Call me a wimp, but I’ve found the best way to beat the sweltering southern heat is to pack up and head for the mountains. I’m talking about the eastern mountains – Alleghenies, Poconos, Catskills, Adirondacks. Where the air is crisp and clean and nights are so cool you want to open the windows and sleep under grandma’s quilt. 
Having the mountains in mind, I chose a zig-zag route up to Lake George in New York. Turns out the route was a little more challenging than I expected, but not in a way that could have been anticipated.