Imagine planning a vacation and having your kids declare it the "best family vacation" they've had in five years. High praise, right? This was the sentiment both my boys echoed after our recent family trip to Lake Placid New York.* **
Lake Placid in the summer has the best of many things; Mountains, check. Rivers, check. Beaches, shopping and outdoor fun? Check, check and check. With many spots to explore, things to try and places to go, and only a quick three (plus) hour car-ride away from Ottawa, we were all excited to visit somewhere new.
Lake Placid is a former Olympic site, home of the 1932 and 1980 Olympics, and the Olympic spirit is alive and well in the small town. Previous venues are open and used as current tourist destinations and a $100 million dollar renovation is taking place at various winter sites to upgrade facilities and sites.
During our trip, we visited the Olympic Sports Complex, home of bobsled, luge, skeleton, cross country and biathalon. In the summer, the site is home to cross country trails, mountain biking and biathalon, which includes a mountain bike lesson, trail pass and professional instruction on the Olympic Biathalon range. Access to the Olympic site also includes a visit to Whiteface Mountain, which, in the summer you can enjoy a visit to the Adventure Zone, a trip in the Gondola to the top of the mountain, or enjoy downhill mountain biking.
The facilities were incredible and after the renovations taking place, they are sure to be world-class. We enjoyed learning how to use the biathalon rifle, (with the kids naturally competing over who had the best shooting score). We were blown away during the gondola ride as we took in the gorgeous view and we loved how beautiful the area is.
Another highlight was visiting the Lake Placid Olympic Center. It was at the Lake Placid Olympic Center in 1980 that the US men’s hockey team toppled the Soviet Union on their way to winning the gold medal and 16-year-old figure skater Sonja Henie charmed the world, winning a gold medal in the 1932 Winter Olympics. It also features a very cool interactive Olympic Museum with torches, Olympic uniforms, sports equipment and two arenas.
Taking advantage of the warm summer weather and mountainous climate, we visited Ausable Chasm. Billed as the "Grand Canyon of the Adirondacks", this natural attraction allows you to hike, float and/or climb as you go back in time as you experience one of the oldest natural attractions in the United States (Est. 1870). Our family enjoyed the popular two-part Classic Tour that includes a hike through the upper chasm followed by a scenic float (via raft or tube) through the lower chasm on the legendary waters of the Ausable River. If you are in the area, it's a great family fun thing to do.
Perhaps our favourite activity was being out on the water. Lake Placid and Mirror Lake are both publically accessible and incredibly beautiful. Crystal clear, and surrounded by mountains, the lakes are really a sight to behold. Our new friends Wes and Jeremy, from ADK Aquatics took us out for a morning of boating, and the boys had wakeboarding lessons followed by tubing. This was so awesome and fun. The sun was shining, the water was clear and the boat was fast, what more could you want? In 20 minutes, my oldest learned how to wakeboard and was up and skiing (boarding?) around the lake. The instructors were patient and offered tips and suggestions that allowed him to learn and get up so quickly. Being on the water is one of my favourite things and to be in such a pretty location watching the boys have fun made my day.
As a former Olympic host and a winter destination, Lake Placid has lots of places to stay depending on your needs and your budget. We had the pleasure of being hosted at the Golden Arrow Lakeside Resort, and it was one of our favourite places ever. There were many reasons why the Golden Arrow was great;
- A variety of configurations of family rooms, suites, condos and pet-friendly rooms starting at $89/night in the off season. (Rates vary depending on weekend, weekday and room requirements).
- Stunning views of the lake, access via private beach with loungers, towel service, fire pit access and canoes, kayaks, boats, and stand-up paddleboards (SUPs) available for guests.
- Located on the main street and walkable to all downtown activities, restaurants, shops and boutiques
- Indoor pool, hot tub, fitness centre, game area AND a hotel dog who loves kids to visit and pet him
- Excellent and attentive customer service from all staff and employees
- Eco-friendly with in-room recycling, a green roof where they grow herbs, and support of local farmers.
- Free parking
Needless to say, our kids loved the Golden Arrow. They loved visiting Copper, the hotel dog; they loved the kayaks, SUPs, and private beach, they loved the pool, playing board games in the lobby and the fact that they had their own room and their own space in the Main Street Condo, where we stayed, literally next door to the hotel.
No trip is complete without food and Lake Placid delivers (and then some). For a small town, there is a surprisingly large food scene, with lots of choices and options, including vegetarian and gluten-free.
We ate well this trip, with lots of unique flavours, local ingredients and places we wanted to eat at again, if not for the many new places we wanted to try as well.
Our favourites included;
- Lake Placed Pub & Brewery - the salmon burgers and pear, onion & arugula maple pizza were aces!
- Generations - our favourite breakfast place, part of the hotel; local, fresh and so, so good
- The Cottage Cafe - dining al fresco overlooking the lake
- Lisa G's - veggie and vegan options and curry
- Dancing Bears Restaurant - truffle mac n' cheese and Shirley Temple's in a bottle
With teenage boys who are always hungry, there were snacks a plenty from some of the local vendors;
- The Breakfast Club - a Mexican burrito that keeps you full all morning
- Emma's Lake Placid Creamery - long lines but worth the wait
- Soulshine Bagels - with a schmear, it's delish
- The Adirondack Popcorn Co. - 'cuz who doesn't like popcorn?
If you like to get up and go, keep active and busy, see and try new things, and explore with your family, then Lake Placid is the spot for you. Our kids have already asked when we can go back. Hopefully, we can answer soon.
*We were guests and were hosed at various locations in Lake Placid and ROOST (Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism) but all reviews and opinions expressed are our own.
