Star Lake to Lake Placid

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The overnight dew had my tent soaking wet in the morning - stuffing wet stuff into a sack is not my favorite way to wake up. But at least I had dry clothes to start in the early morning chill.
It was an absolutely fantastic day for riding - a mixture of sun and clouds, temps in the low 70s and hill after rolling hill on smoothly paved Highway 3. A busy road to be sure, but very scenic with a wide shoulder. We crossed over the Grasse River and stopped for coffee and fellowship at a convenience store. A picnic lunch (yummy Frito Pie) was at mile 40 on Tupper Lake. All the quaint villages we passed through had that feeling of all-American summer - I suspect the locals line up for ice cream every night and the teenagers roam in packs, bonded by their summer transience. I stopped at a local farmers market in Saranac Lake and picked up some earrings, which was all I could carry in my pocketed cycling shirt. As the hills became steeper, the pines became more prevalent and the smell was refreshing. It seemed as if every other vehicle had a kayak on top and I was feeling a bit envious. At 68 miles, we came into Lake Placid, home of the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympics. Main Street was bustling with tourists and I decided Ben and Jerry’s sounded like a great way to end my ride. After answering a few questions from passers-by while enjoying a little Cherry Garcia, I made my way to Lake Placid High School, my home for the next two nights as we enjoy a rest day. The school is magnificent, sitting high on a hill, overlooking the Olympic outdoor speed-skating rink where Eric Heiden won 5 gold medals.
After getting settled, Ken and Ruth and funny-shoe Scott and I walked the town and grabbed some dinner at the Pickled Pig. As evening fell, it got quite cool and we retreated to our spacious digs in the high school gym where we visited with Suzanne and Mimi for a while, as they will be returning to DC tomorrow.
All in all, a beautiful day and I’m looking forward to sauntering around town tomorrow.

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