Americade - Survival Guide
We have had quite a few new subscribers since Americade 2010. We ran this article last year and received some positive feedback so we though we would run it again. The information is pertinent to those attending Americade for the first time and we have updated the article to reflect the new dates, times and locations.
First and foremost, if you are coming to Americade make sure that your ride is street legal and conforms to all New York State Vehicle and Traffic Laws as they pertain to motorcycles. If you run straight pipes and you come to Americade, you can count on getting busted. Pure and simple and it is a fact. This is not Laconia or Daytona, this is a touring rally and loud pipes are very highly discouraged by the people that run Americade and that trickles down to the local authorities.
The days leading up to Americade (June 3rd to June 6th) you may find the State Police manning motorcycle checkpoints at the rest area below Exit 18 on I-87 Northbound or on U.S. Route 9 north of I-87 Exit 17 . These are mandatory stops for all cycles and involve a very thorough inspection of the bike, your gear and paperwork. If you are planning on traveling through those areas during those days, make sure that everything is in order and plan on the extra time when planning your trip.
The Warren County Sheriffs' Department condcuts unscheduled and roving checkpoints throughout the Americade event. Experience has shown that these checkpoints are infrequent and usually conducted during the evening hours but you never know when one is going to pop up. As one would expect with an event of this magnatude, the Sheriffs' Patrol and State Police presence in the area is greatly expanded. They realize that you are there to have a good time and they act accordingly. If you are acting civilized, they will more than likely leave you alone. If you are acting like a juvenile, an idiot or a drunk you will more than likely get a chance to talk to one or two of them.
So a final word to the wise. If you are coming to the Lake George Region during Americade, make sure that you, your bike, your helmet, your paperwork and your attitude are in order.
So you made it to Lake George and are ready for Americade. If you are pre-registered for Americade you will need to be at the Holiday Inn on Canada Street on Monday June 6th to complete the registration process. Registration is from 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM and the lines at 11:00 AM are always extremely long. If you like standing in line for an hour or more and meeting new people then arrive at 11:00 AM. If you hate lines then I might suggest that you take a ride and check in around 3:00 PM. Trust me, the line will be shorter at 3:00 PM. If you only want to paticipate in Americade for a single day, day passes can be procured at the Holiday Inn starting Tuesday the 7th.
Parking is always a problem at Americade. It is not a space issue but rather an enforcement issue. The Village of Lake George does not cover their meters during Americade and the parking regulations are strictly enforced. As you leave the Americade registration, the Village of Lake George will have a tent set up where they sell parking permits or you can purchase parking permits at the Village Hall and on the Beach Road. The parking permit allows you to park anywhere in the Village of Lake George where parking is allowed without having to put money in a parking meter. When you purchase a permit, you will also receive a pass to ride the Village Trolley for free for the entire period that Americade is scheduled. The real problem with parking results when one or two bikes that have parking permits and are parked in front of a meter that shows a violation and a third bike parks there that does not have a permit. Most people would think that since there are a couple of bikes there already that a third bike will not be an issue. Nothing could be further from the truth. The bike that does not have a permit will be ticketed. If you plan on parking in Lake George, save yourself some grief and purchase a parking permit. They are $10.00 and are valid for the duration of Americade.
To particpate in the Americade events you must be registered with Americade. There is one event however that is open to the public and that is the parade on Saturday, June 11th. The parade forms on West Brook Road. It proceeds west on Beach Road, north on Canada Street, makes a U-Turn at the intersection of Canada Street and Route 9N, proceeds south on Canada street and then proceeds up the Veterans Memorial Highway to the top of Prospect Mountain. The ride up the Veterans Memorial Highway with the scenic views of Lake George is worth the time and the events held at the top of Prospect Mountain are always worth attending. Since the parade is going north and south on Canada Street at the same time you get to see part of the parade while you are in it which is pretty cool too.
In previous years, the heart of Americade was the Roaring Brook Ranch Resort located on Route 9N South. This year the Americade Headquaters has been moved to the Fort William Henry Resort on Canada Street in the Village of Lake George. This move will make the event less spread out, more compact and I believe that it will make the event more fun and safer. With all of the major event sites within walking distance of Americade Headquarters there will be less need to drive to and from the different events. Located at the Fort William Henry Resort you will find the factory demo rides, seminars, sessions, banquets, fashion shows and all the other activities that were originally located at the Roaring Brrok Ranch. Speaking of demo rides, Americade may be the only event where riders can compare the new BMW 1600 to the new Hondal GL1800. New this year are the hourly tours of Fort William Henry and a daily party on the lawn overlooking Lake George from 8:00 PM to 10:00 PM. I personally believe that this change of venue is going to increase the fun factor immensely.
Americade has a vendor area named Tour Expo. This year Tour Expo will be located at the DEC Parking Lot on Beach Road and at the Lake George Forum located on Canada Street. There are vendors not affiliated with Americade that are scattered up and down Route 9. Five miles north of the Village of Lake George on Route 9, the Village of Warrensburg plays host to a number of vendors and events which are not affiliated with Americade (see Beyond Americade in this issue). South of Lake George Village on Route 9 is the Leather Outlet and there are always vendors set up there as well. It is not hard to find , just head south on Route 9 until you see bikes lined up on the right hand side of the road. Just a little further south you will find vendors set up in the shopping plazas on Route 9.
If you have registered for Americade then please be sure and visit TourExpo, you will be glad that you did. If you need bling for your bike or equipment for you, it is there to be found. There are several gates to enter Tour Expo on the Beach Road and it appears as though you can drive your bike right into Tour Expo but you can't. You will need to find parking and walk there or take the Trolley. Some vendors will install the products that you bought for your bike at Tour Expo. Depending on where the vendor is located, they will give you a colored pass which allows you to bring your bike into Tour Expo through the gate that matches the colored pass given to you. There are multiple colored gates so make sure that you know the location of the gate that you are supposed to use before you go get your bike. It beats driving around in circles trying to locate your gate.
If you come to Americade we hope you enjoy the area we call home, we welcome you and encourage you to explore the area without fear. This is a tourist detination and we have been entertaining visitors for generations and we would like to think we know how to do it.
FACTORY DEMO RIDE LOCATIONS
The following manufacturers will be offering demo rides from the Fort William Henry Resort
The following manufacturers will be offering demo rides from the Beach Road parking lot
