Lake George, NY is a vacation spot that is near & dear to my heart.
My family has been coming to the lake since I was 6 years old & before that my Mom and her family vacationed there every year. It holds a lot of family history for us & it’s where we’ve all made some life long friends. For as long as I can remember, we’ve stayed at the same resort- Canoe Island Lodge. It’s the quintessential lake front resort with mountain views that give you woodsy, log cabin vibes. It kind of reminds me of the resort in Dirty Dancing (but instead of hot dance instructors, they have hot boat boys!).
This all inclusive resort features a main lodge where you get breakfast & dinner served to you daily, a small beach with two floating docks to swim to plus daily boating activities including water skiing, sailing & tubing.
There’s a deck on top of the boathouse where you can order lunch everyday as well as numerous daily activities for kids (aka free babysitting for you parents out there). Canoe Island Lodge is such a family friendly place with various accommodations based on the size of your crew. Plus they have a private island that is a short boat ride away if you want some alone time during the day!
We’ve been there not only in the summer, but in the fall as well- and this place is magical in both seasons! It’s not until recently that we started to rent a house on the other side of the lake (there’s just way too many of us & we all have different schedules).
Renting a house has definitely made us explore Lake George a bit more (no more breakfast & dinners included in our stay, BUMMER!) We’ve enjoyed going out to eat, discovering new places to shop & more importantly finding new places to drop anchor and play in the lake! Here are some fun places to explore around the lake:
PLACES TO EAT
- The Aviator– a top notch restaurant located at the local airport. Eat five star cuisine while watching planes take off & land!
- The Docksider– ok this is technically one lake over (Glen Lake), but such a fun casual outdoor dining area with lakeside views & killer cocktails.
- The Algonquin– a lakeside place for lunch & dinner featuring three outdoor decks.
- Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream– yes THE Ben & Jerry’s! I know you can buy it any grocery store but nothing beats getting my fav (Chunky Monkey) on a waffle cone!
SHOPPING
- Happy Jacks– located in Bolton Landing, probably the cutest gift shop on the lake. It’s filled with t-shirts, books, jewelry & more but not the tacky “Lifeguard” sweatshirts you typically see at touristy gift shops!
- Indian Tepee Gift Shop– Ok I LOVED this store as a kid! It has everything- home decor, kid’s toys, clothing & handmade small batch soaps and honey! This store is PACKED with merchandise. It’s like a treasure hunt trying to find the perfect gem!
- The Outlets– who doesn’t love a good shopping spree at the Outlets!
THINGS TO DO
- Boat around the lake- Sandy Bay is my favorite chill area to drop anchor & float around!
- The Village- the more touristy area of Lake George. There’s a few bars, tons of little t-shirt shops, Old Tyme photos (I’ve done this a few times, SO fun), fireworks every Thursday night, ice cream shops & more!
- Adirondack Winery– there are 3 locations around Lake George. You can do a wine tasting (and can keep the souvenir wine glass) & purchase your fav wines afterwards.
These are just a few of my fav things to do around Lake George, but there’s so much more. Honestly, if you’ve never been- get your butt to the lake ASAP! Oktoberfest is right around the corner!!!!
