My Happiest Place on Earth

Sunday morning dawns early and I walk outside to the sounds of birds and the smell of bacon and coffee. I walk down to the lake and sit for about a half hour and just listen to the quiet and marvel at the glassiness stillness of the lake. Too early for boats, jet skis, swimmers and paddle boarders to cause any ripples.

Lake George, New York, for a week every summer for almost 30 years and it never gets old.

Breakfast at the Lone Bull Restaurant where they “dare you to go away hungry.” Overly giant portions and never-ending coffee.  Seeing the same waitress we have seen every July for about 20 years.

After breakfast, maybe a horseback ride at Saddle Up Stables up into the hills that overlook the lake. A very relaxing, enjoyable way to spend an hour and a horse large enough for my brother, who is 6’7 and 255 pounds.

Back to the cabin, to change clothes for a walk into the village. The village is Canada Street where there are shops, restaurants, bars, arcades, stores and a never-ending supply of souvenirs on both sides of the street for about a half mile.  You can sit and relax for a bit in the shade at Shepherd Park in the village which has music in the evenings under the new bandshell.

We all have our favorite stores. I like the Sweet Tooth where you can choose your favorite flavors of taffy.  Banana, chocolate and orange always fill my bag.  I go back there usually twice so I have some to bring back to Connecticut.

Mystic World is a favorite of everyone’s with all kinds of beach clothes, hats and jewelry. There is a tattoo parlor on one of the side streets where my last two tattoos have come from.

 Fire and Ice, a restaurant and bar with outside seating . . . great for people watching.  That’s usually a lunch location.

Ben and Jerry’s is always a popular stop with everyone visiting Lake George.  There is almost always a line but worth waiting for on a hot day.

In the afternoon, back to the resort for a few hours by the pool or a swim in the lake where you take a giant tube, walk part way into the water, jump in your tube, paddle out into the deeper water and just relax. You actually have to be careful not to fall asleep in the sun. You could literally spend hours out there . . . watching the boats go by, laughing at people trying to stand up on a paddle board without losing their balance and crashing into the water.  I have taken a book out with me and read for several hours while floating along.

Dinner is usually out at a restaurant, Monte Cristo’s being a favorite, or cookouts at the cabin with the whole family and all our friends.  Hot dogs, burgers, potato salad, cole slaw, chips and brownies or chocolate chip cookies for dessert.

After dinner, maybe a trip to Martha’s Dandee Crème.  The best ice cream treats on the East Coast. You can get almost any flavor ice cream you want in a cone, milkshake or sundae. The small cone is gigantic and usually melts faster than you can eat it.  It has become a competition over the years to see who can eat their treat the fastest. Inevitably, the kids always end up with sticky fingers and covered in melted ice cream.

Evenings are for visiting and playing games.  Scrabble, Rummicubes,  Monopoly, Left-Right- Center, Scattergories.  Everyone plays and we usually end up laughing til midnight.

And there are always the ducks. This tradition started years ago when my sister-in-law was chasing the ducks with a remote controlled toy in the water.

I yelled at her playfully … “leave the ducks alone you mean girl.”

The next morning, I woke to find 6 little rubber ducks on my doorstep. The following morning, she woke up to 15 ducks on her doorstep. It went crazy from there. Duck gifts of every kind for birthdays and Christmas. And always the ducks at Lake George.  A family tradition and fun memory that still lives today.