My inspiration for traveling to Lake Placid was a little weak. I never thought of Lake Placid as a travel destination until I purchased a New York Times - 36 Hours: Northeast book and the town was one of their destinations. It seemed like this perfect, little place. The only problem is Lake Placid is a six hour drive, making it a bit of a hassle to visit as a weekend excursion. In February 2018, we finally packed our bags and headed north for a few days for a grand tour through Lake Placid and Stowe,
Lake Placid holds a mystical spot in American sports culture. At the 1980 Winter Olympics a group of U.S. hockey amateurs defeated the big, and Russians during a height of Cold War animosity. The Lake Placid Olympic win is forever etched in the annals of underdog stories. The event belongs to time. I'm this sense, I've often thought of Lake Placid as an event rather than a place. Like the hockey game, the town seemed mystical, as if existing in a memory, not a place to visit.
Then you visit, and you realize that while it is mystical, the town is hardly a memory etched in time - the Olympics may have formally left, the cameras left, but the heart and soul of the Olympics remains. On the way to town we passed the Olympic Sports Complex and the Olympic Ski Jump complex. It's been 38 years since the U.S. defeated the Russians - the American spirit lives on. There's Team USA stores. U.S. flags adorn light posts. It's hard to believe Lake Placid held two Olympics - the town would be crushed by the modern day approach and fanfare. We visited the final weekend of the 2018 Winter Olympics. There is something special about watching bobsledding in Lake Placid, then heading to Zig Zags Pub for a drink.
Then you visit, and you realize that while it is mystical, the town is hardly a memory etched in time - the Olympics may have formally left, the cameras left, but the heart and soul of the Olympics remains. On the way to town we passed the Olympic Sports Complex and the Olympic Ski Jump complex. It's been 38 years since the U.S. defeated the Russians - the American spirit lives on. There's Team USA stores. U.S. flags adorn light posts. It's hard to believe Lake Placid held two Olympics - the town would be crushed by the modern day approach and fanfare. We visited the final weekend of the 2018 Winter Olympics. There is something special about watching bobsledding in Lake Placid, then heading to Zig Zags Pub for a drink.
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During the day there was a Team USA event held at the skating oval in front of Lake Placid High school. To reach the event I walked past the 1932 and 1980 Olympic Ice Skating rinks, the center and right photo, respectively. The former hosts a U.S. Olympic museum, the latter has been renamed Herb Brooks arena, in honor of the 1980 hockey coach.
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The town's defining feature is Mirror Lake - Lake Placid, the town's namesake, is a few miles northwest. During the winter Mirror Lake freezes over turning the lake into an outdoor ice skating and hockey rink. I've never been able to skate with using the rail for support so I ventured onto the I've in my sneakers. Its creepy being on the ice. I looked down and could tell the ice was a foot thick, then every few feet I saw a fissure and hoped that wasn't a sign I was about to fall through the ice.
We have a reason to return to Lake Placid. It was warm enough that in some parts the top layer of ice had turned to slush. Because of this the Lake Placid toboggan ride was shut down. The ride starts about thirty feet off the ground. The toboggan flies down then shoots onto the ice, skidding across Mirror Lake for another 1,000 feet.
We have a reason to return to Lake Placid. It was warm enough that in some parts the top layer of ice had turned to slush. Because of this the Lake Placid toboggan ride was shut down. The ride starts about thirty feet off the ground. The toboggan flies down then shoots onto the ice, skidding across Mirror Lake for another 1,000 feet.
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Lake Placid's dining and shopping scene runs along the town's Main Street. Lake Placid Brewery is a decent spot and the primary microbrewery option in town, is off Main Street, south of the lake. We stayed at the conveniently located, Hotel North Woods. Whiteface Lodge is a charming, historical, "cabinny" resort north of town.
Driving around town inevitably leads to Olympic sites. I used Google Maps to find the Lake Placid Olympic Training Center which is a fitness and rehabilitation center for Olympic athletes.
The town is still home to several U.S. Olympic training centers and the Olympic fitness center is currently undergoing renovations.
Driving around town inevitably leads to Olympic sites. I used Google Maps to find the Lake Placid Olympic Training Center which is a fitness and rehabilitation center for Olympic athletes.
The town is still home to several U.S. Olympic training centers and the Olympic fitness center is currently undergoing renovations.
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On the way out of town we stopped at the Olympic Ski Jump center. The heights are terrifying. I've bungee jumped. I've sky dived. There's no way I'd ski jump. At the facility I was able to walk right up to the landing spot. Everything was accessible.
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What's even "specialer" than watching bobsled in Lake Placid? Bobsledding in Lake Placid! Our final stop was the 1980 bobsled run. The run is open for amateurs to experience Olympic life. Although the time racing down the track in the bobsled was less than a minute, and the cost was $95 a person, it was worth it. Where else can you fly down a track at 55 mph?
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We took a quick drive through nearby Saranac Lake which bills itself as the All American Town. It's nice, it's no Lake Placid. I shouldn't say that - if I lived here, I think I'd prefer Saranac Lake because it's a little more low key, a lot less tourists and visitors.
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