Thanksgiving at Lake Placid

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Thanksgiving in Canada happens in mid-October, and this year our aunt invited us to spend it with her in Lake Placid, site of the 1932 and 1980 winter Olympics (and also that movie about the giant crocodile).

We stayed in the Presidential Suite of a sprawling log cabin lodge in Lake Placid. The four bedrooms and spacious kitchen gave the nine of us plenty of space for hanging out and wrestling with the little kiddos. Most of our time was spent lounging, cooking, napping, and watching movies, but we also took advantage of all amenities, including the movie theatre, games room, gym, and outdoor/indoor pool.

The grounds of the hotel had these log lean-tos that were fully furnished but open to the elements; one even had a telephone! Such a great way to enjoy the outdoors, breathing the fresh air but sheltered from the wind.

On a sunny day, we went on a brief hike through the forest to see actual Lake Placid!

It was just an easy 2 mile round trip hike to the lake, and we peeped at the colourful trees, looked for birds, and inhaled the sweet, damp smell of fallen leaves.

The first evening we were at Lake Placid, and we just had a simple dinner after a day’s drive. We cooked up a big platter of Japanese Canadian chow mein and two types of baked salmon before going for s’mores by the porch fireplace. Then, for our Thanksgiving dinner, we enjoyed roast turkey with stuffing, creamy broccoli and cauliflower casserole, garlic mashed potatoes, crunchy and nutty salad, cranberry sauce, and gravy. It was a pleasure to cook on the six-burner Viking range, and I wish I had one at home!

Our hiking day was beautifully clear and sunny, and the sunshine really lit up all the vibrant fall colours.

And the day after, it snowed! So we went swimming in the indoor/outdoor pool. The pool had slightly warm water, so it was very comfortable to swim from the indoor pool through a little archway to the outdoor pool, and then hop into the hot tub.

Our first snow of the year! We stayed inside (apart from the dip in the outdoor pool and hot tub) and watched movies and read books. All of us had a great time and there are talks about doing it again next year!