Bolton Landing, NY | Adventures With Jack

When Jay asked me where I wanted to go on our next trip, I jokingly replied "I want to be a knight in a castle." Sometimes I think he doesn't know when I'm joking. He found a castle! In Bolton Landing on Lake George in NY of all places!

I'm not going to kid you, there was nothing "budget friendly" about the cost to stay at the Highlands Castle. So what we decided to do was take the trip with his brother, his wife and split the cost of the stay.

$895 per night for up to 4 people to rent The Castle Gatehouse, which is its own separate quarters,

3 bedrooms 4 beds 2 baths. We weren't splurging renting our own separate quarters. It worked out to be cheaper than accommodating 4 people in two separate suites.

We found an offer on its website though, which took $700 off our bill if we booked for 5 nights. So our bill came to $1887.50 per couple or $377.50 per night - which is what you'd pay for a nice mid range hotel room.

When dealing with uber expensive accommodations sometimes it pays to travel as a group and split the costs. It enables one to travel to places they couldn't afford on their own and may give you access to group discounts.

Highlands Castle is located at 19 Skyline Dr, Bolton Landing, NY in the Adirondacks.

Highlands Castle is the only accommodation in Bolton's Landing itself. But if castles aren't your thing, here are some accommodations within 10 miles of Bolton Landing.

Note that in this region of NY the average price of accommodations runs $1415 (highest) to $1353 (lowest).

You might want to spend more time than usual hunting down accommodations in your price range.

Just a suggestion...

Day 1

Morning: Arrive in Lake Bolton and get settled into your accommodations. You can investigate the Lake Bolton website here.

Explore Lakeshore Village in Bolton Landing and Bolton Landing itself. The beautiful and upscale Bolton Landing, part of the larger Town of Bolton, is just 10 miles north of Lake George Village, and has been welcoming both vacationers and visitors for centuries.

Stop at the Bolton Historical Museum - admission is FREE but donations are appreciated.

4924 Lake Shore Drive (Rt.9N) Bolton Landing, NY.

Photo credit: Bolton Museum

The Bolton Museum acquires and maintains collections of documents, photographs, and other items pertaining to and indicative of the natural, built, and cultural life of Lake George, the Town of Bolton, and Bolton Landing in the Adirondack Park and the State of New York. These increasing and evolving collections support the Museum’s ability to engage audiences through interactive and dynamic exhibits, educational programs, community outreach and partnerships, publications, and research services by telling the many stories of this place and its people.

Afternoon: Perched comfortably on the clear waters of the lake, The LakeHouse offers a front row seat to the majestic beauty of the Adirondacks. 110 County Rd 18, Bolton Landing, NY.

Photo credit: LakeHouse

This enchanting open-air restaurant boasts an elegant wrap-around deck shaded under the canopy of a giant oak, along with an enticing menu of light lunch fare, handcrafted cocktails, frozen libations and wines by the glass. Guests traveling with small children will also appreciate the Little Sailors Menu.

Reservations must be made ahead of time for dining, please call the resort directly to book. 866-384-1944

There are 8 different restaurants on the Sagamore Resort property you have to choose from.

After lunch, take a walk around Lake George. It's beautiful and there are a couple of trails you can take.

The Pinnacle offers a 1.5-mile hike with panoramic views of Lake George, starting from the new parking area on Edgecomb Pond Road.

The Sembrich provides walking paths along Lake George, open at no charge from Memorial Day through

Indigenous Peoples’ Day.

Evening: Have dinner at one of Sagamore Resort's other restaurants - your choice.
Incidentally, if you're in Bolton Landing during the winter months, several resorts offer igloo dining!

After dinner return to your accommodations and rest up as tomorrow will be an all day affair!

Day 2

All day:

We specifically centered our medieval trip around this event - the NY Renaissance Faire. It typically runs Saturdays, Sundays and Labor Day from mid August to early October. Directions to the Faire

The Faire runs from 10 am to 7 pm but you want to get there before the Faire opens to get a good parking spot.

Shortline/CoachUSA offers Round-Trip Bus Service DIRECTLY to the Front Gate of the Faire from the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Manhattan on any NYRF Event Day. Full information here

The Faire also runs a free shuttle between its different events areas.

