Memories of Lake George

During my 2014 Trip to the United States of America, I went to a more out-of-the-way tourist destination called Lake George, a place in the state of New York well away from the usual tourist destinations. Honestly, I did not even know the place existed until I was there, as Lake George was an “overnight stop” before going to Buffalo, New York, to see Niagara Falls.

I distinctly remember that on the way to the place, we stopped by a gift shop that sold local produce and gifts. The lady manning the shop also had a quirky humor, as she knew that most people would stop by the shop for the toilet (“The magic question!” she quipped) since the shop was right in the middle of the highway.

The travel to Lake George was marked by hours of watching roads & bridges go by.

The Gift shop which has an american style facade

I can’t quite remember the gifts (I think it was locally produced honey?), but I distinctly remember (of course I took a photo!) how unique its lavatory sink was:

An Integrated fixture!

It’s a sink that integrated the faucet, soap dispenser, and dryer into one fixture! In my years of working as an architect (even after more than a decade from 2014), I had not seen another quite like it. It made me wonder if this is a unique fixture or a type of sink quite common in the United States but not in the Philippines.

After the gift shop, we went to Lake George and the hotel for the overnight stay. When I first saw Lake George (both the actual lake and the town), I thought it was like stepping into a book describing “small town America,” or more visually, like stepping into a movie about America in the 1950s. This was very unexpected to me because I had thought it was just a small stop to Buffalo, but it turned out to be a major tourist spot in New York State. (I was just too much of a foreigner too understand.)

The traffic was also unexpected... to be honest.

The Dock side late in the afternoon

The town (at least the portions made for the tourists and visitors) had a Main Street filled with restaurants, shops, video game arcades, and other such amenities. Beside the lake side was a boardwalk, with a good view of the steamships used to bring travelers around the lake.

The hotel we stayed in had an artificial beach (with sand, beach chairs, and kayaks) and oddly enough, a few pet ducks.

THE DUCK!

The dock for me, was the main draw—I had never been near a freshwater lake before; the closest I could remember was a visit to Lake Caliraya in the Philippines and you couldn’t really see much of the lake there. Lake George had majestic green mountains soaring in the distance, reflected on the mirror surface of the lake, only disturbed by the passing of boats in the water.

Kayakers, swimmers and the beach

Since we arrived late in the afternoon, there was time only to order some pizza from the local Italian restaurant and watch the fireworks being launched from the lake via a small barge before turning in for the night.

THE SHIPmen manning the fireworks barge have nerves of steel to ride in that barge.

The next morning was spent touring the lake via the old steamboats that I mentioned earlier. Looking straight out of the 1900s, the ships were probably passenger ferries during the age of steam.

DOCKSIde, a passing sister ship, people looking out to the lake and the steam paddle wheel

Nowadays, they ferried tourists around the lake. The rest of the lake was dotted with islets and private homes, as well as a hotel on an island in a lake.

Various views of the lake side and ships within lake george

Going back to the port, I got a better view of the town as it looked during the day. It was filled with tourists and locals milling around and enjoying the day. One thing you need to be aware of: in Lake George, you need to walk! Walking is part of the experience, and it’s not only fun, but good for your body, too.

VIEWS OF THE TOWN

Finally, it was time to go on the road to proceed to Buffalo to see Niagara Falls. Lake George was truly a place to see, and I recommend that you visit if you can. I don’t know what it looks like now after over a decade, but it probably is a lot busier now.

I also wrote about my trip to the High Line and Singapore, if you want to read more about my trips abroad.