Lake George Area Group Tour Digital Itineraries

Choose a scenic cruise aboard one of the five ships that sail the pristine waters of the “Queen of American Lakes,” 32-mile long Lake George. The Lake George Steamboat Company’s Minne Ha-Ha sails hourly. Lunch and dinner cruises are available on the lake’s largest sailing vessel, the Lac Du St. Sacrament or Lake George Shoreline Cruises’ upscale Adirondac and Horicon .

Prospect Mountain Memorial Highway is one of Lake George’s iconic landmarks offering panoramic views of the lake, the Adirondack Mountains and beyond. Travel the 5.5-mile highway, visiting each of its three breathtaking scenic overlooks to its 2,030 ft. summit. Discover the historical ruins of what was once the world’s largest cable railroad. Snap a group photo as a keepsake of your memorable day.

Stop-and-shop along “The Million Dollar Half Mile.” The six outlet centers along this stretch feature name brand stores sure to satisfy any shopper. Shopping maps and coupon books can be prearranged. Stay for dinner and a show at the Tiki Resort, a Polynesian-themed Supper Club, cabaret-style entertainment with Laura Roth or a production at “America’s most intimate professional theatre,” The Lake Theatre. meetlakegeorge.com

Six Flags Great Escape & Splashwater Kingdom offers a full day of fun at New York’s largest theme park. Kids can participate in learning on location and youth classroom programs as they enjoy over 135 thrilling rides, shows and attractions. Student-friendly lodging is located adjacent to the park at Six Flags Great Escape Lodge & Indoor Waterpark. Evening activities include Pirates Cove Adventure Mini Golf, Adventure Family Fun Center, Sky Zone or The Fun Spot. All offer evening entertainment with themed golf, go karts, trampoline fun, roller skating and more.

Choose from one of the many outdoor outfitters for an exciting day of whitewater rafting, kayaking or lazy river tubing. The same outfitters can arrange for guided horseback riding or hiking on the many wooded trails in the Lake George Area. The neon lights of Canada Street in Lake George Village are sure to provide lively evening entertainment for kids of all ages. From pizza, ice cream and candy stores to arcades, haunted houses and souvenir shops, there is something exciting at every corner.

Kids can experience a natural challenge at Adirondack Extreme Adventure Course. The adventure park challenges thrill seekers of all ages with a series of progressively more difficult obstacle courses, all set in the Adirondack tree-tops! High-flying adventure continues on the Adirondack Eagle Flyer Zipline. Up Yonda Farm Environmental Education Center offers nature programs which all encourage student participation. Whether it’s building a bird house, visiting the butterfly garden or learning about aquatic plant life, there is always something to explore and discover at Up Yonda.

Visit The Hyde Collection Art Museum and Historic House, a world-class art museum and historic home. The Hyde House Library has several first-edition volumes of Cooper’s 1826 novel, The Last of the Mohicans.

Quick-stop or lunch at the The Queensbury Hotel. The lobby of the hotel is home to a large mural by Griffith Bailey Coale (1890–1950), featuring Cooper’s Cave, one setting in The Last of the Mohicans.

Visit Cooper’s Cave Overlook on the Hudson River in Glens Falls. Visitors can walk to the viewing platform to see the caves and read about Cooper and the Mohican tribe that inhabited the area.

Local step-on guides are available for tours that include points of interest, historical markers and monuments in and around the village of Lake George as they relate to the French and Indian War.

Fort William Henry offers an educational tour of the authentically restored French and Indian War fort that portrays life at the stronghold from 1755 to 1757.

Enjoy a lunch or dinner cruise aboard one of five ships that traverse “The Queen of American Lakes,” Lake George. meetlakegeorge.com

In September 1901, Teddy Roosevelt learned he was to be the 26th President of the United States when he reached the North Creek Station at dawn after hiking in the Adirondacks. The North Creek Depot Museum warmly reunites the past with the present with exhibits that tell the tale of Teddy’s midnight ride to the station and the impact of his presidency on American life. Try railbiking along the Hudson River with Revolution Rail Company. Pedal through scenic woods and over the Hudson River on a 200-foot trestle before lunch at the elegant Copperfield Inn or the rustic, Adirondack-style Garnet Hill Lodge.

Take a self-guided trail walk at Natural Stone Bridge and Caves, home of the largest marble cave entrance in the Northeast, or enjoy breathtaking views on the Northwoods Gondola at Gore Mountain. Treasure seekers can visit the world’s largest garnet deposit at B arton’s Garnet Mine and Mineral Shop to learn the history and geology of the mine. Guides will explain and demonstrate how to find garnet gemstones to take home!

