LAKE LUZERNE and SARATOGA EXPLORATIONS – 6-8 NOVEMBER 2025

It was time to get away – I have been out, but owe myself writing about those adventures to remember and then share. One of my first trips after losing Cathy was to the Lamplighter Inn in Lake Luzerne, New York. All I remember of that trip was watching a movie on my first laptop in the comfortable living room. Almost two years ago the inn was sold, renamed the Rockwell Falls Inn, and I started getting occasional emails – yes with the sale the new owners got my email address. October 30 when figuring where to escape an email arrived from the inn, and I booked two nights, Thursday 6 November to Saturday, 8 November.

Just about 30 minutes north of Saratoga Springs and to the southwest of Lake George about 20 minutes, I have many route options to and from Saratoga Springs. I headed over to Manchester, out on Route 30 through Dorset to Pawlet. Years ago I did have lunch there at the old railroad station, but this time I turned down that road a tad and found the Town Hall, built 1881, and across the street the library converted from a three room school house. Worth the stop to see the amazing interior. Below is also the library, and the now abandoned restaurant in the old train station (in searching I found the old station was moved to Pawlet from Wallingford, VT).

This board below was inside the library — great advice for us all to follow (click for easier reading).

Continuing up Route 30 I crossed into Granville, NY. Had a great stay there awhile back at the Station House B&B, but have never been in town at the right times to see the slate museums — this area is packed with slate quarries. Then I meandered through Hartford (NY), Hudson Falls, Fort Edward, and Glen Falls, before backroading up over a mountain to Lake Luzerne and the Rockwell Falls Inn. In the gallery below the Inn, my room, the common room that I remembered from my 2009 visit, and my breakfast Saturday morning. French Toast was amazing and so much on Friday morning that I was smarter and I ate only a portion of my Saturday pancakes below, the rest coming home for two more meals.

My plan for Friday was to head up to Stony Creek (on the Hudson that once passing through Lake Luzerne turns south to the ocean) and then cut over to Great Sacandaga Lake and down part of its 29 miles to eventually work myself to Ballston Spa south of Saratoga Springs. Heading to the bottom of the hill I turned right on River Road believing it would end with a bridge to Stony Creek. First below the Hudson River, and then, alas, the end of the road, so I turned back.

It was then back into the “village” cross the river to Hadley, and up to Stoney Creek (population 767 at the 2010 census). As you can see an old town, basically abandoned, but the 1955 Ford sedan (green spot below) was well preserved.

Note the hotel serves “Real Food” and then the church.

It was then over some very back roads to continue my plan, I wanted to explore Great Sacandaga Lake – completed in 1930 and formerly called a reservoir (never providing drinking water, only hydro generation), but name changed to help tourism along the 29 mile long lake.

My hope was to arrive in Conklingville to see the dam, but alas I ended up further south in Day, NY.

Below on the left is the drive on the west side of the lake heading south, and on the right the low level of the lake with all the lack of rain.

In preparations I saw on my “paper” map a covered bridge noted – did not make sense, but had to find it – and was easy along main road – BUT not for cars or carriages, but built in 1879 the Copeland Covered Bridge was built so the farmer could get his cattle to pasture. Load limit today is 10 adults

too much fun – so here is what it is like — remote, not on the “beaten path” but do try to visit.

in the upper right you can see GiGi waiting for me.

Just down the road from this little bridge is a “real bridge” in Edinburg that crosses the lake. A few miles south of this point the lake opens up very large. Once on the east side I cut down to Mosherville and more back roads to Route 67 to head into Ballston Spa. Ballston Spa is less overwhelming than Saratoga Springs, and actually older and the original resort for the area. In my recent review of my collected brochures I read of the BROOKSIDE MUSEUM – the Saratoga County History Center, and am so glad I stopped to visit.

Small, but impressive, and full of history that appeals to me – you may know that I have always been fascinated by the development of the American summer resorts – their history, architecture and times. Here is America’s First Resort Hotel — click the panels below for large sizes to read.

I decided to share these two panels with you — note the mention of the Round Lake Association – 1863.

I have been a member of the Walpole Society for Bringing to Justice Horse Thieves and Pilferers of Hen Roosts and Clotheslines since “landing in Walpole” in 2002, and am currently an officer as the “auditor.” I almost fell over when I saw this poster printed on linen from circa 1913. This society was established in 1818, two years after our society in Walpole, and held annual dinners until 2010 — WALPOLE’S THIEVES ARE STILL GOING. Our biennial poster is basically the same, and with the same illustration — too much fun.

