A week of New York Fun............Lake Placid...........Do you believe in miracles?

Time for a little Olympic sized fun in Lake Placid, NY

Our original plan was to fly directly from California to New York and visit Ben.  However, we altered our plan just a bit.  We ended up flying back to Florida on Friday, August 16 for a few days to visit with NaNa (Beth's mom) before heading towards New York.  We enjoyed our Florida time and especially our visits with NaNa, who will be celebrating her 96th birthday in September.  On Tuesday (August 20), it was back to the airport and off to New York for the week.

During the summer, Ben's days off are Tuesday and Wednesday, so he was able to pick us up when we arrived in Albany.  However, instead of heading to his place, we headed two hours north towards the Adirondack Mountains and the Village of Lake Placid.  For as much fun as we had in Lake Placid, simply getting there added to the enjoyment.  Even along I-87 the scenery was great, but it really became spectacular along US 9 and NY-73.  There was a little bit of early fall color in the leaves and recent rains had the roadside creeks flowing swiftly.

On our way in to Lake Placid we stopped at the Olympic Ski Jumping venue.  They wouldn't let us jump...........

......Ben declared himself the Gold Medalist anyway!

Lake Placid, which has a population of around 2,500 is a popular year-round destination with numerous outdoor activities such as hiking, biking, camping, boating, golf, ice skating, cross country and downhill skiing and much more. There is something for everyone in this small, scenic village.  Shortly after arriving we set off on foot to explore it a bit.  Although it was cool (around 52 degrees) with a bit of rain, we had a great time roaming along Main Street before returning to our hotel just as daylight was giving away to night.

From our hotel overlooking Mirror Lake.  There are two lakes in the Village of Lake Placid.  The largest is Lake Placid and the smaller is Mirror Lake.  Main Street is located along Mirror Lake.

Heading out to explore a bit.  We should have noticed the clouds building and taken the umbrellas, but we didn't!

St. Eustace Episcopal Church overlooking Main Street

On Tuesday nights during the summer there is a "Concert by the Lake".  This was the US Navy Cruisers and they were really good!

Beautiful flowers and people along the shore of Mirror Lake

Lake Placid

While Ben slept in the next morning, Beth and I enjoyed walking the 2.6 mile path around Mirror Lake.  Once Ben joined us much of our time was spent learning about the 1932 and 1980 Olympics that Lake Placid Hosted.  We enjoyed visiting the Mt. Van Hoevenberg Olympic Sports Complex, which is the training site for the US, Jamaican and Israeli Bobsled teams. Beth served as photographer as Ben and I went down the Mt. Van Hoevenberg Cliffside Coaster which ran parallel to the bobsled track.  Our top speed was about 25 mph, while the bobsledders move at around 90 mph on the high banked track. 25 mph was plenty for us!  

The fireplace felt great on a chilly morning!

A couple of future olympians?

Heading out on the Cliffside Coaster.  There was narration about the history of the bobsled track on the way up and commentary about the ride on the way down.

Ben decked out in his Jamaican Bobsled Team shirt completing his Cliffside Coaster run.  

  Needless to say, the Olympics have changed over the years.   Back in 1932 there were only 17 nations, and  252 athletes (231 men and 21 women) competing in 14 different events.  By 1980 the size and number of events had grown significantly as 1,072 athletes (840 men and 232 women) competed in 38 events.  At the most recent Winter Olympics which were held in Beijing, China in 2022 there were 2,871 athletes (1,566 males and 1,305 females) competing in 109 events.  With the growth in participants and events, it's probably safe to say that Lake Placid won't be hosting the Winter Olympics again.  However, the 1980 Lake Placid Winter Olympics will be forever known for producing what is known as the greatest upset in the history of sports.  That was when a bunch of unknown US collegiate hockey players defeated the Soviet Union hockey team, which most experts had declared "unbeatable".  It's known as the "Miracle on Ice" and memory of what happened in Lake Placid on February 22, 1980 lives on around Lake Placid all these years later.  The history of the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympics has been captured in the Olympic Museum which is well worth the price of admission!

One of the greatest calls in the history of sports to go along with the greatest upset in all of sports!
Do you believe in miracles?

The final score on the original scoreboard is located in the Olympic Museum. 

Gold Medalist in the middle!

