Lake George and Saratoga Springs NY Recommendations

[amcnj]

Hi. A relative on the west coast will be visiting the east coast in July to attend a wedding. They would like to also spend some time in the Lake George/Saratoga Springs NY area while here.

Anyone have some recommendations on things to do and see in this area? Or any other advice?

Thanks for any input!

 

[wabbott]

Hi. A relative on the west coast will be visiting the east coast in July to attend a wedding. They would like to also spend some time in the Lake George/Saratoga Springs NY area while here.

Anyone have some recommendations on things to do and see in this area? Or any other advice?

Thanks for any input!

We will be traveling through that area in a little over a month for the first time. The only 'must see' thing I had on our itinerary was Ft. Ticonderoga, an important Revolutionary War location.

I'll try to remember this thread to give you our impressions of the area.

 

[mrs. magoo]

When we visited Lake George - we did the steamboat tour and hiked Natural bridge

https://www.visitlakegeorge.com/top-attractions/

As for Saratoga Springs we just walked around town and ate at a cute dinner

https://www.discoversaratoga.org/

 

[T.G.I.Friday]

We stay in the area for one night on our way to another destination, so we don’t research or plan to do anything in the area, but like to experience things while we are there.

My thoughts -

- we think Saratoga Springs is adorable! A nice walkable main street filled with stores and small restaurants. And behind that street is a park where you can walk and see the old water springs. Plus, there is a Stewart Shoppe. It’s probably the best store I’ve ever seen. It’s a convenience store/ice cream/deli, but their brand of items are really good. I wish they were local to me, but they all seem concentrated in that part of New York.

- Lake George - or at least the areas we’ve seen as we drive through it - seems more rustic. There is an outlet mall, and maybe there is a resort tucked around there somewhere, but if it were me, I’d base myself out of Saratoga Springs and make a day trip to Lake George.

- We stayed one year in Queensbury. There is a Six Flags (we didn’t visit) and an ice cream shop across the street that has Dole Whip (we did go there! Haha!). It was a nice area, but it seemed like a regular town, so I don’t know that I would stay in that area again if I could stay in Saratoga Springs.

 

[DeeBee3]

we think Saratoga Springs is adorable! A nice walkable main street filled with stores and small restaurants. And behind that street is a park where you can walk and see the old water springs. Plus, there is a Stewart Shoppe. It’s probably the best store I’ve ever seen. It’s a convenience store/ice cream/deli, but their brand of items are really good. I wish they were local to me, but they all seem concentrated in that part of New York.

If you live in NY, there are Stewart's mainly in the Hudson Valley. Dutchess County and north. We have them where we live now, but 30 mins south where I used to live and I had never heard of them!

 

[DeeBee3]

If they are at all interest in horse racing, the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame is in Saratoga. I visited last year on a whim while in that area. It's small, but it was neat to walk through.
www.racingmuseum.org

Also 2nd the huge park and springs area. Very lovely.

 

[Schneewittchen37]

We did a family vacation in the Lake George area about 12 years ago. It was a blast. The highlights:
Ausable Chasm
Fort Ticonderoga
Fort William Henry
Natural Stone Bridge and Caves
Lake George Steam Boat cruise

Back in the 80's we did a family vacation there as well, so some kids stuff too:
The Great Escape theme park was so much fun
Magic Forest was super cute (it's called Lake George Expedition Park now)

 

[adkkev]

Saratoga will be in the height of horse racing season in July so it will be crazy busy AND expensive there.
There is the Saratoga National Battlefield, part of the National Park system, and you can explore the area where the British were soundly defeated in the Revolution, an important victory for the Americans.
Lake George is a tourist destination for the most part. There is a strip of outlet stores south of the village (exit 20 off the Northway). The Great Escape is full of rides and a water park. If you like hiking there are several hikes on either side of the lake with nice views. LG also has a nice beach. There is a resort up in Bolton, the Sagamore, that is right on the lake.
Further north is Ticonderoga as mentioned by other posters. The fort is pretty cool and don’t forget to go outside of the fort itself and visit the gardens down by the lake. Even further north of Ticonderoga is Crown Point and the site of the old historic fort there, it’s a state historic site (it has not been restored like the fort at Ticonderoga).

 

[QueenIsabella]

It might be worth checking out what's going on at SPAC (Saratoga Performing Arts Center). It's an open-air amphitheater. The NYC Ballet, Opera, and Orchestra all do summer performances there. You can get (comparatively) cheap lawn tickets--bring a blanket and a picnic dinner (with adult beverage of choice!) and enjoy the entertainment under the stars.

We used to live in Saratoga County, and the thing we miss most is Stewart's! Their products are locally produced, so we "knew" some of the cows that contributed to their dairy selections. Their ice cream is amazing--plenty of familiar flavors, but also a bunch of local classics. Crumbs Along the Mohawk, Mint Marcy (named after the highest peak in the Adirondacks, Mount Marcy), Adirondack Bear Claw, and so forth. You can sample before you decide. We go to NY every summer (Ulster County, further south), and a trip to Stewart's is always a treat.

 

[amcnj]

Many thanks to everyone for your replies. I’ll compile a list of your recommendations and investigate them further.

Thanks again!

 

[Imzadi]

There is the Saratoga Race Course to see actual, live horse races:

https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/

There is the famous Saratoga Performing Arts Center with live concerts and events. It is the official summer home of the New York City Ballet and the Philadelphia Orchestra.

https://spac.org/

 

[Imzadi]

When we visited Lake George - we did the steamboat tour

We did the steamboat tour too.

 

[QueenIsabella]

I'm sorry, I listed the wrong orchestra. We left the are3a in 2008. The SPAC recommendation stands, if they have something to your taste during your visit.

Personally, I'm not a fan of the track, but again--personal taste.

 

[shinysparklybubbles]

We absolutely loved walking around here and trying the water (it’s like the Beverly of Disney if you get the wrong one ). There is a spot where the water was amazing and people were filling giant jugs of it. https://parks.ny.gov/documents/parks/SaratogaSpaSpaParkMineralSpringsBrochure.pdf

 

[Imzadi]

I'm sorry, I listed the wrong orchestra. We left the are3a in 2008. The SPAC recommendation stands, if they have something to your taste during your visit.

Actually the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center is at SPAC during the summers too. So, you were partly right.

Personally, I'm not a fan of the track, but again--personal taste.

Me neither. Yet, I had a college roommate from Saratoga who used to work as a waitress in the VIP area of the race track during the summers. She would get high rollers who spent all summer there, and had tables for their families as "regulars." They threw money at her left and right. She made thousands of dollars in tips each summer. There is definitely a community for the race track if one is into it.