Olympic Stadium in Lake Placid, New York & #SpreadTheKindness Link Up #287
Last weekend we took a family day trip to Burlington, Vermont, and we stopped in Lake Placid, New York, on the way home to visit Olympic Stadium, the site of the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympic Games. We also explored the shops near the stadium and visited John Brown Farm, which was a very powerful experience that I will share in a later post. This post is dedicated to the joy of friendly competition that the Olympic Games inspire.
But first, we enjoyed a hearty breakfast in our hotel in Plattsburgh, New York.
Then we visited John Brown Farm first as it was on the way to Olympic Stadium. You can see the back of the Olympic ski jumps from the farm so we knew it was only a short drive once we left there.
We drove down to the entrance of the ski jump where you can take a sky ride tour of the ski jumping complex. They also have an elevator ride to the top of the ski jumps as well as a ziplining experience. Since I am utterly terrified of heights and everyone was getting kind of hungry for lunch, we skipped the ski jump complex completely. But we did get a photo from the parking lot.
Then we headed into the downtown area of Lake Placid for some food and shopping before we visited the Olympic Complex.
We had lunch at Cocoa & Dough which is the cutest little donut and hot dog shop that deserves a special mention. Actually, the boys had lunch and Jeff and I had donuts. By the way, did you know that donuts are one of my top 5 favorite things on earth and in life?
Ralph had the Classic Dog with just ketchup, Archie had soft pretzels with cheese dip, Jeff had the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Donut, and I had the Adirondacker Donut which had maple frosting topped with crispy bacon and maple syrup drizzle. OMG. If you ever visit Lake Placid, definitely pop into Cocoa & Dough for a sweet treat! Here’s a closer look at the delicious donut menu.
After eating and shopping a bit, we headed to Olympic Stadium to complete our visit in Lake Placid. Unfortunately, the official Olympic Center Museum and the ice rink from the 1980 Winter Olympics were closed for renovations. However, the Temporary Olympic Museum Exhibit Gallery is set up at the site of the 1932 Olympic Games. As soon as you walk into the ice rink, there is a very powerful sense of heightened and excited energy despite the fact that we were the only people in there. I was a really digging the feeling of so much positive energy.
As you walk through the facility to the ice rink, there are a few rooms dedicated to the temporary museum exhibit. Each display is rich with fascinating history about the various sports represented in the Winter Olympic games.
For example, in the 1932 Games, only 4 teams competed in ice hockey, the United States, Canada, Germany, and Poland, with Canada ultimately winning the gold medal.
All the different ice skating events and equipment were really interesting to see. My particular favorite is the stilt skates.
The Olympic podium was first used in the 1932 Winter Olympic Games and U.S. Olympic speed skater Jack Shea was the first athlete to stand on top of that podium. My kids had fun standing on the podium and wanted a million pictures changing positions in each one.
The 1980 Winter Olympic Games in Lake Placid was the site of Miracle on Ice when a team of amateur young players from the United States defeated a heavily favored and undefeated team of stronger, faster, professional players from the Soviet Union. I literally tear up every time I even think about that hockey game. It is definitely one of the most powerful moments in sports history for any person who has poured their heart and soul into their sport. It is evidence that passion and teamwork can beat the odds.
And that is all I’ve got for today. I spent a long weekend in Lake Placid a few years ago but never made it the Olympic Complex so I am really glad that I had the opportunity to see it this time. If you have ever visit Lake Placid, I would love to hear your experiences!
Featured Favorites
Reader Favorite (Most Clicked): Ashley of Le Stylo Rouge
Fashion Favorite: Sally of Within a World of My Own
Other Favorite: Rena of Fine Whatever
Keeping it on the edge,
Shelbee
Joining these Fabulous Link Parties.
38 Comments
Michele Morin
Those DONUTS! WHOA!
We visited the Olympic museum in Colorado Springs and I know what you mean by being moved to tears by the accomplishments.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks, Michele! I am now wishing I had brought some donuts home with me, darn it! Athletic accomplishments of this sort always tug at my heart strings!
xoxo
Shelbee
Ellie
How wonderful that you could visit the winter Olympics site! Such great artifacts on display! I can’t imagine how anyone could skate on stilts!! Must be so skilled!! The hot dog and donut shop looks so fun and unique, and such creative donuts! I can see some of my family members enjoying the bacon maple donut you chose!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks, Ellie! It was a really great day trip that provided us with some education and history as well as delicious donuts! If you search for “stilt skating” on YouTube, there are videos of people doing it. It is really fascinating and very impressive! And now I want more donuts.
xoxo
Shelbee
Amber and Woodyard
Those donut flavors sound out of this-world good! WE have NO interesting or good really donut shop where I live. I have to drive two hours to Newport Beach for quality donuts!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
We don’t have any interesting donut shops near me either, Amber. This one is about a 2 1/2 drive from where I live so I totally feel you on the lack of donut goodness! Now that I am thinking of it, I should have brought some of those donuts home with me!
xoxo
Shelbee
Sally in St Paul
Thanks for the feature, Shelbee. I agree with you on the favorite photo from the weekend – that facial expression is perfect!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks, Sally! This kid of mine is quite the character! Thank you for featuring me in your post that I featured!
xoxo
Shelbee
Christina Morley
Wow! I learned a lot from your photos and the information you shared. That’s so nice that you could make the most of it even when the main museum was closed. I’m glad you didn’t have to face your fear of heights. Sounds like you got to do something you enjoyed instead, eating a delicious donut! Lovely photos of the family. Thanks for hosting!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Tina! I do enjoy a family trip that has an educational or cultural component to it. If I am not learning, I’m not living! My kids are at such a wonderful age for these kinds of trips now, too, so I am taking full advantage of that while I can!
