Lake George or Wilmington?

Lake George is freshwater swimming: clear, calm lake water that is warm enough only in high summer. You swim from the state beach at the southern end of the village, the small strand in Shepard Park or a boat moored off the islands.

Wilmington has the better beaches: real Atlantic sand on three different barrier-island towns, from polished Wrightsville to the quieter Kure Beach. The water is warmer and the swimming season runs months longer. The trade-offs are a drive from the city, rip currents on some days and waves you won't get on the lake.

Wilmington eats far better. Its cooking comes from the coast and the Carolina lowlands: local shrimp and flounder, raw bars on the waterfront, shrimp and grits and eastern-style whole-hog barbecue. On top of that come a few modern Southern dining rooms downtown and a lively craft brewery scene.

At Lake George, the village mostly offers resort fare such as pancakes, burgers and ice cream. Only a handful of places around Bolton Landing serve Adirondack game and lake fish, and keen eaters drive to Saratoga Springs.

Wilmington has more to see. Its large historic district of antebellum houses and live oaks, the Bellamy Mansion, the riverfront Cotton Exchange and the Battleship North Carolina fill two or three days.

Lake George has one real sight, the reconstructed Fort William Henry with its link to The Last of the Mohicans, plus a small courthouse museum. The region's big history, at Fort Ticonderoga and Saratoga, means a drive.

Neither town has clubs, but Wilmington has the livelier evenings. Front Street's bars, pubs and rooftop terraces fill on weekends with help from the students, and beach bars add to it in summer. Lake George's nightlife is a few loud decks on Canada Street on summer weekends, and the lakeside hamlets are quiet early.

Lake George has much the stronger outdoors. You get 50km of lake between forested ridges, more than a hundred islands for paddling and camping, summit hikes straight from the village and the Adirondack High Peaks within reach. Winter adds skiing at Gore Mountain and ice fishing.

Wilmington's nature is quieter and lower: salt marsh, tidal creeks and the boat-only Masonboro Island for kayaking and birds. It also has a rarity Lake George can't match, the wild Venus flytraps in Carolina Beach State Park, but there are no hills to climb.

Lake George has the stronger days out. Saratoga Springs, with its spa, racecourse and battlefield, is under an hour south, and Fort Ticonderoga on Lake Champlain is about an hour north. Lake Placid and the Vermont towns are within reach too.

Wilmington's outings are gentler small-town days. The best is Southport and the ferry to car-free Bald Head Island, passing Fort Fisher on the way. New Bern and Beaufort are further off, about two hours north.

Lake George is the more complete family resort. Much of the village exists for children: mini golf, arcades, wax museums, steamboat cruises and the Great Escape just down the road. Its calm lifeguarded beach suits small swimmers, though most attractions close outside summer.

Wilmington works well too, with the Carolina Beach boardwalk, the aquarium at Fort Fisher and the battleship decks. Its rental houses suit families, but heat, humidity and rip currents need more care.

Both need a car for almost everything, and Wilmington is only a little easier. Its downtown and historic district are flat and linked by the riverwalk, though the beaches are 15km or more away and the buses are little use. Lake George's village centre takes minutes to cross, seasonal trolleys run to Glens Falls, and a rented boat is the nicest way to explore the lake.

Neither is a shopping destination, but Wilmington has slightly more to browse. Front Street and the Cotton Exchange have independent boutiques, galleries, bookshops and antiques. Lake George is mostly fudge and T-shirts, plus outlet centres on Route 9. Its one real draw is Adirondack crafts: rustic furniture, maple syrup and balsam pillows.

Costs are much the same, and both get expensive in high summer, when lakefront rooms and beach rentals are in demand. Wilmington stays a little gentler thanks to reasonable off-season city hotels and fairly priced casual seafood. At Lake George, the savings come from older Route 9 motels, cottages with kitchens, staying in Glens Falls and its many free trails and beaches.

Wilmington has a real year-round stage. There's the restored 19th-century Thalian Hall, a larger venue for touring shows, a community symphony and outdoor concerts by Greenfield Lake and the river, plus long-running jazz and blues festivals.

Lake George offers summer pleasures only: free concerts in Shepard Park, a September jazz weekend and an August chamber festival. Anything bigger means the amphitheatre in Saratoga Springs.

Lake George is the more restful choice, as long as you stay away from the village centre. The island and lakeside resort hotels near Bolton Landing have full spas, quiet early mornings on the water set the pace, and Saratoga's historic mineral baths are under an hour away. Wilmington has nothing like those baths. What calms you there is its slow pace and gentle evenings by the river, plus a few day spas.