Inside the arena where the Miracle on Ice took place.  It has since been renamed Herb Brooks in honor of the coach of the 1980 USA Olympic Hockey Team.

Lake Placid Olympic Museum  

One other interesting thing we learned about the 1980 Winter Olympics was about the fate of the Olympic Village.  Congress had set aside $28 million dollars for the construction of the Olympic Village to house participants, coaches, etc.  However, there was a stipulation.  Once the games were over the village had to be repurposed for a second use.  There was a debate about repurposing it for a hospital, housing or education.  Those all seemed like noble purposes but were deemed impractical.  In the end, the Olympic Village was turned over to the Federal Bureau of Prisons.  The village is still in use today, as the Ray Brook Federal Correctional Institute..........we didn't visit it!

After a fun filled day and a half in Lake Placid we needed to head back to Ben's house.  So we set out mid-afternoon to start the journey.  We stopped briefly in Saranac Lake for a late lunch and short stroll around the downtown area.  The drive back along the Olympic Scenic Byway was great.  But we had one more stop in mind before getting back to Ben's.  The Triple A minor league team of the New York Mets is the Syracuse Mets.  They happened to have a home game against the Durham Bulls (Tampa Bay's Triple A team).  So we took in a little baseball.  We pulled into Ben’s place near 11:00 pm, which is about two hours past the time Beth and I normally think about heading to bed.  It had been a long day, but a very good day! 

Saranac Lake

Lake Placid, Saranac Lake and still time for a little baseball!

Day tripping from Monte Rio..............Smart people taking the SMART Train!

All aboard for a SMART Train adventure!

The Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) is a rail line serving Sonoma and Marin counties.  The first phase of the rail line was a 43 mile section connecting northern Santa Rosa to downtown San Rafael.  It opened in 2017.  It has since expanded southward to Larkspur Landing, where there is connecting ferry service to San Francisco.  Northward it has now expanded to the Sonoma County Airport (also known as Charles Shulz Airport).  When fully completed the rail line will be 70 miles in length running from Cloverdale to Larkspur Landing.  The stations along the way are mostly in the downtown areas, making it great for working commuters, residents, and grandparents looking for an adventure to share with their grandkids.

SMART Train Information and Schedules

Beth and I had taken James on a SMART train adventure a few years back.  We all enjoyed it, so we thought we would try it again.  This time instead of three of us, Emma was now old enough and was excited for her first ride on a real train (not an airport shuttle train).  As we began to plan the day it just seemed to be getting better and better.  First we learned that during the summer the SMART train had a great deal going, those under 18 and senior citizens could ride for free.  We all fit into one of those two categories so the price was definitely right!  We then learned that parking at the Sonoma County Airport SMART Station was free!  What a deal we had going, park free and ride free!

Waiting patiently behind the red line...........

.........here it comes!

The trains run on a very convenient schedule (approximately every hour) in each direction, with service starting early in the morning and continuing into the evening.  We did a little research and found that the ride from Sonoma County Airport to the town of Cotati was approximately 30 minutes, and that there was a nice casual burger joint (Acme Burger) just a short half mile walk from the Cotati station.  Not only was the train ride fun, it was also very scenic.  We passed by multiple green vineyards loaded with grapes that will be harvested soon.

Away we go!

Acme Burger

The walk from the station to the restaurant was easy, and there were even two more unexpected surprises.  As luck would have it, it was Tuesday and Tuesday is Kid's Day at Acme Burger.  This meant free ice cream and a toy were included with every kids meal.  Also, there happened to be a Dollar Tree next to the Acme Burger.  Give a kid a few dollars in a Dollar Tree and they can have a blast picking out a few treasures.  After a few minutes of deliberating, both James and Emma had selected their treasures and we were happily on our way back to the train station for the ride back.

The restaurant had a free foosball table that kept us entertained while we waited on our food.

The sign said "free kiddie cone".........

........I'd hate to see what the "large cone" looked like!

One thing we noticed on the ride back was that the train was pretty busy.  A lot of the passengers seemed to be kids near James and Emma's ages traveling with their grandparents.  

We certainly weren't the only Smart grandparents taking advantage of a great offer and making wonderful memories.

Day tripping from Monte Rio..........The Sonoma Coast from Bodega Bay to Fort Ross State Historic Park

 

It was a "thumbs up" kind of day at Fort Ross State Historic Park!