The other reason you might want to get there early is that it is less expensive standing in line to purchase box office tickets than purchasing them online:

BOX OFFICE PRICES:

Adult tickets – $48
Child (5-12) – $20
Child (0-4) – FREE
Senior (62)/Military – $43
Season Pass – $275 (Select the first date of your arrival when purchasing.)
Group rates are not available.

As you can see, they tack on an almost $10 fee when purchasing your tickets online vs. purchasing them at the gate. Get to the Faire early enough and you'll avoid the long ticket lines.

BUY TICKETS ONLINE

Purchase tickets online and skip the Box Office lines!
Adults $48 + $9.05 Taxes & Fees
Total Online Adult Price = $57.05

Senior/Military $43 + $8.42 Taxes & Fees
Total Online Senior/Military Price = $51.42

Child $20 + $5.56 Taxes & Fees
Total Online Child Price = $25.56

Season Pass $275 + $37.31 Taxes & Fees
Total Online Season Pass Price = $312.31

COSTUMES

Maximize your fun at the Faire by going in costume. (Most everyone does!) We were there during Pirate Weekend so went in pirate costumes.

Here's what Pirate Weekend included:

Costume Contest
Swagger on deck and join the crew in your seafaring finery! Prizes include two tickets to return to the Faire through September 21, 2025. Check the stage schedule for locations and times.

Pirate Crew Photo Gathering
Bring your finest pirate attire and your cameras for this season’s pirate gathering and group photos!
Check the stage schedule for location and time.

Pirate Trivia
Are ye a landlubber or a true pirate? Test your knowledge of all things piratical at our Team Trivia game!
Check the stage schedule for locations and times.

Kids’ Pirate Games and Joke Contest
Join the Chess Masters for swashbuckling fun at the Chess Board! Why does it take a Pirate so long to learn the alphabet? Because he spends years at C! If you can do better than THAT, try your luck at our Pirate Joke Contest! Recommended for ages 2-12.
Check the stage schedule for times.

You can check here for the different event weekends the Faire has scheduled.

Don't miss the jousting tournaments! Granted, the Faire version of jousting is a watered down, gentler version of authentic full contact jousting but it's fun to watch nonetheless! In my younger "Get a stupid idea in your head" days, I actually tried full contact jousting. These jousting 'knights' have my utmost respect because jousting can hurt. A LOT! Even if your opponent doesn't manage to knock you off your horse.

Full contact jousting if you're unfamiliar with it...

No, it's not choreographed in the least, I assure you. After my attempt at jousting I spent the rest of the day and night in my hot whirlpool tub with BenGay as my BFF! My body discovered it wasn't cut out for jousting - but I still love the sport.

We had an absolute blast at the Renaissance Faire. If you can't get to NY's Faire, there's one held near my hometown of Kenosha, at Bristol, WI. I've been there a few times and it's every bit as much fun as the NY Renaissance Faire. There's also a Faire held in California.

Spend all day and evening at the Faire. The Renaissance Pleasure Faire features over 125 talented artisans, merchants, and vendors who display and sell their unique handcrafted wares. The village marketplace is sure to appeal to everyone. Watch as the ancient skills of glassblowing, leatherworking, blacksmithing, candle making, and pottery throwing are displayed. Shop for one-of-a-kind crafts for yourself and your home. Thrill in foreseeing your future! Children will delight in having their faces painted, their hair braided, or finding a new toy. They can even have a "swordfight" with one of the knights.

Day 3

Morning: We ordered a light breakfast take out from the Sunrise Cafe being we were all still tired from the Renaissance Faire so just felt like lounging around that morning. Sunrise Cafe offers bagels, breakfast sandwiches, breakfast burritos, pastries, coffees and teas, and smoothies.

By 11 am be at the Lake George Steamboat Company: 57 Beach Road, Lake George, NY.

Afternoon: Take a buffet luncheon tour around Lake George on the Lac du Saint Sacrement.

Prepared fresh daily, the buffet offers the following:

Choice of 3 hot entrees: Chicken, Fish and Vegetarian

Soup du jour

Salad Bar

Fresh Baked Rolls with Butter

Freshly Carved Deli make your own sandwiches with Ham, Beef, or Turkey with assorted Breads and Cheeses.

