Published: January 14, 2008 10:22 am            

TRAVEL: Whiteface, Lake Placid have a knack for surprises

Assume. You remember the joke about the word, in all its eighth-grade glory, and the lesson that was to be gleaned from it.

Don’t do it.

The Adirondack Mountains, encompassed in the 6.1-million acre Adirondack Park, are nothing if not a reminder why one shouldn’t assume.

For example, looking east from the picturesque downtown of Saranac Lake is a postcard view of mountain summits framed by open skies and a charming lake. It would only make sense that the village — ranked the best small town in New York state and the 11th best in the country in a 1995 book by author and personal downsizing advocate Norman Crampton — would be situated on one of the three Saranac lakes, right? Nuh-uh. Instead, tiny Flower Lake provides the backdrop. In fact, the village’s boundaries don’t touch Upper, Middle or Lower Saranac lakes, although Lower is less than a mile west of the village.

Same goes for Lake Placid, the most well-known and glitzy of the tiny Adirondack towns. Walk along the bustling Main Street — which includes the same Gap, Bass, Van Heusen and Geoffrey Beene shops you’ll find in the Fashion Outlets of Niagara Falls — and you can sneak peeks of alluring Mirror Lake. Lake Placid instead sits on the backside of the village, completely tucked from view.

The charm of Lake Placid is, as is to be expected with small resort towns that get overrun by affluent tourists, difficult to pinpoint and ever-changing. The lodging, dining and recreation extremes are as wide as the temperatures the tiny hamlet endures.

Don’t assume because you’ve experienced Lake Placid once, that it’ll be the same when you return.

Take it from native Haley Morrelli. She grew up in Lake Placid, went away to college, then returned home to open the quaint Soul Shine Bagel shop on Main Street. She admits that dodging tourists isn’t her favorite part of Adirondack life, but she understands that living in paradise comes with a cost.

“I always say it’s bittersweet because I hated the people coming in when I was younger,” Morrelli said. “The whole feel of the town changes with the different groups that come in. But I also appreciate what it does for this place. My dad is a custom home builder, so he makes a living off the people who come in, and my mom owns a shop across the street from the one I own. It’s give and take.”

In winter, of course, Lake Placid and Whiteface Mountain — the venue which held the downhill events during the 1980 Olympics — are completely intertwined. Shuttles from the village to the mountain run all morning and afternoon, and expect conversations in town to revolve around conditions.

For example, while enjoying salmon at Charlie’s, a bistro on Main Street opened by area chef Charlie Levitz, our server talked about the restaurant’s ski team. Not softball, mind you. Ski team. And Levitz himself, whose humor is as dry as his Cabernet Sauvignon, joked that he hired our server simply so she could serve as the team’s captain.

Morrelli has tips for getting the most out of a trip to Whiteface, which doesn’t have night skiing.

“Get out there early,” Morrelli said. “I usually try to be off the mountain by 10:30. That’s when I get out and go to work. It gets too busy, so if you get there early, you can get up, get some runs in and go to work.”

And as with most resorts, stay away from busy holiday weekends. For example, expect to spend more time in line on Martin Luther King Day then enjoying the winding ways of Excelsior, a moderate, but thrilling trail off the Cloudsplitter Gondola.

“You have to come at off times,” Morrelli said. “All the room rates go way down, and there’s not nearly the population here.”

Remember, this isn’t a cheap trip. Ski passes at Whiteface are $72 on holidays and weekends, and just five bucks cheaper any other time. But if you’re going to make the six-hour trip, skipping Whiteface is out of the question.

“You either embrace the winter or you completely reject it,” Morrelli said. “And it’s around for a long time, so it’s a much better idea to embrace it.”



WHAT TO DO

• WHITEFACE MOUNTAIN (518-946-2223): About 13 miles out of Lake Placid, this resort boasts the most dramatic vertical drop in the eastern United States at 3,430 feet. Tickets aren’t cheap ($72 for one-day pass), but it’s an experience you won’t forget.

• HERB BROOKS ARENA (518-523-1655): C’mon, admit it. You still get chills when you think about the “Miracle on Ice.” Mike Eruzione with his arms pumping after the Americans took a 4-3 lead. Jim Craig looking for his dad while wrapped in a flag. To step inside the 7,700-seat arena is nothing if not nostalgic. Serious hockey fans will get serious goose bumps. Seriously.

• OLYMPIC JUMPING COMPLEX: Breathtaking. Watching skiers plummet from the 90- and 120-meter jumps puts life (and sport) into perspective. If Trent Edwards goofs up, he has to take a shot to the kidney. But if an Olympic jumper makes a mistake, something’s broken for sure.



WHERE TO STAY

• GOLDEN ARROW LAKESIDE RESORT (800-582-5540): All the amenities, but at a reasonable price. A dogsled ride runs off the back of the lodge on Mirror Lake. Hotel has an average pool, nice gym, and great location in the heart of the village. In fact, you don’t have to step outside to get to the Alpine Village, which includes a diner, coffee shop, wine tasting and shopping.

• ART DEVLIN’S OLYMPIC MOTOR INN (518-523-3700): Close to the strip, and efficient. Certainly not the Mirror Lake Inn, but works perfect with a family. In the summer, the pool off the back has perfect views of the ski jump.

• MIRROR LAKE INN (518-523-2544): If you’re considering this spot, you’ve got more cash than a struggling journalist. Classy, upscale accommodations that include perfect views of the lake. Expect to pay for it, though.



WHERE TO EAT, DRINK

• WISEGUYS (518-523-4446): Consider the source (sports editor), but this little sports bar has plenty of screens, Yuengling on tap and great burgers. It’s on School Street, just off Main Street, and a friendly feel.

• CHARLIE’S (518-523-9886): Longtime area chef opened an elegant spot right on the main drag. A limited menu, but the food is delish.

• SOUL SHINE BAGEL (518-523-9772): Perfect for a coffee and a morning bagel. This tiny shop is right on Main Street. Try the jalapeno cheddar cream cheese on a toasted everything bagel. Mmmmm.

• ZIG-ZAGS PUB (518-523-8221): Wanna feel like a bobsledder without hurdling yourself down the side of an icy mountain? This is where the Olympians stop for a cold one. One suggestion — it doesn’t get rocking until after 10 p.m.

        

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