My new-found popularity takes some getting used to. Seems like everybody wants me to stop by for a visit. Just recently I've received invitations from Florida and Puerto Rico (or what's left of them), from New Hampshire (something about colored leaves) and even Nebraska where they claim "We'd install mountains, but they'd just block the view." I'm guessing you've gotten the same invites. You can't thumb thru a magazine or surf the web without being inundated with ads to travel here and tour there.
So there are places ready for us, but are we ready for them? We get out of a place what we put into it. It doesn't matter if it's where we live or where we visit. Knowledge of the nature, the culture, the history of a place enriches the experience of being there. There are guidebooks of various sorts to just about everywhere. And there is the internet with its infinite flood of information, some useful and some suspect. But there's another alternative that's caught my attention recently. It's the Visitors Center and there are several new ones in our area.
Probably most familiar to travelers are the buildings you encounter as you enter a national park. We have one at the Saratoga National Historical Park that's well worth a tour. A short distance away, in nearby Schuylerville, the Champlain Canal Region Gateway Visitors Center is due to have its grand opening on Saturday, October 8. It's an impressive post and beam building built by the Timber Framers Guild.
The Gateway is the creation of the Historic Hudson/Hoosic Rivers Partnership, but Lakes to Locks is also involved and all manner of local organizations and government entities have contributed. It's claimed that over 10,000 cars pass by everyday on Rt. 29. The Empire State Trail brings cyclists and pedestrians right to the building and it's a short walk up from the Schuyler Yacht Basin where those cruising the canal often dock.
Inside you'll find a nice mix of displays, everything from the geology of the area to industry and commerce. When I stopped by last week there was still some ongoing work but I could easily have spent hours taking it all in. It has been open Thursday thru Sunday from 10am to 3pm for several months now. That probably won't continue into winter so stop by in the next few weeks or wait till next spring. One thing I really liked about the Gateway Visitors Center is that it's staffed by friendly, knowledgeable people. I enjoyed talking to a guy from Salem who was brimming with information and enthusiasm for our area. He'll turn visitors into residents in no time.
The Adirondack Welcome Center between exits 17 and 18 of the Northway has been open for several years now but I swung in for the first time just a few days ago. It's the Taj Mahal of local visitors centers, somewhat notorious for costing many millions to build. Whether it's more than a fancy place to stop and pee is an open question.
You enter on something called the Adirondacks Walk of Fame. It features bronze plaques honoring famous(?) ADKers that are imbedded in the sidewalk. I recognized most but not all of the names. If you were up from New Jersey this would be a head scratcher. Maybe there is more information somewhere about who they are and their claim to fame but I didn't see it.
Inside is a huge map of the Adirondack Park laid out in the floor with a soaring, vaulted ceiling rising above. A video screen fit for a movie theatre plays scenes of rivers, lakes and summits. In another corner are vending machines with a selection of 'Made in New York' snack items. I saw a few brochures on racks but nobody that could answer questions. I was left with the impression that the welcome center is more about glorifying New York than being a source of useful information.
A short scenic walk along Beach to Fort George Road will bring you to the Lake George Battlefield Park Visitor Center. It opened earlier this year in a new building. The interpretive exhibits are on the ground floor accessed from the side facing the lake while offices of the Lake George Park Commission and the DEC are above. A public campground, the Million Dollar Beach and boat launch, and the Lake George Battlefield Park all cluster around the Visitor Center. The Festival Commons and restored Fort William Henry are adjacent to the west.
Most of the history focus's on the mid-1700's during the French and Indian Wars. The Center has an interesting mix of displays that bring the forts, the combatants and the battles to life. It seems to be staffed by volunteers from the Lake George Battlefield Park Alliance and during warmer seasons they offer Saturday morning guided tours of the Park. I tagged along on a tour recently and found the pairing of time spent in the Visitor Center along with the guided walk to be a great way to appreciate the tumultuous events that have taken place on these grounds.
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Thanks for this fascinating post on area visitors' centers. I've been to several but not to the Champlain Canal one in Schuylerville, so I am eager to visit there. I understand it is open on weekends now.
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