If you’ve never experienced the charms of the Adirondacks, this could be your year. And if it is, there are a few must-sees and must-dos in the very heart of this popular vacation area – Lake Placid.
Home to both the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympic Games, the tiny town of Lake Placid is a treasure trove of world-class sports memorabilia as well as some exciting Olympic-style activities. Climb to the top of the down-hill ski jump for a heart-stopping introduction to what height really means, or strap yourself in for a rocketing ride down a portion of the Olympic bobsled course. Come in winter to try it on ice like the pros do, but if your holiday is a summer one, you’ll find the bobsled-on-wheels experience equally riveting!
If you like your sports on the softer side, Lake Placid is a positive Mecca for skiing, canoeing and kayaking enthusiasts, as well as for hikers and mountain bikers. The water is clear, fresh and cool and the trails are uncrowded – it’s the perfect place to unwind from city stresses. And it’s also the perfect place to work off a few calories – which could prove important if you wander into one of the tiny town’s funkiest inns and eateries – the Paradox Lodge. Owned and operated by chef Red Fontaine and his wife Nad, this place is guaranteed to offer you one of the most interesting, delicious, surprising and entertaining dining experiences of your life. If you really like the place, they have guest rooms, so you can stay for breakfast too.
Both Red and Nad have been part of the Lake Placid scene forever – he as a long-time restauranteur and she, in earlier years, as a ski racer and coach. Some years ago, they married and combined forces, saved a charming old home from falling to the ground and turned it into a place where Red could showcase his talent for cooking – and story-telling.
Don’t get the idea that this will be milk and homemade cookies around the kitchen table, while the sweet-faced inn-keepers tell stories of gentler days in Lake Placid. No, you’ll be dining on the best lobster bisque and most succulent steak this side of heaven, while Red tells you of his hell-raising youth. It’s a dynamite combination and one that’s guaranteed to keep you in your seat long, long into the night.
If you ever do manage to stagger away from the table, and want to treat yourself to the ultimate in Adirondack luxury, head for The Whiteface Lodge. Although relatively newly built, this property has all the charm and grace of a centuries-old lodge, with all the top-quality amenities you’d expect from a AAA four-diamond hotel. Listed in the prestigious ranks of the Leading Small Hotels of the World, named Best Lake Placid Stay and one of the World’s Top Hotels, Resorts and Spas by the Zagat Survey, given an Award of Excellence by Wine Spectator Magazine, chosen one of the Top 50 Ski Hotels in North America and one of the Best Spas in North America and the Caribbean by Conde Nast Traveler Magazine, The Whiteface Lodge offers all-out self-indulgence, wrapped up in a down-home country package.
Loll in the spa, enjoying treatments based on local products, relax by the lake or in the indoor/outdoor pool, but whatever else your day holds, be sure to make time for an evening s’more, a sinful mixture of chocolate and graham cracker, glued together by a marshmallow toasted on a stick over the fire.
The fact that there’s a bonfire that burns just behind the lodge each night, where you can indulge your secret s’mores passion speaks volumes for the type of welcome you’ll find at the Whiteface Lodge. I guarantee you’ll soon be back for s’mores of Lake Placid.
Liz Fleming is an award-winning Canadian travel journalist who specializes in adventure, health and wellness and learning travel. For more from Liz, go to: Liz Fleming’s Travel Tales