Non alcoholic beverages to include coffee, tea, and soda, ice tea, and lemonade

After dining, relax in your seat or head topside to enjoy the fresh air on the outer decks.

Cruise by beautiful mountain wilderness areas on the crystal clear waters of Lake George.
The Saint’s dining room is climate controlled for your comfort.

Available on your Cruise:

• Lunch buffet

• Live entertainment

• Limited Captain narration

• Snacks & cocktail bar

• Photo purchase

Cruise Departs @ Noon

Cruising 12 - 2pm

Boarding Begins 11AM

Buffet opens @ 11AM

Reservations for this cruise and ticket sales must be made by phone:

518.668.5777, ext. 4

Money $aving Tip: The website offers gift cards for 20% off that apply to cruise tickets only. We purchased enough gift cards to cover the cost of the luncheon cruise and used them when booking to save 20% on the cost of the cruise rather than buying full price tickets.

The food was good and it was a non-physical way (as tired as we were) to start our day.

Lake George Steamboat Company offers a good variety of different cruises. Just click on 2026 CRUISES at the top of the page menu to view them all.

After your cruise, tour the Fort William Henry Museum: 46 Canada Street, Lake George, NY.

Photo credit: Fort William Henry Museum

Step back into the 18th Century at Fort William Henry Museum! Take a Guided Military Demonstration led by a British solider. The demonstration includes a short tour if the Main Museum followed by live musket and cannon firings. Children are welcome to join the King’s Army after the tour where they are dressed as a British solider and marched through the Parade Ground.

Sitting atop a small rise, Fort William Henry commanded the southern end of Lake George November 1755 to August 1757 during the French & Indian War.

This was definitely one of the better interactive forts/museums I've seen during my travels.

Fort interpreters, dressed in period uniforms, will engage visitors with captivating stories and interactive demonstrations, making history both exciting and accessible. Through immersive storytelling, they’ll highlight how the events at Fort William Henry contributed to the eventual defeat of the French in North America, and how this conflict set the stage for the American Revolution.

Not only are the exhibits captivating, you can watch musket and cannon firing events.

Photo credit: Fort William Henry Museum

Check the museum website for operating hours by month.
See this page for all of the different tours offered and admission cost information.

Money $aving Tip: Book your Fort William Henry Museum tour in advance online for a 10% discount!

Evening: We opted for the Lakeside Restaurant & Lounge when we discovered you could get a 3 course dinner for $35 per person by taking advantage of their Early Bird Special between the hours of 4-6 pm.

Cedar Planked Salmon / Photo credit: Lakeside Restaurant & Lounge

We ordered the Cedar Planked Atlantic Salmon and the Chicken Marsala, both of which were done to perfection and delicious.

They do have 3 entree choices suited to kids as well: Hot Dog, Burger or Roast Beef & Cheddar Panini.

Be sure to check out their Dining Specials & Events page.

Day 4

Morning: Have breakfast at the Club Hamilton Restaurant: 400 Canada Street Lake George, NY at the Surfside.

Photo credit: Surfside on the Lake

We decided to go parasailing with Parasail Nation: 2 Kurosaka Lane. Lake George, NY

If you've never been parasailing you have to try it! Nope, nothing scary about it at all. Just the opposite - it's quiet, calm and peaceful once you're airborne.

The cost per person is $109. No experience is necessary.

You’ll be harnessed securely as you lift off into the sky, gliding effortlessly at 300 feet, through the air. Professional instructors ensure your safety while allowing you to enjoy breathtaking views of the lake.

Money $aving Tip: Check their social media sites for early bird pricing and special promotions. We took advantage of the early bird special so paid less than $109 per person.

Afternoon: Take a trail ride at Saddle Up Stables: 3513 Lake Shore Drive, Lake George, NY

We ordered two 3 Meat Platters to split between the 4 of us. Fantastic! And there's 5 different homemade sauces you can try with the smoked meat. Their hand-crafted brisket and ribs are both outstanding.

This is a fun way to see the Adirondacks. The ride is taken at a nice slow pace so you can enjoy the scenery around you.

Staff match you up with a horse that matches your riding experience so if you're not an experienced rider you can still ride comfortably.

