is Catholic in identity; but their ministry and site are ecumenical and they welcome people of all faiths. These grounds are dedicated to Kateri Tekakwitha because it was here she was baptized and lived most of her life.
The village of Caughnawaga, which was Kateri’s home, was rediscovered in 1950 and is now the only fully excavated Iroquois/Haudenosaunee village in the world. This distinction has earned the site listing on both the New York State Register of Historic Places and the National Register of Historic Places. The main grounds feature Saint Peter’s Chapel, housed in a former Dutch barn built in 1782; museum exhibits of Native American culture and history; Saint Maximilian Kolbe Pavilion; a Candle Chapel dedicated to Saint Kateri; Grassmann Hall and the Shrine office; a friary; a gift shop; an outdoor sanctuary; and maintenance facilities. The 130 acres of the Saint Kateri Shrine & Historic Site include hiking trails that are open to the public year-round from sunrise to sunset. The Shrine was established in 1938 by Fr. Thomas Grassmann and the Franciscan Friars, Order of Friars Minor Conventual.
But only on two lane adventures can you travel behind a manure spreader for miles and miles and miles!
We did drive alongside and cross the Mohawk River. The Mohawk River is a 150-mile-long waterway located entirely within New York State. It is the largest tributary of the Hudson River. Named after the Mohawk Nation of the Iroquois Confederacy, the river has served as a vital migration, trade, and transportation corridor for centuries. The Mohawk River valley provided a natural gap through the Appalachian Mountains, making it the ideal route for building the Erie Canal in 1825. Today, a 117-mile section of the Erie Barge Canal parallels, mirrors, and integrates directly with the river channel. The river features five permanent dams, nine seasonal movable dams, and five active hydroelectric plants east of Rome to control water levels for navigation and power.
The Central Adirondack Scenic Byway is a spectacular 150-mile road trip corridor that cuts a horseshoe-shaped path through the heart of upstate New York's Adirondack Park. Tracing primarily along New York State Route 28, it links the historic city of Glens Falls in the east to the revolutionary-era city of Rome in the west. We started at the Eastern Gateway Glens Falls and wound north toward the mountain-rimmed southern basin of Lake George.
Glens Falls, New York features prominent historic military monuments honoring local service members from the Civil War through modern conflicts. This 42-foot-tall sandstone and granite obelisk caught my eye. It was dedicated in May 1872 to honor local men from Queensbury and Glens Falls who served in the American Civil War. It features stone soldier sculptures, relief carvings, and battle inscriptions. It is located near City Park.
The prominent architectural landmark at the intersection of Glen Street and West Notre Dame Street in Glens Falls does not feature a traditional pointed spire. Instead, the First Presbyterian Church of Glens Falls is topped by a massive, Neo-Gothic bell tower. The tall spire caught my eye! It is truly unique!
We arrived at Lake George Escape Campground, a Thousand Trails park. We got checked in and found our site. My first challenge was to back Charlie in on a narrow gravel site with large ponds of water on either side of the pad! It took a bit, but I got him safely in and kept my shoes relatively dry! We got set up and ate a light lunch, then we headed to see Brian & Lisa.
After we visited for a while, we went to Martha’s Dandee Creme, on Brenda's suggestion. They say hiking the high peaks of the Adirondacks is a reason to visit, and that’s true. But there is another reason to visit, but in this case you start at the top and work your way down, to the bottom. None of us had one, but there is a glimpse of the monster ice cream cone from Martha’s Dandee Creme!
A landmark for more than 50 years on Route 9 between Lake George and Glens Falls. The site is a former chicken farm owned by the Harkness family. Its fame as a restaurant and later an ice cream stand started in the late 1930s. Sometime in the late 1990s, Six Flags began buying up properties on the west side of Route 9. In 1999 the Lafontaines decided to sell everything to the Great Escape and with a five-year “no compete” clause, the Lafontaines were out of the ice cream business, temporarily. In 2009, Beth and Dennis LaFontaine purchased Martha’s from Six Flags, putting the ice cream stand back into the hands of the family that owned it for almost two decades and for Lafontaine generations to come!