The 22 miles of the Pacific Coast Highway between Bodega Bay and Fort Ross are absolutely stunning.  Reaching the Pacific Coast Highway from Monte Rio is simple.  Take State Route 116 west until it ends.  If you turn left, it’s 11 miles southward to Bodega Bay.  Turn right and it's 11 miles northward to Fort Ross State Park.  There are rolling hills on one side of the highway and waves from the Pacific Ocean crashing along the rocky coast on the other.  There will be times along the way when you're driving on the edge of a very steep drop off.  Take a peak every now and then if you're the driver, but keep your eyes on the road and two hands on the steering wheel, it's a long way down!

There are numerous pull outs, beaches and hiking trails along the route, and you can't go wrong with any of them. Among our favorite beaches are Doran Beach, Shell Beach, Blind Beach and Goat Rock Beach.  Goat Rock Beach is on the south shore where the Russian River meets the Pacific Ocean.  So you have two options there, beachfront or riverfront.

From Goat Rock Beach 

Hole in the Rock just south of Goat Rock Beach

Keeping a couple of folding chairs in the car is a good idea when exploring along the Pacific Coast Highway.  You never know what the view is going to be around the next curve.

From Jenner looking south.  That's the mouth of the Russian River in the center and Goat Rock Beach on the other side.

There are numerous trails of varying length and difficulty along the way.  Our favorite is a section of the Kortum Trail between Shell Beach and Goat Rock Beach.  That section is 2.3 miles, fairly flat and has amazing views all along the way.  We took James and Emma on a hike of this section one day and they did great.  Although we didn't cover the entire length of that section, we did cover close to two miles in total length.  After the hike we enjoyed a fun but short picnic at one of the overlooks.  The picnic was shortened by the cool breeze that was coming off the ocean.

Hitting the trail

James and Emma leading the way

The kids enjoyed exploring this part of the trail while MiMi and Pop rested a bit.

Picnicking at one of many overlooks along the way.

After the hike and picnic we enjoyed some time at Salmon Creek Beach

Calling it a day!

On a separate day when we were keeping James and Emma we drove north 11 miles from Jenner to Fort Ross State Historic Park.  This was our first time visiting the park, which is one of the oldest in the California State Park system.  The 3,386 acre park is home to what was North America's southernmost Russian Settlement.  The settlement was founded in 1812 by members of the Russian-American Company which started in Alaska.  The site was selected and built to serve as base for harvesting and trading the highly valued sea otter pelts.  The colony expanded and flourished for more than a decade until over hunting reduced the profitability. 

Fort Ross State Historic Park 

In 1841 the Russian-American Company sold the land and fort to John Sutter.  The property changed hands several times between 1841 and 1903 and was used primarily for logging and ranching.  In 1903 the California Historical Landmarks Committee purchased it and it was acquired by the State of California in 1906.  The state has done a nice job not only preserving but also restoring and reconstructing the fort to what it looked like back in its heyday.

There is an entrance fee of $10 per vehicle ($9 if you're old).  Inside the park is a visitors center with numerous displays, an 18 minute movie that plays on a continuous loop and a small gift shop.  After watching part of the movie we headed out to explore the fort and the beach area.  Inside the walled fort were several restored buildings including a chapel, blacksmith shop, company store, two guard towers and the managers house (Rotchev House), which is the oldest home on the west coast from Monterey, California all the way up to Sitka, Alaska.  The kids had a blast exploring the fort, climbing into the guard towers and pretending to fire the canons.  James had several good questions that a friendly docent answered in a manner that an eight-year-old (and grandparents) could understand.  

Inside the company store/trading post

James taking aim

Nobody is getting by Emma!

After spending nearly an hour in the fort we took the trail down to one of the two beaches located in the park, and the kids enjoyed playing for another hour along the shoreline.  As we made our way down to the beach several people were leaving.  We were amazed that during the time we were on the beach we had it to ourselves.  It's not often you'll have a beautiful beach in a California State Park on a sunny day to yourself, but that's exactly what we had!  As we were leaving another family was heading down.  It was as if we were turning it over to them to enjoy.  Hopefully, they enjoyed their day at Fort Ross State Historic Park as much as we did.  

A beautiful and peaceful beach cove

From the beach looking up towards the fort

A great beach is even better when you have it to yourself!

