If you are a recreational bicyclist and want to participate in a unique ride then you are in luck because the Lake George Steamboat Company is offering a way for you to travel up and down the entire lake in just one day.  On Sunday, August 18, 2013 there will be special Discovery Cruise aboard the Mohican for cyclists who want to see the lake from the water as well as from the highway.

Lake George Steamboat Company president Bill Dow said the idea for the cruise came from a member of the Adirondack Spokes bicycle club about four years ago.  “We do the length of the lake cruise two times a week on Tuesday and Thursday.  So he asked us if we could do one on a weekend so the cyclists who work during the week could go on the trip,” Dow said.

According to Dow, two options are available. Cyclists can bring their bikes onboard, be conveyed by the 105-year-old vessel up the lake, get dropped off at the Steamboat Company’s northern-most landing located in the town of Ticonderoga and bike 39 highway miles back down Route 9N to Lake George Village. Or cyclists can pedal to the steamboat landing in Ticonderoga in the early morning hours, get picked up at the steamboat landing in Ticonderoga at approximately 11 am and then cool off and relax with a nice breeze coming off the lake while traveling in style back to Lake George Village.

Dow said there have been as many as 140 cyclists participating.  “A lot depends on the weather,” he said.  “Last year we had about 70 or 80 show up.”  Dow said the majority of the riders pedal to Ticonderoga and return to the Village aboard the boat.  “We get some that ride up and pedal back and we get some family members or friends that take the round-trip cruise.”

This unique cruise will allow cyclists to discover all 32 miles of the Queen of American Lakes on the only length-of-the-lake tour offered on Lake George.  Cyclists will be able to view the wonder and beauty of the lake from the decks of the oldest, continuously operating and inspected ship in the USA. Built in 1908, the Mohican has been offering non-stop service on Lake George for 105 years.

According to Dow, the Captain’s narration on the return trip will fully describe the geological formation of the basin, the early Indian settlements, the local history and history of the points of interest along the lake, as well as the lake’s present ecological balance. Exhibits and maps are posted around the boat as well.

Boarding begins at 8 am and will depart from Lake George Village at 8:30 am, arriving in Ticonderoga at approximately 11 am and then returning to Lake George Village by 2 pm. Cost is $28.50 per person.  There will be no Bolton Landing pick-ups or drop-offs for this cruise.  According to Dow, reservations may be made in advance but are not required. For more information call 518-668-5777 ext.4.