We left home several days ago and you might say we’re rambling through our past. By the time October has ended, we will have visited almost every place we’ve lived during our married life and then some. It’s a journey with many stops and numerous opportunities to re-connect with old friends and touch what once was.
First stop, a town we never lived in–Lake Placid, NY. This is in the North Country. In New York State, there’s New York City and, in the eyes of Manhattanites, everywhere else. For them, upstate NY begins at about Poughkeepsie. If you’re a true upstater, however, then you know that upstate means Albany and then proceeding west Utica, Syracuse, Rochester and Buffalo. That’s real upstate, complete with snow and cows. Farther north than upstate is the North Country, dotted with rugged small towns, little lakes, and the expansive and very protected Adirondack State Park.
Located within the park, the village of Lake Placid sits mostly on Mirror Lake and close to the lake whose name it bears. It was the site of both the 1932 and the 1980 Winter Olympics and we encountered Olympic memorabilia and reminders throughout the town. The architecture here with its emphasis on dark wood and heavy beamed ceilings made me think of Aspen, Colorado, although Placid is a much more modest place.
A little jewel, Mirror Lake is ringed by boat clubs and tidy beaches, elegant homes, tasteful shops and restaurants, charming inns, and here and there an inviting park bench. The lake is small enough that we easily walked the circumference in about an hour, keeping up a fairly brisk pace.
One day we drove over to Saranac Lake, dubbed the capital of the Adirondacks. This lake is pleasant enough, but sadly, the town has suffered economically and is marked by empty storefronts and not a lot of activity that would attract a visitor. At least not this time of year, perhaps during ski season.
Our next excursion was to Whiteface Mountain, about a 30-minute drive from Lake Placid. Whiteface has the distinction of being the 5th highest peak in New York State (just under 5,000 feet), but is the only one which has a special highway which takes you to just shy of the summit. Two enterprising men began lobbying the state government in the 1920’s for this highway and it was finally approved by then Gov. Franklin Roosevelt. Construction began in 1931, but the road didn’t officially open until 1935 when President Roosevelt dedicated it as a memorial for veterans.
It’s a beautiful road with lots of places to stop and admire the views. And, you could also say it has the grandest visitor center one could imagine. The Castle is made of granite (recovered from the construction work) and is an imposing presence there at the top. After we parked and briefly visited the Castle, we had the choice of doing the last 275 feet to the actual summit on foot over jagged and slippery rocks or by elevator. We chose the latter and walked down the drive and then into what was a long low tunnel (lighted, but somewhat claustrophobic for my taste) to the elevator.
The operator operator was a bit mechanical in manner, but did share a number of facts about the conditions above and the best times to see the views. The ride was slow, up the equivalent of 27 floors, and we exited into an enclosed space. Going outside we walked around for views on all sides.
The sky was blue with a few high clouds and we could see not only Lake Placid and Mirror Lake, but also over to Lake Champlain and into Vermont. Lovely, despite being 48 degrees with a very stiff wind! It’s worth noting that Roosevelt wanted to ensure access for everyone (and he used a wheelchair at this point), hence the elevator.
Header photo: Mirror Lake at sunset
All photos by the author, some rights reserved.
