Travel with Val: Lake Placid
The Winter Olympics in Vancouver may be over, but you can live out all of your gold medal fantasies in Lake Placid, New York, site of two previous Olympics. Valarie D'Elia filed the following report.
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Despite the frigid temperatures we've endured, this just might be the year that people don't want winter to end.
The Winter Olympics in Vancouver have some of us scheming to stretch out the season. One way to do that is in Lake Placid, the host village for the 1932 and 1980 games, where the Olympic spirit burns brightly every day of the year.
Truly a winter wonderland, visitors can partake in some of the same activities winter Olympians do, with an Olympic Sites Passport for $29, allowing you to visit all the Olympic venues. It includes an elevator ride to the skydeck of the Olympic Jumping Complex, a visit to the speed skating oval and ice skating rink, a scenic gondola ride to the top of Whiteface Mountain and admission to the Olympic Museum.
The big crowd pleaser is the Olympic Sports Complex, where world-class bobsledders whizz along the original 1/2 mile track. For $75 you can suit yourself up and take a spin with an experienced driver.
For those who don't want to do anything more competitive than engage in some gold medal dining and drinking can do so at the local restaurants and pubs.
You can drive to Lake Placid in under five hours from New York City, or take Amtrak or fly into Albany, then rent a car and drive another two hours.
A two night weekend stay at the Pines Inn through the end of April is $189 per person, plus tax based on double occupancy.
This includes lift tickets to Whiteface Mountain.
Kids 12 years and younger in same room with their parents are $79 extra. Midweek rates start at $79 per adult per day and $40 for kids.
For more information, visit lakeplacid.com or call 1-800-44-PLACID
Now here's a D'Elia's Deal you don't want to miss when staying at the Pines Inn. Kids 10 and under receive a free Adirondack Stuffed Black Bear when you book by phone at (518) 523-9240.