The ride lasts about one hour.

2026 prices are not yet published as this is a seasonal business that is currently closed for the season.

Evening: Have dinner at The Gem: 4983 Lake Shore Drive, Bolton Landing, NY.

So many puns, so little time... Let's just say this is a hidden jewel of a restaurant in Bolton Landing, especially if you like smoked meat and BBQ,

3 Meat Platter

These guys know their way around a BBQ pit! (They even built their own smoker). Be sure to save room for dessert. Their Sticky Toffee Pudding is fantastic!

After dinner return to your accommodations and just relax.

Day 5

You don't have to do this for your own itinerary but Dee and I had planned a surprise for the guys. We sent them golfing for the day to pull off our surprise - an authentic medieval dinner. I'd thrown medieval parties before but I had to restructure the party to transport everything on the trip.

I wish we'd taken a video of Dee and I sneaking everything we needed into the RV. It was comical. We'd send the guys on countless, irrelevant tasks so Dee and I could sneak everything into the RV and hide it where they wouldn't find it. One of us would sneak it in and hide it while the other stood watch.

Lancelot

How did we get the guys out of the castle?
We sent those 2 golf fanatics golfing for the day and told them not to come back until they'd played at least 48 holes. (Knowing we'd get no argument from them on that one!)

However, we ran into a bit of a problem with Lancelot. Lancelot is a 6' tall armored knight my late husband had given me. How the heck were we going to hide a 6' tall armored knight that they guys wouldn't see or find Lancelot?

After thinking this over a bit, Dee finally said to me "Pat...we're talking about two men that stare into the refrigerator like they're waiting for the Second Coming as they shout at us "WHERE'S THE KETCHUP?!!" when the bottle is right in front of their face! We don't try to hide Lancelot! We put him right under their noses where we're guaranteed they won't see him!"

So we propped Lancelot up in one of the back seats in the RV like a passenger - and the guys drove 229 miles without ever realizing Lancelot was aboard. (I can hear every one of you gals out there laughing. You know exactly what I'm talking about! "HONEY? WHERE'S MY (fill in the blank)?"

Julie of Chic Party Ideas did a fantastic medieval dinner. Be sure to check it out!

Photo credit: Chic Party Ideas

Since we were staying in a castle, we kept decorating to a minimum as we needed every spare minute to prepare the surprise medieval dinner. Our main decoration was the table itself. I had the tablecloth, large candelabra and pewter candlesticks from medieval parties I'd thrown. My uncle collected pewter so I borrowed all of the dinnerware, goblets and serving dishes from him.

For the menu we made authentic medieval fare.

Whole Wheat Rolls

Lamb Stew

Steak Pie

Pickled Roots and Cabbage

Spiced Red Wine Poached Pears

Apple Tart

Sour Cherry Scones

Mulled Wine Recipe

The guys were quite surprised (and pleased!) with their homemade medieval dinner.

After dinner we challenged the guys to compete against each other in a medieval trivia contest Dee and I had made up. We'd predetermined which questions and correct answers had a gag gift prize attached to them.

For example,
Question: What was the job of the castle gong farmer?

Answer: The gong farmer was responsible for emptying the castle toilets.

That correct answer had a gag gift prize attached to it - a knight toilet paper holder. We tried to make the prizes appropriate to the trivia question asked.

(The more mulled wine you drink the funnier the game becomes!)

Medieval Collectibles has a nice selection of medieval gifts.

Money $aving Tip: Use these promo codes for discounts.

Day 6

Say goodbye to the Adirondacks and Bolton's Landing and return home.

Medieval Party for Kids

This is a conglomeration of the kids medieval parties I've thrown over the years. Of all the theme parties I threw, medieval parties were among my fave top 3 because they were so easy and inexpensive to do.

Sometimes ideas can run a little dry - even when planning such a fun theme party as a Medieval one! At those times, inspirational images can help get your creative juices flowing.

Decorations

Removable adhesive wallpaper

Keep your decorations simple, people in the medieval era were mostly impoverished serfs so not a whole lot of fancy decorating went on. Remember too that they didn't have electricity so you'll need candles and torches.

