It seems like Summer in Upstate New York has a lot of potential. The weather is wonderful, there’s no humidity and there’s always tons to do! When my parents came to visit from Missouri for the Labor Day holiday, I was super excited about showing them how to actually enjoy summer without sweating to death or fending off ‘skeeters!
Just up the road (or as the locals call it, Interstate 87) from Clifton Park is Lake George, located in southeastern Adirondack State Park. The 32 mile long lake drains into Lake Champlain and is nicknamed Queen of American Lakes. The area around the lake is home to residents year round, but the party really starts during New York’s beautiful summers.
The Lake George community is filled with charming shops, boutiques and cute little restaurants, perfect for a quick getaway from the Capital Region!
Without a doubt, the best way to see Lake George is to go out on Lake George! If you’re not lucky enough to have your own ride, you can hitch one with the Lake George Steamboat Company. With several boats in their fleet, we were lucky enough to snag complementary tickets to board their authentic Paddlewheeler, The Minne-Ha-Ha for a little lake cruisin’…thanks y’all!
The Minne-Ha-Ha was initially built by the Lake George Steamboat Company, with construction completed in August 1969. In September 1998, the boat had a bit of reconstructive surgery when it was re-framed and lengthened. She was christened on June 2, 1999.
Much like the steamboats I grew up seeing on the mighty Mississippi River back home, the Mine-Ha-Ha is an authentic steamboat, powered by it’s own boiler. Unfortunately, we were too entranced with watching the lake go by that we missed checking out the engine room, which is glass-enclosed so folks can see what exactly it takes to keep the boat moving. Standing over the bright red paddle wheel was pretty cool (and a bit misty), it definitely gave you a chance to see how we were getting to where we were going!
These days, the Minne-Ha-Ha is a fixture on Lake George and caters to passengers from across the globe. Our one hour cruise took us out to explore the southern half of Lake George and gave us a view even a land lover could appreciate. It was a smooth ride over the crystal clear water, which, I was stunned to learn, is actually drinkable!
The Minne-Ha-Ha is just one jewel in the Lake George Steamboat Company crown. Tours are available on the Mohican and The Lac du Saint Sacrement, Lake George’s largest cruise ship. The Company offers all sorts of different cruises, everything from pizza and pasta cruises to sunset and firework cruises. Y’all, it sounds like something for everyone!
To take your own cruise on Lake George, log on the Lake George Steamboat Company website at lakegeorgesteamboat(dot)com to plan your excursion and purchase tickets…y’all won’t be disappointed!
*Special thanks to the Lake George Steamboat Company for our complimentary Minne-Ha-Ha tickets. Thanks so much y’all!
