Adirondack Family Time™

Lake Placid has the only indoor luge facility  The USA Luge team , headquartered in Lake Placid, gives free tours of their facility every weekday at 2:00 p.m.  Considering it is the official headquarters for the US Luge, it is an unassuming structure, more warehouse than office building. It’s a casual tour where athletes may be fine-tuning their sleds or watching videos of individual practice starts. The tour starts with a 20-minute introduction video that can jump-start anyone’s luge education. The movie is just as fast and furious as the sport.  The indoor facility, the only one in the US and one of seven in the world, is quite impressive. Athletes use three refrigerated ramps to improve their start techniques with the latest technology, shaving milliseconds off their time. There is even an opportunity to try out a practice sled (not to slide on) and find out how to steer using your legs to squeeze on the curved part of the runners (kufen), to direct the pod, the custom-formed

Ah, it is once again time to widen our classic film repertoire. For the 10th year the Saranac Lake Cabin Fever Classic Film Festival is back to introduce to some and reintroduce to others vintage films that impact the making of movies today. Films are carefully chosen and reflect a love for the genre. On Thursdays (with one Tuesday, March 22 exception) the series showcases either a drama or comedy. Last year the Cabin Fever Film Festival veered from its traditional path to just show movie shorts. That format introduced my children into the world of Our Gang, Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton and others. Now I plan on widening my older child’s imagination into the world of Alfred Hitchcock. The bonus is each full-length film is kicked off with a movie short or cartoon.

Travis DeValinger of The Equine Center has a team of Belgians hitched to the sleigh, ready for a trip around the Lake Placid Club Golf Course. A group gathers around while the horses are rested and watered. Travis takes this time to explain some basic information to those of us not in the horsey-know. Children stand around with mouths open as they watch these mammoth-sized animals gently nuzzle Travis for attention. He then explains the workings of the custom-made sleigh and lantern-lit options available to carry us over the golf course and back.

Season passes go on sale March 13th. Buy early and ski the rest of this season for free. Purchase passes at Whiteface mountain  in Wilmington New York or online starting March 13th. BTW, don't forget March 13th is also Super Sunday where adult lift tickets are only $35.00. 

A quick and easy Adirondack family activity is taking snowshoes or cross-country skis to Connery Pond. A longer ski is continuing on to Whiteface Landing.  Connery Pond is a beautiful cross-country ski or snowshoe. Located just 3-miles east on Route 86 from the Route 73/86 junction in Lake Placid. It is a level, easy path for any age.  Parking is just past the Connery Pond sign, on the right. Park and cross the highway to access the trail

Treat your little princess (or prince) to a weekend at the Lake Placid Olympic Center with Disney on Ice.  This is family time at its best!  So don't be discouraged by this warm weather, you can be back skiing the slopes of Whiteface tomorrow. Enjoy some inside activities and leave plenty of time to hit the slopes tomorrow! There are tickets still available! Times Friday, February 18: 7:00 p.m. Saturday, February 19: 12:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. Sunday, February 20: 3:00 p.m. Monday, February 21: 2:00 p.m.   Ticket prices: $35 for rinkside seating $20 lower level seating $15 upper level seating  

Public skating on Mirror Lake!  By Diane Chase  Ice skating on Mirror Lake is just one option for getting outside, exercising and being in nature.  There is no better experience than being outside and skating on a natural pond looking out at the Adirondack High Peaks.  There are warnings in place for skating on ponds and lakes. Please heed those warnings, for your own safety.  According to the Saranac Lake Voluntary Fire Department  , "NO ICE IS SAFE ICE." • Frozen ice is seldom the same at the shore as it is in the center of the pond.  • Some Adirondack lakes are actually dammed rivers and have a current that seldom freezes (Lake Flower in Saranac Lake)