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Lakes to Locks Passage:
The Fourth Life

 

Magnet For Tourism

In the early 1800’s, Americans started exploring their new country, finding inspiration in the places where their fathers and grandfathers fought for freedom and in the vastness of Nature. The first tourists took the "Northern Tour" up the Hudson River by sloop, then by stagecoach to the shore of Lake George. Here, they boarded a boat to Ticonderoga and caught another coach to connect to Lake Champlain. Travelers wrote books praising the wildness of the landscape. Their books lured more travelers.

By the 1850’s, Lake George had become a destination in itself. Great tourist hotels replaced the primitive boarding houses. Steamboats evolved to become the primary means by which to enjoy the beauty of the lake and the panoramic views of the Adirondacks. After the Civil War, tourists arrived by railroad in evergreater numbers. Soon, a new generation of
 


 

vacationers – children from the cities – took the train to escape the heat and humidity for the chill mountain air of summer camps.

In the early twentieth century, automobiles began to reshape patterns of tourism. Lakeshore cottages and campsites multiplied as tourists took their vacations in the family car. Motels replaced the luxurious lakeshore hotels while families
looked for more lively activities to entertain the youngsters. Dude ranches, rodeos, and the nation’s first

"theme" parks attracted flocks of visitors. Today, Lakes to Locks Passage offers all the magnets to tourists: the wildness of nature, the inspiration of history, and the thrill of adventurous recreation.


The Comet rollercoaster at
The Great Escape theme park.

 


Evolution of Tourism

The Stewardship and the
Conservation Revolution

 

Lakes to Locks Passage, Inc. • 814 Bridge Road • Crown Point, NY 12928
info@lakestolocks.com • 518-597-9660 • Fax 518-597-9661