You can’t miss the 100-mile view of Lake George and the mountains beyond at the top of Prospect Mountain. Buses can travel the 5.5-mile highway to the 2,030 ft. summit, stopping at its three overlooks for photo opportunities and different vantage points of the 32-mile long lake. Enjoy a leisurely lunch or dinner cruise aboard one of Lake George Steamboat Company or Lake George Shoreline Cruises’ sailing vessels. Whether it’s the famous sternwheel steamship the Minne Ha-Ha or the intimate Horicon , your group is sure to enjoy the lake breezes, stately homes and resorts dotting the shores of “The Queen of American Lakes,” Lake George.

Downtown Glens Falls has recently introduced its new arts trail! Whether it’s a one day tour or an entire itinerary, nine attractions featured along the trail highlight the rich arts and entertainment opportunities throughout this charming city. Offerings include The Hyde Collection Art Museum and Historic House, The Chapman Historical Museum, The Shirt Factory Arts & Healing Center, World Awareness Children’s Museum, several community theatres with professional performances and more. Stroll through picturesque City Park as you peruse charming boutiques and restaurants of downtown. Choose from outdoor bistros, quaint cafés, the landmark Queensbury Hotel, or one of the many brew pubs for a group dining experience like no other.

Delight with a second day of lakeside arts, entertainment and activities. Enjoy a scenic cruise along “The Queen of American Lakes,” 32-mile long Lake George. The Lake George Steamboat Company’s Minne Ha-Ha sails hourly and lunch and dinner cruises are available aboard the Lac Du St. Sacrement or Lake George Shoreline’s Adirondac and Horicon . Spend a portion of the day at The Sembrich Museum, the former teaching studio of Metropolitan Opera diva Marcella Sembrich. This museum not only contains memorabilia of a distinguished international operatic career, but also offers concerts, lectures, films and events featuring some of today’s finest performing artists. Relax as the bus travels back along the shoreline of “Millionaire’s Row” and learn the story of additional wealthy entrepreneurs and artists that came to the area and built wonderful mansions and ornate hotels at the turn of the century. One of the area’s informative step-on guides can make the tales of Alfred Stieglitz, Georgia O’Keefe, Louise Holmer, and the distinguished families of Tuttle, Trask and Pitcairn come to life.

meetlakegeorge.com

Toad Hill Maple Farm is just one of the sugar shacks that specialize in everything maple! Tour the traditional hand-crafted timber frame sugarhouse, visit the candy kitchen, browse the products in the gift shop or enjoy a wagon ride around the farm. Valley Road Maple Farm dishes up fluffy pancakes during Thurman Maple Days and maple syrup, cream, sugar, roasted nuts, peanut brittle and award-winning candy await visitors. Hidden Hollow Maple Farm, the largest producer of maple products in the county, is proud of its old-fashioned tradition of tapping and gathering the sap that is boiled into syrup in their wood-fired evaporator. Just down the road, Nettle Meadow Goat and Sheep Farm and Artisan Cheese Company is currently home to more than 300 goats, dozens of sheep, and a variety of farm sanctuary animals. Sample and buy their organic, award winning cheeses before dropping into a local favorite, Oscar’s Adirondack Smokehouse. This cherished gem is famous for its fabulous smoked meats, cheeses, mustard and hand-made food products and is loved by the locals.

Enjoy champagne brunch aboard the Lake George Steamboat Company’s Lac Du St. Sacrament . The 2-hour cruise will offer not only delicious food but magnificent views of “The Queen of American Lakes.” Afterward, take a leisurely stroll along The Lake Walk and explore the park and shops before you visit The Adirondack Winery & Tasting Room. Adirondack Winery boasts a selection of hand-crafted, award winning wines and offers a wide selection of gifts, gourmet cheeses, chocolates and foods. Right next door is the Lake George Olive Oil Company where groups can sample over 50 varieties of the freshest olive oils and aged balsamic vinegars from around the world! Groups can also visit when The Adirondack Wine and Food Festival is in full swing, an event that is always a culinary delight! meetlakegeorge.com

Arrive in the Lake George Area and check into one of the all-inclusive resorts that offer ranch-style experiences. Each resort offers a signature experience that can be customized to your group’s abilities, interests and length of stay.

Ridin-Hy Ranch Resort has been family owned and operated for generations and offers four seasons of authentic Adirondack activities and relaxation in a spectacular mountain setting. Explore Ridin-Hy’s 700-acres of scenic trails on horseback with free instruction by experienced wranglers. Enjoy hayrides, horse drawn sleigh and wagon rides as well as activities such as bingo, nightly entertainment, crafts, spa treatments, swimming and boating just to name a few!

