By Annie Fitzsimmons, Travel Foodie

Upstate New York brings to mind apple orchards, cinnamon cider doughnuts, fresh milk and cheese from local farms, and my personal favorite, spiedies.  Has anyone had a spiedie?  I’d love to hear if you have!

For the ultimate hotel AND foodie experience in the unspoiled Adirondacks, you have to head to The Sagamore.  It’s just a four-hour drive from New York City, and feels like another planet.  At first, I was a little bit wary, passing chintzy T-shirt shops, ice cream every other storefront, and cheap motels touting “Free Color TV” and signs for “Tourist Accommodations” as we drove toward Bolton Landing.

But The Sagamore melted every little bit of stress from life in New York away, and with a multi-million dollar renovation in 2009, it’s gorgeous.  I love hotels with a sense of place.  The Sagamore is Lake George, and has been since 1883.

Pristine Beauty at the Sagamore

From arrival to departure, all I wanted to do was read, nap, stroll, read, take photos, eat more, and read some more.  The bustling, lively (and small) lobby invites you to sit down and read a book, or walk outside to be hit with a million dollar view of deep blue lake, white and green clapboard resort, and emerald green mountains.  Step down through a multi-terraced, landscaped area to arrive at several docks, the new infinity pool, and many food options.  Sink into one of the huge green Adirondack chairs and choose a drink from the Veranda Terraces menu to try.

The Sagamore has seven wonderful restaurants to try.  We first stopped for an afternoon snack of tortilla chips and guacamole at The Lake House bar near the shore and watched the sun set over the mountains.  I am telling you, this view might be New York’s best.

For dinner on a nice night, nothing could beat the lobster roll I had at The Pavilion overlooking the lake (reserve early for lakeside seating).  In fact, nothing says summer more to me than a great lobster roll!!  Walking up from dinner at The Pavilion, I loved the glow of the lights from the resort, and hearing laughter from groups clustered together.  I wish I could have snuck into these conversations, because you know that everyone had a fabulous story to tell.

The Pavillion: Delicious Lobster Rolls Abound!

If it had been a cool, fall night, I would have eaten in La Bella Vita’s beautiful dining room with suspended shelves of lit candles and enjoyed a big bowl of lobster ravioli or East Coast halibut with linguini.  For families, casual Mr. Brown’s Pub (which Rachael Ray managed before she hit it big) is best, with the normal burger-and-fries pub fare, with some great salads, quesadillas, and wraps too.

End your nights at Caldwell’s bar, where some of the crowd is wearing Harvard, Brown or UNC sweatshirts, and some are dressed to the nines.  I had one of the best strawberry shortcakes I’ve ever had—the perfect crunchy/soft texture of the cake, sugary but not too sweet strawberries, and whipped cream.

Strawberry Shortcake Perfection!

There is also a beautiful spa, indoor pool and large fitness center (it was easy for me to get up at 6:30 a.m. for a run with the views!). The golf course at The Sagamore is a couple miles away and if only a steak will do, The Club Grill at the course is a classic New York-style steakhouse with great soup and potatoes.

On an old letter written to a guest on W. 72nd Street in Manhattan is written “When the magic spell of September lures you to the open country, you could not think of a more glorious spot than the Sagamore on Lake George.”  I couldn’t agree more.

Pros:

• You will absolutely not want to do anything except bask in the beauty of the lake and resort.  I hated my cell phone while we were there.  The view from the bottom deck is therapeutic.
• Free WiFi!

Cons:

• Our room was beautiful but small for a huge price tag.  The price is worth it for the resort’s grounds, and classic hotel experience where people are in the lobby and bar meeting, drinking, and talking until 2 a.m.  The fridge in the room was just stuck in a corner without any thought to room design.  But this is one of those rare instances where I didn’t care how much money we spent on the room.  If you can afford it, the lake view rooms in the main historic building are the best.

Tips:

• Stop and visit the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park on your drive up, grab a coffee at The Apple Pie Bakery & Café inside, and watch the super serious chefs-in-training zoom around.  Have lunch in adorable Rhinebeck at Gigi Trattoria, where Bill Clinton ate lunch the day before Chelsea’s wedding.  Buy Gigi’s wonderful cookbook to take home.
• Definitely book a room at the historic main building.  The lodges are less expensive and more spacious, but you do have to walk to the main area (about a 5 minute walk),which is the star of the resort.
• Take a free spin on the Morgan, the resort’s replica of a 19th century vessel (offered twice daily), go parasailing, swimming, or water-skiing.