This week, I’m up in Lake George, New York for a few days of rest and relaxation.
My wife has the week off from work, so this seemed like a good time to get out of town and recharge. It’s late February, so it’s not peak tourist season. The downside is that some of the shops, restaurants, and attractions are closed. But the upshot is that the town is mostly empty, and we can enjoy it at our own pace.
If you’re looking to travel, check out this guide to using rewards credit cards to pay for your travel. My various rewards credit cards have helped me travel to many places, including some big city marathons. This weekend, they helped me land a good hotel in downtown Lake George.
Where We Stayed in Lake George
We’re downtown at the Courtyard Lake George.
The hotel is right on the main strip, and it’s within walking distance of many restaurants and shops. It’s less than a mile to the southern tip of Lake George, where Fort William Henry is. The hotel is about a block off the waterfront, and the upper floors have great views of the lake. They also have balconies, so you can enjoy the view outside.
If the weather isn’t good, there’s a gym in the hotel. That’s one of the reasons I picked the Courtyard. I was traveling in February, and I didn’t know what to expect weather wise. There are a couple treadmills in there, so you can definitely get your run on inside.
If you’re a fan of Marriott properties, you should definitely sign up for Marriott Bonvoy Boundless or Bold credit card from Chase. The Bold card has no annual fee, but the sign up bonus will help you score a weekend get away. Meanwhile, the Boundless card gets you a free night every year with your annual fee. It’s definitely worth it, and it’s the one that I have.
Where I Ran in Lake George
This morning, I woke up and went for an easy nine mile run along the coast of Lake George.
I left my hotel and went south along Route 9, passing a bunch of shops and restaurants.
I took a left onto Beach Road. This took me past Fort William Henry, the battleground park, and an amazing view of the Lake.
On the east side of the Lake, I turned left onto Route 9L and I followed this for another 3 miles or so until I turned around. The road had some rolling hills – and some steep hills. There were a variety of interesting lake houses and some beautiful views interspersed by trees. It was a nice, scenic run – although with a 45mph speed limit on the road I had to be sure to pay attention.
As luck would have it, we’re expecting a fairly significant snowstorm (8-12 inches) tonight. So instead of exploring another running route in the morning, I’ll be headed down to the gym on the first floor.
Other Places to Run in Lake George
But I did scout out some other places to run.
At the southern tip of the lake, less than a mile from the Courtyard, you can get on the Warren County Bikeway.
The bikeway runs north and south between Lake George and Glens Falls. That section is about 9 miles. If you did the entire thing out and back, that would make for a solid Sunday long run. But you could easily turn around at any point to make a shorter run of whatever length you wanted.
If you’re into trail running, you could also head west to Prospect Mountain. There’s a short but steep trail that starts at the western edge of the town, about a half mile from the hotel. You could also take the gentler, but longer route up either Prospect Mountain Highway or Big Hollow Road. If it wasn’t winter, I definitely would have hit up one of these runs. Maybe the next time I’m here.
What I Ate in Lake George
It’s the off season, so not everything is open. But I managed to find a couple good places to eat here.
Caffe Vero is a great breakfast and lunch spot. It’s only a couple of blocks from the hotel. For lunch, they have a nice selection of hot sandwiches, and we enjoyed it so much we went there twice. The coffee is good, and my wife enjoyed the hot chocolate. They also have a selection of pastries, and the staff are nice. Great place to grab a bit and hang out.
Another block down is 163 Tap Room. We went here for dinner. There’s a decent menu of burgers, sandwiches, and tacos. The pretzel appetizer was ok – reminiscent of pretzel sticks from TGI Fridays. But I had the cajun pork belly tacos off the specials, and they were delicious. My wife thoroughly enjoyed her cornbread and tomato soup.
Of course, the real reason I picked the place was they had a great selection of craft beers on tap.
Running Trips on the Horizon
In April, I’m running the Jersey City Marathon. Although it’s a half hour drive from my house, I’m thinking of staying overnight at the Westin in downtown Jersey City so I can walk to the starting line.
In the fall, I might travel to Minneapolis for the Twin Cities Marathon. I have family there, so I won’t need a hotel. But I’ll be thankful for my Chase United Credit Card when it comes time to book the flights.
Where are you planning to travel to next?