My wife, Maria, and I have always loved to travel, and before starting a family we loved to take day and weekend trips to other states and to “off the beaten path” places we’d read about in books and online. Now, we need to plan adventures with our children in mind. We try to choose things that are active and fun for everyone all while learning something new, eating responsibly, and teaching values (you never get time off from parenting).
We decided to take a short trip to Lake Placid since we had never been to the Adirondacks. Some of our outdoorsy plans were thwarted by rainy, chilly weather, but we found fun alternative things to do, and we do plan to return.
The Golden Arrow is a family-owned resort nestled in an ideal location on Lake Placid’s Main Street and overlooking the beautifully tranquil Mirror Lake. For some reason I was expecting a vision of grandiose splendor so at first sight I was temporarily disappointed by the hotel’s deceivingly quaint appearance from the parking lot. That was until I entered the lobby with its gorgeous lake view, fireside sitting area, and friendly staff.
Our room was adequately spacious, plus with some cool perks like a real working fireplace with logs, a small terrace with a lake view, and a Jacuzzi tub in addition to a shower. They do have rooms with kitchenettes and a king sized bed. The resort is bigger than it looks from the front, encompassing Generations restaurant, an indoor pool and recreation room, a white sand (crushed limestone to help protect the natural environment) beach, a health club with racquetball court, a nightclub, and shops and the Alpine Mall which stretch out into Main Street’s storefronts.
Due to intermittent rain, our plans to kayak and hike were thwarted so we had to find some indoor entertainment and keep our outdoor plans to within a short walk of shelter. Main Street was really cute for a short stroll. We enjoyed an ice cream in town, perused the local book store and shops, stopped to check out lots of menus and had coffee at a Starbucks. Then we headed back to the hotel to enjoy the pool which was kept at a very comfortable temperature, though the pool room itself felt almost tropical. I came to find out that they heat the pool with solar power, which brings me back to the parental duty of teaching values. The Golden Arrow and every part of its daily operations are eco-friendly. In fact, it is one of only six resorts in the U.S. to have received Platinum Certification in the Audubon Society’s eco rating program. Plus, guests and kids can learn fun facts about the environment by taking the resort’s “Green Quiz” and finding the framed answers around the hotel. Values and learning are already scratched off the parental checklist for this trip. Guests are also encouraged to actively participate in recycling and other conservation efforts at the hotel.
We weren’t going kayaking with the kids and we weren’t going to spend the entire weekend in the pool, so on our second day in Lake Placid we traveled a scenic forty-five minute drive to The Wild Center, a fun and educational museum of natural history, specifically of the Adirondacks region.
Their focus is on one of the world’s most critical issues: the coexistence of people and nature, and how that relationship can be improved. We all enjoyed seeing and leaning more about the local environment and wildlife, the kids got to touch a “cloud,” we tried - unsuccessfully - to photograph the nimble sea otters, and we went for a half-mile stroll along one of their nature trails. I even learned a little about some of my favorite wild mushrooms (you may not want to know what oyster mushrooms live on).
After prying the kids from the gift shop, our next stop was to High Falls Gorge. The weather seemed to improve a little and this was the closest thing to a “hike” that we wanted to risk with the kids in this kind of unpredictable weather. High Falls Gorge was about ten minutes from our hotel and is a nice place to go for photo ops. We all enjoyed some breathtaking views of the waterfall on the Ausable River, took lots of pictures, explored a short nature trail, and then headed inside so the kids could “mine for gemstones” out of bags of real miners rough. The kids had a ball, and then it was time for dinner.
We went to Generations restaurant/pub in the Golden Arrow. Also boasting green efforts in all of its operations, Generations has a casual elegance that is perfect for families with kids that want something a little better than the typical “kid-food.” They have a “green roof” herb garden, situated next to the dining room, from which Chef David Hunt harvests herbs to use in his cuisine. Whenever possible, they use organic, locally produced foods, and offer local and organic wines and beers. We enjoyed our dinner immensely. I particularly enjoyed the locally produced Bison Chop Steak, a perfectly cooked portion of ground bison served “au poivre” style, except with a delicious shot of maple sweetness in the sauce. I had to share some, though I didn’t really want to. Next time, I plan to order the spicy maple ribs from their local “maple menu.” We did return for a very nice breakfast; I ordered Eggs Benedict, but the Brioche French Toast that my kids ordered was the star of the show. They finished the entire heaping portions.
Check out time arrived far too soon. We had a little time to check out the nearby Olympic Center before driving home. We had done quite a bit in the short time we stayed, yet we felt we needed more time to enjoy all that the resort and the surrounding area has to offer: the beach, kayaks, paddleboats and rowboats, gondola rides, seasonal dog sledding, and nightlife at the Golden Arrow, and hiking, skating, skiing and other outdoor activities nearby. I think we’ll be returning for more.