The fine weather is finally upon us, and we’re eager to start our engines for some weekend rides. So, like the team that we are, we decided to prepare a hike for June 17 and 18. We’ll be heading for Lake Placid in New York State, USA. For a rare occasion, we’ll be on a romantic getaway.
Why Lake Placid?
We’ve opted for a destination with what we’re told are smooth, beautiful roads that we can’t wait to ride on. What’s more, the scenery would be breathtaking. We hope to return with our eyes full of beautiful scenery. We’re also very interested in the history of the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympic venues.
We’re not Mechanics, but…
Before hitting the road, we recommend conducting routine checks such as checking the oil level, tire pressure, and the condition of the tires to prevent any foreseeable issues. Naturally, our regular inspections are complemented by a thorough check at the dealership at the start of the season. It’s crucial to always ensure that our vehicle is in good condition.
Plan Your Itinerary on an Application
We planned our route using a phone application. When you want to plan a trip like this, there are several more or less effective applications available, such as Calimoto, Relive, and Moto-Trip. For our part, we like to use the REVER application. It’s easy to understand and use, and the end-of-stroke set-up is well done.
Information on journey time, distance covered, and average speed are just some of the application’s highlights. Not to mention the 3D tracing of the road ahead, which we find very interesting.
The Future Belongs to the Early Bird!
We recommend an early start to maximize the time available and make the most of every moment of the trip. Especially on the first day, which is often busier. Plus, early in the morning, the roads are quieter and it’s easier to appreciate our surroundings. We’ll be leaving the house around 7.00 a.m.
Curl Your Curls!
In our opinion, the best loop is to follow the west coast of Lake Champlain along Route 9 to Ausable Chasm. There, we’ll make our first stop at the Grand Canyon of the Adirondacks. Then we’ll follow Route 9N through Ausable Forks to Keene, where we’ll take Route 73 to Lake Placid.
Driving Is Good, but So Is Stopping!
Breaks are also very important on the road. Whether it’s to rest, enjoy a magnificent view, hydrate, or just to stretch our legs and share a moment of conversation. During each break, we also take a moment to look for scenic discoveries on the road ahead that we may have missed when first planning the trip. There could be some wonderful hidden spots that would be disappointing to miss!
The Adirondacks Have Many Beautiful Places with Magnificent Views!
To name just a few, Whiteface Mountain, the Lac Placide Olympic Museum, the Olympic Ski Jumping Complex, the bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track, and Franklin Falls Flow Pond are among the points of interest we hope to have time to visit.
Accommodation to Suit All Tastes
Although many say the itinerary can be done in a day, Lake Placid is well served with hotels, motels, and even cottages available on sites such as Airbnb. However, we’ve found that it seems to take some advance booking.
In our case, we chose to stay at the Crowne Plaza Lake Placid. Our choice was guided by its central location, so we could walk to our evening meal. Of course, this will be accompanied by 2 or 3 drinks, and the advantage of our choice is also that it allows us to return safely to our accommodation, without having to drive our motorcycles…
Speaking of Eating on Foot… Yes, But Where?
As for restaurants, there’s plenty to choose from. For dinner, we’ll be stopping at BIG SLIDE BREWERY & PUBLIC HOUSE. This is a microbrewery said to be beloved by regulars in the Olympic Village. Smoke Signals seems to be another great place. It’s located on Main Street, on the shores of Lac Miroir. It is described as a place with a superb pub atmosphere.
For lovers of long-smoked meat, this is the place to be! Anyone who knows Jimmy well will know that meat, and even better-smoked meat, is one of his greatest passions, right after his grey, his motorcycle, and burgers! Or before, as the case may be!
How to Make the Way Home a Little More Pleasant?
After a good night’s rest and an American-style breakfast, it’s time to get back on the road. We plan to hit the road around 11 a.m., just after our check-out. Once in the saddle, we’ll head up Route 86 to 431. From there, we’ll drive to the summit of Whiteface Mountain, at 4800 feet. We’ll take our first break of the day for some souvenir photos!
For the summit, we’ll need to bring a warmer coat and gloves, especially for the somewhat chilly Marie-Claude, who’s always cold! After a nice break to enjoy the view, we head for Franklin Falls Flow Pond via Route 18A. We’re heading for Route 48, which will be our very last tourist stop on this beautiful journey. Weather permitting, we’ll enjoy a refreshing dip in the water.
The Final Stretch
Finally, we’ll resume our route to Montreal, taking a series of roads, including Rock St, NY-3, NY-1, NY-2, NY-5, US-11, and NY-10, to the Canadian border. Finally, we’ll finish off with a fine supper at the “Brasserie Champ Libre” in Mercier. Around the table, we’ll be able to recall the strengths and weaknesses of our stay, so we can better plan our next trip.
In Conclusion
Preparing for a trip like the one we’ve just described can be daunting for some. But for us, nothing beats the memories we’ll keep in our heads. We hope to inspire our friends to follow us on such a trip because, for us, helping them discover unexplored corners and breathtaking views is just as essential as the fuel in our tank. Seeing the smiles of wonder on our friends’ faces is so rewarding that the effort of preparation is well worth it.
