The Other New York

As I was driving to and from Buffalo, New York, back in the beginning of February, I discovered that in addition to Niagra Falls, Upstate New York holds many other scenic wonders. It is quite different from New York City.

To begin my journey, I drove across Vermont to its western border, Lake Champlain (seen above). This famous lake served as an important trade corridor in colonial days. I was able to visit the ruins of an old British fort that had been so vital during the French and Indian War. I also visited the town of Ticonderoga, home of the famous Fort Ticonderoga which guarded a particularly narrow portion of the lake thereby controlling all the traffic going by. So many important battles during the 18th century were fought right there.

Next I moved into northeastern NY, otherwise known as the High Adirondacks region (seen above near Lake Placid). Having several dozen peaks above 4000 feet, this was the most scenic part of NY in my opinion. Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate with rain, drizzle, and low clouds obstructing most of the panoramic views. However, this sort of weather is typical for the region (similar to the rest of New England), and probably helps everything to be green and lush during the short summertime.

I then drove west through smaller mountains, then hills, then gently rolling forests all of which were dotted with numerous lakes. The landscape reminded me of northern Wisconsin or the lake country of Minnesota. Although there were quite a few trailers and ramshackle shacks, occasionally I noted a specimen of the region's famous Adirondack architectural style. Eventually I made it to the shores of Lake Ontario (seen above) near Watertown, NY. Just to the north was the reportedly beautiful Thousand Islands region along the St. Lawrence Seaway (border with Canada). Unfortunately because of time constraints, I was unable to go visit. Maybe next time.

The rest of my journey to Niagra Falls and back involved driving on the interstate highway at high speeds in the rain. I can't really comment on Syracuse, the Finger Lakes region, or Rochester other than that they seemed like decent places to live what with their proximity to all sorts of outdoor recreation.

As I headed back to New Hampshire for my flight back to the midwest, I stopped in Lake Placid again in order to ride the bobsled on the original 1980 olympic bobsled course (seen above). What a rush. I don't remember how fast it was supposed to go, but it seemed at least 100 times faster than my fairly fast blue sled. Much faster than the alpine slides out in Colorado. When we hit a curve, we were instantly riding at a 90 degree angle to the ground. It almost felt like I sustained whiplash injuries afterwards. Obviously, it was entirely worth it.

Next I explored "The Gorge". It felt somewhat similar to Johnston Canyon in Banff National Park in Canada. The ice clinging to the rock walls was a nice touch. I would have stayed longer, but it started to rain again.

I then drove around the Saranac Lake and Lake Placid areas (seen above). Both places are idealic towns built on lakes that have become just slightly overdeveloped for tourists from NYC. Unfortunately for the locals, housing prices have increased so much due to influx of money from downstate that no one can afford to buy a home anymore. Additionally, there are few jobs outside of the low paying tourism industry. I guess this is a similar problem wherever tourists flock.

Overall, I enjoyed the Adirondacks and Upstate New York. It was a whirlwind trip, but now I've seen (for the most part) all the places I've wanted to visit in the region. After that trip, it was back to more familar territory in Colorado - more photos to come.