If you're holding your party at home, you could get really creative. I made a corrugated cardboard castle similar to the one below, except I painted mine to look more realistic. It took me about 3 days, working on it on and off. The younger kids loved playing in the thing! There are tutorials to build one all over YouTube.

Tip: To get the cardboard you need, go to appliance stores and ask them for the shipping cartons their refrigerators and other appliances came in. Mine gave the cardboard to me for free, happy that I was taking it off their hands. Recycling centers are another option for free corrugated.

Lancelot

Things like old stone wells can be made out of corrugated or styrofoam. I enclosed one of my round coffee tables with a Styrofoam 'stone' well surround, then laid a piece of round plexiglass over the top to set drinks and snacks on.

(Useful for disguising modern furniture that looks out of place with your medieval decorating!)

If you want to make it even more realistic looking, hot glue some craft moss here and there in the spaces between the stones after you paint it.

I don't even buy craft moss. I gather my own around my house, dry it, then spray it with floral preservative.

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Things like crates and barrels can also be made out of corrugated. I often used corrugated barrels as drink holders by lining them with a heavy plastic bag, filling it with some ice and putting drink bottles on top of the ice.

Start by looking around your house for things that would lend themselves to a medieval theme. I found items I'd forgotten I even had!

Very seldom did I buy anything to decorate my medieval parties with!

Tablescapes

One of the most efficient and inexpensive ways to decorate your dining table or food table is to buy a disposable themed dinnerware kit like the one at left. It includes a banner, your dinnerware, napkins and tablecloth.

Put some candles on the table and decorate using something like bowls of fruit.

I even made a Knights of the Round Table table centerpiece similar to the one below out of 2 wood circles and mini knight action figures. The decoration on the top of the table was a rattan decoration I found at the dollar store and glued to the table top prior to spray painting the table.

PARTY GAMES/ACTIVITIES

The Rose - A Medieval Themed Treasure Hunt

The Search for the Holy Grail
A Complete Adventure!!!

Medieval Themed Bingo Set

Choose what activities would work best for your own party and party location.

DRAGON SLAYING OBSTACLE COURSE/TOURNAMENT

Each dragon had an obstacle that the knight had to conquer before they could slay the dragon. And it culminated in our dragon pinata, of course the Alpha dragon that needed to be slayed to save us all! The obstacle course kept the kids busy for a good 30-40 minutes and really tired them out. And in order to earn a hit at the pinata they had to complete the obstacle course. So for every hit they wanted to take at the pinata dragon they had to go back and complete the entire obstacle course. It was good motivation! Those kids did it over and over!

The dragons were just pictures of dragons I had printed out on my computer and put up on cardboard around the yard. They were given foam swords (from the dollar store) to slay the dragons. Next to each dragon was an obstacle including: dodge the fiery darts (red yarn course), cross the mote (a blue tarp crinkled to look like moat water, walking across a board without falling), rescue the damsel in distress (rope course where I tied two ropes from one tree to another and they had to balance across the bottom one while holding onto the top one), javelin toss, Hula Hoop Lasso and finally the pinata!

JAVELIN TOSS (Part of the obstacle course above)

All you'll need for the javelin toss is a ring or hoop of some kind suspended and a wooden dowel long enough to be the javelin. Your knights and maidens get 3 throws each to get the javelin through the hoop/ring. The child who gets their javelin through the most times wins a small prize. If there's a tie between kids, play off against each other until one winner remains.

HULA HOOP LASSOO (Also part of the tournament above)

Divide your guests into teams of 2. You'll need one hula hoop per team with a long strong string tied to it and 5 balls per team. You can use basketballs, soccer balls, or just plain bouncing balls.

Or you can buy 6 inflatable 8.5" balls here for $12.99.

Direction to Setup and Play:

Tie some string to the end of a hula hoop and leave enough extra string so they can throw the hula hoop like a lasso.
Gather a bunch of balls like basketballs, footballs or anything that can roll and spread them out over a large surface.
Finally use the hula hoop lassos to try and catch the balls and bring them in. The person who catches the most balls wins!

It’s also fun to try to steal someone’s catch by throwing your lasso over it and pulling it your way!

