Tuesday, August 15, 2006
Lake George Campground, Lake George, NY
August 2 and 3
"Can I play?"
So we decided that we would stay in a place called Duane, which was right off 90. The Frommer's guide said that there was a great park right there. So I called and made reservations, got directions, and we drove on. As we traveled, however, we found ourselves following the directions to 87 North. That didn't seem right to me. I quickly grabbed our map and, following the campground's directions, found that we were headed to Lake Placid! Not exactly mid-New York State. We had already gone about 70 miles north, really 140 miles out of our way. F**k!
I called the campground, and they said that this sort of thing happens all the time. Apparently, Frommer's guide put Duane where Duanesberg is on the map. We decided after all that frustration to stay somewhere close to where we had wandered off course. That place was Lake George.
Lake George is a strange place. It's a tourist place. They had fireworks the night we got there, so we attended and drove past a diving horse show! 
A relic or our nation's strange entertainment history. I wondered if a girl rode the horse down into the water a la Sonora Webster. Anyway, this set the tone for the whole place. Bright lights, souvenir stores, and arcades galore!
A relic or our nation's strange entertainment history. I wondered if a girl rode the horse down into the water a la Sonora Webster. Anyway, this set the tone for the whole place. Bright lights, souvenir stores, and arcades galore!Of course we decided to walk around after the fireworks ended. Zorah ran into a Grateful Dead type of store and we got her a "hippie dress" which she insisted on wearing out of the store. Gives prêt-à-porter an entirely new meaning. She had wanted one since we went to the Festivus Music Festival the weekend before we left. As she skipped happily around the strange Coney Island environment of Lake George, Zorah noticed an arcade named FunWorld. "Mama, I want to go in there!" she said. We didn't mind obliging. She walked around and looked at everything. She usually just likes to take things in. Brian and Ian decided to walk around outside, so I stayed there with Zorah. Finally, she decided she wanted to play air hockey. 
So I put my dollar in the machine. She really did quite well hitting the puck around. We just knocked it to each other at a slow pace for a while. Then all of a sudden, I heard: "HI!"
So I put my dollar in the machine. She really did quite well hitting the puck around. We just knocked it to each other at a slow pace for a while. Then all of a sudden, I heard: "HI!"I looked down and to my right, and there were these huge bright blue eyes staring at me. Tweety Bird, Chip, and Dale had a child together, and here she stood before me. Stephanie. "Hello," I said.
"Can I play?"
"Sure!" I said, and I handed her my whatever that air hockey puck hitter thing is called. I knew that Zorah would be very happy to play with another little girl. So they hit the puck around, and as they did, her father walked over and told her to stop. 
I guess he felt bad about her taking my game. After that, she and Z ran around a bit, went on a mini carousel, and went in a helicopter ride. We usually don't put quarters in those, preferring that she use her imagination, but she got a treat that night. Stephanie's dad put in the quarters, perhaps to make up for the air hockey game.
I guess he felt bad about her taking my game. After that, she and Z ran around a bit, went on a mini carousel, and went in a helicopter ride. We usually don't put quarters in those, preferring that she use her imagination, but she got a treat that night. Stephanie's dad put in the quarters, perhaps to make up for the air hockey game. It was already late when we hit the arcade, and later still when they were done with their helicopter ride. So we dragged Z out of the arcade. Her tantrum really showed her exhaustion.
The next morning, we packed up again and hightailed it out of that commercial wonderland. A smorgasbord of sugary foods, trinkets, and corny t-shirts. Still, it was fun.
One thing I forgot is that we saw a stick bug! Now, this may not be exciting to you, but it is really hard to see a stick bug. Why? They look exactly like twigs. This one had green antennae and legs, and a brown twisty body. I would have thought it was a branch from a pine tree, except that it had decided to settle itself on our awning. The poor thing almost got rolled up when we left the campground, and I think we actually did roll up one of its legs, but I made Brian take the awning down again and swept it out. I picked it up, had it crawl onto my hand, actually. It seemed okay. When I went to show it to everyone, Ian was indifferent. Until he saw it move, then he freaked out. He thought I was just trying to show everyone a twig. LOL.
One thing I forgot is that we saw a stick bug! Now, this may not be exciting to you, but it is really hard to see a stick bug. Why? They look exactly like twigs. This one had green antennae and legs, and a brown twisty body. I would have thought it was a branch from a pine tree, except that it had decided to settle itself on our awning. The poor thing almost got rolled up when we left the campground, and I think we actually did roll up one of its legs, but I made Brian take the awning down again and swept it out. I picked it up, had it crawl onto my hand, actually. It seemed okay. When I went to show it to everyone, Ian was indifferent. Until he saw it move, then he freaked out. He thought I was just trying to show everyone a twig. LOL.
