Wouldn't luck have it, I married the best vacation planner I've ever met. Knowing that I'm in the presence of greatness does not grant me access to the days agenda. I'm told that I will learn of the days plan over breakfast each morning. Today (Friday), starts with an early bakery breakfast at Mrs. London's in downtown Saratoga Springs.
In addition to superb vacation planning skills, wifey is a sophisticated gas pedal maverick. The remaining 2 hour drive to Lake Placid went by quickly. It was just after noon when we arrived at the Lake Placid Lodge. We are both pleasantly surprised with the room, amenities, and especially the service. Over the years, we've both become service snobs... It turns out that Wifey was corresponding with Nancy, a manager at LPL. When we arrived, Nancy poured us a glass of champagne. While our bags were being sent to our room, Nancy sent us on a guided tour of the Lodge and grounds.
After lunch, our next appointment was at the 1932 Olympic Bobsled track (one of approximately 30 functioning tracks in the world). And yes, we went bobsledding! During the summer, the track melts down to reveal it's concrete finish and the sleds are outfitted with wheels. Concrete is slower than ice BUT all of the safety equipment makes the sled twice as heavy as an Olympic bobsled. The net effect is that we speed down the track at the same rate as an Olympic bobsledder. Our time down the track was 42 seconds. How many Cool Running quotes can you repeat in 42 seconds? There is one minor difference though...we only raced the bottom half mile of the track. While we broke 50 mph and pulled multiple G's in the last turn...it's still only a fraction of the effects of racing the full mile track on ice.
Our Olympic Passports are an integral part of our weekend in Lake Placid; they give us access to most of the Olympic venues. Friday afternoon was filled with visits to the biathlon shooting range and ski jump towers. The towers are a prominent artifact in the surrounding skyline. Viewed at a distance, they rise above the peeks in a painfully artificial way. At the base of the jump, the two towers appear equally menacing. We board the ski lift and begin our quiet assent to the top of the hill. The final 120 meters to the top of the ski jump is a squeaky elevator ride in the belly of the beast. At the top of the tower we learned quite a few things about ski jumping. First you're REALLY up there. It takes about 10-12 seconds to reach the bottom of the jump (which would be precisely the wrong time to realize the potential for certain doom). The starting platform on the jump is totally adjustable; based on temperature and other weather factors, the platform is raised or lowered so that the jumpers speed at takeoff is 60 mph (or something like that). We also learned that training can continue during the non-snowy months. The long artificial grass on the jump acts just like snow when wet. In fact, a competition is scheduled for later this weekend. For now, my top priority is escaping the howling wind and creeky tower. It looks like a 1970's construction project up here.
Friday is our busiest day. For dinner we're eating at the LPL restaurant, Artisans. Everything in LPL is built by a skilled artisan, so why not start naming stuff accordingly? Nancy sent us a glass of champagne to help celebrate our anniversary. Any time wifey and I get anything complimentary, we slip into spend mode. To return the favor, we spent over $300 on wine. You're welcome.
As Friday comes to a close, all is well. We're scheduled to go fly fishing early tomorrow AM. We'll have to see if the weather will cooperate. For now, it's time for a cigar, the remainder of the wine, and a great view overlooking the still of Lake Placid.
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