On Tuesday August 4th, Brian & I had Board of Directors actions to take care of this morning. A bit of history about the town of Lake George. Early local industry centered around lumbering and sawmills before shifting to steamships and the railroad. By the late 1800s, the area grew into a fashionable summer escape for wealthy Americans, later attracting notable artists like Georgia O'Keeffe and Alfred Stieglitz. The mid-20th-century construction of Interstate 87 further accelerated tourism, cementing its reputation as the "Queen of American Lakes". It was Thomas Jefferson who famously dubbed it the "Queen of American Lakes" in a 1791 letter.
We boarded the Minne-Ha-Ha for a relaxing 1-hour sightseeing tour of Lake George's southern basin. The Minne-Ha-Ha is an authentic, fully operational steam paddlewheel boat owned and operated by the Lake George Steamboat Company. It is one of the last steam-powered passenger vessels left in America.
The tour features live historical narration focusing on the lake's ecology and the wealthy historic mansions lining the shore. Lake George is a 32-mile-long, spring-fed glacial lake in upstate New York's Adirondack Park. Nicknamed the "Queen of American Lakes", it spans 45 square miles, reaches depths of nearly 200 feet, contains over 170 islands, and is renowned for its exceptional water clarity. It is the largest lake in the Adirondacks. Renowned for its clear waters, Lake George has quite the history as a vacation destination and more.
Visited by French missionary Father Isaac Jogues in 1642, who named it Lac du Saint Sacrement in 1646. Renamed Lake George in 1755 by British General William Johnson in honor of King George II.
Brian googled if Lake George has alligators, he quickly reported that there were 2,600 alligators in Lake George... then he realized that he was reading about Lake George in Florida! We did not see any alligators, or the monster the locals call "Georgie." Reports of this monster date back to the early 1900s. Unlike Georgie's cousins, Nessy and Champ, there's solid proof of his existence. Harry Watrous, a prominent man from NYC and practical joker, used a log, paint, and a pulley system to create Georgie in 1904. He went on to terrorize locals and tourists alike with his lake monster. You can visit Georgie at the Hague Historical Museum or a replica at the Lake George Historical Museum.
We saw the Plum Point Minnie Ha-Ha fan club. Plum Point on Lake George, now home to the Antigua Resort on Plum Point on the east side of the lake. It has roots tracing back to the 17th century. Named for historical plum trees on the property, the site features early Gilded Age estate architecture, local French and Indian War artifacts, and mid-20th-century resort history.
Known as Wikiosco, which means “home on beautiful waters” in Algonquin, the Tudor Revival-style residence was built in 1895 for Royal C. Peabody, founder of Brooklyn Con Edison. It was designed by Brooklyn-based architecture firm Ludlow and Peabody; architect Charles S. Peabody was Royal’s son. It is a 20,000-square-foot mansion. On the inside, the seven-bedroom, twelve-bathroom home boasts original carved oak doors, decorative carved built-ins, oak beams, stained glass windows, crown moldings and wainscoting. DId I mention the Olympic sized pool in the front yard?!
We watched the dare devils parasailing on the lake. Nope, that is not something I am interested in doing! For over three decades, long-standing local outfitters like Parasailing Adventures and Parasail Joe's have operated on the lake, taking riders up to 300 feet in the air.
On our way back to the campground, we stopped at Northway Brewing Company. Northway Brewing Company offers craft beers that celebrate the people and landscapes that make up this area. They are located just north of Saratoga Springs on the edge of Adirondack Park in Queensbury. In 2016, they purchased the property, an old movie cinema, and retrofitted it as a brewery. Originally known at Lake George Brew House, they focused on contracting for others. In 2018 the Northway brand was born. They quickly transitioned into brewing their own products and developing new and inspiring recipes. We enjoyed one beer each in their 3,000 square-foot taproom. Charlie had a Sunset Session IPA and I went for the White Watermelon Wheat.
A second stop on the way home... The Adirondack Brewing Company is located in the Southern Adirondacks and provides them with an endless source of inspiration for our handcrafted ales. Springs located deep within Lake George’s bedrock provide beautifully pure water for brewing. It is the perfect blank canvas for their beer. They use locally sourced ingredients to create a beer that is all-natural, unpasteurized, and fresh.
On Wednesday August 5th, it is day 91 and I enjoyed a great walk around the campground. Our campground is located about 5-miles from downtown Lake George. The campground is nestled on 178 acres of pristine woodland and waterfront property. I talked briefly about Thousand Trails earlier. Many of our friends use it, but every time Charlie and I have stayed in a Thousand Trails, we get a lousy site. Our membership was free for 13-months, from when we purchased our new RV. You would think that if Thousand Trails really wanted us to purchase a membership at the end of our free period they would give you a better site. Nope, not them!
