Lake George or Virginia Beach?

Lake George has clear, freshwater swimming. The broad state beach at the southern end of the village has lifeguards and mountain views, and Shepard Park and the shore hamlets have smaller beaches. Many people swim off a boat or from the islands in the Narrows. The beaches are pleasant but small, and the swimming season is brief.

Virginia Beach is a true seaside resort. Pale sand runs the length of the Oceanfront, with the boardwalk behind it and surf by the fishing pier. Around First Landing the bay beaches have gentler water, and Sandbridge has dunes instead of hotel towers. The water is warmer, and there is much more beach to spread out on.

Lake George mostly serves summer resort food: pizza, pancakes, ice cream and waterfront decks where the view matters more than the cooking. Only a few dining rooms around Bolton Landing take more care, with Adirondack game and lake fish.

Virginia Beach has a real local speciality in its seafood. Lynnhaven oysters, she-crab soup and steamed blue crab are best at the dockside places around the inlet. Beyond seafood the choice is still narrow, and people from both resorts drive elsewhere for a varied dinner, to Saratoga Springs or Norfolk.

Neither place is a culture destination, but Virginia Beach has a little more of interest. At Cape Henry, a memorial cross near the 1792 lighthouse marks where the English colonists first landed in 1607. The Adam Thoroughgood House is a rare early brick home, and there is a small contemporary art museum near the Oceanfront.

Lake George's history is mostly Fort William Henry, the reconstructed fort whose siege lies behind The Last of the Mohicans, plus a small museum in the old courthouse. Beyond that, the village is mostly motels and arcades.

At Lake George, going out means summer weekends on Canada Street, where waterfront decks fill with boaters and day-trippers drinking beer until closing. The shore hamlets go to bed early, and out of season the evenings are quiet.

Virginia Beach has more choice. Rooftop decks and sports bars line Atlantic Avenue and the boardwalk, with a mix of vacationers, young locals and sailors. Town Center adds cocktail lounges for a calmer evening, and Norfolk's Ghent district is half an hour away. Clubs are scarce in both.

Lake George is the far better choice for the outdoors. The lake stretches about 50km between wooded ridges, and its islands are good for kayaking, sailing and camping. Prospect Mountain rises right above the village, and Tongue Mountain and Black Mountain give some of the best views in the Adirondacks. Late September brings spectacular colour, and winter brings skiing at Gore Mountain.

Virginia Beach is flat coastal plain, but it has its own pleasures. You can walk through cypress swamp and maritime forest at First Landing, cycle the empty barrier spit at False Cape, or kayak out to see dolphins in summer. It suits gentle walks and time on the water rather than climbs.

Both are good bases for day trips by car, and Virginia Beach has the slight edge. It has a single outstanding history day: Colonial Williamsburg, Jamestown and Yorktown, all about an hour away. Norfolk's battleship and waterfront are closer, and Kitty Hawk is a longer drive south.

Lake George has a varied choice in every direction. Saratoga Springs offers a spa town and racecourse, Fort Ticonderoga stands above Lake Champlain, Lake Placid has its Olympic history, and there are New England towns over the border in Vermont.

Both are classic American family resorts and work about equally well with children. At Lake George the fun is old-fashioned: paddlewheel steamboats from the pier, musket firing at Fort William Henry, mini golf and wax museums on Canada Street, and the Great Escape theme park just south. Cottages with kitchens make longer stays easier.

Virginia Beach is built around the sea. The aquarium has sea turtles and otters, the bay beaches are gentle enough for toddlers, and Colonial Williamsburg lets children join in with costumed tradespeople. The summer heat is the main thing to plan around.

Getting around is equally awkward in both, and either way you will want a car. The difference is in how far you can get on foot. Lake George's village is tiny, so the pier, Shepard Park and the fort are all a few minutes' walk apart, and a rented boat is the best way to see the lake. In Virginia Beach the walkable part is a long strip beside the boardwalk, with a summer trolley along Atlantic Avenue. Beyond it are suburban highways.

Lake George is better for a gift with some local character: maple syrup, balsam pillows and rustic Adirondack crafts and furniture, with outlet centres selling American brands a short drive down Route 9. Virginia Beach is more suburban, with a large regional mall and the chain stores of Town Center. Its surf shops, though, have deep roots in the city and are worth a look if you ride the waves by the pier.

The two cost about the same, and in both the price follows the season. At Lake George, the extras are what push the bill up: boat rentals, theme park tickets and restaurant meals for a family. Older motels on Route 9, cottages where you can cook and rooms in Glens Falls or Queensbury keep costs down. Spring, late autumn and weekdays are much cheaper.

In Virginia Beach, oceanfront hotels and beach houses are expensive in summer, and meals out come with a tip on top. Out of season the same rooms drop sharply in price. The beach, boardwalk and state parks cost little or nothing, much like the lake's beaches and trails. In both places, the car you will need is part of the budget.

At Lake George, live performance is small and summery: free concerts in Shepard Park, a September jazz weekend, an August chamber music festival and summer theatre. For big shows, people drive to the amphitheatre in Saratoga Springs.

Virginia Beach has more on offer. A large amphitheatre hosts touring rock and country acts, there is a performing arts centre at Town Center, and the boardwalk has stages. Norfolk, half an hour away, has the Virginia Opera and Symphony, so serious music runs beyond the summer.

Lake George is the more restful choice, as long as you stay away from the village centre. The resort hotels near Bolton Landing have full spas, quiet lakeside mornings set a slow pace, and the historic mineral baths of Saratoga Springs are under an hour away. Early autumn is the calmest time.

Virginia Beach has no bathing tradition to draw on, only hotel spas and a few suburban day spas. Its restful moments are early walks on the boardwalk and the quieter spring and autumn months.