We all need to get away, after months of snowy days, winter storms, and work. I know that I needed to. My family and I took a trip to beautiful Marco Island in Florida. I will admit I am not much of a Florida girl. I love to see the mountains, and I don't like a lot of crowds. But this type of trip was just what we all needed. I couldn't wait for flip flops and umbrella drinks after a long winter of snow boots and winter hats, this was going to be a welcome change. 

As excited as I was to get away, I wasn't prepared to learn how much Lake Placid means to people, outside of the beautiful region. 

1. Everyone knows Lake Placid:

I couldn't believe it, from the girl at the registration desk at the hotel, to the kid wearing the Lake Placid shirt at the pool, people are aware of this tiny town way up in the Adirondack Mountains. Some have been there, some know of it because of it's rich Olympic history, but people not only recognize it, they have a fondness for it. The girl at the desk said her parents would bring her to Lake Placid when she was in elementary school, just like mine did. She remembered the shops along the Main Street and playing at the beach. She hopes to get back to that "pretty little town" she said in her souther draw. Someday, maybe with her own children. We shared our love for quaint boutiques and ice cream cones enjoyed while walking down the scenic Main Street. I hadn't checked in to the hotel yet,  and I was homesick. That feeling ended quickly as I stared out at the warm sun and the white sand that was waiting for me.  Just earlier in the day my feet were in the snow, soon they will be in the sand. What a welcome change. 

2. The locals in Marco Island frequent the hotel bars, just like in Lake Placid

My friends and I often go out to the hotel lobbies and bars in Lake Placid and pretend we are traveling. We get the seats with the views, order cocktails and mingle with travelers from all over. I always thought this was unique to us. There is something about a roaring fire, big comfy chairs and and feeling like you are away from it all, because no one really knows you. Well, this happens in Florida as well, minus the roaring fire and big comfy chairs. As I was sitting with my first umbrella drink, a couple sat down next to me. I knew they either must have been vacationing for a few weeks or locals because of their really deep tans. They asked where I was visiting from, they must have known I didn't live here because of my, well, no tan whatsoever. They explained that they walk from their condo and come to the tiki bar at the hotel to escape and feel the same vacation feeling that my friends and I do back in Lake Placid. 

Lake Placid? They ask. The stories begin again. Their daughter was a hockey player and they would travel to Lake Placid for Can/Am tournaments. The memories they made there are "priceless". Their daughter now plays for Michigan and although they go to all of her games, their fondest memories are with her teams in Lake Placid, staying for a long weekend, skipping school and letting loose in the mountains. They loved that the kids could walk into the shops on Main Street and have a little freedom that they don't get in other destinations. I strongly believe that the best ammenity in Lake Placid is the town. It is just something you don't get in other places. They love the hockey history and how cool it is to be at The Olympic Center. The best memories they had as a family were in Lake Placid. I find that so amazing to hear as we sit by the ocean with our flip flops and sunglasses on. But I understand it, because there is something so special about it. 


3. Hockey is a common theme 

Speaking of hockey, that kid at the pool, with his Lake Placid shirt on, I asked his parents if they had been. Oh yes, oh yes, they go whenever they can. They almost didn't let me explain that I live there they were so excited to tell me about this "amazing town in New York, way up there". Their three sons play hockey and get invited to tournaments "where the Miracle on Ice took place" they explained.  They have experienced pond hockey and their favorite time to visit the town is when Mirror Lake is frozen and the kids can skate for hours on a groomed rink, for free. We discussed how nothing is free anymore. Well thats not true in Lake Placid, there are so many things to explore outside, in the fresh air "Norman Rockwell" is how they described it. The kids are enjoying Marco Island as well, splashing in the pool, throwing the ball to each other and enjoying the resort. But they all stopped to tell me their favorite part of Lake Placid. The ice cream, the stores, the rinks, skating at night at the Olympic Oval and of course the historical Palace Theater. When I told them that I lived there they didn't believe me. We were in paradise, and they didn't believe that someone was fortunate enough to live in Lake Placid. 

We also saw Ragnar LP, and Ironman LP represented, but my daughter wouldn't let me "bother" too many more people. I am sure they would have their own perfect memories of days spent in the mountains. 

4. Going back to the Adirondacks, you always realize how special these mountains are. 

I did not grow up in the Adirondacks, I was a military child who moved often. My parents would pack up the station wagon with their five children,and one large German Shepherd and we would head North to the Adirondacks for summer breaks. I made Lake Placid my home over twenty years ago. The first home I really was able to choose for myself. We weren't stationed there, I just wanted to be there. After travels to so many beautiful places and living in quite a few, it is still so nice after traveling to get to return to a place so beautiful, so authentic. Getting off the highway and heading into the mountains is so special to me. It means home. It means fresh air, it means beautiful lakes, and special walks. There is history and there are more memories made in Lake Placid every day.

The people that live here are welcoming you really can't compare the views to any place I have been, although it is nice to get away and try to do just that.