Tushar and I originally planned to go to Hawaii in September but unfortunately most of the island was shut down due to COVID-19. To make the best of our time off we decided to rent a car and drive to upstate New York with a focus on Lake George and Lake Placid since we had never been there before. We did TONS of research on where to eat and stay as well as activities that were open. Unfortunately because our trip had to be changed very last minute, many activities and hotels were sold out for our dates.
Lake George and Saratoga Springs
Where we stayed: Springwater Bed and Breakfast in the Empire Room
This bed and breakfast is in Saratoga Springs, which is about a 20-25 minute drive from Lake George. The Empire Room was perfect size although this room is not in the main building it is just a one minute walk away. I cannot say enough good things about this bed and breakfast. The rooms felt very clean and they were taking strict COVID precautions by not having anyone come in your room during your stay. If you needed anything you could call the main desk and someone would bring any amenities needed. The breakfast was served between 8:30-10:30 AM where you could eat inside or outside of the patio with the fireplace. We were always given as I call it “the pastry of the day” to start breakfast. We received almond apricot scones, nutmeg muffins and blueberry oat muffins the days of our stay which were served warm with a side of butter. Tushar and I are vegetarian and there was 1-2 options available to us. Every other day flipped between a sweet vs. savory special item on the menu in addition to about 5-6 other options (oatmeal with berries, Kashi cereal, yogurt with granola and fruit, egg sandwich, ect). We mostly ate the eggs any style, toast, and breakfast potatoes which were always filling.
Other places to stay: There are plenty of bed and breakfast places to stay, with Boathouse Bed and Breakfast having great reviews. For a more luxury stay, consider the Sagamore.
Where we ate: We only ate breakfast at our bed and breakfast and dinner. We only ate a snack midday so we did not need to eat out for lunch as well.
- Druther’s Brewing Company: Beer Cheese Dip, Kung Pao Broccoli, Veggie Burger, Angry Bee Pizza
- We loved the first three items on the menu. The beer cheese deep is made from a 7-cheese blend served with fresh bavarian style pretzels. It is AMAZING. The veggie burger is house-made beet/black bean veggie patty, meunster cheese and garlic mayo. We asked for it well done and it was one of the best veggie burgers we have eaten. We got the angry bee pizza minus the soppressata which unfortunately just tasted like marinara sauce and a raw onion.
- Wasabi Saratoga: All you can eat menu. We got the vegetarian rolls, vegetarian fried rice, age tofu and stir fried veggie noodles. This place was really busy when we arrived. The non-vegetarian rolls I saw on other tables looked really yummy and people were ordering about 4 at a time. The sushi quality was fresh. We didn’t think the vegetarian fried rice had any flavor, but we asked if the stir fried veggie noodles could be spicy and they tasted really flavorful. I would recommend this place for people that are not vegetarian as those options looked amazing.
- Spice Gyro and Kabob: Cheesy naan, falafel wrap, falafel over rice. Yes, it is next to a gas station. As we were sitting outside, there were probably 10 different people that came to the window for to go orders. It has to be one of the best falafel dishes I’ve ever had. Their spice mixture the the falafel tasted so rich and the falafel were made to perfection being crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. The portion sizes were gigantic and we were stuffed. I prefer the falafel over rice as I personally can never eat a wrap without it falling apart. This place is an absolute gem and I would easily drive 3 hours to eat here again from New Jersey.
- Kin Jo: Miso soup, Hibachi Vegetable, Pineapple Fried Rice: The food portion for hibachi wasn’t large to us. We got vegetables, a small portion of rice and noodles so we ordered the pineapple fried rice. The flavor for hibachi was soy based with a slight teriyaki flavor. I wasn’t super impressed to be honest and it was EXTREMELY loud in the restaurant. It was very average to me.
What we did:
- Hiking: Buck Mountain
- Hot Air Balloon Ride
- Lake George Shoreline Boat Cruise
- Walk around Lake George lake front path/Walk on Broadway Street in Saratoga Springs
- Drove up Prospect Mountain (you can also hike the mountain)
- Things we wanted to do:
- Revolution Rail Co. (Sold out)
- Boat rental (Throughout Lake George, but unfortunately we went to 5-8 companies and they were sold out for the day so go early!)
Lake Placid
Lake Placid has numerous outdoor activities! For hiking because we are beginners, we found the AllTrails App to be the most helpful to guide us in the trail difficulty, route, reviews, and tips.
Where we stayed: Whiteface Lodge in the One Bedroom Superior Suite
This lodge has a very luxury feel and offers many on and off site amenities. During the COVID time, a lot of the amenities were closed but we were able to enjoy the s’mores every night by the fire, the heated pool/hot tub, sports courts, and food pickup at the Peak 47 restaurant. The spa and the kayak/canoes were available amenities, but we packed our day with other activities. Other on-site activities that were currently closed were the movie theater, gym, ice cream parlor and Kanu restaurant. The room we stayed in was very large and equipped with a fireplace, a kitchen, washer/dryer, separate bedroom and living room, and heated floors in the bathroom. The room truly allows you to feel as if you were home. They were also following strict COVID precautions so that no personnel came into our room during the stay. I would say the hotel is quiet and allows for total relaxation.