xoxo
Shelbee
Joanne
Oh so neat! I have visited Lake Placid years ago back in the mid-80’s sometime. My grandparents took us to an inernational rally with their Airstream club– we had thousands (okay maybe hundreds?) of Airstreams all stretched out in a huge field and we watched ski jumpers practicing off those jumps, saw figure skaters put on shows for us at night and enjoyed a whole week’s worth of events around the Ollympic stadium. It was so much fun. I remember buying my cabbage patch doll a figure skater uniform complete with ice skates that week!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks, Joanne! Oh my goodness, what a cool experience that must have been for you! And I absolutely love that you got a figure skater Cabbage Patch doll there! I was recently reminiscing about Cabbage Patch dolls…I had one blonde headed baby girl and one of the Cabbage Patch pets which was a dog if I remember correctly. I remember cherishing those dolls so much because I couldn’t have a dozen of them like my friends did!
xoxo
Shelbee
Nancy
Stilt skate?? Haha, that is something I want to see someone skating on. But what a lovely time you all seen to have. I guess when the kids have a great time….. right? Isn’t it relaxing to do trips like that! I think it always feels like a mini vacation.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Oh my goodness, Nancy, if you search “stilt skating” on YouTube, there are a bunch of videos! It is so fascinating and very impressive. I much prefer these short weekend trips over long vacations. I am such a homebody so I am ready to be back in my space after just a day or two!
xoxo
Shelbee
Rena
You and me, girl … donuts above all else! And what a lovely family trip you all had. Your boys are getting so big. Thanks for choosing my post from last week’s link-up as one of your favorites.
Rena
http://www.finewhateverblog.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Donuts bring me so much joy! I told Jeff a long time ago that I will always prefer a dozen donuts over a dozen roses or really over a dozen of anything else. You can’t lose by bringing me donuts!
xoxo
Shelbee
Heather Noire
Vermont looks so lovely. And I can tell you had a lot of fun. Such great photos and it makes me want to visit someday. I hope you are having a lovely week.
https://www.bauchlefashion.com/2022/08/first-taste-of-fall-cashmere-in-question.html
https://www.instagram.com/heathernoire89
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Heather! We had a really wonderful time and highly recommend both Vermont and Lake Placid as places to visit. I hope you are having a wonderful week!
xoxo
Shelbee
Mica - Away From The Blue
that looks like a really interesting place to visit, nice to see all the history there! 🙂
Thank you for the link up 🙂 Hope you are having a nice day 🙂
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks, Mica! It was a really cool place, for sure. We had a great time!
xoxo
Shelbee
Marsha Banks
Those donuts…I just gained five pounds looking at them! What a fun destination! Maybe Nigel and I need to go there sometime. I’m always on the lookout for a new place. And, I remember well that hockey game…I even included it in my post for tomorrow 8/10). Drop by for a link party!
https://marshainthemiddle.com/
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Oh my goodness, Marsha, those donuts were amazing! And if you and Nigel ever do travel this way, you must let me know because I will definitely join you for a donut! I look forward to your post and I will have my 10 on the 10th published at some point today as well!
xoxo
Shelbee
Gail
The Olympics create special places and memories! Loved reading about your family day out. I remember a trip to the Olympic ski jump in Innsbruck, Austria, in the 80s.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thank you, Gail! I don’t get as excited about the Olympics as I did when I was younger, but looking at the history of it all was really very fascinating and those special moments do stay in your memory for a long time.
xoxo
Shelbee
Jennifer
Looks like a fun time! I would be interested in the hockey stuff!
Jennifer
Curated by Jennifer
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
It was really cool, Jennifer! I would like to go back once the museum renovations are completed!
xoxo
Shelbee
Patrick Weseman
Ok, on the coolness factor this rates a 10. So super cool and what a great place to visit. I would love to visit there. Just the history of the it and thinking about the accomplishments of the athletes there. Amazing.
Then you add in the donut shop which is super cool and super wow. Believe it or not, I like my donuts also. LOL.
Thanks for hosting and I hope that you have a wonderful rest of the week.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Aw, thanks so much, Patrick! I had a feeling that you might enjoy this post! I am so glad that you did. I really want some more of those donuts right now and I am damn annoyed with myself for not even thinking to bring some home with me!
xoxo
Shelbee
Lizzie
Looks like you are enjoying your time away!! This looks like such a cool place to visit. Definitely putting it on my list now!! Hope you’re having fun!! <3
Lizzie
http://www.lizzieinlace.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Lizzie! It was a really cool place to see and feel all the good energy!
xoxo
Shelbee
Lucy Bertoldi
This brings back so many childhood memories as we visited often! It’s hockey world there and for us Canadians that’s a biggie!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Aw, yay! Lucy, I am so glad to trigger some fond memories for you!
xoxo
Shelbee
Niki ~ Life as a LEO Wife
It looks like y’all had a great time! Thanks for hosting!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
It was a really cool place to see, Niki! Thanks so much!
xoxo
Shelbee
Michelle
What an interesting place! Looks like you all had a great time. Those stilt skates are insane!
Michelle
https://mybijoulifeonline.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
It was a really cool place to check out! There are some videos on YouTube that show people stilt skating. It is so crazy!
xoxo
Shelbee
Helen Fern
What a great trip!! I love the donut menu. Reminds me of our Voodoo Donuts. Thanks for sharing at My Big Fat Menopausal life’s Share the Wealth party. Hope your week is fantastic!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks, Helen! I have heard of Voodoo Donuts but never had the pleasure of trying them. If I ever get to an area where there is a Voodoo Donut shop, I will definitely make sure to check it out!
xoxo
Shelbee