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Mountain or lake view? Wine or Beer? Snowmobiling or Salt Cave Spa? Pizza, pasta or bar bites? Candlemaking or art exhibitions? Farm visits to see animals, purchase artisan-crafted cheeses or one-of-a-kind jewelry? Maple farms or whiskey distilleries?
The Lake George area consists of quaint towns, villages, and counties that often remind one picture painted scenes. Some of the area settings are more ‘big city-scape’ looking, while others are old-school charming.
From Farm Trails to food trails, and everything in between like shopping and Olive Oil tasting, this is an area just biding for your attention. For Moms and daughters,’ the area is the perfect destination for a getaway.
Thurman, Lake George, Glens Falls, are just a few areas we visited while in the Lake George area. Our fabulous mother-daughter spring break getaway in the Lake George area kept us busy with an unending menu of options.
Use our trip as a guide to creating your own getaway. Keep in mind, we barely scratched the surface of things to do over 2 full days and nights! Let’s travel to the Lake George area!
Out Of Albany Airport and To The Visit Center
Let’s just say that the Visitor Center is a MUST Stop. Now you can use it as a ‘pit’ stop before you get into the village of Lake George or you can use it as a souvenir stop.
What, what? Inside these massive doors is a one-stop shop with an incredible representation of exclusively created in New York for the rest of the world to love and buy!
I Love New York Vending machines hold your passport to great eats like cheese to special chocolate, jewelry, mugs, and artisan-crafted, New York exclusive products. Heck, you don’t have to drive any further.
Have kids? Let them run their energy down a bit and use that fun zip line in the playground area. Bathrooms needed? No worries, there are plenty and they are spankity-spank clean (Dana language).
Hopefully, you will be there on a day Cory works. He’s New York smart and can give you great ideas of what to do while in the Lake George area! Sit in the indoor Adirondack chairs, enjoy the fireplace, the movie overview of the area or just grab some pamphlets to get acquainted with things to do.
TIP 1
There’s a life-size ski life chair both OUTSIDE and inside. If it’s cold come indoors. Snap a photo. The I ♥ NY sign is outdoors, climb up and hug a letter and have someone snap your photo. Then, onward to Glens Falls, it’s time for lunch.
Glens Falls Area
When we drove into this pretty metropolitan area, I had no idea that I would become so entranced. The homes are so articulated and cute, it’s like a Hallmark movie on some streets.
It’s got big potential, it seems to be in redevelopment with lots of dining options, culture, and spa. Yet, it’s comfortable enough that it’s walkable and you do get to know people and your way around fast.
Each street provides an adventure. Let’s eat.
Homemade Soda, Artisan Beer and The Biggest Pretzel I’ve Ever Seen
A visit to the area would not be complete without stopping and enjoying a beer flight or a homemade soda flight. That’s right have one of each, after al you are on a getaway and that’s when you are supposed to indulge.
While I am not the ale fan, I will say, after experiencing each of these in the flight, I was most impressed. From bold and flavorful, to light there was a beer for everyone. What else?
How about the flights, you are not committed to just one taste of beer. Maybe you got a sandwich, that’s great because you have more than one beer to try. Taste each piece and see what you like best.
A Carbonated Experience.
What better way to get a little giddy than with soda? Sip, taste, and belch. It happens on girlfriend getaways too! These were little glasses filled with rainbow colored sodas and filled with taste.
The Colossal Pretzel
A Bavarian pretzel sounded good after 5 hours of flight and hunger. Of course, a few beer samples from the beer flights and this is the perfect celebratory food item. This was our ‘Welcome To Lake George Area’ food.
We seized the moment, and our cameras and then tackled and conquered. It’s huge. Trust me, you could make a meal of this pretzel with beer or you can split it generously between 3 people for an appetizer. YUM.
A Hotel With A View
Visit the Lake George Area, but staying in Lake George main is definitely the objective. Being able to walk by, see and experience the Lake as you are there each day is part of the getaway. We stayed at The Courtyard Lake George.
If you get lucky enough to have a lakeside view, you will wake up to the snow-capped mountains and the frozen lake. You can just stare at it forever. Canada Street is beautiful and where the hotel has its physical address.
There is a Starbucks at this location, but it was closed while we were visiting. I can’t wait to go back and enjoy a Starbucks and a early morning stroll, it’s gotta be gorgeous.
Canada Street looks like a picture out of a Hallmark Family Movie. There are plenty of fun stops along Canada Street and right on the side streets as well, I’ll share those too.
Our Hotel
Our room offered 2 beds, reliable WiFi, a large television, refrigerator, and hairdryer. Please know there is NOT a safe in the room, which does make a difference when I travel. The room was comfortable, and always clean.
Charlie’s In The Courtyard By Marriott Lake George
When you travel all morning to get to a destination, then start taking on the destination, you tend to get tired. After visiting the Thurman Area Farms earlier that day, from 2-8PM we were exhausted.
Returning to the hotel made the most sense. As far as eating, we were famished. Our choice, Charlie’s in The Courtyard By Marriott Lake George, right below our room! How’s that for perfection? We had the best server ever, his name was Brad.
It was late, so we ate in the Bar area. I enjoyed a dry, rich Merlot, while Kallie sipped on a specialty hot chocolate and Amanda sipped at a beer. It was 3 cheers to our fantastic Day 1 in the area.
Too tired to eat much, we kept it simple. I enjoyed a large Caesar salad, while Kallie and Amanda enjoyed French Onion Soup. Brad surprised us with a Chocolate Martini for 3 and a dessert to split, it was incredible to end the day this way and really tasty!
Breakfast At Biscotti Brothers
Before we headed out for a morning of snowmobiling, we needed to fuel up, and we did. Biscotti Brothers were just a few minutes from our hotel.