How to play:

MEDIEVAL LIFE GAME

When we think of the medieval era we tend to think in romanticized terms of dragon slaying knights and fair maidens in need of rescue, of kings and queens and their castles. The reality is that the vast portion of people living back then were impoverished serfs and life was very difficult indeed!

The Medieval Life game is fun for kids to play but also gives them a realistic view of what life in medieval times was actually like!

At only $7 it's super reasonably priced. Get it here.

DRAGON'S GOLD

For my Dragon's Gold game I told the kids the Queen's gold had been stolen and they had to recover it. I made a corrugated treasure chest as the "treasure" and filled it with gold candy coins.

When the kids finished the game, they divided up the "Queens gold" between them.

HI JACK!

Play a game of “Hi Jack!” Divide the players into smaller groups (four works best.) Divide the cards up evenly among them. The game is played similar to Slap Jack in that they a each take a card from their pile (faced down so that even they don’t know which card will be next) and flip it quickly over to the center of the four (they are sitting in a circle on the floor.) If the card is a Jack, then the first person to wave with their hand and say “Hi Jack” gets all the cards underneath. If the card is a Queen, the they must say “Good

morning, Queen” WITHOUT waving their hand. If it is a King, then they must salute without saying a word. If it is an Ace, then the first person to slap their hand on the pile gets the stack. Cards are continued to be flipped until one of those four cards appear – with the winner taking the stack below. If a player runs out of cards, then he/she is out and the game continues until one player holds all the cards. This one seems simple, but you’ll crack up at all the combinations of words and hand signals that come about when they are trying to rush and be the first!

Optional: Play with medieval themed playing cards. The child who won got to keep the deck as a prize.

FIND THE DRAGON EGGS BEFORE THEY HATCH!

You'll need:

Several large plastic eggs per guest
Mini plastic dragons to fill at least 1/3 of the plastic eggs

Put the mini plastic dragons into SOME of the eggs. Leave the rest of the eggs empty.

Hide the eggs throughout your party venute.

Tell the kids that they must find all the dragon eggs before they hatch. The child who collects the most dragons, wins (it may not be the child who collects the most eggs because not all the eggs have dragons.) For the older children, explain to them that if they find an egg that is empty, they are to put it back for another player to find. This way, the searchers will have to remember which eggs they’ve already checked…just adds to the complication of the game.

If you really want to get the kids into this game, hide dollar bills in some of the empty eggs! If they find an egg with a dollar bill in it, they get to keep the dollar bill. I even hid a $10 bill in ONE of the eggs. You never saw kids hunt so hard for anything in your life!

WHO'S THE TRAITOR AMONG US?

You'll need:

An adhesive name tag for each child
A pen or marker to write their name on the tag
A pencil and paper for each child

This is a good way to get shy kids involved in the festivities and keep the party moving.

Write each child's name on a name tag along with a medieval title such as Armorsmith, Falconer, Minstrel, Court Jester on it.

Then, below that, write a small fact (real or fictitious) about that character (i.e. Wanted for three counts of murder, Accidentally burned down an Abbey in Worchester, Won three jousting tournaments, Finest shield maker in the Kingdom, etc.) Then, give every guest a pencil and piece of paper.

Explain to your guests that they must write down the names of every character present in the room while they are having conversations and meeting others (a great way to initiate mingling). Be sure to tell them ahead of time how many guests there are so that they know when they’ve found them all. Throughout the evening, call out at different times ways to cross names off their list. You see, one of the characters in the room is a traitor to the Kingdom, but which one? At some point you might give a clue “The person does not handle food for a living” – then everyone would cross those names off their list (such as the Baker and Chief of the Royal Wineries) of names they’ve collected.

A half hour later, you might say “The person never set fire to anything” – then they would know to cross off the name who had that detail (they may need to go searching again among the other guests to remind themselves who had that fact on their sticker…) Again, it’s an inexpensive, casual game that can keep the party moving, without asking a lot from your guests.

COME IN COSTUME

Have your party guests dress in medieval costumes! This gets the kids "into character" and helps set the tone of your party, You can use a best costume contest as a party activity as well.

Optional: I awarded inexpensive toy trophies to the winners. To make them more medieval looking, I hot glued mini medieval figurines to the front of the trophies.

Suggestions: