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I have been to a lot of historic communities, because visiting battlefields is actually a good chunk of my job. Many do an excellent job of nurturing other aspects of their character because the more there is to entice the whole family, the greater a market share of heritage tourists they acquire and the longer those visitors stay.

But since I have some actual professional expertise in such matters, it might come as a bit of a surprise to hear me say that the most family-friendly historic destination I have ever encountered is Lake George, New York. The name certainly doesn’t conjure the kind of gravitas that, say, Gettysburg does. But maybe that’s part of the appeal: it’s a family mecca that just happens to have some amazing history around the edges.

In a single day, we accomplished all of the following on foot, with a toddler in a hiking backpack and a preschooler strolling alongside us.

We popped into an old-fashioned arcade for a few rounds of ski-ball, then continued walking along the lakeside main street, grabbing a late breakfast as we went. We hiked the entire interpretive trail network for Lake George Battlefield Park (marking the 1755 French and Indian War engagement) and scaled the remains of the never-completed British Fort George in the woods. Then, we crossed the street and enjoyed a round of mini golf before turning for our hotel, and indulging at the second ice cream shop we passed.

Final Verdict: Lake George has been a family resort destination for generations, and not just because it has Revolutionary War or French and Indian War history. It's a gem of a place to relax with your family in a casual atmosphere, doing all the things you remember doing on vacations when you were a kid. The history destinations are like icing on a cake, delicious in its own right, but part of an even better whole. Take advantage of the whole situation and find balance between the things that everyone enjoys.