One of my favorite places
The Serene Wilderness
Having traveled this beautiful and majestic country by motor and thumb, I have seen many sites of splendor. However, by far the most picturesque and alluring of them all, is Lake Placid New York. Nestled between the towering and imposing Adirondacks Mountains, its beauty and tranquility is awe-inspiring. Most think of it as just a winter resort, however a summertime visit brings out its true magnificence.One reason for its splendor being preserved is its relative isolation. Even though it was the host for the 1932 and 1980 Olympics it has still maintained its virginity as a place of rest and recreation. Having no major airport and only one main road into this tiny hamlet, it has been protected for the fast paced expansion of most other resort areas. As you leave the heavily traveled and state police lined New York State Thruway, you begin your thirty-mile drive to the village of Lake Placid. This winding, curving road is very narrow and laden with many car thumping frost heaves. The splendor of the plush green vegetation and the colorful mountain flowers, gives one a sense of serenity and a hint that this is a very unique, untamed wilderness. Sheer rock cliffs, rising from the roadway, border the route and fast moving snow fed rivers cascade down the mountain passes. The roar of the river can be heard thru a closed car window, giving one a sense that you’re at one with nature. The aroma of pine inundates your vehicle as if you had a back seat full of cheap, but robust air fresheners. Many vigorous and enthusiastic outdoorsmen line the banks of the river, trying for that elusive record trout that can be obtained from this dangerous, intimidating, but inviting river.
As you begin to get close to your destination, your eyes are drawn to a massive expanse of steel sticking up into the heavens, just off the side of the roadway. It’s the 90 and 110-meter ski jump, built for the 1980 winter Olympics. Everyone’s first impression of it is, “Who would be and crazy enough to jump from it’s cloud splitting heights.”
Driving through the last lush valley, before entering the outer limits of the town, you now find yourself between many of the highest and magnificent peaks of the Adirondack chain. In early summer, the snow topped peaks glisten in the midday sun, and the cool refreshing mountain breezes ruffle the hearty wildflowers. The craggy mountain peaks seem to poke at the puffy white cumulus clouds.
After a few more short and anxious miles you now enter this tiny secluded village, built between and around the clean and beautiful Mirror Lake, and adjacent Lake Placid. Whiteface Mountain looms large as its base protrudes upwards of a mile from this shimmering, vast mountain lake, whose cavernous depth has never been able to be measured. This enchanting and old world town has the allure and look of a Swiss ski village, the result of the early settler’s heritage.
Modern resorts dot the grassy hillsides, preserving the quaintness and tranquil ambiance of the village proper. Delicious cuisine can be obtained at many of the high quality restaurants the line the main thoroughfare. The pleasing pungent smells escaping from these establishments and the crisp mountain air gives one a hearty and ravenous appetite. The many craft shops and elegant, upscale, and expensive clothing boutiques, lend for an interesting nighttime amble. As you leave the main area of the town, you can continue the walk around Mirror Lake, its splendor enhanced by the lights of the town shimmering off its crystal clear waters. As you saunter along on this stroll, you pass between Lake Placid and Mirror Lake separated only by a narrow road and an open grass field. Many devoted and hearty adventurers carry their canoes between these two stunning and pristine bodies of waters for a peaceful and relaxing day of boating.
Just a few short miles from town many other adventures can be had, depending on where one’s scale or degree of adventure may lie. . Many formidable well-manicured golf courses, with breath taking views, offer a challenge to even the finest aficionados of the sport. There are also many mountain trails, some extremely treacherous and non- forgiving, available for the enthusiastic and fervent hiker. Many of them who thought their skills were well honed were lost in the great expanse of the wilderness either to starvation or carnivorous wild animals. In summer you can also ride the ski lift up Whiteface Mountain, which lends a superb view of the vast, rugged and stunning terrain, which is characteristic of this region.
The clear, crisp mountain nights lend a glorious site of the multitudes of stars never seen in the smog filled cities and even relatively clean rural areas. The Moons enhanced brightness seems to illuminate and draw attention to the splendid constellations that many never view in their true majesty.
Its popularity amongst travelers has never reached great levels, probably because of its relative isolation or people’s perception that it’s to rugged for modern day spoiled vacationers. Many people don’t value beauty and splendor, seeking out fun and connivance in its place. Maybe that’s for the best, as it leaves its pristine beauty for the true and ardent lovers of nature and its marvelous surroundings. Once you have discovered this truly wondrous town and adored its astounding sites, it is forever imbedded in your psyche. For when you need a break from the mundane and tedious challenges of life, Lake Placid will be forever ingrained in your heart.
