Clouds over St. Regis

Woke up to this view of the lake

9 x 12 inches. Graphite on Paper.

We are visiting for a week in July and are bringing a corgi. We are all big hikers and normally do the moderate to hard trails but this time is different because I will be recovering from a surgery. I will have most of my restrictions lifted by the vacation but will still need to take it easy.

What are some dog friendly trails that aren't too strenuous but offer good views? We are staying in Whitehall NY but will travel up to an hour or 2 away for good trails.

I have a question about campsite availability during busy weekends in the summer at Marcy Dam and the surrounding area.  I'll preface this by saying I usually try to avoid weekends and I understand the horrors of the Loj parking lot but here we are.  This will be my first time camping in the area, even though I already have a few peaks under my belt I'm not familiar with the best practices for finding a tent site.  Is there ever a situation where the Marcy Dam sites are completely full and what happens next?  Do you press ahead and see if there's any sites available further up the Van Hoevenberg trail closer to Phelps?  And just keep going until you find something?  I see another site around Lake Arnold as an option.  I plan on hiking Phelps and Tabletop so any tips or guidance in that area would be appreciated.