Shopping Around Lake George

For honky tonk, Lake George Village is tops. Its jumble of souvenir-selling shops and themed boutiques makes for a super fun vacation for all kinds of children and adults. The Tom Tom Shop, where you’ll find everything from stylin’ moccasins to rubber tomahawks, is one of the oldest on Canada Street, the main street of Lake George Village.

What’s a vacation or a getaway without a stop for sugary treats? Nina’s Sweet Shoppe, another long-standing LG establishment, showcases all kinds of goodies such as fudge, caramel corn, ice cream and a variety of candies.

Picnicking in a park, on a deck, on a boat or in your hotel room is an essential part of the Adirondack mountain experience. And wine is always an integral part of any spread. Have fun shopping for a nice bottle or two at the Adirondack Winery, a pretty wine emporium also located on Canada Street. You’ll find lots of cool souvenir items, such as speciality wine glasses, too.

Pick up dessert at the Lake George Baking Company, a fully stocked bakeshop considered to be “The Queen of American Cakes.”

If you head north up Route 9N, you’ll find Forest Hill Trading Company up toward Diamond Point/Bolton Landing. Check out their Crayola-colored selection of Adirondack chairs outside and then look inside for lots of campy, lake- and mountain-inspired gifts.

Also in Bolton Landing, more fun souvenir-type items may be discovered at Indian Teepee Gift Shop, an old-fashioned Adirondack-styled country store that has existed for over fifty years. Shop for everything from balsam-scented candles to Christmas decorations to handcrafted Indian statuary and pottery within its many nooks and crannies.

While in the charming and most peaceful little town of Bolton, be sure to saunter into some of its many antique shops. If you’re lucky, you’ll snatch up a few treasures that have been procured from the nearby mansions on Millionaire’s Row. (Yes, LG had a Gatsby-esque golden era, too.)

Do you like goods emblazoned with the name of the destination you’ve visited? If so, you can find some of the best at the Lake George Steamboat Company gift shop. (Note that many of the items are also sold aboard their boats.) A captain’s hat is among the coolest.

The museum store at historic Fort William Henry also presents some original and revolutionary (haha) gift ideas. You’ll appreciate them more if you take a tour of this eighteenth-century fort first. The redcoats are coming! The redcoats are coming! Bet you didn’t know there was that much history on this lake.

It’s always good to have a rainy day at a lake. Not only is that perfect weather for curling up with a good book on a porch hammock but it’s the absolute best time to devote an entire day to stocking up on provisions and lots of fun stuff in nearby Queensbury and also for shopping the outlets in Lake George! You’ll need a whole day for this, since there are many stores, whether discounted or not. The truth is that the array of shops from Orvis to LL Bean to Lindt Chocolate and much more is so vast and delicious that you’re likely to forfeit a sunny day on the dock to get your fill.