Located just west of Lake George, Stony Creek Ranch Resort has been offering ranch experiences to groups for over 42 years. Set on the beautiful Hudson River, this ranch-style resort offers over 80-acres on which to discover adventures of Adirondack proportions. Daily horseback rides are offered along with a weekly professional rodeo experience. Join in a cattle drive or meet the friendly farm animals at the petting zoo. The all-inclusive ranch features 80 rustic-designed cabins and rooms with Adirondack décor and offers three bountiful meals a day along with fun activities such as movies under the stars, cowboy campfires and s’mores and nightly entertainment in the Red Dog Saloon.

Be sure to spend an evening at Painted Pony Championship Rodeo for exciting spills and thrills of a professional rodeo. Kick off the night with an authentic, Texas style BBQ buffet, then dust off your boots and mosey on over to the corral where you will be entertained by tough cowboys, beautiful cowgirls, funny rodeo clowns and outstanding animals.

meetlakegeorge.com

ADIRONDACK RECEPTIVE SERVICES

Donna Pohl and Adirondack Receptive Services make group travel to upstate New York easy. With over 40 years of experience working and living in the area, we have know-how for organizing tours to the Adirondacks, Thousand Islands, Northern Hudson Valley, Champlain Valley and the Leatherstocking and Finger Lakes regions.

Contact: Donna Pohl PO Box 100, Raquette Lake, NY 13436 315-354-5532

donna@adirondackreceptive.com adirondackreceptive.com

HAYFIELD QUALITY TOURS

Full service Receptive, Tour Operator offering professional tour guides and step-on guide service. Services include itinerary planning, day trips, overnights and extended tours. Lake George, Lake Placid, Saratoga, Albany, Hudson Valley, Finger Lakes, 1000 Islands, Eastern Canada, New England. Member: ABA, QBOA, PBA, Going on Faith

Contact: Doris M. Herwig, Gloria Gilman PO Box 4042, Queensbury, NY 12804 518-798-1253 ph/fax; 518-369-2736 cell hayfield@capital.net hayfieldqualitytours.com

Receptive Operators

Receptive Operators specialize in organizing the intricate details of travel packages. This involves careful planning and requires skills which can only be acquired by many years of experience. Our local Receptive Operators are qualified in advising clients who are unfamiliar with the Lake George Area on which

itineraries will work best, and coordinate with attractions, hotels and restaurants.

Receptive Operators also offer step-on guide services. Whether you are looking for a half hour around-the-town tour, or a full-day themed itinerary, they can create options to fit your needs.

NORTH COUNTRY TOURS

Step-on guide service, day trip packages, overnight packages, youth groups, senior citizens, church groups. Itinerary planning, adventure tours, family reunions, farm tours, theme packages, ghost tours, and costumed walking tours

KNICKERBOCKER TOURS

Go where you will, at the end of the day it’s the stories that leave a lasting impression. People and places come alive while visitors enjoy great food and pleasant accommodations at a comfortable pace. Expert step-on guide and receptive services.

Contact: Tina DeMarsh 455 State Route 418 #3, Warrensburg, NY12885 518-222-9347

northcountrytours@gmail.com northcountrytours.com

Contact: Steve Adams 106 Van Wagner Road Poughkeepsie, NY 12603 607-592-1583

sadams@knickerbockertours.com knickerbockertours.com

March Maple Days & Year Round Farm Fun

Adirondack Gold, Valley Road, Hidden Hollow and Toad Hill are all farms in the business of producing sweet maple treats, but each farm has its own unique history and story to be told. Fuel the day of fun with a country Pancake Breakfast at Valley Road Maple Farm, complete with fluffy pancakes drizzled with pure maple syrup and delicious maple sausages from Oscar’s Adirondack Smokehouse. Tour the area’s distinctly different sugar shacks to learn how maple syrup, maple sugar, maple cream, and candy is produced and take part in activities like tree-tapping and wagon rides. Sample the flavors of each farm’s unique products and visit their gift shops for your favorite flavor to bring home.

Yes folks, the sap is running and Thurman Maple Days are the perfect way to chase away those winter blues with a visit to the Lake George area's four largest maple sugar houses, all located in Thurman and Athol, NY, minutes from Lake George Village.

