Hello all and welcome to part two of my Upstate New York travels!
If you haven’t already, go read part one first!: A Summer in New York🪻Lake George, Congress Park, & more (pt. 1)
In today’s post, I’ll be sharing some of my favorite memories from my trip, as well as travel hot-spots that I recommend visting.
Starting with…
The Chateau on the Lake
The Chateau on the Lake is one of the top 100 most scenic and romantic restaurants in America. With a stunning view of Lake George, this restaurant blends French cuisine with a fairytale atmosphere to create a remarkable dining experience. I tried escargot for the first time here, and enjoyed a duck confit fettucine as my main dish. The food was delightful and the setting was elegant.
Here was our view of the Adirondacks! The blend of the warm lighting and cool tones of the mountains and greenery made the view just that much more incredible.
The Iconic Saratoga Horse Race
Saratoga is largely known for its horse-racing track. Its highlight is the Travers Stakes, a prestigious Grade 1 race for three-year-olds dating back to 1864 and often dubbed the “Midsummer Derby.” The Travers is celebrated for attracting top horses from across the country and remains a centerpiece of Saratoga’s summer racing season. It is also the “oldest major thoroughbred horse race in the United States”!
I watched two horse races. If you plan on attending one, expect to see a bunch of elderly folks or frat boys/men smoking cigars and watching the race on nearby televisions posted around, rather than at the actual track.
The horse races were over in a minute, and while I’d recommend visiting the track for the experience and to expand your knowledge, they weren’t really all the hype.
Rhea
Another excellent restaurant in Saratoga Springs is Rhea. With a diverse menu, almost every guest is bound to find something they like.
I tried seafood & steak ramen for the first time here and it was a delight. Their mozzarella bao buns were also incredible and I would definitely recommend stopping by if you are in the area.
Spa State Park
Hours before my flight home, I visited Spa State Park, which was unexpectedly beautiful. The natural mineral springs were wildly interesting, and were once thought to be healing, sacred waters by the native Mohican and (Algonkian) and Kanien-keha:ka (Mohawk) people.
This natural spring water is so rich in iron that the stone turned red over time!
It was quite the walk to get around, and I didn’t have the proper footwear, but nonetheless, the sights were wonderful!
My Dental Internship
I saved my favorite part for last… a dental internship! I don’t believe I’ve ever shared this on here, but I am very passionate about dentistry and have even completed two years of literature review and research on early childhood dental cavities, which I will continue this year. As such, this opportunity was incredible and insight into what a future in the field would look like for me.
While tiring, I think a career in dentistry has a lot of upsides, especially owning a dental office. You get to set your schedule, and most dentists work only four days a week to prevent burnout. It’s a fulfilling career, and the small details are the most interesting, such as observing paper points (thin, absorbent paper cones used in root canal procedures to dry the root canal after preparation) being meticulously placed in a root canal. One thing that surprised others was that I wasn’t disgusted in the least. Overall, I think it’s a suitable career for my interests, and I genuinely loved my internship experience!
To conclude…
My trip to New York was fruitful and fun! Traveling alone for the first time (well, with my sister) was deeply rewarding, and exploring a dental career and nature throughout the stay was a reminder of who I am becoming and what I hope to pursue.