Looking to take the family for a two night stay somewhere in NY immediately after Christmas. Ive heard great things about the Finger Lakes region and Lake George/Placid but have no experience with either, especially during the winter. Just looking for a small town with some nice dining options and nearby snowmobiling and/or tubing options. Any recs? Thanks in advance.
OT : NY winter family vacation question
- Thread starter jreinsdorf
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Lake Placid is an awesome town. Only negative is that it is quite a ride. Once off the thruway a 2 lane road for awhile. But great for a family- skiing, ice skating, see the old Olympic places, decent restaurants.
Placid is great, but very far for a weekend. Try Windham. About 2 hrs. Skiing, boarding, great tubing park, perfect for kids. Lots of great local restaurants.
Camelback in the poconos has skiing, boarding, tubing as well as an indoor water park. What kid doesn't like a water park?
Have fun!
Camelback in the poconos has skiing, boarding, tubing as well as an indoor water park. What kid doesn't like a water park?
Have fun!
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Just mapquested Lake Placid as 5 hr 45 min from my house. Not too far but on the border of what id consider i guess.
I'd go for the Poconos instead. Closer, and you will get everything you are asking for. If your kids are not too old, the Great Wolf Lodge has an indoor water park too.
https://www.greatwolf.com/poconos
I don't think you will get snowmobiling, tubing, etc near the Finger Lakes, at least in the area I am familiar with. Hammondsport is a nice town with wineries and restaurants. If you want snowmobiling, etc, I think you would have to go further north and west on what was NY-17, and you are probably looking at a 5 hour drive.
https://www.greatwolf.com/poconos
I don't think you will get snowmobiling, tubing, etc near the Finger Lakes, at least in the area I am familiar with. Hammondsport is a nice town with wineries and restaurants. If you want snowmobiling, etc, I think you would have to go further north and west on what was NY-17, and you are probably looking at a 5 hour drive.
I would go to Manchester, VT - about 3-4 hours from NYC. Beautiful, historic Vermont town with tons of great outlets and skiing/tubing at Stratton and Bromley.
Lake Placid can be like stepping into a Currier & Ives lithograph. It embodies the spirit of winter.
Highly recommended.
Highly recommended.
It depends on what you are looking for. If downhill skiing is the primary activity, it's one thing -- if you have individuals who won't be skiing, then you might consider others. The quality of downhill skiing is roughly in this order: Poconos, Windham, Hunter, Lake Placid, Vermont. Lake placid also has the olympic sites and it has a very nice downtown area that looks like a holiday card in the winter. If you are looking for the best skiing outside the door of a condo, then it's probably Vermont. If you are looking for a quaint inn that may have some cross-country skiing/snowshoeing out the door, and you are a fan of local wines, then you might consider the finger lakes.
"Currier & Ives" nice reference, but ageing yourself. Absolutely, Lake Placid, worth the ride. Just leave early AM
Another vote for Lake Placid. Been there a few times. In the Northeast, you can't beat Lake Placid in the wintertime.
Love the town of Lake Placid, BUT I have found better skiing in many places. Whiteface Mtn. just seems to have a lot of ice, and this early in the season, if there isn't much snow, it'll be worse.
You could probably make Killington in the same amt. of time.
If downhill skiing is not a primary focus, then Lake Placid is the spot. Small downtown area, like others said Olympic venues, and I believe they offer bobsled rides (no, you don't get to drive it, they have someone that knows how.)
You could probably make Killington in the same amt. of time.
If downhill skiing is not a primary focus, then Lake Placid is the spot. Small downtown area, like others said Olympic venues, and I believe they offer bobsled rides (no, you don't get to drive it, they have someone that knows how.)
Never been to lake placid . I am not a skier , is lake placid still worth the trip ? Would consider snow tubing , maybe snowmobile . Just not anything where I would get hurt . I am old and so is mrs plum
If you're not going downhill skiing, definitely a nice spot. Snow permitting there will be snowmobiling nearby. Ice skating at the rink where the US won the Olympic Gold; I don't know if there is outdoor skating on Mirror Lake. Couple of nice little restaurants and bars in the Downtown area; its a small area, but it is nice. Been there quite a few times.
Sorry, should have given more info. Kids are 8 and 10. Neither they nor the wife desire to ski. Ive been to the poconos many times and have great memories there from my own childhood but I just feel like exploring somewhere else. Lake PlaciD sounds like a cant miss and few if any have mentioned Lake George so far. I think I will reserve the finger lakes for the motorcycle on the way to Buffalo so Im leaning Lake Placid after reading the replies here.
Lake Placid is great. Stowe, VT is too, and close to the same distance. Lots of places to go xcountry skiing, snowmobiling, snowshoeing, etc. lots of food stuff for the kids (Ben and Jerrys ice cream factory, Cabot cheese, a few farmers markets) and beer for the parents close by.
A place I like on NY/MA border is Butternut Basin (Catamount is also near). Its a bit east of Hudson NY. It was a nice little ski area and they are near Great Barrington which was a cool place that's kind of like bigger New England version of Cicely from Northern Exposure. I'd live there if I could. I don't recall crowds being too off the hook like they can be at Hunter etc. Butternut has tubing http://www.skibutternut.com/tubing/
Smithsonian magazine recently named Great Barrington the best small town in America,
Six cool US cities
Everyone goes to New York and San Francisco … these attractive cities are just as vibrant but less-visited by Brits
http://after68.com/six-cool-us-cities/
Smithsonian magazine recently named Great Barrington the best small town in America,
Six cool US cities
Everyone goes to New York and San Francisco … these attractive cities are just as vibrant but less-visited by Brits
http://after68.com/six-cool-us-cities/
I know this doesn't fit your time frame, but Lake George holds its winter carnival weekends in February.
http://www.lakegeorge.com/winter/carnival.cfm/
Here's a great place to stay
http://www.cresthavenlodges.com/
http://www.lakegeorge.com/winter/carnival.cfm/
Here's a great place to stay
http://www.cresthavenlodges.com/
We were in lake george for the winter festival last year and then on to lake placid. We've gotten a house off cyber rentals, or hotel. It was -21 when we were there last yr with a -39 wind chill. The toboggan ride into the lake, ice skating and even a bob sled run are all great fun. Went to restaraunts in town, and a great trout place for dinner up by whiteface.
Most amazingly disappointing thing, but a sign of how small olympics used to be is the torch which sits out in the local baseball fields where they held the opening ceremony.
Lake Placid is great! Our kids loved it when they were little. Ice skating around the Olympic oval, the toboggan run/skid onto Mirror Lake Ice, etc.
I was in Hammondsport over the summer for the wine festival at Watkins Glen raceway. Hammondsport is at the southern end of the most western Finger Lake. Watkins Glen has a great park and the area is great. You may be able to ride in a race car at the track. Nice restaurants in Hammondsport. You'd have to check out the winter activities on your own
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Lake Placid is a great place. If you go make sure you check out the Toboggan chute on Mirror Lake
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Look at Kaatskill Club at hunter mountain. Has an outdoor heated pool and its about a 30 second walk to the snow tubing. Good restaurants in Hunter/Tannersville/Windham. Probably won't have enough snow at that time of year for snowmobiling though. The main bar is a great for some drinks and they usually have a band playing. Hunter also has one of the largest zipline tours in the USA.