You will definitely want to take the time to discover local, hidden gems along the country roads along the way. Stop into Nettle Meadow Farm for a sampling of award-winning goat and sheep cheeses. Buy products, meet the sanctuary animals and marvel at the historic and beautifully restored gambrel-roofed barn as you tour the farm. Don’t miss Martin’s Tree Farm, just down the road. Learn the principals of sustainable forestry and see selectively cut maple that bears the indications of maple tapping from years past. Kids can make a bead or a paper box while Mom browses the gift shop for unique, hand-made items. Wrap up the afternoon with a visit to Peru Llama Farm. Capture a photo with a sweet, wooly llama, learn about farm life and see an exhibit on llama behavior.

Can’t make March Maple Days? There are lots of maple goodies and “sweet” for everyone at the annual Maple in April Festival along Rockwell Street, Hadley. The festival begins late April with a French Toast Breakfast and the Lil’ Sugar Dust-off Car, Truck & Cycle Show offering great music, food, and interactive fun. Maple sugaring demonstrations, craft and food vendors, kids activities, pony and wagon rides, train rides, birds of prey and dog agility demonstrations.

With countless battles, terrible disease, harsh climate and hundreds of years of history, it should come as no surprise that Fort William Henry Museum is home to inhabitants of the afterlife. Dive into its paranormal past and experience the hauntings firsthand with a guided ghost tour of the fort by day or spooky candlelight tour by night. Within walking distance in the village of Lake George there is a peculiar “Mystery Spot.” Legend says it was the spot where a great Native American god shouted his wisdom for the mountains, lake, and landscape to hear. Today, the spot stands as a perplexing audio phenomenon that has stumped scientists and visitors alikestand in the center and speak out loud and your voice will come back louder than when it left, almost as if you are talking inside a cone! The afternoon offers free time activities to eerie explorers. Sample locally produced wine and food products at Adirondack Winery and Lake George Olive Oil Company or take a relaxing cruise on the pristine waters of the “Queen of American Lakes,” 32-mile long Lake George.

Hear haunted tales during a tasty trip to Barkeater Chocolates in North Creek. Once a family home, Barkeater Chocolates was the site of a tragic accident that took the life of a child. Years later, the owners passed away inside the house in two different rooms. Since being converted into a chocolate factory and shop, nearly every employee has a spooky experience to tell. Book a group lunch or dinner at the beautiful Sagamore Resort . Enjoy gorgeous views of the lake and mountains as you hear the accounts of the reported and repeated ghost sighting that have earned The Sagamore the designation of one of the top 10 most haunted hotels in the country! Six Flags Great Escape is host to upstate New York’s largest and most terrifying Halloween celebration. During the month of October, the park is completely transformed into Fright Fest , a frightfully fun festival with scares around every corner.

Recount the region’s storied past and awesome mysteries with this tour of the haunted North Country! Groups can investigate the mysterious things that go bump in the night with this spooky tour. Whether its good natured fun or serious historical research you’re looking for, this itinerary is sure to be a hair-raising adventure. meetlakegeorge.com

All Hands On Deck: An Experiential

Tour of the Lake George Area

Strike it rich prospecting for your own garnet gemstones in the world’s largest garnet mine. Barton Garnet Mine’s guides will explain and demonstrate how to find garnet gems, large garnet crystal faces and beautiful, museum quality mineral specimens to take home. Investigate the Lake George ecosystem aboard a catamaran on the Lake George Association’s Floating Classroom. Learn about the lake’s history, its formation and water quality as you measure water clarity, catch zooplankton and test pH and temperature aboard the Rosalia Anna Ashby. Or create your own Adirondack pack basket at a school devoted to the arts and culture of the Adirondacks. Local artisans at The Adirondack Folk School will demonstrate step by step how to create a rustic creation of your choice or teach a skill that is unique to the Adirondack Region.

Passive Sightseers need not apply for this itinerary because it’s time for the group to roll up their sleeves and be part of the action! This itinerary targets active travelers that want something out of the ordinary, an authentic tour experience that only the Adirondacks can provide. Check out these do it yourself, hands-on activity tour options.

Up Yonda Farm Environmental Education Center offers hands-on activities for groups of all ages. Choose from a variety of educational programs focusing on the great outdoors. Whether it’s building a bird or bat house, catching and learning about butterflies, or searching for live pond life, there is always something exciting to discover at Up Yonda Farm. Be transported to a prehistoric time at Lake George Expedition Park’s Dino Roar Valley. Not only will you meet these legendary, life-size beasts up close, but you can also climb into a three dimensional dinosaur nest, excavate giant fossils or build and play in hands-on activity workshops. Play, climb and learn at Natural Stone Bridge and Caves. There is something for everyone at the largest marble cave entrance in the east! Walk the ¾ mile trail to the caves, pop geodes in the mineral shop, climb a bouldering wall, mine for gemstones or make your own jewelry! meetlakegeorge.com