October 24, 2011

A Beautiful Lake and A Long Drive

We had planned to turn south toward Pennsylvania yesterday, but this trip is all about seizing the moment and altering plans as the mood strikes us.  And that’s exactly what we did yesterday.  Tim had second thoughts about leaving New York without seeing a bit more of the state, so we ventured north toward Lake George in the Adirondacks.  Lake George is a large lake on the eastern edge of the Adirondacks and is one of the prettiest lakes in the region.  We settled into a little cottage not far from the lake when we arrived so Tim could watch afternoon football.

This morning we drove farther north and circled back around the west side of Lake George.  It turned into a beautiful day after the early fog burned off, and we were still able to see quite a few fall colors as we drove along the lake.  The views across the lake were gorgeous.

Looking Across Lake George

A Cove Along the Shore of Lake George
We made a detour to Bolton Landing to take a look at the Sagamore, one of the grand historic hotels that now also serves as a conference center.  The hotel is beautifully preserved in a wonderful setting.

The Sagamore With Its Beautiful Flowers

The Sagamore Grounds
Today was the longest driving day since Tim arrived – 272 miles.  We wanted to make it to Pennsylvania and the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, which is just over state line.  Therefore, we spent a lot of time on the interstate.  It really wasn’t so bad.  I wouldn’t like to make a habit of it, but every once in a while, we just need to get from Point A to Point B.

On typical days we drive less than 100 miles.  Occasionally we will hit 200 miles, but not often.  We’re in no hurry, except to outrun the cold weather, so why rush?

We encountered more destruction from Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee as we drove south through New York State.  As we crossed into Pennsylvania, it was even more evident.  We were less than fifteen miles from our campground when the road into the Delaware Water Gap area was blocked off.  We had to make a detour around and later found out that a major failure of a section of the road had been discovered just within the last few days. 

Apparently there is a lot of damage to the area where we will be visiting.  We’ll see tomorrow.  In the meantime, we are enjoying a beautiful campsite at Dingmans Campground, which is operated by a concessionaire of the National Park Service.  It even has hookups and is practically empty.  The only way it could be better is if we could have internet and/or TV reception.

Our Campsite at Dingmans Campground

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