New York New York

When you think of New York you tend to think of a bustling city with lots of things going on and tons of stuff to do.  However, there is another side of New York that doesn’t get as much attention.  The countryside is great for a Valentine’s Day drive and there are many fun activities that occur outside the city as well.

Get out of town and head to Lake Placid for the Annual Lake Placid Loppet.  The event is held at the Verizon Sport’s Complex Cross Country Center and features The Loppet.  The Loppet is 50K race for both freestyle and classical skiers.  The Kort-Loppet is a 25K race.

The Sweetheart Skate is a Valentine’s Day celebration at the Lake George Forum.  Bring your sweetheart or your family and enjoy a romantic spaghetti and meatball dinner by Betty’s Forum Café.  Reservations are requested and the admission price includes dinner, skating and skate rentals.

For Mardi Gras, you don’t want to miss the Mardi Gras Skate at the Lake George Forum as well.  Bring your best Mardi Gras mask for a chance to win prizes.  You can also enjoy New Orleans delicacies at the Betty’s Forum Café.

The Annual Empire State Winter Games are held annually at Lake Placid.  The opening ceremonies are held at the Olympic Center in Lake Placid.  This is a great weekend for family fun and winter sports competition.  Winter sports at the event include alpine skiing, biathlon, bobsled, cross-country skiing, figure skating, women’s ice hockey, luge, skeleton, ski orienteering, snowshoe racing, ski jumping and speed skating. 

For more winter fun head to Letchworth State Park.  Here you will find the Genesee River and its three huge waterfalls.  The park offers snowmobiling, snow tubing, cross-country skiing, ice skating and horse-drawn sleigh rides.  For a winter family vacation, visitors can rent the Maplewood Lodge.  It is located in the middle of the park and at the entrance to the Highbanks Camping area.  The lodge is ideal for snowmobilers as it connected to the New York State snowmobile trail system.  The lodge sleeps up to eight people and features a furnished kitchen, living room, fireplace, TV and VCR, a formal dining room, full size bath with shower, a small bath upstairs with two bedrooms up and one bedroom downstairs.  There are also trailer and tent campsites as well as winterized cabins.