If you are looking for a perfect "social distancing " summer vacation, look no further than Lake George in upstate New York. This pristine lake is located about three hours from our area in the Adirondacks.
We stayed at the historic Sagamore Resort which is located on its own 70 acre island in Bolton Landing, about a 20 minute drive north on Route 9N from Lake George Village. The Sagamore has beautiful grounds and terrific amenities including golf, tennis, indoor and outdoor pools and a spa. The hotel also has an indoor Rec center with ping pong, basketball and mini golf plus outdoor basketball and volleyball courts. The hotel was originally built in the 1880's and refurbished in the 1980's. Our room in Building 7 was a bit of a walk to the main house but we faced the water and could watch boaters and kayaker go by. The rooms are a bit dated but with comfortable beds and are very clean. Social distancing is required throughout the property and we found people to be compliant.
One if the best ways to social distance is to go out on the water. The Lake George Kayak Company is located on the Sagamore property, just a short walk from our room. My husband and I rented a double kayak while my older son rented a paddle board and my younger son rented a single kayak. My husband and I had never kayaked before but we soon got the hang of it and had a great time.
We knew we wanted to go out on the lake on a speed boat but we had no experience in driving a boat. So instead of renting our own, we went on a Captain's Boat ride with Adventure Boat Tours & Watersports. Captain Scott was a terrific tour guide, taking us on a two hour tour of the lake. He gave us some of the history of the "Queen of American Lakes" and showed us some gorgeous houses along the shore line. The kids went tubing which was very exhilarating and then we stopped and all took a dip in the lake. Captain Scott knew the best spots for tubing and swimming. The lake is so amazingly clean and swimming was so refreshing on a hot day. We highly recommend this really fun family activity (cost was $300 for a two hour private boat tour).
There are plenty of good places to eat at The Sagamore or in Bolton Landing. You can also head in to Lake George Village to eat but it isn't as quaint as Bolton Landing. One restaurant that really stood out for us was called Beyond the Sea in Bolton Landing. We had a terrific “surf and turf” meal there and met the owner who is from Westchester County.
Unfortunately for theme park fans like us, Six Flags Great Escape is closed due to Coronavirus (no details on when they will reopen yet). There are plenty of other things to see and do in the area including hiking trails, camping and beaches. For more information visit the Lake George tourism website.
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