Do read the history of this spot — I asked the docent, Kotter, if this spring house across the street was the original spring. No, the original one is now under a road, but this structure was the second well dug in this location, and still flows.

The display below was just outside the museum — now another trail for me to explore after reading Cooper’s works. I have so many “trails” noted to explore including (most recently) Knox’s Noble Trail of Artillery; Stark’s Trail, Benedict Arnold’s trail through Maine to Quebec City has been “on the list” since I finished Black Beauty, and there are more. Hopefully I will be writing these posts long enough to share them all with you, but “take the plunge” yourself as well.

Time to head back to my Inn, but more back roads of course. WAZE routed me to Petrified Forest Gardens Road. HUM, interesting, and then this sign – LESTER PARK. Would you have stopped? GiGi knows me, and we pulled over and explored this site walking the rocks of 490 million years ago.

not far from downtown Saratoga Springs — but if you need a quick “fossil fix” don’t forget the dinosaur prints along the Connecticut River in Holyoke, Massachusetts. In case you forget, my visit is in this post from 2013.

On the list is also THE SARATOGA CORINTH & HUDSON RAILWAY – in Corinth. Not open until Christmas trains begin to run, but I had to find the location – and yes, the gate was half open inviting me in. Some quick images as they were decorating. Not sure I need to make a special trip back to ride these rails.

It was then back to the Inn, out for dinner, and up again with a plan for Saturday on the way home.

Remember I told you above of the Round Lake Association – 1863? A camp meeting ground – and those revival meetings were part of the genesis of the summer experience. Think Chautauqua, Martha’s Vineyard, etc. In a previous life I owned three cottages in a camp meeting ground. Learning of the Round Lake Association I had to visit since I was close. Ironically adjoining a “round lake” in the mid 1880’s Round Lake transitioned from a purely religious orientation into a Chautauqua-style educational resort, complete with hotels, museums, and lecture halls.

now a village the Victorian architectural ambience remains – including the auditorium built in the 1880s. “The Auditorium’s crown jewel is the Davis Ferris Tracker pipe organ. Built in New York City in 1847 and moved to Round Lake in 1888, the 1900-pipe organ is the oldest and largest of its kind in the United States, and in 2016 was designated a National Historic Landmark.” Sadly the doors were locked.

walking around, how can you not enjoy the architecture? Click for larger image views.

BUT WAIT — GRAND CONCOURSE and E. 181 ST? How many of you know where this sign is from? I know — 25 blocks from my grandmother’s home built in the Bronx in the 1880s at 191 E. 206th Street, just a block and a half off the Grand Concourse.

You know me and “timing.” I stopped the fellow walking nearby, and yes his home, and his wife’s sign swiped off the pole at the Grand Concourse where she grew up. We had fun chatting, and discovered even more “small worlds” including his having lived in Bolton’s Landing and knew of Alma Farm which my family was connected with. Just too much fun, and you never know what you will see, or who you will talk with.

the plan for Saturday on the way home was also to tour the Saratoga Battlefield. I knew (thank you US Government) that the visitor center would be closed, but I walked up to it to take the view below (do click to enlarge – one of my better images). Then I figured I would drive the nine mile tour of the grounds, having downloaded the audio tour, but alas the road was blocked off. I did make the tour maybe 15 years ago – well come springtime.

As I mentioned, Saratoga Springs is easy for me to get to (more trips soon I hope) and several routes I can take. Almost a straight shot home is through Greenwich and Cambridge, New York to West Arlington Vermont, and then home. Of course I stopped and drove through the covered bridge in West Arlington to Norman Rockwell’s home, but for the first time I drove west on the dirt road to the end and back across the Battenkill River to the main road, and then headed back east.

Dr. Dewey told me ages ago I had to see Sandgate, Vermont, which is three miles up the hill almost across from the covered bridge. Well, I finally went to see and share. The population of Sandgate was 387 in 2020 — “some estimates for 2025 suggest a slight decrease to around 381 people”. Since you may never get there, below in four images (remember to click to enlarge) is the town — Town Hall, Fire Station, Church, and school. Glad I went, one more Vermont town I have visited.