Our plan today is a circle drive that goes through the Adirondack Mountains and into Lake Placid. Lake Placid is the location where the 1980 Winter Olympics were held. We were there in the summer of 1979 as they were building and preparing for the 1980 Olympics. It will be fun to see that area again and learn what they do to utilize all the buildings in the area. On the way we saw two locations where the falls were spectacular. Both Willmington Falls and High Falls Gorge show deep cuts in the canyon where the force of the water have continuously, over millions of year ground down the rock ledge. Our camera was not able to fully capture the
beauty of the falls.
The swirling of the water caused “pot holes” in the rock in several places at the High Falls Gorge. We found it quite amazing.
Lake Placid is a busy area with sports enthusiasts and tourists. The Olympic venues are used for all kinds of activities year round. The Summer Storm Bobsled ride is a shot of adrenaline for anyone interested in soaring at speeds that feel supersonic. The cross country ski area is home to bikers who want the challenge of rugged terrain, jumps and slalom courses. Those interested can test their marksmanship on the same targets used by winter Olympic biathletes. At Whiteface Mountain, where the Olympic Skiing took place you can hike or bike on the trails after taking the gondola to the top of the mountain. Or you can drive the 8 mile journey on the Whiteface Veterans Memorial Highway and see the view from there. The ice rink is a haven for hockey players, speed skaters and figure skaters who use it year round to hone their skills in a hopeful preparation for the next winter Olympics. Evening skating is open for anyone who would like to try. There are ongoing summer events taking place at each venue also. It is a busy place. Lake Placid also has lots of shopping, places to eat and many, many hotel/motel accommodations. We did not go into any of the venues as they were quite busy and we did not have a very good reason to be there or much interest. There were some beautiful views of the Adirondack Mountains with many lakes and quaint little mountain villages. Many of the towns are so small they do not even show up on maps and often are right next to one another along the
highway.
