Last of the Mohicans

Day 1

Arrive in the Lake George Area for a cruise aboard one of the five cruise ships that traverse “The Queen of American Lakes.” Both The Lake George Steamboat Company and Lake George Shoreline Cruises offer delicious brunch, lunch and dinner cruises with lively entertainment. Narrated cruises offer a better understanding of the historic significance of the lake and the strategic role it played in the French and Indian War.

Late afternoon and evening activities can be “on-own” time exploring the shops, parks, and attractions in Lake George Village or a scheduled group visit at Fort William Henry. This authentically restored French and Indian War fort offers an educational tour that portrays life at the Fort from 1755 to 1757. Military demonstrations, guided tours, and colonial artifacts will captivate any history buff in the group! Build variation and flexibility into the itinerary with an interactive walking tour or easy bus ride that includes points of interest, historical markers, and monuments in and around the village of Lake George as they relate to French and Indian War. Don’t forget our local step-on guides are available to transport the group back in time with these historical tales of the past.

Day 2

Visit The Hyde Collection Art Museum and Historic House. The Hyde Collection is a world-class art museum and historic home which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Hyde House Library houses Volumes I-II of the First American Edition and three volumes of the First English Edition of James Fenimore Cooper’s 1826 novel “The Last of the Mohicans”. The novel was set during the French and Indian War and chronicles the massacre of the colonial garrison and a fictional kidnapping of two pioneer sisters.

Quick-stop at The Queensbury Hotel. The lobby of the Queensbury Hotel in downtown Glens Falls is home to a large mural over the fireplace by muralist Griffith Bailey Coale (1890-1950), a member of the National Society of Mural Painters. The setting is below the falls of the Hudson River, in the cave made famous in James Fenimore Cooper’s novel “The Last of the Mohicans”. Hawkeye is portrayed lighting the entrance for the characters Cora, Alice and Major Howard, and his Mohican friends Chingachgook and his son Uncas. This painting has been on display at the hotel since it opened in 1926 and serves as a reminder of the region’s historic past.

Visit Cooper’s Cave, on the Hudson River, Glens Falls. Visitors can walk to the viewing platform to see the caves and read about Cooper and the Mohican Tribe that inhabited this area.

Enjoy lunch at one of the many cafés, bistros, breweries, and restaurants in Downtown Glens Falls.

A drive or optional hike to the summit of Prospect Mountain to view 32-mile long Lake George is a great way to end the scheduled activities for the day. Overlook the Village of Lake George and note the strategic location of Fort William Henry at the most southern point of the lake.