I've been sailing the waters of this 32-mile long lake in the southern Adirondacks since I was crawling, or so I'm told. Growing up in these sylvan surroundings, I took its beauty for granted; the verdant mountainside that slopes to the lake's edge on either side, the pine-studded islands that provide perfect anchorages for boaters, the narrow width that's easily mistaken for a long rambling river. The cool waters and green hills serve as solace and repose for my weary urbanized body.

Far from the tawdry shops that line the waters farther south in Lake George Village, the Narrows, the middle section of the lake, remains relatively unscathed.  This is a popular region for boaters since many of the larger marinas on the lake like Norowal are nearby in Bolton Landing. Heading northeast, we usually catch a good wind as soon as we pass privately owned Crown Island. Large, aptly named Dome Island is always to our starboard as we head into one of the widest sections of the lake. If there's absolutely no wind, we'll simply drift across the lake and dock at Log Bay. You can tie up on the island, have a picnic, and afterwards, swim back and forth to the shoreline.

Thankfully, eighty percent of the time there's a decent wind for us to cruise into the Narrows. As the name suggests, the lake here resembles a narrow river sprinkled with some thirty islands. These are popular camping destinations. Indeed, the islands are the reason Lake George is such an excellent cruising ground. They create shifty wind conditions which challenge the sailor, and, more importantly, they are sublime spots to rest your tired bones after a full day on a boat.

Try your hand at the tiller on a 2½-hour leisurely cruise offered by the Sagamore Resort’s sailing center. They use Colgate 26s, a sturdy rig with a cockpit so spacious an instructor has room to maneuver around his students. Cost is $100 per hour (minimum two hours), including an instructor.