A birthday trip to our favorite mountain, oh and some knitting too!

My husband's birthday gift this year was an overnight stay in one of our favorite (well, I think it's more my favorite than his..although he suggested this trip) villages in New York. Lake Placid was host to the 1932 and 1980 Olympics and is the most cozy and picturesque place to visit any time of year. Although we didn't have the best weather.

We left home under overcast skies.

Driving up the Northway we could see the colors become more vivid against the foggy background.

We drove up Rt 73 on the east side of Mt. Marcy, one of the High Peaks in the area. Stopping along the side of the road can be a bit precarious but there are so many beautiful scenes to see...when it's not raining! Somewhere in there is a waterfall.

We met a couple from Seattle, Washington who was vacationing in the area to see the gorgeous views. More gorgeous than Washington state? They explained there are just evergreens that don't change color with the seasons. Too bad it was raining!

The first stop on our itinerary was lunch at the Oktoberfest celebration at the base camp lodge on Whiteface Mountain in Wilmington, New York, a short drive from Lake Placid Village. Bratwurst and beer were on the menu under the tents. The gondolas up to Little Whiteface were running but the peak was hidden beneath a thick cloud cover so no one was riding.

We finished lunch and sat for a bit to listen to the Ompah band. The crowd was energized! I tried to insert a video here but the program is not cooperating. You'll have to use your imagination.

Our drive back to the village was interrupted with some beautiful scenery.

I'll take these interruptions anytime.

On the way to our hotel we stopped to check out some more scenery. The Lake Placid Club sits at a most photographable spot where we always stop for the Kodak moments.

This is what Whiteface Mountain is supposed to look like on a good day.

This is what we saw on Sunday. 

And if you look veeeerrrryyyy closely....you still won't see Whiteface!

In the distance, the 90 meter and 70 meter ski jumps are just barely visible.

And we still can't see Whiteface!

But the vegetation was still beautiful.

We had to drive down the main drag to get to our hotel, or lodge as it's called.

We used a Travelzoo coupon and purchased a bargain of a lifetime to stay here.

What gorgeous accomodations!

The views from our balcony were colorful.

As were those from our living room.

We picked the right time of year for viewing the peak colors.

Ron had a few minutes to watch The Ryder Cup match and then....

it was time to walk the grounds around our lodge.

Had the weather cooperated we would have hiked a bit further.

But what we did see was fun anyway. See Whiteface in the background? No?

Mother Nature sent up some unplanned lanscaping.

The dampness in the air called for a hot chocolate.

The staff at the Whiteface Lodge kept inviting us to return for a more extended stay. Yeah, right. I must go out and buy a winning lottery ticket.

Alas, it was time to bid Whiteface Mountain goodbye, or where are you? Whatever....

Our drive home took us around through Saranac Lake to Tupper Lake and the Wild Center, down the west side of Mount Marcy. We stopped to visit the Wild Center, a natural museum.

We listened to a presentation on local wildlife.

And then walked around to visit with some of them indoors.

Outside the scenery was peaceful. I'll let you go on a self guided tour for the next few photos.

Notice how those red trees keep turning up. The lake actually sits right up against the building and the outdoor patio is below water level.

An osprey nest on a manmade pedestal.

There are those red trees again.

We didn't want to wander too far from the building since it was cold and drizzly and BOY! that rock was cold!

One more stop we had to make while we drove home through North Creek was to the Gore Mountain Farm where alpaca are bred and raised. Barry and Virginia who own and run the farm have put the property up for sale so we were glad we had the opportunity to visit with them one more time before they move out of state.

And now we're back home warm and dry. Should we go on to see what the Chicks have been up to?

Kathleen finished the shawl I showed to you last week. See? I said she would finish by now!

Liz made a cute chullo hat that is sure to keep a little head warm.

And she made a smaller baby hat too.

This is the time of year when the Chicks show off their warm cozies they make for themselves. Liz made these socks with two strands of wool to make them extra insulated.

Kathleen started another scarf with the yarn she brought home last week.

Dorah took a class at Trumpet Hill to make this beautiful hat for herself. It's waiting for it's blocking and it's gorgeous!

Beth made a birthday gift called September Circle using Zauberball yarn.

And these fingerless mitts for donation are called Green Thumb. I have the pattern and bought a yummy baby alpaca yarn while I was away so I can make a pair for myself.

I don't remember what Beth called this shawl but it's another that she finished recently. Love those colors!
(edited to add the name of the pattern is Sunrise)

Right now Beth is working on a scarf. The color is a warm almost butterscotch beige, not at all what it looks like here.

Dorah's next project is this lovely lace scarf for which she is using a bright blue wool. It will be stunning!

And Carole started this fingerless mitt at 7PM with this much knitted and by 9PM it was just about finished. That's a nice cabling pattern on the top of the hand.

Well, I hope I didn't bore you with the photos of our Lake Placid visit. Now it's time to get back to my knitting and next week I'll show you the progress I've made on my projects.