Traveler: Lake Placid, New York

A wintertime exploration of the tiny, historic Olympic village of Lake Placid, New York.

If you're not a died-in-the-wool hockey fan, haven't seen the movie "Miracle" or aren't either a resident of upstate New York, chances are good that when you hear Lake Placid mentioned in passing, you think of the dodgy movie starring Bill Pullman, Bridget Fonda and a man-eating crocodile in a Floridian lake. 

Well, there's a whole different Lake Placid, and it's pretty much at the opposite end of the country to the one featured in the so-bad-it's-good movie. Sitting snugly in the high peaks of the Adirondack Mountain Range, not all that far from the Canadian border, the home of the 1980 Winter Olympics - and, if you believe the Sports Illustrated poll, the home of the single greatest moment in Olympic history - is a very well kept secret, a alpine charming village set amongst incredible scenery and, perfectly, home to some of the best skiing anywhere in the United States of America.

We drove from New York City, out through New Jersey, and back into New York State, roughly following the Hudson River for most of the time. North of Albany and Saratoga Springs, we stopped at Dunkin' Donuts in Glens Falls, New York. From there, the Adirondack Northway skirts the bottom of Lake George, and north-west climbing higher and higher into the mountains. Outside, the temperature does the opposite: it drops, quickly and often.

It's hard to believe that Lake Placid is less than five hours from the concrete canyons of Manhattan. It might as well be an entire world away. You go from the maze of concrete and sometimes-insane crush of people to the endlessly beautiful and snow-covered Adirondacks, and it's a nice sea change. Being out of the city was fun. A city is a city pretty much anywhere in the world, each one's particular landmarks not withstanding, but being on the open road and passing through small towns and larger ones gives you a better glimpse at the oft-mentioned "real America." Upstate New York in winter is pretty. It must be amazing in the fall, too.

You arrive in Lake Placid, and the first thing that pops out are the twin ski-jumping hills (http://www.whiteface.com/activities/olympic-jumping-complex-tour), rising over the trees. Not like the modern jumps that are often built into the hill, these two towers stand out above everything else, and were home to the ski jumping contests at the 1980 Winter Olympics. They're still used today by the US National team, both in summer and winter. In fact, there is a lot of Olympic development and training taking place in various facilities around the village.

Visitors can ride the chairlift from the bottom of the hill, and then take an elevator to the very top of the tower. It's an incredible view from the summit, towering over the landscape, and a wonderful way to illustrate the courage - or, is that insanity? - of the ski jumpers. We did, and it was pretty cool...but, if I'd had any inclination to become one of those Lycra-clad daredevils, being at the top of the ramp, and experiencing a little vertigo, convinced me that ski jumping just isn't my thing. More fun is the nearby snow tubing hill (http://www.whiteface.com/activities/snow-tubing). You don't need to be nearly as much of a daredevil for that. Just bring a sense of fun and you're all set!

The Crowne Plaza Resort & Golf Club (http://www.lakeplacidcp.com/), up on the hill overlooking the village (and a short walk from the 1980 'Miracle' Rink) is my accommodation of choice in Lake Placid. The views are unparalleled, the rooms are tidy, the food at the restaurant is sensational and everything around the village is so close: walking distance. Scoring a room on one of the upper floors, with a balcony, makes it even better. You can look out over the lake, to the rugged mountains in the distance. It's beautiful.

You get the sense that most people who come through the village are either hockey fans looking for Mecca or visitors in town for a tournament of some sort. There are a few public outdoor hockey rinks around town, and they always seemed to be full, people of all ages playing pickup games. There's nothing like watching from the other side of the boards, especially at night, and hearing the scrape-scrape of skates and the thwack of a crisp pass. Spellbinding!

Of course, a lot of the town's tourism is generated because of sixty memorable minutes of hockey back in February of 1980, and there are few shops in the village where you can't buy something either USA Hockey-related, or directly related to the Miracle on Ice game itself. In a town that lives and breathes hockey, what I love is how you can walk into either the 1932 or 1980 rink - as they are differentiated now - and pretty much anytime during waking hours in the fall or winter, there's a hockey game of some sort taking place on one or both of these famous sheets of ice.

Most famous, of course, is the Miracle on Ice rink (http://www.whiteface.com/facilities/olympic-center), where Jim Craig stood on his head in net for America, where Badger Bob's son Mark Johnson scored twice, where Tretiak, then the best goalie in the world, was unthinkably pulled after one period, and where Mike Eruzione became an American legend, scoring the game-winning goal that sent the cautiously optimistic crowd into raptures. Where kids named Harrington, Silk, Christian and Schneider became overnight heroes. And, of course, where a terse coach named Herb Brooks defied belief and conventional wisdom en route to Gold.

The rink was empty, completely empty, when I visited. Both times, actually. But that's fine. Standing in the silence, looking at the ice, the scoreboard and the uncomfortable-looking seats (which weren't used much that game; fans were on their feet for large portions), is quite compelling. So much of great Olympic importance happened on the sheet of ice in front of you. 

