Lake Placid

Jerry and Anna Lee went to Lake Placid for the first volksmarch we have done in a couple of years.  Jeff, Cheryl, Dave, Bennett and our cousin Leora took a rather muddy hike up Haystack Mt. 

As you may recall, Lake Placid was the site of the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympics and is still the training ground for the US winter team.  There are several facilities to visit here but we wanted to enjoy a rare warm day outside.  Our walk took us around Mirror Lake which was lined with multi-million dollar homes (some for sale) and wonderful old inns dating back the better part of a century

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Some owners have odd pets.

Boats, canoes, and paddle boards all enjoyed the beautiful lake.  Don’t know what these people were fishing for but they appeared happy.

We don't know who would risk riding down on this toboggan slide onto the frozen lake during the winter months.

We decided we needed a reward for our 5K walk.  After a tasty lunch, we went wine tasting at a local shop.  Our California wine-snobbery faded as we enjoyed local wines, a few of which will travel back home.

We returned to Saranac with smiles on our faces as did the rest of the family, though they also brought back a collection of mud.   

An essential evening activity up here is to have soft serve ice cream at the local shacks that are only open in the “summer” months.

This was our end of a lovely day.

Where We Are

We took a trip to search for Jerry’s special maple syrup, Runamuck.  The search took us east to Fairfax, Vermont, a small town even by the standards of the area. 

The only restaurant we could find for lunch in town is JJ’s (Subway does not count).  It has been open for about a year and the food is delicious and our server/owner is very welcoming. 

Then we went to Runamuck to taste their many varieties of syrup and replenish our secret stash. 

The women who let us sample all of the flavors showed great sense of humor as well as patience.  Maybe it’s something in the syrup that makes the locals so nice.

Upon our return home we found the family ready to test out their skills on the lake.

 After a few seconds of resistance, Bennett was as eager as his parents to paddle around.  After their excursion, he wanted to know when they could do it again. 

Another activity Bennett is enjoying is soccer.  The coaches have them learning basic skills and enjoying running around together.

When you live near the woods, you can expect the “neighbors” drop by.

 

The Birthday Continues

Bennett’s actual birthday started with morning kisses from his family.  His classmates made cards and a  poster for him.

 In the afternoon Cheryl read Larry Gets Lost in the Museum in Indianapolis and Larry Gets Lost in Washington, DC to his class.  The second books was a tribute to where he used to live and go to preschool.  He enjoyed a chance to share those places with his class.

Mommy made another cake for the evening celebration and the singing was again lovingly awful.

Then it was time for presents!

In preparation for a fun time on the nearby waterways, Bennett and his parents got paddles and life jackets.  Bennett is awaiting the warmer weather to get out on the rivers and lakes.

ADK (aka The Adirondacks)

Cheryl, Dave and Bennett are almost settled into their new home.  Almost means Jerry needs to do some things around the house, ie photo hanging, drapery hanging, setting up electronics, etc.

Before all that, we spent a couple of days near Albany with our son and cousins.  After wandering the wonderful Troy Farmers Market,

we bought dinner from our favorite Italian market (they.know Cheryl on sight).

The next days was a family birthday celebration for Bennett.  Yes, he is now seven.  We started with an amazing breakfast at Baking You Crazy in Albany.  We tried chocolate chip pancakes, banana foster pancakes, or a large but more healthy choice that no one can remember.

We then went to miniature golf where we all scored way above par.

The exception was Bennett who got a “hole in one” earning him a chance to drive the mini go-cart.

Then it was on to a healthy food choice of a scrumptious chocolate birthday cake (from aforementioned bakery.  The singing of Happy Birthday was truly atrocious.