5 Best Sights in Old Forge and Eagle Bay, The Adirondacks and Thousand Islands

In July and August, the 12:30 train features nature stories and a lecture by resident scholar Bernie Davis. Davis regales passengers with stories about the Adirondacks and nearby areas. Or, from late May to late October, you may take a scenic 20-mi train ride south to Otter Lake. Trains leave from the station in Thendara, 2 mi southwest of Old Forge.

The arts center sponsors exhibits, performances, artists' receptions, and special events focusing on Adirondack traditions and artists. Classes and workshops for children and adults teach everything from watercolor and basket weaving to poetry. The center also organizes hikes.

Located right next to Enchanted Forest, this amusement complex offers go-karts, bumper boats, miniature golf, and an arcade. A Pizza Hut is on-site. Attractions cost a ticket or more each, and each ticket is $5.

Highlights at this water park include a tidal-wave pool and a multiperson tube ride called the Amazon. The Black River waterslide and the Bombay Blaster chutes have you gliding through darkness. The complex includes traditional amusement rides and themed areas such as Story Book Lane for the younger set. Circus shows are offered twice daily.

You can explore the first four lakes of the Fulton Chain on a narrated sightseeing cruise aboard one of two 125-passenger boats. The 22-mi cruises usually take two hours; kids' cruises are 15 mi and take about 90 minutes. Dinner excursions are also available. From June to mid-September you may tag along on the 35-foot President Harrison as it delivers mail to lakefront camps and cottages. The mail boat service dates from 1902 and was spurred by Benjamin Harrison, whose family summered on Second Lake. The mailboat can take only 10 passengers, so reservations for this three-hour cruise are a good idea.