Lake Placid Is A Gold-Medal Getaway
Updated: 01/20/2013 03:32 PM
By: Valarie D'Elia
A winter getaway to Lake Placid can make travelers feel like an Olympian. NY1's Valarie D'Elia filed the following report.
Sharpen your blades and your sense of adventure with a visit to Lake Placid, the upstate home of the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympic Games.
Although it has been more than 30 years since the official hoopla died down, there is still a palpable excitement for anyone immersed in this area where sports history was made.
There is several ways to slice it: on speed skates, cross country, a horse-drawn sleigh ride, dog sled or the original bobsled run. For me, the thrill of my visit was the chance to test my wits and new GoPro camera.
With temperatures below freezing, it was amusing to meet the aptly named Burr family from Connecticut, on board a leisurely but chilly sleigh ride after the rush of the bobsled moments earlier.
"It was intense, it was a lot of fun but I think I closed my eyes for about 90 percent of it," says John Burr, a member of the family.
Visitor will not be able to keep their eyes closed for long, given the spectacular scenery of the surrounding Adirondacks, especially from the vantage point of the $10 sled dog ride on frozen Mirror Lake. It is situated behind the green-minded and casually comfortable Golden Arrow lakeside resort, where I stayed on a media visit.
A quick and affordable way to get the lay of the land is with the Olympic Sites Passport for $32, featuring visits to a variety of Olympic venues. The bobsled is an extra $80 for adults and $70 for kids 12 and under. Sleigh rides are $48 for adults, and kids are cheaper depending on age.
Travelers can drive to Lake Placid in under five hours from New York City, take Amtrak or fly into Albany, then rent a car and drive another two hours.
For more information, visit lakeplacid.com.
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