Day 5- Touring Saratoga Battlefield and Adirondack Park

            Albany New York is the urban gateway to the historic and very green areas of the Saratoga Springs and the Adirondack Mountains. As such, I decided to focus on two national treasures for the day: Saratoga National Historical Park and Adirondack Park.

            The drive from Albany to Adirondack Park quickly leaves the urban hustle-and-bustle and heads north on I-87 to Adirondack Park. Adirondack Park boasts a 6,000,000 acre preserve in the heart of upstate New York. As you can see from the picture below, the area is impressive and inviting…

Riding North in I-87 to Adirondack Park and Saratoga Springs, NY

            My first stop for the day was the Lake George region, an area known for its namesake lake nestled in a valley surrounded by verdant mountains. I had just a few moments to pass by the Lake George Village Beach and I thought you’d like to take a look...It’s certainly an area to return to in the future with more time to explore.

            Lunch, the topic for another post, was a wonderful picnic in the Lake George Battlefield Park. Minutes from the from the roadway I pulled into a forest, grabbed the picnic set, enjoyed a PBnJ, some dried plums, potato chips and water. While I enjoyed what I ate, the real treat was where I ate. The East Coast does forests like we can’t imagine in Illinois…at least from the Northern Illinois/Chicago perspective. The fresh smell, the sunlight streaming through the trees, and the smell of undisturbed earth soothes your soul…It reminds me that I don’t get outside enough in my daily life. (I’ll have to change that about my life back home…).

Perfect picnic place!

            The Lake George Battlefield part of the park reflects the area’s rich history as a strategic military point for the French and Indian War (1755-1763) and the American Revolution (1775-1783). A short walk led me past the ruins of Fort George, a fort started but not completed for the French and Indian War. The completed bastion was used by the American forces during the Revolutionary War. Note the intricate stonework and the deliberate angle of the wall in its construction.

Examining the 1759 Fort George bastion

            Onward after lunch to Saratoga National Historical Park. This national landmark preserves the Battle of Saratoga battlefield, described by many as one of the most important victories in warfare. Saratoga played a crucial role in the American Revolution for three key reasons: 1) It was a confidence booster for the American soldiers, they had never defeated the fielded British Army before, 2) It earned the respect of other countries who later backed the revolutionary war effort in the colonies, 3) It swung the momentum of the war to the Americans’ side and eventual victory years later. Benjamin Franklin, an American diplomat in France, used the victory to secure France’s support for the American Revolution.

            The serene battlefield today hides the fact that almost 20,000 soldiers clashed at this location on two separate dates. As you tour the park, you’ll see white posts with red and blue marking indicating the positions of the American forces and the British forces. The battlefield tour is self-guided and take about an hour…Come join me for the highlights…

A positioned field piece

The Battle of Saratoga memorial marker with British line post in background

Exploring the defensive redoubt for the American forces

A view down the American lines

            In the end, perhaps the most important take-away from this experience is that many individuals willingly sacrificed their lives in support of American independence. In our modern day, with our many conveniences and relatively peaceful times, it is easy to overlook the pain and suffering that others endured for our benefit. I hope that by reflecting on The Battle of Saratoga you reconnected, in some way, to your own understanding of individual and collective sacrifices that others made for us long before our time.

            To those who gave I offer this peaceful scene taken from the battlefield today in their honor…