Lake George, NY - and Americade 2003

This trip report is about some of the roads we took to and from Americade - always like to pass along the best we find.  Not to surprising, the closer we got to Lake George the better the roads/scenery became.

We left MA by following Rt119 in MA into NH - this is a nice little ride onto itself.  Because it is so close to me I've ridden it a number of times.

However, the two most wonderful roads on this journey  to Americade were Rt 30 in Vermont and Rt 149 in NY.  Excellent roads!  Very picturesque.  Real eye candy kind of roads.  And then there are the curves on Rt 30 with even more on Rt 149.  Great roads that I will travel again.  Highly recommended.

We found a few back roads transiting from our temporary adobe at Twin Pines "cottages" to all the festivities at Lake George.   Of course I never bothered to write them down, duh! (Twin Pines got mixed reviews from our little group so I can not recommend it as a place to stay.)

As this was my first time to Americade we spent a lot of time visiting the vendor area, walking around town, seeing the fireworks (very good), attending seminars, checking out the new bikes at the manufacturers tents, seeing the bike light show, and going on a Harley-Davidson boat tour of Lake George (HD does know how to party - see pictures on other pages.)  In short we did a lot of stuff and got a good idea of what makes up Americade.  It was fun and informative and just awesome to see thousands of motorcycles gathered together in one place.  One field must have had several thousand bikes parked on it.  The main drag in town was busy with bikes lining it and riding on it all day and a good part of the night.

The part we missed that will get rectified at our next Americade is the incredible riding that is available - some official guided tours, some self guided tours along with some just riding around and finding your way.  From other folks accounts, this corner of NY is pure motorcycle heaven.

Our ride home was a little taste of what these incredible roads have to offer.  We took Rt 9 north with it's twisties and sweepers - along Lake George and through some fine scenery to Rt903 and over the bridge to Vermont's incredible Rt 17.  Route 17 is perhaps the second best road I've ridden in my short biking experience.  Entering from the west we were soon enveloped in huge valley farm lands with hills and mountains to frame them - large farm houses with even bigger barns - the stuff that you only see in pictures (forgot the camera again, duh!).  Sweeper after sweeper.  Incredible view after incredible view.

And just when you think you know Rt 17 it turns into a twisty nirvana and then climbs the side of a mountain with switchbacks that would take a sport bike to challenge.  All this leads to a rest area vista point at the top for some excellent view of what you have just ridden.  Did I say EXCELLENT!! (see our Vermont trip page for photos of the view from this mountain top).  I only wish it were longer than it's twenty miles.  It is one fabulous road!

After a rest we push on for we have another mountain pass to climb.  Only this one is hard packed dirt.  Taking several small back country roads: Lincoln Gap Rd., Brook Rd., Roxbury Mountain Rd., Warren Mountain Rd to Rt12A we cover some of the same ground we did on last year's Vermont trip.  Some of this will be at 15-20mph but worth it.  Unless my memory is fading, if you stop at the peak of the dirt road mountain pass and look to the left you will find a narrow path - walk up the path to yet another super vista.  (photos on Vermont trip page).  Great stuff!

Then it's a few more nice Vermont roads to the super slabs and home.  A great trip.  Can't wait to tour some more.