Swimming and Mini Golf: New York - Montreal Trek Checks Out Lake George

After their longest day of 48 miles, our second New York - Montreal Trek biked an easy 20 miles, much of it on a smooth, shady bike path, to reach Lake George. They got in plenty of swimming time and found a family of friendly ducks to feed:

After the group dried off, they biked up to a mini golf course.  They had a lot of fun with the course's creative, sometimes silly, sometimes surprisingly tricky, holes:

Next, they'll head into Vermont for a couple days, then come back to NY state before entering Quebec.

We hope their ride stays smooth all the way there!

New York - Montreal Trek Enters Vermont

 

Closing out the main part of their time in NY state, the New York - Montreal Trekkers took the Lake George Discovery Cruise in the morning, touring the full length of Lake George on a century-old steamboat while learning about the region's geology, ecology, and Native American history.  They had lunch in Ticonderoga and biked up to Crown Point, where they dodged the day's heat by getting some soft-serve ice cream.

Back on their bikes, the Trekkers rode the Champlain Bridge across Lake Champlain, entering Vermont, and headed to their campsite at Button Bay, where they camped out under a lean-to so they could stay (mostly) dry during a thunderstorm.  Next, they'll visit friendly Burlington, VT!

New York - Montreal Trek Makes a Splash at Lake George

The New York - Montreal Trekkers were determined to prove that they could get ready quickly (so they can sleep in more in the future) so this group had a very early start. They had only 22 miles on their route, quite a relief after the previous day's 48-mile ride, so they took their time and explored downtown Glens Falls, NY.

The Trekkers thought they'd outsmart Mother Nature by eating lunch in a gazebo while it rained, but an hour later, when they were back on their bikes, the rain caught up with them.  By the time they reached Lake George, they were drenched -- but the sun came back out while they got to know the town on foot.

After a tasty dinner at their campsite, they walked back into town and discovered a pool dedicated to bumper boats, so, naturally, they had to give that a try.  As you can see from the photo, fun was had by all.

That wasn't even the end of the group's day, though!  They managed to find a magic show to watch before heading back to camp for showers and sleep. 

The group's next ride will take them into lovely, but hilly, Vermont.

Bike from New York City to Montreal with Teen Treks

Spend an amazing 16 days this summer traveling through the U.S. and Canada with Teen Treks!  Join a great group of high schoolers on our popular New York City – Montreal bike trek for some of the best cycling and most fun stops on the continent.

Head out from NYC early in the morning, following the Hudson River.

Enjoy the gorgeous countryside of upstate New York and go through smaller towns and Albany, the state capitol.

Stop off for the beach and water fun at Lake George.

Dig into Ben & Jerry’s famous (and enormous) Vermonster, a 20-scoop sundae served in, yes, pretty much a giant bucket. 

Come back up through NY state to head into Quebec, Canada. 

Spend 3 days exploring Montreal, hearing Quebec French, eating poutine (Canada’s favorite junk food – fries with fresh cheese and gravy), and seeing some of the world’s most beautiful architecture.

Like all Teen Treks, this trip gives the group flexibility on the daily details of the route.  If everyone wants to bike hard to get to the lake faster so you have more time on the beach, or if everyone wants to take it easy at a park, stop to appreciate a view, or make an extra ice cream stop, you can do that.

 

This trek ends with a bus ride back to NYC, where you’ll spend a day in Manhattan before heading home.

The New York – Montreal trek features moderate biking (30-50 miles per day) and camping as well as stays in hostels and hotels.  Teenagers entering grades 9-12 can enjoy this short trip, which is packed with things to see and do.  We’re running several New York – Montreal treks this summer:

• June 23 - July 8 (trip code JN-23)
• June 30 - July 15 (trip code JN-30)
• July 7 - July 22  (trip code J-7)
• July 28 - August 12 (trip code J-28)
• August 4 - August 19 (trip code A-4)

Visit TeenTreks.com to apply to bike New York City – Montreal with us, or sign up for one of our other super trips: Across America, Pacific Northwest, European Phantom, California Coast, New England Shore, Amsterdam-Paris, Maine Coast -- and more!

New York-Montreal (NYM A5) at Lake George

The group arrived to Lake George early yesterday afternoon, which meant that they spent a few hours at the beach and played frisbee and put put.  It was a pleasant day and the group is excited for the ferry across the lake today-probably because of the on board buffet.

New York Montreak (NYM A5) Heads Upstate

New York-Montreal Trek is making their way to Lake George.  The Trekkers spent the weekend around Albany, where they enjoyed their hotel and the generally empty streets and nice architecture.  They cruised the state's capital and even found a complete (and free) musical production of Shrek in the park, which made for a nice evening.  After spending Saturday biking along a canal in Schuylerville, NY, the group spent yesterday cruising through small towns in good weather, and caught the attention of a few locals who wanted to chat about the group's travels.  The group has been having a great time, but with one concern: Kyle suspects that the group may have hit a level of ice cream overload, something that he did not know was possible until yesterday.  However, they are excited to hit Lake George, where breakfast on a ferry (to Vermont) awaits.

New York Montreal's Ode in Albany

Our New York-Montreal Trek is very grateful to the many Dave's they have encountered so far...

An Ode To Mechanics Named Dave

To Dave at the Goodyear south of Albany
and Dave at Doty's Machine Shop,
thanks for the work you did for free.
We really do owe you both a lot.

Goodyear Dave filed my spoke
so I could finish riding for the day.
Doty's Dave welded two racks that broke
and weren't able to hold paniers.**

I've always thought Dave a fashionable name
and now know mechanics to be a noble profession.
So if we meet a traveller in need, we'll try to do the same
and help them solve their problems without question.

--Leader Dave (who moonlights as an English teacher during the non-summer months...who would have guessed?)

**paniers are the bags that hold gear...  pronounced "pan-yae-s"

The group is heading towards Lake George today!