Back from Vacation
Well, we’re back from our vacation in Lake George, New York. So, here are some details about the vacation, where we went, where we stayed and some thoughts about traveling in the United States.
Traveling with Hannah (14 months) was more of a challenge than we had anticipated, and we ended up returning a day early. She did a lot of screaming while we drove there and back, it was difficult looking after her constantly in our room, and in general it was not a restful vacation. It will be a couple of years before we attempt traveling again.
We saw a number of the attractions around Lake George. Six Flags Amusement Parks has their “Great Escape” park there, and it was quite good. There is a new “Loonie Toons National Park” feature for younger kids, and it was a hit with my children. Karen rode one of their roller coasters, and I saw the most horrifying ride I have ever contemplated (the Alpine Coaster, which is 180 feet tall and drops people on a line in a huge arc, with the riders hitting 63 mph).
We also went to Fort William Henry, visited the Lake George main street (something like Niagara Falls, without the charm but with more motorcycle gangs). The beach is terrific. We went mini-putting twice one some really great courses, did some shopping at the factory outlets, etc. One interesting turn of events is that we found that the next town over had a free art museum. It turned out that the Hyde Collection in Glens Falls has a Rembrandt oil and etching, a Rubens, Renoir, Picasso, van Dyck, etc. Amazing that such a small town has such a collection, but apparently the Hyde family was quite wealthy and left their art collection to the city.
We stayed in an efficiency apartment at the Mohican Motel Resort. Three reasons cause me to recommend the place. First, they have an outdoor pool and kiddy pool, and an indoor pool as well. The indoor pool means good swimming even when the weather is marginal. Second, the facility is very well maintained. The owner has been steadily upgrading the place for 29 years. When changing the sheets they also change the blankets and the bedspreads, which is almost unheard of in the hospitality industry. Third, when we left a day early, they credited our account. They didn’t have to, and we didn’t ask, but they went ahead anyway. Apparently 75% of their business is repeat. If we go again, I’ll ask for one of the upper level rooms because the soundproofing between floors wasn’t great. Other than that, I highly recommend this facility.
Now for the United States: Everyone was really friendly. Speed limits seem higher, they have more police on radar duty and there is less speeding. Flags everywhere. You get the feeling that America is filled with Americans, while Canada is filled with people who just live in Canada and have little sense of being Canadian. Lots of bumper stickers supporting the troops. Something I have never heard of before but perhaps 50 miles into the United States on Interstate 87 all cars were being stopped and checked by the U.S. Border Patrol. I got out my documentation, but the guy just had a quick look in the car and waved me through. But this was no perfunctionary stop; State Troopers were standing by, the border patrol officers were well armed, and they had one serious looking dog with them! The traffic lights hanging from cables really need to be replaced by the kind of poles we use in Ontario. The mountains were really scenic. On the whole I felt comfortable and safe in that area. I like America and I like Americans.
Traveling with Hannah (14 months) was more of a challenge than we had anticipated, and we ended up returning a day early. She did a lot of screaming while we drove there and back, it was difficult looking after her constantly in our room, and in general it was not a restful vacation. It will be a couple of years before we attempt traveling again.
We saw a number of the attractions around Lake George. Six Flags Amusement Parks has their “Great Escape” park there, and it was quite good. There is a new “Loonie Toons National Park” feature for younger kids, and it was a hit with my children. Karen rode one of their roller coasters, and I saw the most horrifying ride I have ever contemplated (the Alpine Coaster, which is 180 feet tall and drops people on a line in a huge arc, with the riders hitting 63 mph).
We also went to Fort William Henry, visited the Lake George main street (something like Niagara Falls, without the charm but with more motorcycle gangs). The beach is terrific. We went mini-putting twice one some really great courses, did some shopping at the factory outlets, etc. One interesting turn of events is that we found that the next town over had a free art museum. It turned out that the Hyde Collection in Glens Falls has a Rembrandt oil and etching, a Rubens, Renoir, Picasso, van Dyck, etc. Amazing that such a small town has such a collection, but apparently the Hyde family was quite wealthy and left their art collection to the city.
We stayed in an efficiency apartment at the Mohican Motel Resort. Three reasons cause me to recommend the place. First, they have an outdoor pool and kiddy pool, and an indoor pool as well. The indoor pool means good swimming even when the weather is marginal. Second, the facility is very well maintained. The owner has been steadily upgrading the place for 29 years. When changing the sheets they also change the blankets and the bedspreads, which is almost unheard of in the hospitality industry. Third, when we left a day early, they credited our account. They didn’t have to, and we didn’t ask, but they went ahead anyway. Apparently 75% of their business is repeat. If we go again, I’ll ask for one of the upper level rooms because the soundproofing between floors wasn’t great. Other than that, I highly recommend this facility.
Now for the United States: Everyone was really friendly. Speed limits seem higher, they have more police on radar duty and there is less speeding. Flags everywhere. You get the feeling that America is filled with Americans, while Canada is filled with people who just live in Canada and have little sense of being Canadian. Lots of bumper stickers supporting the troops. Something I have never heard of before but perhaps 50 miles into the United States on Interstate 87 all cars were being stopped and checked by the U.S. Border Patrol. I got out my documentation, but the guy just had a quick look in the car and waved me through. But this was no perfunctionary stop; State Troopers were standing by, the border patrol officers were well armed, and they had one serious looking dog with them! The traffic lights hanging from cables really need to be replaced by the kind of poles we use in Ontario. The mountains were really scenic. On the whole I felt comfortable and safe in that area. I like America and I like Americans.
posted by Shawn Abigail at 10:36 p.m.
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