In deep conversation about something

James and Emma with Fort Ross in the background

Day tripping from Monte Rio............Bodega, Bodega Bay, Doran Beach and "The Big Event"!

Sarah and Beth enjoying a little mother/daughter time while James and Emma bounced away in the bounce house at the big event.

One of our favorite places to visit along the Sonoma Coast is Bodega Bay.  We enjoyed spending a month there several years ago, and always try to revisit it when we're in the area.  From Monte Rio there are two options to get there.   There's the coastal route taking Highway 116 to Jenner and then turning south on the Pacific Coast Highway.  The views along the coast are spectacular.  The other option is taking the Bohemian Highway through Occidental.  The inland route is also amazing, although the road is more winding and it's about 10 minutes longer.  An easy solution would be to take one route there and the other coming back.   

A word of caution about Bodega Bay (and the entire Sonoma coast), the weather can be very different along the coast.  I've blogged about the microclimates out here before and right now is another good example.  Current temperature in Monte Rio is 83 and calm.  In Bodega Bay, which is just 18 miles away, it's 67 with wind gusts up to 35 mph!  In addition to the temperature, the coast can get quite foggy, especially at this time of the year.  There are webcams in many of the small cities along the coast that can give you a peak at what might be going on weather wise.

Bodega Bay Webcam

While in Monte Rio, we made it over to Bodega Bay twice.  On our first visit we enjoyed spending some time at Doran Beach Regional Park.  The wide beach is over two miles long and is great for walking, sitting and staring, or watching the windsurfers on the bay side of the narrow strip of land.  After working up a good appetite from walking a bit we headed towards Bodega Head, stopping for Clam Chowder and a Shrimp Po' Boy at Fisherman's Cove.  There are actually two restaurants side by side (Fisherman's Cove and Spud Point Crab Company), we enjoy both of them equally.  We chose Fisherman's Cove this time because the line was a little shorter.  If there is a long line, don't worry, it moves quickly!  

Along the path to Doran Beach

Every good hike should have benches along the way!

Bodega Bay

You gotta eat, you might as well eat good!

Scrabble with a view.......it was a big day........I won with a seven-letter word on my last play.

We then made our way to Bodega Head, a rocky overlook with the Pacific Ocean on one side and Bodega Bay on the other.  Unfortunately, the winds had picked up so we cut our visit short and headed back towards Monte Rio, happy to have revisited such a special place.

The fog (and cold) rolling in at Bodega Head

Our trip to the small village of Bodega was really memorable.  We saw signs and had read about the annual fundraiser for the Bodega Volunteer Fire Department that sounded like fun.  It featured a parade, live music and a bbq, raising money for the volunteer fire department.  The Bodega Volunteer Fire Department and similar fire departments in the small communities out here play a huge role as first responders for all types of emergencies, including stopping wildfires before they get out of control.  The event is called "The Big Event", and it was an absolute small town celebration worthy of its name.

Sarah, James and Emma met us in Bodega just as the festivities were getting underway.  The parade is affectionately billed as "one of the countries smallest parades".  Yes, it was small, but what it lacked in size it more than made up for with enthusiasm.  It was mostly firetrucks from the various local communities, a few older model cars, a couple of groups of horseback riders, including a representative of the local Republican's Club, who was proudly carrying a Trump flag.  It wouldn't be real popular in most of California, but in this rural area the cheers greatly outweighed the smattering of boos.  After the parade Sarah and James left for a birthday party, while Emma stayed with us as we continued to enjoy what was truly "The Big Event"!

Chicken and Tri-tip on the grill!

Lots of pride!

James and Emma gathered enough candy to feed a small army!

James and Emma with their friend Alfred Hitchcock.  Many scenes from "The Birds" was filmed in Bodega including the scary schoolhouse scene.

Emma trying to teach me how to dance!

Her first horseback ride!

Locals and visitors mixing and mingling at The Big Event

There were three bands.  We only heard the first one and they were really good (sorry I didn't get the name).  The last band of the day was a Tom Petty Tribute Band that we heard last year in Monterey.  We enjoyed them and would have like to have stuck around, but we could only take in so much in one day....................

Even Emma was looking a little ragged by the end!

The bbq was great, the music was fantastic, and Emma bounced to her hearts content in the bounce house.  I'm not sure what their total funds raised was, but I'm hoping it was a bunch of money because it's such an important part of the safety of the residents and visitors.