The Red Knights are comin', the Red Knights are comin'!
                      ...four if by cage, and two (maybe three) if by bike...

HUZZAH!  
​Our Road Captain, Pat "Paul Revere" O'Connor, led 57 people on 46 bikes, 3 cars, and 1 trailer, with 68 wheels, on a ride through history.  We time traveled back to 1776 and visited 6 historic sites in the Saratoga area and surrounds and were given a history lesson by "Paul".  The weather was great, the comradery even better!  Knights from NY Chapters III, 11, 12, XX, 23, 28, and LIII hobnobbed with Knights from VT 5, NJ 22, HOGs, and a few others.
Stop #1 - Lake George Battlefield
Conflicts around Lake George during the French and Indian War directly shaped the political, military, and geographic conditions that later led to the American Revolution.  Control of the Lake George/Lake Champlain corridor during the French and Indian War was critical because it formed the main invasion route between Montreal and Albany.  Battles fought around Fort William Henry, Fort Edward, and Fort Ticonderoga taught colonial soldiers how European warfare worked and gave experience to leaders who would later fight in the Revolution.  After winning the French and Indian War, Britain wanted the colonists to help pay war debts, which led to the Stamp Act and the Townshend Act (taxation becoming one of the major causes of the Revolution. 
Stop #2 - Jane McCrea's Memorial
The killing of 19-year-old Jane McCrea in 1777 shocked the colonies and became powerful Patriot propaganda against the British.  Her death (the cause disputed) spread outrage throughout the colonies, viewed as evidence the British were encouraging attacks by Native allies, and increased anti-British sentiment.  General Horatio Gates, who led the Americans to victory in the 1777 Battle(s) of Saratoga, used the alleged murder and scalping of Jane McCrea by British-allied Native warrior to further fuel the anti-British sentiment and rally men and support for the American militia, intentionally leaking correspondence to 17 American newspapers (this just wasn't done in a "gentleman's war".).
Stop #3 - General Philip Schuyler's House
If you've seen the Broadway hit, "Hamilton", then you're familiar with the name Schuyler.  The Schuyler House in Schuylerville was built in late 1777 after his first home was burned by British General Burgoyne's retreating forces.  Its rebuilding symbolized the recovery of the Hudson Valley after the American victory.  Schuyler played an important role in the American Revolution.  After the British captured Fort Ticonderoga, it was Schuyler who ordered a fighting retreat southward, which preserved the American army.  He employed "scorched-earth tactics" , destroying bridges and blocking roads, which turned Burgoyne's march into a logistical nightmare.  Schuyler also worked closely with NY revolutionary leaders to build militias and organize resistance.  He was later replaced by General Horatio Gates.  See...he wasn't just Peggy, Angelica, and Eliza's daddy!
Stop #4 - Saratoga Monument
The Saratoga Battle Monument is one of the most recognizable memorials of the American Revolution and commemorates the America victory in the 1777 Battles of Saratoga, often referred to as the turning point of the war, because it convinced the French to openly support us.  Its 155 foot height overlooks the Hudson Valley and the former British encampment.  Four exterior niches honor Horatio Gates, Phillip Schuyler, and Danial Morgan, while a fourth was intentionally left empty for Benedict Arnold, acknowledging his battlefield bravery while  symbolizing his later betrayal.  The monument's corner stone was laid October 17, 1877, exactly 100 years after General John Burgoyne surrendered his army.
Stop #5 - Stillwater Blockhouse
This is not an original Revolutionary War blockhouse, but rather constructed in 1927 using timbers salvaged from other Revolutionary War-era structures that once stood within the now Saratoga National Historical park.  The original blockhouse would have been part of the defensive frontier network in the upper Hudson River Valley during the colonial and Revolutionary War periods.  It's a small fortified structure, built with loopholes for firing muskets.  These forts protected settlers, roads, supply lines, and military movement from attack.  The Stillwater area served as a military staging area, a transportation route, a civilian refuge area, and part of the defensive network supporting the Continental Army.  
Stop #6 - Bennington Battlefield
The Battle of Bennington is actually a misnomer - the actual fighting actually took place just west of the village of Hoosick Falls in the Walloomsac area of present-day Rensselaer County.  August 16, 1777, Burgoyne sent forces to sieze supplies, horses and cattle believed to be stored in Bennington.  They instead met the American militia.  American forces surrounded the British near Hoosick Falls and defeated them after fierce fighting.  This battle crippled Burgoyne's supply effort, killed or injured nearly 1,000 British troops, encouraged Patriot morale and enlistments, and ultimately helped lead to Burgoyne's surrender.  This battle is unique in that it has been commemorated continuously for nearly two and a half centuries, observed annually as Battle Day.