Other places to stay: Lake Placid Lodge, Mirror Lake Inn, tons of bed and breakfasts to choose from as well
Where we ate:
- Eres Pizza: Mediterranean Salad, White Italian Pizza, Margherita Pizza: We really enjoyed this thin crust pizza. The white Italian pizza was covered in fresh garlic, olive oil, tomato, basil, oregano and parmesan cheese. It had a very rich flavor and was perfectly cooked. The Margherita pizza also had the appropriate amount of fresh mozzarella cheese, I personally would have asked for more fresh basil on the pizza but that is personal preference. The Mediterranean salad is full of vegetables and very refreshing, but I am not sure if it is worth the $14 for an appetizer salad. I would definitely go back for the thin crust pizza.
- Generations: German Onion Soup, Buds N’ Spuds, Lean to Beyond Burger: All I can start off my saying is we wished we had gotten the Firetower (handmade bavarian pretzel literally the size of my face) that we saw on another table. Anyway, the German onion soup was pretty good it topped with munster and gruyere cheese. The flavors were on point for a french onion soup with the flavorful onion broth which is beer-based instead of beef-based. The onion in the broth were soft. They had two larger chunks of bread under the cheese layer which soaked in the soup. The Buds N’ Spuds was an interesting combo of brussel sprouts and potato gnocchi tossed with truffle oil, parmesan cheese and a roasted garlic aioli and balsamic reduction. Personally I would have left out the gnocchi but it did provide a different texture to the brussel sprouts. The flavor was amazing and I would highly recommend. The Lean to burger is a beyond burger with toppings….enough said.
- ‘Dack Shack: Mountain of Fries with 3 dips (curry, truffle mayo, and habanero ketchup). Literally the most delicious crispy fries that are hand cut russet potatoes. You can really tell they are made fresh.
- China City: Singapore rice noodle, Vegetable Mai Fun, General Tso’s Tofu: Food was made to order and fresh. Delicious food when you just feel like getting to go and bring back to your hotel. The taste is similar to your local favorite Chinese take out place. Both noodles were spiced perfectly as was the tofu. We didn’t find any faults in the meal.
- Emma’s LP Creamery: Maple Sundae with Maple SOFT SERVE! The sundae was slightly too sweet for me, but the soft serve was amazing. If I could have taken back a couple of gallons I would. This place is the absolute cutest. It has about every dessert on the planet including, Dole Whip, Whoopie pies, edible cookie dough, crazy shakes, cannoli, ice cream sandwiches, ect. If you can’t find a dessert here you like I am worried for you. Must-visit place. The line is long though but worth the wait.
- Breakfast Club: Veggie Bene, Veggie Rosti (minus tomato): The breakfast was very filling, perfect for hiking. The veggie bene was a benedict with spinach, avocado, poached eggs and a basil pesto hollandaise sauce. The flavors blended really well together with the sauce being the star of the show. The veggie rosti home fried potatoes with 2 eggs any style on top with fresh vegetables and cheese. It tasted like a fresh omelette on top of a bed of potatoes but everything was very fresh and made to order.
- Soulshine Bagel: Everything bagel with scallion cream cheese + egg + cheddar: Everything bagel was filled with different seeds and toppings with great texture. The bagel you could tell was made that day and very soft. Great quantity of food for two breakfast sandwiches < $10, unheard of in New York.
What we did:
- Walk around Mirror Lake (sidewalk on parameter), about 2 miles
- Nature walk to the Peninsula Trail that opens up to Lake Placid which is right next to ‘Dack Shack. There is a sign that points you to the trail. It takes about 10 minutes walk to reach the lake where there is a dam present and stunning pictures can be taken.
- Ausable Chasm: We did the basic admission ($17.95/per person) + Riverwalk tour ($12/per person). The trails I believe total 4 miles. The trails are extremely easy to walk, the only more difficult walking path is the large chasm so if you have bad knees/ankles do not do this. In the tour it is about an hour and you walk inside the Inner Sanctum trial with a tour guide. I think you can personally get better pictures with the tour so you can actually get to ground level.
- Hiking: Cascade Mountain (total ~5 miles) and Mt Jo (2.2 or 2.6 miles depending if you take the short or long trail): If anyone wants tips on what gear you need to hike please comment below.
- High Falls Gorge: 30 minute walk to see a waterfall. It is $13/per person. We walked it in about 20 minutes and couldn’t understand why we paid to see this waterfall. If you have a seen a waterfall in your life this is no different.
Let me know if you have any questions on your travels! We did a lot of research for activities that were open during this time so please ask.