Here you will find a lovely fireplace and a big menu. Here I got that famed huge cup of coffee (maybe not the best decision before an hour of snowmobile riding).
I judge my breakfast places around waffles. Are they crisp and flavorful? Yes! You totally need to try one of these.
Snowmobiling
While you might be reading this and it could be Spring, Summer or Fall, get your self set up ahead of time for that incoming Lake George Area snowfall. You won’t want to miss this snowmobiling opportunity at Bennett’s snowmobiling.
It’s one hour round trip, so 1/2 hour up and 1/2 hour back. The surroundings are pristine, immaculate, and incredible for lack of better descriptors. Do dress warm and in layers. Also note, the handlebars are heated so, you will not freeze your fingers off!
If you are planning on filming, you will need the helmet attachment for the GoPro (been there, done this).
2 More Fun Activities
Wine
Since Kallie is of age (I can’t believe I just said that, but she is) we decided to wine taste. Our choice was right by our hotel at the Adirondack Winery.
The ladies in here are full of fun, and each splash in your glass just adds to the energy (wine wink!). There’s a lot of wine here ladies!
Our personal thanks to Sasha for hosting such a fun time, from fabulous local samples on our tasting tray to incredible wine. I also loved that Sasha helped my daughter own her own moment with wine, explaining to ‘try’ things. Cheers to that!
Candle Making at Wax ‘n’ Wix
Right around the corner was Wax ‘n’ Wix, a true ladies night out moment. Here you make your own candles, and it’s fun. Wax ‘n’ Wix is right off of Canada Street on Montcalm Street, so walkable. The owner, Jim, is so much fun and he makes the best, silly jokes, you just can’t help but laugh at. We had a blast.
You can be as creative or as simple as you like. I went ALL IN and made the biggest candle because I wanted to see how hard it could be. Kallie made a Pillar style candle that was exactly as easy as mine.
You choose the shape, then you choose your colors, and then you chop those colors into small pieces and place them into the mold. The magic happens from here. The FUn happens when you get to see all the ‘scents’ you can infuse your candle with.
Perhaps the best part is the end when Jim presents the candle to you and you get to photo it in a lightbox. It’s so smart that they have this because it shows your exceptional creation well in a photo! Get ready to IG it!
Interestingly enough, there are beautiful smells with funny names. Overall we spent about 2 hours here between creating, chatting and sipping on wine.
Be A Pizza Jerk Groupie
Our day escaped us, and it was late when we ate, about 9P so we headed over to Pizza Jerks. This was a feast for those that love Pizza. While the pizza was amazing, the story here is on the dough knots.
Go for the pizza, but the Buffalo knots will steal your appetite and your love of dough! Experience a heightened love for carbs here and just enjoy it. I wanted to lick the foil, no worries I did not.
These savory buffalo knots are the show stealer, you truly need at least 2 orders to conquer and satisfy. I say, next time, I am ordering these, a salad, and getting a bottle of wine from the winery and calling it a night. YUM!
Don’t Forget The Spa & Some Culture
No getaway would be complete without a Spa trip and a bit of culture. Me, I’m definitely not the museum girl and I know you all are not either, but, when given the option to visit The Hyde Collection, one simply does not say, ‘No.’
The Adirondack Salt Cave in Glens Falls will allow you to relax beyond anything you could imagine. It’s tranquil and soothing and so good for you. You can read more about that my exceptional Salt Cave Experience so you can feel like you were there too. Make your appointment before you go!
Culture
Now, I am the one, that goes into a museum and musses at things one should not. While we had the most fabulous tour and personal tour (and I can’t say thank you enough), my urge to touch things that can not be touched just does not stop. Perhaps its the ADHD in me? I just can’t control it.
I won’t apologize for not having an interest in museums, but I value the here and now more. While that alienates me from some of my counterparts, it is who I am.
So, instead of telling you the details, I want you to go experience it if you are in the area. I will, however, share my urges with you, because the pieces do beckon being touched, even though you may not. Restraint, please.
You might even chuckle because there are others like me. As a classicly trained Pianist, how is it that I am only able to look, not experience. This moment was the hardest of my life, I wanted to sit and play and experience. The history of the piano made it more intriguing, it’s age, but, you know, Museums are for looking, not touching. I can’t experience anything that way, sorry.
The, of course,e you might see the images of the chairs in the back. Well, let’s look at them up close. The textures are appealing, and I wanted to feel them. After all, you see the kids in the photos on the walls, and they just used to plunk on down in the chairs…
Walk On Lake George
Don’t miss the experience, the must do, walk on the frozen lake. There’s nothing to be terrified about. IN fact, we watched a guy way further out than us, that I thought was crazy, but they use augers to make sure that ice is thick.
In fact, did I mention that there is a yearly frozen lake car race? That’s right when cars drive on the lake, across Frozen Lake George. Also, there’s ice fishing and other fun events.
So, to take a walk on the ice is part of that experience and a great way to bid adieu to a fabulous girlfriend getaway spot. Don’t miss the experience, it’s incredible and beautiful and a photographer’s dream.
It’s cold but fabulous, it’s snowy and icy and it’s everything that frozen dreams are made of. You will feel like a princess upon your own ice castle and make a wish while you are there. After all how often are you mighty enough to walk on water? Enjoy every minute of this destination.
From the most friendly business owners I’ve ever met, to the most beautiful snow-capped imagery I’ve seen since Banff, Lake George, and the Lake George Area is the perfect mother-daughter Spring Break getaway. ~ Enjoy. Dana XO
My trip was hosted by the Lake George Regional Chamber of Commerce & CVB. All opinions are my own based on my time spent in the area.
