Located between the charming town of Bolton Landing and the Village of Lake George, you will find this quaint and secluded little getaway called Chelka Lodge(www.chelkalodge.com). Run by a very nice and hospitable couple, Judy and Dave Forshay, the lodge has two levels with 25 units and 400 feet of private lakefront. They take alot of pride in making sure their guests are comfortable and are having an enjoyable stay. If you like dogs, the owner's 3 Labrador Retrievers (Heidi and Lacey are Golden, Sophie is Black) can be seen running about and you're free to throw a bone or ball to any one of them.
The rooms are nicely kept, with the vanity and little dressing area separate from the bathroom. Our room had two double beds (extremely comfortable I have to say) and a roll away bed. There are three additional units that have a king size bed with an efficiency kitchen and one cottage with 2 separate apartments. At no additional charge during your stay, a very nice light breakfast is served between the hours of 8AM and 10AM. It includes freshly baked muffins (corn, orange cranberry, chocolate and blueberry), homemade banana nut bread, blueberry scones, cold cereals, fresh fruit and all beverages. Breakfast is served in a very pretty dining area except there are not that many tables. So, if you don't mind sitting right next to the other guests at times (which my husband was not used to), you will really enjoy this breakfast, as I definitely did.*
The views from your room are breathtaking. You open the door and you're looking right at the lake with these gorgeous, huge mountains directly in the background. There is a pretty gazebo on the grounds, a basketball court, ping pong, shuffleboard and kayaks, canoes and row boats are all available to you at no extra cost. There is also a big boathouse where the owners keep their private motor boat, but you can walk along the deck and find some nice areas to fish. My two daughters actually caught their first fish (two Pumpkin Seeds and a Bass - see pics) here. An abundance of lounges and chairs are also scattered on the manicured lawns, facing the lake, so you can also just relax, read a book and take it all in which I definitely took full advantage of. The only negative I can think of is that there is no swimming pool. But, with Lake George practically at your doorstep, who really needs a pool anyway?? The lights stay on until 11PM so you can enjoy a late night swim if you wish. The Chelka Lodge may not be a luxury resort, but the comfort and tranquility you will find here can sometimes be even better!!
* It's really was not bad, we sat with some other really nice guests only one morning out of the three we were there.
Note: Celebrating it's10th season, Chelka Lodge is open from May - October and is AAA approved. read more