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January in the Northeast. You've had almost two months of bone-chilling temperatures (global warming is a farce, especially in 2003). You are staring to fantasize about your warm-weather February escape to someplace in Florida or the Caribbean. What better way to appreciate the distant arrival of spring than by turning down your thermostat. Get in the car and drive over four hours north. NORTH. Into the eye of the storm. The land of frozen lakes, deep snow, dead batteries, roaring fires and hearty meals. We'd always wanted to visit Lake Placid. Many people go in the summer, which I am sure is great too. But, to really appreciate the beauty, a winter trip is Mandatory. We left on a Friday afternoon and arrived in Lake Placid at around 9:00. The thermometer was reading -18 degrees, cold, even for the Adirondacks in the winter. Lodging We had done some research on this topic. We wanted a luxurious get-a-way weekend. We were looking for a place where we would not be forced to leave if it got too cold. A place with fireplaces. A place with a cozy bar. A place with good food. The most expensive place in the area is called The Point. Located on Saranac Lake, this old Rockefeller camp was getting a lot of press in the last year or two. It is very expensive...rooms start around $1200 (with everything [yes, wine & booze too] included]. It is also very formal. Dinner is served in communal dining rooms and black tie is preferred on Wednesdays and Saturdays. This all seemed a little much. A much more affordable place has also been getting a lot of press lately. The Mirror Lake Inn is located just at the edge of town, right on the banks of Mirror Lake. The town of Lake Placid is actually on Mirror Lake. Anyway, this place has great views and is walking distance to all of the restaurants in town. There didn't seem to be any really fantastic places to eat in town, so we decided to pass on this place as well. Luckily we booked a room at the Lake Placid Lodge! It was exactly what we were looking for! The Lodge was 100% pure Adirondack. The warmth, the furnishings, the location. It was near perfect! The Lodge sits on the banks of Lake Placid which is about 2-3 miles from town. The lake is more picturesque than Mirror Lake.
Our room was called Eagle's Nest. It had a large king sized bed with a featherbed. There were two overstuffed sitting chairs parked right in front of a giant stone fireplace (which we kept running at all times). The temp hit a record-breaking 36 below on that Friday night, but we stayed warm in the amazing room. The room was expensive ($450 including breakfast and "tea"), but well worth it! There is a main building which houses the dining room (more about the food below), the pub, the game room, a sitting room, and a banquet room. There are some guest rooms in the main Lodge as well. There is an "annex" located closer to the lake (primarily with queen-sized rooms) and cabins along the shore.
The Food We had planned to eat one meal at the lodge and spend the rest of our time sampling some of the restaurants in and around town. We ate every meal at the Lodge however. When we arrived on Friday night, we were starving, and not in the mood for anything too fancy. We went straight to the Pub where we were greeted with a roaring fire, a hearty menu and a fabulous collection of single malts. The menu had great things like macaroni and cheese (with 4 cheeses), a sirloin burger, a croque monsieur, and a beef stew. It was tool cold, but under normal conditions (e.g. above zero) you can walk down to the lakeside bonfire and make s'mores. Breakfast was included and well worth it. A great selection of hearty winter dishes (smoked salmon hash, sausage & cheese omelet, etc), breakfast sweets (pancakes with blueberry compote, brioche French toast), and healthy choices (fruit, granola, muffins). Along with a paper, it was a great way to start the day. Amazing applewood smoked bacon too! (One item to note: one of the other guests was constantly complaining that the breakfast buffet was gone. I'm happy it is. Nothing could have been better that the fresh cooked breakfasts put out by the kitchen. We skipped lunch each day and instead opted for a light snack at teatime. A generous variety of little sandwiches, smoked fish and sweets was put out next to the tea, coffee and hot chocolate dispensers that were refreshed and available all day. On Saturday we opted for the main dining room. A wise choice. The room is warm and inviting. The wine list is expansive (and phenomenal). And the food. The food was perfect. Fresh ingredients with wonderful execution. From the fresh seafood to the wintry braised meats, everything was top notch. The General Manager, Olivier, used to be the director of food and beverage at the Four Seasons in Chicago. The Lodge puts the appropriate emphasis on food! Activities The is a ton of stuff to do in Lake Placid in the winter! Even when it is super-cold, you are still drawn outside to enjoy the wilderness. Snowshoeing: The Lodge will give you some low-tech plastic snowshoes to use for free on the miles of Jack Rabbit Trail that surrounds Lake Placid. The trails are great and the views are amazing. A great way to enjoy the back country. I would suggest that you rent a pair of high tech (e.g. Atlas) snowshoes for this adventure. Cross-Country Skiing: The Lodge will rent you new (high tech) skis for $25. You can then use them on the Jack Rabbit Trails (single track, not groomed), or pay $9 to the Alpine Center next door and gain access to their miles of groomed trails. Dog-sledding: I was all fired up to do some serious dog-sledding. I was terribly disappointed! There are two dog sledding outfits in town that take you on a five minute loop on top of frozen Mirror Lake. Nothing back-country about it. Someone please let me know if there is a way to do some real dog sledding. Downhill skiing: there is great downhill skiing in the area. Ice Skating: you can ice skate on the outdoor speed skating rink that was used for the 1980 Olympics. Tobogganing: there is a small, but fun, toboggan run right next to the dog sledding area on Mirror Lake. Of course, you can always rent a toboggan and go find your own place to do it! Bobsledding: head to the Verizon center and ride a real bobsled down the actual track used for the 1980 Olympics. Don't worry, a professional will be steering the sled for you, but you will reach some high (> 50 mph) speeds! Nordic & freestyle ski jumping: this is where the US Ski Team practices, so you can head over to the jump center and watch. Pretty cool. Shopping: there are a few cool shops in town, especially if you are looking for a Dale sweater!
So that was Lake Placid in the winter. I'd like to go back every winter and stay at the Lake Placid Lodge. It was really the perfect winter place. I'm not sure what it would be like in the summer. I'm sure there are a ton a great water/lake activities that can be enjoyed!!
Click here for photos from the trip.
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