| by TCC Team | |
(2006-07-17) |
By Farhad Heydari
More Great Drives from TCC
The grass is apple green, the water is translucent, and the birds are chirping. Hardly the image most people associate with Lake Placid, New York - host to two Olympic Winter Games, home to a brave year-round community of 1800, and a rural setting synonymous with winter sports and bitter wind chills. But to the surprise of many, this modern day Brigadoon - four and a half hours from
It's really not that surprising. The region is ripe with summer activities. There are more than 2000 hiking trails - from beginner to highly advanced - crisscrossing the incomparable 6.1 million acre Adirondack State Park; world-class golf keeps in check the egos of even the most over-confident duffers; there are countless lakes for canoeing, kayaking, and rafting; not to mention tennis, biking, swimming, shopping, and miles of scenic roads to drive.
But what really separates
The village is small. Ringed by a dense hillside and the much-smaller
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Lake Placid, Au Sable River |
Gentler pursuits are also catered to. Lake Placid and its immediate environs boast some of the best public golf in all of
The 6631-yard Saranac Inn Course meanwhile, is a perfectly manicured, wide-open gem that was once part of the much-heralded Saranac Inn - a high echelon retreat for well-healed Manhattanites. Today, the course retains much of its yesteryear glory, thanks to owners Steve Wilson and Jim Conners, who have invested thousands of dollars into the property.
The sleeper of the group is the Whiteface Club, which just underwent $1 million in renovations and features a golf school by local historian and pro, J. Peter Martin. Located just minutes from downtown, this Walter Hagen-designed gem is a ying-yang affair with a front where the holes are tightly cropped through a thick pocket of vegetation and an inward nine that plays over rolling meadows, which recall Hagen's native Rochester-area landscape.
More intrepid adventurers can try their hand at kayaking or canoeing the endless inlets of the Upper, Middle, and
Heiden go seek
Dining and lodging options abound. A popular lunch spot is the lakeside terrace at the Mirror Lake Inn, where artisanal sandwiches are paired with local brews. For dinner, head to Nicola's and Grille 21 - a pair of relaxed moderately priced family-owned Mediterranean restaurants where the proprietors, husband-and-wife duo, Michael and Nia Nicola, make sure their guests feel at home.
You can also head to the cozy Great Adirondack Steak & Seafood Company. The warm, comfortable alpine interior of this surf-and-turf restaurant, along with their specially prepared flavored beers, are perfect when accompanied by one of their equally first-rate steaks. The restaurant also offers several vegetarian entrees.
When it comes time to settle in after a hard day's leisure, the glamorous clique love the antique-filled rooms at the Mirror Lake Inn, located at the end of Main Street with stunning views of the water. Or splurge on the luxurious rusticity of the Lake Placid Lodge, a bit farther down the road, nestled amid breathtaking scenery. If there is a more decadent down comforter to melt into after a long day of hiking or shopping, I've yet to find it. Unless you count the cabins at The Point, the even more stunning (and pricey) former Rockefeller estate, run to glorious perfection by the lodge's owners. Here the accommodations are decorated with locally crafted furniture and the staff welcomes you by stoking the fireplace prior to your arrival.
For those who prefer an equally luxe but novel lodging experience, head to the just-opened Whiteface Lodge, where Adirondack hospitality is coupled with opulent amenities like underground parking, year-round outdoor ice skating, bowling alleys and a movie theater, all done-up in Adirondack camp-style.
While you can find exclusive resorts costing $800 a night and more, the family appeal of Lake Placid extends to accommodations. There are a handful of motor inns and lower priced hotel chains on the outskirts of town offering clean rooms but few amenities. The Econo Lodge has an indoor pool and Jacuzzi, both of which were well maintained.
On Main Street in the heart of the village, there are dozens of choices from the Best Western Golden Arrow Hotel on the shore of Mirror Lake boasting in room jacuzzis, to the hilltop Renaissance Hotel, featuring an indoor pool as well as an extensive campus, to the more modest but rusticated Art Devlin's Olympic Motor Inn - they all have straightforward amenities, for a very fair price.
When the sun rises over the lake after a restful night, it's easy to be reminded that this is no ordinary getaway. Symbols of Lake Placid's legendary Olympic history are everywhere. The two Olympic ski jumps jutting out into the clear blue sky can be seen from miles away. The ski jumps - as well as the bobsled track and Whiteface Mountain, whose terrain will be expanded seven miles and include a new lift to service the mostly intermediate terrain, tower over the landscape.
Steeped in legends, it was here that the American men's hockey team skated to their improbable, celebrated gold medal in 1980. It's where Eric Heiden won an unprecedented five gold medals. This town knows what it's like to host winners - and makes sure its guests leave feeling like one. Gold medals, sad to say though, are not given away as parting gifts. But the memories can be golden.
What to drive: Audi Q7
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2007 Audi Q7 |
Photos courtesy Lake Placid/Essex County Convention and Visitors Bureau
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