Charlie and I drove to Prospect Mountain. It is a 2,030-foot peak located in Lake George. It is renowned for its spectacular 100-mile panoramic views. Visitors can see the Adirondack High Peaks, Vermont's Green Mountains, and New Hampshire's White Mountains from the summit.
Charlie and I drove the Veterans Memorial Highway to the top of the summit. There are three vistas along the highway - The Narrows, Lake George, and the Eagle's Nest.
I took in the spectacular 360 degree views at the top. There are beautiful views of Vermont's Green Mountains, New Hampshire's White Mountains, New York's Adirondack High Peaks and on a very clear day, the Laurentian Mountains of Canada.
We met up with Brian and Lisa and they drove us into Lake George. We were lucky and found a great parking spot! We walked to The Lagoon for dinner. The Lagoon was established in 2018 and renovated in 2019.
The Lagoon is located in the heart of Lake George Village on the middle and lower level of The Village Mall. We experienced some of the best views of the southern end of Lake George from the lakeside deck while we enjoyed dinner and the company. Brian's brother and his wife joined us too. Charlie had a BLT and I had the Turkey Rachel. Both were delicious!
After dinner we walked to the Lake George Amphitheater. It is located in Shepard Park. Local residents and friends preserved the lakeside land to honor Edward Shepard's vision after his death, culminating in the 1917 dedication of the original open-air stage. The original Greek-inspired performance center, flanked by columns with an open-air stage was dedicated on September 2, 1917.
Named after New York City lawyer and philanthropist Edward Morse Shepard, the park and original Greek-inspired performance venue were built to provide a free public gathering space for concerts and community events. In the 1950s, the aging original Greek-inspired structure was taken down.
In 1990 a new bandshell and amphitheater were built using private community donations. That facility provided entertainment to the community for almost 35-years. However an electrical fire destroyed the 1990 amphitheater on June 30, 2024. A new $6.4 million modernized amphitheater opened in July 2026, featuring upgraded lighting, audio systems, stone work, and accessibility improvements. The complete build is not done yet, but the upper level of the Amphitheater is stunning!
We are here to enjoy the Summer Concert Series sponsored by the Lake George Arts Project. For over 40 years, The Lake George Arts Project has been bringing regional and national acts to Lake George as part of their Summer Concert Series.
The Bluebillies don’t just sing Country songs; they embody them, performing their unique blend of country, bluegrass and folk music with traditional style, sound and spirit. Husband and wife team Mark and Melody Guarino have been singing together since 1984 when they first made it their mission to help revive and preserve the rich heritage of this great and uniquely American art form. The Bluebillies perform together with all the joy and simpatico that only a “family” band can produce.
Mel “Melba Deen” Guarino was born in Sioux City Iowa to parents who both were musicians in swing bands. The family traveled all around the Midwest following the music and eventually settled in her dirt road one horse hometown of Black Oak Indiana. After hitchhiking and traveling all over the USA, Mel settled in New York City where she played with various rock and folk bands. But soon she returned to the music she first heard and loved in Black Oak, where Country Music was the music of choice among the population. And it was the music that would become the driving force behind The Bluebillies style that forges close harmony bluegrass and hillbilly music into one heart-wrenching all-American wail.
Mark Guarino cut his teeth on rockabilly and country in his first band, Buck Libido, and opened for bands like Pure Prairie League and New Riders of the Purple Sage. His NYC based band, The Ring, toured New England opening for acts such as The Ramones, Jason and the Scorchers, and Whitesnake. He is an accomplished songwriter and seasoned stage performer, well known throughout the lower Adirondack region.
Greg Bucking has spent the past two decades writing for and performing in a variety of projects and musical styles. One of his current bands, The Vine Brothers, has recorded three albums and spent the last five years touring across the US. His song “Three Bottles” was featured on the Discovery Channel show Vegas Rat Rods. Greg also wrote and recorded three albums for the New York based Mother Freedom, one for Broken Carousel, and penned the score for the independent film My Brother Jack. Greg also regularly performs with the NYC ska sensations The Scofflaws.
It was a great night of music and time with friends! Thursday morning we depart Lake George and head back toward Livonia NY.
Stay tuned for more Two Lane Adventures.
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