It's strange to see it for the first time.After all, this is where American hockey really stepped out of the shadows and into the bright spotlight. A bunch of college kids from rival schools who were taught to hate one another with a passion - that BU vs. Minnesota rivalry had been stoked in recent years - somehow united because a coach with a brainwave decided that if they all hated him as a team, they'd spend less time hating each other. And it worked. Back-stopped by Craig's frantic goal-tending, and with just enough offensive punch to counter the incredible amount of puck the all-conquering Russians, Team USA won a famous victory on home ice, advancing to an eventual Gold medal game against Finland, winning that one, too, after most pundits barely rated them an outside chance for bronze. 

It was Al Michaels' famous call - "Do you believe in miracles? YES!" - as the clock ran down to triple zeroes that immortalised the moment (so much so that Michaels recorded parts of the commentary for the movie "Miracle" and producers used his original call at the end, simply because that emotion just could not be recreated) and you can see the entire game on a TV, looping continuously, inside the fantastic Winter Olympic Museum (http://www.whiteface.com/activities/olympic-museum) in the same complex where the Miracle on Ice occurred. It's a fascinating look at both the 1980 and 1932 games, complete with a great collection of Miracle memorabilia. Most definitely worth a look!

Close by the Olympic Centre is the outdoor skating rink (http://www.whiteface.com/activities/public-ice-skating). There was history here, too, in 1980 when the great Eric Heiden won all the men's speed skating events - an incredible five gold medals - and cemented his place as, aarguably, the greatest short- or long-track speed skater in history. You can hire skates for a very modest price and turn laps on the same, wide 400m oval where Heiden skated to history. It's a great place to learn, or to skate for the first time after a hiatus, as the track is open and rarely hugely busy. Skating under the stars is an almost unmissable experience in Lake Placid.

Lake Placid's village (http://www.lakeplacid.com/) itself is a beautiful, beautiful place. If, like me, you're from a part of the world where you just don't see snow at Christmastime, this is one of those places to visit in the lead-up to Christmas - basically, any time from Thanksgiving onward - if you want to experience the feel of the holiday season as it's depicted in all the movies and all the songs. You can walk up and down the length of the village, going past souvenir shops, cafes, restaurants, bars, antique bookshops, a cinema and more. People are friendly, the food and drink are great, Christmas decorations are out in force, and if you're wearing a hockey jersey, no matter what team or country, you can almost guarantee that someone will stop and want to talk about the greatest game on earth. And, with postcard-perfect views of Mirror Lake in the background, you'll find yourself thinking that there are worse places on earth to be than in Lake Placid, New York.

About a half hour's drive from is High Falls Gorge (http://www.highfallsgorge.com/). The thirty-minute trail, a series of bridges and elevated trails through the wilderness alongside an impressive array of waterfalls and cascades, this is particularly worth a visit when there's snow on the ground. Or, as was the case when we were there, when it's actually snowing. Admission includes ice cleats that help you easily navigate whatever snow and ice might have accumulated on the trail. You also get to stop and toast your own marshmallows - quite an experience in the snow - and there's a hot drink waiting for you back at the entrance to the trail, which was certainly appreciated when we were there, after braving the driving snow.

Further on, in nearby Wilmington, is Whiteface Mountain (http://www.whiteface.com/), home to alpine Olympic events and also to a great array of terrain, off the highest vertical fall on the east coast of the United States. For me, cheap lift passes/ski hire, fast lifts, long runs, great - and well-priced food - at the base of the lifts makes a good day's skiing great. Whiteface has all of that and more. And, we had good weather. I mean, sparkling. You could not have asked for better weather: blue skies and sunshine. 

My first time skiing on the east coast was a blast, although following the downhill course from the 1980 Winter Olympics was more than a little scary. Fun, but scary. Like I discovered I wasn't going to be a ski jumper at the top of the tower in Lake Placid, at Whiteface Mountain, I discovered that I won't be signing up to be a downhill racer any time soon. If you're not a skier, I still recommend visiting Whiteface Mountain, so you can ride the Cloudsplitter Gondola (http://www.whiteface.com/activities/cloudsplitter-gondola-rides) right to the top. Amazing views, both of the resort and of nearby Lake Placid, all from what feels like the very top of the world!

Also worth a visit in and around Lake Placid: the Bobsled & Luge complex (http://www.whiteface.com/facilities/olympic-sports-complex/olympic-sliding-track), where, if you're lucky, you can watch bobsleds, luges or even the completely-crazy skeleton riders hurtle down the icy chute at speeds faster than you want to comprehend. Or, if you've got the need for speed yourself, try one of those three disciplines yourself!

And that's Lake Placid, New York: one of the most beautiful and friendly places I've ever visited. Great for hockey fans, yes, but great for anyone who loves the mountains. It's a place that you'll hate to leave - I did - and a place to which you'll want to come back - I did - and, most importantly, a place you won't soon forget. Rug up and have fun!

AK