Inventor's Notes

Last year I was organized to the point of obsession prior to Christmas. I was determined to at least once in my life have my Christmas shopping completely finished by Thanksgiving. Believe it or not, me being the ultimate procrastinator, I accomplished my mission. This year I was seriously behind the eight-ball as that ominous 7-days-tll-Christmas personal deadline came and went. I was on the verge of panic. My creativity had failed me. I was coming up with not a single good idea for gifts for my loved ones. Good grief, why had I not shopped.?

There are so many places to go in the Adirondacks, six million acres of it. Even though we live close to a lot of the area attractions, the lovely thing about Lake Placid is its focus on public transportation. You do not need to have a car to get around. 

When the first snows of winter come to call in Lake Placid, people sit up and listen - or take note - or jump in feet first - or whatever. It's an event that evokes both excitement and dread (we do have to shovel it after all and that's not always fun). The dread soon wears off as we get our shoveling muscles toned up and we are immersed in a winter wonderland!

Each fall as winter approaches and we gear up for another season at Whiteface Mountain, I embark on some last minute adventures outside of the region before I hunker down for the winter. I only leave the region during the spring and after the leaves drop - very short windows in a perfect Adirondack world.

By Diane Chase, author of Adirondack Family Time: Your Four-Season Guide to Over 300 Activities for Lake Placid, Tupper Lake, Saranac Lake and the High Peaks.