Lake Placid Lodge - Winter Wonderland Edition

We felt like escaping this winter to a log cabin with beautiful scenery and a wood burning fireplace, and we decided we wanted to take our sweet beagle Daisy with us. Our first thought was of Twin Farms, but they don’t take dogs. Our next thought was of The Point, but they have some pretty strict dress codes and we were looking for something with a more relaxed atmosphere. When we found out Lake Placid Lodge was running a 3rd night free promotion, it seemed like a good fit. Especially since Mr. Ericka has always wanted to ski the Olympic runs at Whiteface Mountain. You may recall that we stayed at the Lake Placid Lodge in May and had a few hiccups with service, but we were so taken with the setting, architecture and décor, we wanted to give them another chance. You can read the May trip report here:Trip Report: Lake Placid Lodge (Adirondacks) As this was a last minute booking, DavidO and his associate Sarah were able to negotiate an upgrade for us. All room rates included breakfast.

Lodge and lake

We stayed in a lakefront cabin called Whitney. What we love most about the Lake Placid Lodge cabins is that they are not trying to be anything other than what they are….genuine log cabins. There are no “themes” other than “Adirondack”, though each one is decorated differently. Whitney sat five feet from the lakeshore and had panoramic views of Lake Placid and the surrounding mountains with no other people or buildings in sight, just the occasional mallard. The inside of the cabin was just as natural feeling with the beautiful twigs, logs, and bark that were used to decorate the entire resort. There was a very fluffy canopy bed fashioned out of tree branches and a small living area with a dining table, work desk and sofa; all positioned in front of the picture window to take best advantage of the views. We loved the wood burning fireplace and got a lot of use out of the mini kitchen stocked with snacks and complimentary beverages. The bathroom was not as fancy as our last cabin, Rondeau, since the deep soaking tub in Whitney was built into a wooden platform instead of being free-standing. But there was a nice corner tiled shower and a lovely green stone countertop.  Whitney did not have a TV, but there was complimentary Wi-Fi, and a few games and books to help keep us busy.

Whitney cabin and lake

View of lake from Whitney cabin

Tree branch canopy bed

Because the sleeping beagle was so popular in our last trip report....

We spent most of our time at Lake Placid Lodge hiking the miles of trails accessible directly from the property. The lodge had complimentary cross country skis and snowshoes, but we found the trails were traveled just enough to keep them packed down and easily hike-able with snow boots. The trails were beautiful with good vantage points of the lake, as well as babbling brooks and small bridges. Parts of the LPL trails crossed-over the Jackrabbit and Peninsula trails; both rather famous for the Adirondack area. The lodge offered to arrange guides if we wanted to venture further out, but with such well known trails crossing in front of our doorstep, we didn’t see the need. The adjacent country club also offered groomed cross country skiing, but they did not allow dogs. Mr. Ericka took a day to ski the Olympic mountain, Whiteface. Our new SUV didn’t have a roof rack so we ended up leaving his skis at home. The front desk staff helped him rent some fantastic demo skis just 5 minutes away in the town of Lake Placid. He thought the skiing was as good as it gets for the Northeast, and he was impressed with the vertical drop, the number of trails (especially those for experts) and the facilities. Since we were so close to town, we took one evening to visit the Lake Placid Pub and Brewery which, aside from having one of the cutest logos we’ve ever seen, had 6 craft beers on tap for tasting. We brought a case home with us just in time for the Super Bowl.

Hiking trail

Lake Placid craft beer sampler

As with our previous stay, the staff members were incredibly friendly, youthful and energetic. They contacted us in advance of our arrival to inquire about activities and dinner reservations, and to make special arrangements for our beagle…asking her weight to select an appropriate dog bed, and noting that she should not be given treats at turn down since she had been sick the week prior. On arrival, they welcomed Daisy as if she was an old friend, and they voluntarily waved the $75/day pet fee since she was a “returning guest”. Mr. Ericka and I were greeted with a glass of pink champagne on arrival and had a split of Chilean red wine waiting for us in our cabin. During our stay, the staff showed a broad knowledge of the local area and were always ready to offer recommendations. Housekeeping was exceptional; quick to arrive, replenishing towels and l’Occitane toiletries, and they even noticed our near-constant use of the fireplace and began increasing the stack of our firewood pile without being asked. When it snowed, groundskeepers were always shoveling and salting in front of the lodge and the many paths leading to the cabins.

Covered porch with fireplace

We should start this section by mentioning that the Lake Placid Lodge executive chef Nathan Rich won the 2012 Relais and Chateaux Rising Chef Award. As mentioned in previous reports, we are not foodies, but we had some great meals in our cozy cabin. Room service was always spot-on; fast and hot with all necessary utensils, sides and condiments. We ordered directly from the Artisans and Maggies Pub menus and everything was delivered in darling baskets. We renewed our love of the locally-sourced eggs and the petite diced fruit plate with berries, as well as the best croissants weve had outside of France. One night, we had a wonderful gnocchi with squash, and a skirt steak managed to make it to our cabin perfectly cooked. When it was too cold to go down to the nightly lakeside bonfire, we had smores kits delivered to our cabin. A different afternoon snack of cheese, nuts and dried fruit was replenished each day and homemade turndown cookies waited for us each night on our pillow.

Afternoon snack

Petite diced fruit

There is a lot to love about the Lake Placid Lodge. We got what we were looking for….a log cabin, a crackling fire, a casual atmosphere and some time to decompress. Though LPL doesn’t provide the mind-reading service of an Amanresort, or anything particularly “out-of-the-box”, we believe their beautiful scenery and friendly (maybe more simple) service makes for a wonderful weekend getaway.