We were fortunate to spend our first two nights this week at The Sagamore, the premiere resort on the shores of Lake George. Set on a 70-acre island near the village of Bolton Landing, this large wedding cake of a hotel has been the lake’s top address for over a century. Steps from the patio lead past the manicured lawn to the Sagamore’s shoreline, offering views of Dome Island, a large round uninhabited forest of firs that looks almost tropical, a place that King Kong would find homey. On the opposite shores is an uninterrupted carpet of trees that soon rise to 2,000-foot mountains. The serenity of the lake stems from a decision by civil engineers not to extend the road more than eight miles on the eastern shore. So when you reach the Sagamore, a little less than halfway up the lake, there are no signs of civilization on the other side.
Our final two nights were spent at
Fort William Henry Hotel, within easy walking distance to all the arcades, shops, and restaurants in Lake George Village. Perched on a hill, Fort William Henry also rewards guests with wonderful views of the lake. I enjoyed sitting in a rocking chair and taking in the vista of lake and mountains while writing this blog.
Of course, I made the 30-minute drive to my favorite restaurant in the lower Adirondacks,
The Grist Mill. Located in Warrensburg, overlooking the rapids of the Schroon River, the Grist Mill is housed in a genuine working mill built in 1824. Yet, this is no museum. It’s a popular restaurant for foodies in the know who travel from as far as the Saratoga track in the summer months. The consistently tasty food includes sesame-encrusted ahi, veal scallopini, and rack of lamb.
Sitting under a gazebo on the shores of the lake, peering at the ridge of mountains, it was easy to love the
Boathouse, just north of Lake George Village. The food matched the view, with juicy cuts of sirloin and strip steak washed down with an affordable pinot noir. We topped it off with a dessert of tollhouse cookie pie and granny apple cheesecake. I can’t believe I never dined at the Boathouse before, but I’ll be back.
We also had dinner at
Cate’s Italian Garden in Bolton Landing and
East Cove in Lake George Village, two classic restaurants that my parents adored. Cate’s is known for their mom and pop Italian fare, including excellent chicken marsala, veal parmigiana, and salmon. At East Cove, we enjoyed the lobster clambake, including a lobster, steamers, clam chowder, and corn on the cob. We made two stops on the emerging
Adirondack Craft Beverage Trail,
Cooper’s Cave Ale Company and
Adirondack Winery. Both venues impressed me so much that I’m hoping to come back and write a story for The Boston Globe solely on the trail, especially when the new mobile app makes its debut next spring. Last, but certainly not least, there was no way Jim and I were going to miss breakfast at
Lone Bull, where we both ordered a huge stack of pancakes.
I want to thank Joanne Conley for her help setting up my trip this week and giving me the opportunity to reflect and write about my years at
Lake George. Also the chance to revisit many of the spots that I hold true and dear to my heart like my parent’s favorite picnic spot at the tip of Commission Point. I also want to thank my brother Jim for joining me and taking many of the photographs that appeared on this blog and on my twitter page,
@ActiveTravels. I’m taking next week off to celebrate my birthday with my family in Portland, Maine. I’ll be back on August 18th. Thanks again for checking in!
This past November, the travel world descended on Namibia for the annual Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) conference. Jaded travel writers that I’ve known for years came back to the States raving about the destination. If you’re looking for a safari locale but don’t want to deal the hordes in the Maasai Mara, Serengeti, or Kruger, consider Namibia. On a 10-day to 2-week jaunt, you can track black rhinos, elephants, zebra, giraffes, leopards, lions, cheetahs, and spotted hyena on walking and jeep safaris in the Palmwag Reserve; marvel at Etosha National Park’s massive lunar-like mineral plane while on the lookout for impala, springboks, elephants, and zebra; step into a sea of red, mountain-high sand dunes in Sossusvlei; lunch at Walvis Bay alongside a flock of flamingos; cruise Namibia’s Atlantic coast, getting up close with Cape fur seals and dolphins; and drive along the game-rich Ugab riverbed past the second largest monolith on earth. 
2017 marks the 150th birthday of famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright. There’s no better way to celebrate his life than to head to Iowa, home to the only remaining hotel designed by the famed architect, 
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