Ice, Ice Baby

A quick visit north to Lake George, for the Sagamore's Glacier Ice Bar.

When it comes to dressing for the Ice Bar, anything goes as long as it’s warm.

     There’s no denying that it’s been a mild winter so far—even I can admit that, and I’m always cold. So I figured it was a good year to hit up the Sagamore’s Glacier Ice Bar for the first time—how cold could it possibly be, when it’s not even “that” cold out? Everyone said I’d be “fine.” And I was. Sort of.

Lake George’s ice bar is mostly an excuse to learn the art (or is it a sport?) of “drinking to stay warm.” (If you’ve ever flipped on a wintertime Buffalo Bills home game, you know what I mean.) When we arrived at the beautiful Sagamore, I gamely headed outside with a group of Capital Region natives (I’ve been here more than three years now, but events like these make me feel even newer) and did my best to take in the gorgeous lake views. As others—while posing for 100 photos—lamented that the lake looks even better when completely frozen, I squeezed my hand warmers and begged them to take their pictures already.

The fire pits served as social hubs. Start at the s'mores pit, shown here, and then make your way down to the “cooler scene” at the pit by the lake.

I was learning—quickly—that the air around that freezing (but not frozen) lake was much colder than I was enjoying in balmy Saratoga.