Lake George, Vermont, Lake Placid, Saratoga

The first long ride of this 2008 season was from New Jersey up to the sparkling waters of Lake George. I rode up with some friends and it was the last day of the Americade rally. That was okay. We weren’t there for the rally but for some great rides into Vermont, Lake Placid and back down to Saratoga. It was in the upper 90’s for the whole trip with high humidity making the real feel in the 100's. Other than the occasional heat exhaustion (not a joke), it was a great trip.



From Lake George we headed into Vermont via the ferry at Fort Ticonderoga.











We had a great ride through the small towns and the rolling farmlands. It feels like you are riding in a John Mellencamp video up there. We did stop at the Ben & Jerry’s factory and let me tell you, although we like the ice cream (not the politics),the factory was NOT worth the trip.










The next day we headed to the incredibly scenic Lake Placid.
Route: From N.J., Albany or Lake George take the Northway (Route 87) North to exit 30, turn left onto Route 9 and follow Route 9 into 73 until Lake Placid, at the light make a left and continue straight on Main St.











We stayed at the Mirror Lake Resort and had an outstanding time. The resort is top of the line. The people are friendly, the views are awesome and the rooms are comfortable and very clean. It is in walking distance of Main Street. Main Street on Mirror Lake is a great place to stop for lunch or dinner and the girls enjoyed the local stores. There is also a 2.7 mile walk around the lake to stretch your legs after a long ride. Mirror Lake Resort was one of the more expensive places to stay but well worth it.











There are unlimited activities to do in the Lake Placid region. We went hiking at the Adirondack Loj. From there you can hike up the "High Peaks." There are 46 "High Peaks" in the area to climb at all different difficulty levels. It is a short ride to the Loj. but first you have to stop and pick up sandwiches for the hike at Simply Gourmet. They have 46 outstanding sandwiches for all 46 "High Peaks" in the area.
Route: From the Mirror Lake Resort turn right onto Main and then a right onto Saranac Ave. Simply Gourmet will be on the right just after the miniature golf course. Get back on Saranac Ave. (make right out of lot) and continue to Old Military Road and turn left onto it. Go to Adirondack Loj. Rd. and make a right onto it, take that just under 5 miles to the Loj.




We hiked up Mt. Joe. It’s all about the view on top!

From bikes to bicycles and we stopped off at the Olympic Museum where “Miracle On Ice" took place. It’s history and worth checking out if you get a chance.











Below are more scenes from around the Lake Placid area as we headed to Saratoga.




PLP




















On the way back to Jersey we stopped off at Saratoga Springs. I’ve never been there before and it is a another great place to stop, take a break and look around. Check out the actual springs in the park and around the area. Be sure to take a tour of the battlefield at Saratoga where two very important Revolution War battles took place. It’s a nice ride from the town to the battlefield.
As I mentioned above, it was in the upper 90’s with high humidity making the real feel in the 100's. We had some stops to make along the way and then hit traffic on the Northway where we were at a complete stop. Bikes were hot and so were we. When we finally got to town we stopped for lunch to cool down. After lunch the group headed back to Jersey but I wanted to see the battle grounds. So PLP and me did. There we were, in the sun, on the bike, stop and go from one point to the next for about two hours. By the time we were done we had been out riding in the 100 degree day for about 8 hours. We were tired, light headed and dizzy (heat exhaustion). I was planning on heading back to Jersey (about a 2 ½ hour trip), but needed a break. We stopped of at one of the springs where I met an older gentleman. I think is name was Charlie. He looked like a typical grandfather. I told him about my day on the bike. He told me that the heat didn’t bother him (basically calling me a whimp...lol.) and that every evening of his whole life he comes to this specific spring and has a drink. He explained it’s how he stays young and healthy. As we said goodbye, Charlie walked over to the parking lot, picked up his helmet and got on his late model Harley Road King and rode away…I decided to try the water!!! Thanks for the tip, Charlie!