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Published in the Aug. 28, 2005 edition of The Albany Times Union By Stacey Morris Tranquility Beckons There’s No Reason Not to Take Advantage of Lake Placid’s Rich Offerings LAKE PLACID – There are so many reasons to visit Lake Placid: the Olympic history, the tranquility of motor boat-free lakes, good shopping and dining, picturesque hiking trails that meander up emerald mountains. Just pick a reason and go. At an approximate two-hour drive from Albany, it’s a do-able daytrip, but there’s so much to do and see, you probably be tempted to stay a night or two. I live about ten minutes south of the official entrance to the Adirondack Park – a day trip to the Lake Placid area is an easy jaunt – something I’ve indulged in often over the years – just not recently. So last month, as my companion and I wended our way northwest on Route 73, past the breathtaking Cascade Lakes, the undulating Au Sable River, waterfalls positively arresting in their beauty and the high peaks in all their grandeur, I found myself asking, why? I don’t actually have valid reason for staying away from Lake Placid and her alp-like environs for nearly three years I’ve reveled in the tranquility of the walking trails behind Mount Van Hoevenberg Bed and Breakfast; marveled at how ice cold the waters of the Cascade Lakes are, even in July; enjoyed sumptuous lake-view brunches at the Lake Placid Hilton and even pushed aside my fear of heights to ride, clammy and quivering, to the top of the jump tower at the MacKenzie-Intervale Ski Jumping Complex. On this trip, though, we didn’t have the weekend, just the day meander through this Adirondack Wonderland. First, we decided to take in a bit of Olympian nostalgia. The weather was sweltering and we strategized that being indoors whenever possible would make for more touring stamina in the long run. At the Olympic Museum, we relived the glory of the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympics through exhibits and memorabilia like the uniforms gold medallists Dick Button and Jack Shea (both of whom lived in Lake Placid) and athletic equipment like Jim Craig’s goalie equipment from 1980 U.S.A. ice hockey victory over Russia. And don’t miss the skating at the Olympic Center, a practice ground since the 1930’s for figure skaters from around the world. Every Saturday night through August are the Saturday Night Ice Shows at 7:30 p.m. ($6 for adults). For those who want the experience of skating on hallowed Olympic territory, there’s public skating from 8 to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Come September, hockey fans can sit in on Can-Am Hockey Tournaments, held at the center during the spring and fall. But hosting the 1932 and 1980 Olympics aren’t the only claim to fame for the Adirondack village. It’s a little-known fact, but Lake Placid has in common two beloved All American singing stars, both known for belting out patriotic homages at the top of their lungs. Kate “God Bless America” Smith fell in love with the Lake Placid region after vacationing there and ended up spending 40 summers at her beloved Camp Sunshine on Lake Placid. So devoted to her annual 13-week summer break in the Adirondacks was the singer, she refused to bow to industry pressure that she maintain her noontime radio broadcast for 52 weeks of the year. Columbia Broadcasting eventually ceded to Smith’s wishes and arranged a feed from her island residence so the show could continue. A few years after Smith’s death in 1986, Bruce “Born in the U.S.A.” Springsteen followed suit. According to locals he can sometimes be spotted lunching at the Lake Placid Lodge, a mere boat ride away from his summer home on Lake Placid. You won’t find it emblazoned on any travel brochures, but some tourists (on word-of-mouth tips) make their way to St. Agnes Cemetery off Route 73, where Smith’s mausoleum sits innocuously at the edge of the property, replete with a “God Bless America” inscription. We followed up our Olympic adventure with some window-shopping on Main Street. And realizing we’d eaten at just about every restaurant on the strip during previous visits, we decided to follow a good-barbecue tip I’d recently received and headed out of town to Tail of the Pup on Route 86 in nearby Ray Brook. Set at the edge of a pine forest, Tail of the Pup is a sea of fire-engine red picnic tables under canopies that’s open through mid October and serves succulent, smokey pork ribs, barbecued chicken, pork brisket sandwiches, hot dogs – even steamed clams and lobster. Any restaurant that plays the Average White Band as background music has my vote but the food was excellent and the Khazistani waitress who served us adorably friendly. The side dishes of corn on the cob, baked beans and corn bread that came with our ribs rounded out a perfect outdoor meal. We ventured further northwest on 86, into Saranac Lake, a laid-back Adirondack city along the shores of Flower Lake. Here you’ll find museums, historical sites, good dining and more affordable shopping, but we made the trip for one reason – Donnelly’s Ice Cream – quite possibly the best soft in the world. Located about five miles north of Saranac Lake on 86, Donnelly’s has been luring ice cream lovers from far and wide (it’s not unusual to see Canadian plates in their parking lot) for decades. We lucked out and visited on a day when the flavor was Irish Crème. Need I say more? Then it was back to Lake Placid for some serious R&R. Adirondack chairs are thoughtfully set out along certain sections of the side walks on Main Street, the real wood kind, by the way. But we chose two at the bottom of a grassy hill near the Paul White Memorial Shell bandstand, inches from the edge of Mirror Lake. We weren’t alone in our quest for some picturesque downtime. Tourists with satchels full of picnic food, a few errant swimmers who could endure the heat wave no more and the occasional duck all congregated around the quiet lake (motor boats are banned) as we went about the task of resting our heads against the sloping backs of our chairs and savoring deep gulps of mountain air. After a dinner of burgers and beer at Goldberries Restaurant on Main Street, we left our Lake Placid experience sated…for now. But this time I won’t stay away nearly so long. The winter games in Turin are only a few months away – what better time than now to catch the rising stars of hockey, skating and skiing? The Can-Am hockey tournaments resume in the fall and skiers and skaters from around the world practice year-round. But you don’t even need a calendar of events to justify a visit to Lake Placid. Once you get there you’ll realize: a backdrop of green, leafy skyscrapers, quiet lakes and life lived at a mercifully slow pace are enough.
Stacey Morris is a freelance writer who lives in Glens Falls.
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