Thursday, June 8, 2017
Ridgefield, Connecticut to Lake Placid, New York
We said goodbye to John and Kathy around 9:30 a.m. and headed to Upstate New York, again via the scenic route. We drove north along Lake George in the Adirondacks, a beautiful but very touristy area, then made our first stop of the day at Mount Defiance, an 853-foot hill overlooking Lake Champlain and Fort Ticonderoga, a fort of strategic importance in both the French and Indian War and the Revolutionary War. Great views.
Jana claims all you see here!
Tom assists Jana's takeover
Fort Ticonderoga
Late in the afternoon, outside Upper Jay, New York, we took the eight-mile-long Veterans' Memorial Highway to the top of Whiteface Mountain ($23 for the car, driver, and one passenger). Totally worth it. At 4,867 feet, this Adirondack Mountain is the fifth-highest peak in New York. There are nine scenic turnouts along the road to stop and enjoy the views of the surrounding lakes, mountains, and valleys, and then a larger lot at the top.
Along Veterans' Memorial Highway on Whiteface Mountain
The Adirondacks
Lake Placid
At the end of the road is a 426-foot tunnel carved into the center of Whiteface Mountain where an elevator ascends 27 stories to the summit, or you can climb the 27 stories by foot via the Alpine Nature Trail to reach the peak. Most people, I'm sure, choose to ascend via elevator and descend via the trail. For some reason, we did the opposite!
Tom on the Alpine Nature Trail
The summit of Whiteface Mountain
Jana at the peak
Tom and his doppelganger
In Lake Placid we got a room at The Pines Inn, an older, family-run, walk-up hotel with decent-sized, comfortable rooms. It was a good value, but I made a mental note to be careful when I walked around outside...
We did not open it
We had a great Cajun dinner tonight at Delta Blue. Their motto is “Put Some South in Yo' Mouth!” How could we resist? I had the gumbo. The food prices were decent, but when you add in a few $7 beers, the tab quickly climbs. We walked down to Mirror Lake just after dusk. Absolutely gorgeous!
Mirror Lake
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