Well, I actually already wrote today’s entry once, but somewhere in the process of publishing it, the post got lost. Frustrating, but here’s my second shot.
We woke up early today, so as to get on the road and see the sights. Parting with Garik’s Warwick house was bittersweet, as it had provided us with a full day and a half of nature, relaxation, and general good times.
The drive to Lake Placid took almost all day, since we stopped along the way for various reasons, the most frequent of which was to gawk at the splendid red, yellow, and green forests that seemed to flow around every corner. The temperature outside dropped significantly as we approached Lake Placid, and one more color was added to the surrounding pallate: fresh snowy white.
Lake Placid is a small sleepy ski town, whose claims to fame were the winter Olympics decades ago, and John Brown’s farm. Why, or better yet, how a small town like this could host the Olympics was more than a fair question, but we were here to see the latter claim to fame. John Brown’s story was eclipsed by the Civil War in my American History class, but Mr. Brown is worthy of much more than a few textbook paragrphs. He was a man of conviction, a man before his time, and was promptly executed for his (albeit violent and illegal) efforts to free slaves. Although the museum on his farm was closed today, it didn’t matter. We came here to honor a great man, and honor we did.
After we arrived at our hotel and checked in, we threw on our warmest winter clothes and walked along the little shops which lined Lake Placid’s Main Street. After a while it began to snow, and we went to dinner at a antiquey Steak & Seafood restaurant nearby. Everyone seemed to enjoy their meals, and I specifically ordered a small entree to save room for the New York Cheesecake that Dina found for me on the menu. After much anticipation (and talk about it), no one else wanted dessert, and I abandoned my dreams of New York Cheesecake in New York State. Next time.
To be honest I don’t know where we’re going tomorrow, except that it’s called North Conway and that there is a reportedly beautiful park there. Guess we’ll see.
Other highlights:
- Driving through the little towns on our way, it was sobering to see how many shoppes had closed down and retail space stood empty. This recession hit Main Street hard
- Buying a cap from the Gap in Lake Placid – first kind of hat like that I’ve ever bought – everyone said it looks alright though
- Ending the day by playing Mokido with Dina in the hotel lobby. It’s a jenga type game that we bought along the way here. Dina played it in Israel, and it requires a steady hand that I simply don’t have. Oh well – not going to be that kind of doctor.
