July 19, 2023 Bob set the alarm for 7:00 so we could get up and make the 10:30 cruise on Lake George. The weather today calls for sunshine and a high of 84. They said it is the best day that we’ve had in a long time, so we lucked out. It was perfect with light winds and blue skies. We got ready and left the campground at 9:30 to make the short drive to the waterfront and find parking. There was no traffic and we got there a little early, so we took a drive down the main road, Canada St. We wanted to see if any new shops or businesses opened up since we’ve been here last. Things looked pretty much the same.
We did discover that there was a farmer’s market set up along the street this morning.
This beautiful building sat on the corner. It houses the Lake George Historical Association in a 1945 courthouse.
We also took a drive past the Million Dollar Beach before parking. It opened in 1951 and got its name because it cost that much to build it. The beach was still pretty empty at this time of day.
We found parking right away in the same area we parked in yesterday for $2/hour. There were many empty parking spots at that time of the morning. We walked over to the ticket booth and got our tickets for senior prices at $34.25 for a 2 hour and 45 minute cruise. They started boarding the Mohican at 10:15 at the Steel Pier on Beach Rd.
I asked the Captain which coastline we would be traveling along and he told us to sit on the port side (left) of the ship. We sat inside by the large windows and had a perfect, airy spot. We would be in the shade for the first portion of the trip.
The ship had a full kitchen and bar onboard for food and drink, and the prices were very reasonable. While we waited until 10:30 for our departure, the Minnie-Ha-Ha that was docked next to us, left on its 1-hour cruise around the lake.
The Mohican left promptly at 10:30 and we began our cruise along the western shoreline.
The ship was not full, so there was plenty of space to spread out. As we pulled away from the dock, I got a great view of the area along the boardwalk.
I got a better view of Fort William Henry from the water.
The skies were so much clearer today so that we could see the Adirondack mountains far off in the distance.
There were lots of boaters and parasailers enjoying the water today.
The Captain did a great job of pointing out things of interest and the history of the area along the way. He pointed out these lovely mansions along the water and told us about the rich and famous who lived there, past and present.
The boathouses on the lake were also beautiful structures.
Lake George is 32 miles long and drains northward into Lake Champlain and the St. Lawrence River. Is is 196 ft. at its deepest spot, with an average depth of 50 ft. The lake has an island-filled narrow section called “The Narrows” about 5 miles long.
Lake George has over 170 islands, 148 of them state-owned. The state has designated single-use campsite islands that are reservable through the NY State Park website. Each campsite has a boat dock and has access for swimming.
Each campsite includes pit toilets, but is only accessible by boat. You can rent sites at the Ranger Station at Glen Island.
Each island has a “State Land” sign with its name on it so you can find it easily. There are also state-owned designated picnic areas on some of the islands. Some of the islands are privately owned and sometimes one island is owned by multiple families.
There were some amazing resorts along the lake. One of the most magnificent we passed by was the Sagamore Resort, a luxury resort on a private island in Bolton Landing.
It is accessible from the mainland by a bridge.
The Mohican stops at this pier for the resort to pick up and let off passengers, as needed.
This boat, The Morgan, is a Trumpy Yacht that is used by the Sagamore Resort for tours. It was a beauty!
From Bolton Landing, we passed through “The Narrows” and very close to the islands going through this passage.
Once through “The Narrows”, we came upon an open area and the highest point along the lake, Black Mountain at 2,655 ft.
From there, we slowly entered Paradise Bay. Paradise Bay has a narrow entrance which we passed through into a wide open bay. It is a favorite swimming spot among boaters. We saw many boaters hanging out in this protected bay.
To leave Paradise Bay, we passed through another narrow opening and out the other side.
We traveled a total of 16 miles, about halfway, on Lake George before turning around to make our way back. We passed many boaters making their way into Paradise Bay to spend a beautiful afternoon.
On our way back at about 8 mph, we got such a pleasant ride. Much of the forested lakeshore is state-owned and there is no road access. Much of the area and islands were reachable by boat only and unspoiled by human settlement. We passed The Morgan which was out on a cruise from the Sagamore Resort.
The captain pointed out this area called the Calf’s Pen at one of the deep spots in the lake. It is a rock cliff inlet with rock outcroppings. Many people go there to jump from the cliff. There are multiple jump spots that range anywhere from 5 feet to 50 ft. in height. The water here is 160 ft. deep and is a cliff-jumpers paradise. You can see all the kids on the rocks waiting to take their turn to jump.
Some of the homes have boat houses that are built to look like the home. This house won an award by the Better Homes and Gardens Magazine for their matching design.
We passed by a resort that was dedicated to women. It was the Wiawaka Center for Women that “enriches, inspires, and celebrates the growth of women through unique and relevant programming at a natural and peaceful setting”. Wiawaka is the oldest continuously operating women’s retreat center in the country. When we passed by, the ladies waved at us and it seemed like they were enjoying the day.
As we neared the steamboat dock, we could see many people enjoying the day at the Million Dollar Beach.
There were also people parasailing in twin boats with matching sails in the bay.
We returned to the dock at our designated time of 1:15.
We had a wonderful, relaxing cruise! What a great way to spend an afternoon! We left the dock and headed back to the campground, but before going back, we stopped at A&W for my favorite root beer float before returning to the campground. It was a very busy place and the carhops were really working hard. I haven’t been to an A&W in a very long time.
We got back to the campground and relaxed outside for awhile before dinner. I took Auggie for his walk while Bob prepped the motorhome for our departure tomorrow. We are moving on to Watkins Glen, NY for 3 days.