December 23, 2011

When December rolls around our family is completely immersed in winter sports. We are skiing at Whiteface, driving to Mt. Van Hoevenberg for a biathlon meet. We wait for ponds to freeze over so we can ice skate. We take winter walks in the woods, all because we are fortunate to live in the Adirondacks every day.

When we have family of various ages arrive, it is sometimes a challenge to figure out a way to please everyone. So after hitting the ski slopes some suggestions for a bit of family entertainment are as follows.

Palace Theatre
Go to the Palace Theatre for a first run film
The Palace Theatre in Lake Placid not only hosts wonderful first run films, it is in the center of town and close to everything. To us, that means we can still have a delicious meal and walk to the film of our choice. We don't have to depend on mall food and wait in huge lines. Besides like many places along the Main Street of Lake Placid, the Palace Theatre's ticket price is significantly cheaper than in a cineplex. I still get sticker shock when I see a film out of the Adirondacks. I (and my pocketbook) am spoiled by the charm of a small town theatre.

If you are fortunate to be in town during a silent movie, come just to hear the 3/7 Robert Morton organ that was installed in 1926 and fully restored in the late 1990s. The Palace Theatre is open for Christmas and will also host a special matinee at 2:15 p.m. every day between Christmas and New Year's.

Other ideas to round out your holiday stay? Try ice-skating. It is a skill even the youngest in your group can attempt. Places like the Olympic Oval and the Jack Shea 1932 Olympic Arena rent skates so the investment is more time than money.

Cascade lake in winter
Cascade lakes in winter
If you want to take home a memento of your stay, take your artistic talent and paint your own pottery. There are a variety of knick-knacks, plates and mugs to please anyone at Brush On In! The bonus is that your fabulous work of art can be shipped to you, no matter where you live.

A lot of people come to ski Whiteface, the Olympic mountain, but there are other Olympic sites to be seen. On a clear day the view from the Olympic Ski Jump Observation tower is breathtaking. Well, those are just the tip of the mountain of ideas to please everyone from the youngest to the oldest in your family. Happy Holidays! Happy Christmas, Happy Hanukkah! Happy Kwanzaa! 

all photos © Diane Chase, Adirondack Family Time. Diane Chase is a freelance writer and author of Adirondack Family Time: Your Four-Season Guide to Over 300 activities in Lake Placid, Saranac Lake, Tupper Lake and the High Peaks which includes easy hikes, historic site, snowshoe/XC trails, ice skating rinks, swimming holes and more. Her second Adirondack Family Time book will come out summer 2012 and cover the Adirondack Lake Champlain area from Plattsburgh to Ticonderoga. 

Palace Theatre
Go to the Palace Theatre for a first run film
Cascade lake in winter
Cascade lakes in winter

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