It’s not secret, Upstate New York, specifically the Adirondack Mountains, are home to some fantastic natural scenery. If winter sports are your forte, you’ll find a variety of ski mountains and resorts to practice your craft. Or, if you’d like to just get outside and explore, there’s a lot of milder wintertime options as well. Complete with good food, cute towns, and cozy cabins, this makes for a well rounded trip.
In total transparency, we planned this trip between Christmas and New Years with one goal in mind…snow. Unfortunately, there was an odd heat wave, and the 50 degree weather and rain made not a snow flake in site. This unfortunately interfered with a lot of our original plans, like snow shoeing, ice skating, and tubing, but we made the most of it and saw a lot of the area, and I wanted to give you a guide to the 5 general towns/regions we visited and my top picks for each.
Our accommodations were this beautiful, newly remodeled cabin AirBnB in Lake George. The space was spacious for a whole family, clean, and cozy with all the amenities. We were super close to town, yet felt like we had our own private, nature oasis.
Lake George/lake luzerne/Beyond
This was where we were staying, so we made sure to check out the local area. Most of Lake George was closed for the winter, but most of our dinners were in these two towns. Adirondack Brewery was a cozy spot with delicious mac n cheese, but our favorite place to eat in this area was The Nettle Meadow and Hitching Post. This restaurant was historic, rustic, and had cozy fires roaring. Their entire menu is cheese inspired, because they are some of the best cheese makers in the world (and it’s not just me saying that). Their sustainably produced cheeses are rich, creamy, and pair perfectly with all the options on their menu. I’d suggest grabbing a grilled cheese, and don’t forget the gift shop!
In the surrounding area, you can also visit Nettle Meadow’s animal sanctuary, and just down the road is Toad Hill Maple. This operational maple syrup farm has a sugarhouse and gift shop you can visit and enjoy all kinds of maple products! It was such an educational and fun experience. While you’re in the area, it is also worth visiting Oscar’s Meats and Smokehouse, a favorite of Rachel Ray!
glen falls
Glen Falls is a more built up town near Lake George, and is home to numerous shopping outlets. We had a great time going through these, and the sales seemed much better than those in Pennsylvania. In downtown Glen Falls, you’ll find some cute little boutiques and restaurants, as well as Spot Coffee, which we went to twice for lunch and drinks.
Saratoga Springs
My favorite town of the trip, Saratoga Springs is totally worth a visit when you’re in the area. Such a combination of character, history, and luxury, there’s something for everyone there. The main street is full of shops, cafes, and restaurants as well as beautiful architecture. The boutiques had such cute clothing, and I really enjoyed Saratoga Tea & Honey, an elevated loose leaf tea store with a cafe up front. It’s also worth a visit to the horse race track (it is closed in the winter) as well as through the park to see the original springs!
Next Door To Vermont
We were running low on things to do, so we took a road trip to Vermont, which was about an hour and a half away. We had 2 stops on this trip, and I think both were incredible and worth your time! First, we visited the original location of The Vermont Country Store in Weston. This complex is full of charming antique reproductions, cozy snacks, and just wholesome, New England fun. Make sure to grab a cup of their spiced apple cider, and check out the other stores on the street. Then, we drove to Manchester, Vermont, a town with a luxury feel that combines cafes, designer outlets, and little boutiques. The Northshire Book Store is a place you could get lost in for hours.
If you’re looking for beautiful mountainous scenes and a cozy, cabin feel, the Adirondacks are a perfect place to add to your travel list for some weekend rest and relaxation, even if snow sports aren’t your top priority!