If you are planning to have a vacation for yourself and you cannot decide where to go and why, well; Lake Placid is a place for you to pay a visit. If you are wondering about the reasons, there are too many actually. In this article, we will try to give you an insight on the place itself and the things that you can do here while your visit. My boyfriend and I came to visit right after Christmas 2016 to ring in the New Year with skiing and quality time together.
Lake Placid
Lake Placid is a small village in the Adirondack Mountains in New York, US. It has a population of only around 2,500 as of the last census in 2010. The village is mostly popular for hosting two Winter Olympics, one in 1932 and the other in 1980. For this reason, the place is known as the Olympic Village. It also hosted the Winter Universiade in 1972 and the Winter Goodwill Games in the year 2000. Lake Placid was founded in around the early 19th century. It faces a cool humid continental climate. The seasonal differences are high and so is the precipitation. With all its heritage and beauty, Lake Placid has a lot to offer to its visitors.
Places to visit and things to do
Lake Placid has a number of “must go” destinations. Here’s a list of places you don’t want to miss while you are visiting Lake Placid.
Adirondack Park
The park is a part of New York’s forest preserve in Upstate NY. It contains an area of 6 million acres, nearly three times the size of Yellowstone National Park. Pristine waterways, large trekking trails, different species of wildlife, plants, and wildflowers – this park has tons of things to offer to its visitors. Hiking on the trails, scenic drive, kayaking, and canoeing are some of the many attractions of this place. And most of all, there’s NO FEE for entering.
Whiteface Mountain!
Being the fifth highest mountain in the US, this mountain is an excellent ski area. The Whiteface Mountain contains 88 trails of ski terrain consisting of 22 miles altogether. There are 35 in-bounds, 85.5 acres of tree skiing, and 35 acres of extreme adventure terrain. The slides are considered to be one of the most challenging ski slopes in the Northeast. If you are looking for some adventure, here’s your place. Additionally, if you need skis, snowboards to rent Lake Placid Ski and Board Shop have you covered. I was able to find a great pair of Hurley ski pants for purchase.
Olympic Village
The museum is located in the same building where the “Miracle on Ice” hockey game took place in 1980. The displays and exhibits have the power to attract visitors of all ages.
John Brown Farm State Historic Site
John Brown is a popular name in the history of slavery in the region. He was the first abolitionist who died after an assault on Harpers Ferry. Today his farm is open to the public to explore and enjoy your hiking along with your family. Another such trail will be the Brewster Peninsula Nature Trails where you can indulge in the nature’s recipe.
Palace Theatre
After all the hiking and canoeing, you may get tired and may plan to spend some time just sitting back and relax. Palace Theatre can be a good choice for this. After all, who doesn’t like to lean back and watch a good movie! While Justin and I were visiting we stopped in to catch the 2016 movie Why Him starring Zoey Deutch and James Franco. The movie in our opinion was absolutely hilarious. If you have not had the opportunity to see it yet, you simply must!
Truly, the things that visitors can do here can’t be listed all. Cycling, fishing, hiking, paddling, swimming, boating, fat tire biking, mountain biking, shopping, eating – all these are just a visit away.
Crowne Plaza Lake Placid
We stayed at the beautiful Crown Plaza Lake Placid during our weeklong vacation. The resort is absolutely breathtaking overlooking the downtown village and the Whiteface Mountains.
Shopping in Lake Placid
Of course, you cannot go home empty handed and the gift shops along Main Street in downtown Lake Placid have you covered. We stopped in many shops during our cold winter stay and one, in particular, The Bookstore Plus I was able to find a copy of the Velveteen Rabbit one of my absolute favorite book growing up.
No matter the time of year you come to visit, Lake Placid is a mix of nature, tradition, and culture. People each year come to this place for adventure and some quality time. So why don’t you?!
Please feel free to share your comments or post questions you may have about our stay in Lake Placid.
Cheers, Deana