Cue the Olympic Fanfare! Over the mountains and through the woods, off the Lake Placid we go. Home of both the 1932 and 1980 Olympics, Lake Placid is the hub of outdoor activity in the Adirondacks. The state of New York operates most of the venues from the 1980 Winter Olympic Games at reasonable prices. Crowds found at Killington and Stowe in nearby Vermont are rare in these woods. Not many folks south of Albany, let alone the rest of the country, know about the Adirondack Park, its six million acres larger than Yellowstone and Yosemite combined. During the 1980 ice hockey competition, Team USA beat the heavily favored Soviet team which was called the Miracle on Ice and later became a Disney film, Miracle.

Mount Van Hoevenberg hosted bobsleigh in ’32 and luge, biathlon and cross-country skiing events for the 1980 games. For $45, you receive a trail pass, equipment rental and a much needed one hour lesson. After strapping in, ski instructor Ken began to teach us the art of stopping, starting and looking directly where we want to go. This was particularly difficult for me because I enjoy looking all over the place, not just in front of me. After numerous falls and slips, we mastered the art enough to warrant a run on our own. If you go, I highly recommend Ken as a ski instructor. Lessons typically begin on the hour.

I have skied downhill once but immediately fell in love with cross-country skiing. It is slower and more scenic, speeds and falls hurt less and people seem to be nicer and more courteous. It is also cheaper and more open as you do not have to wait for a chairlift or push through crowds. If you see a large group of skiers, turn away down a different trail. Most trails also have a track or two smooth, ski-sized ditches in the snow for easy hill climbing and beginners. The tracks allow for work on technique and balance practice while guiding the skis along.

Of course, what better to top off the day than beer and dinner at Lake Placid Brewing. Located just outside downtown but with views of Mirror Lake, this brewpub is a must see. Ubu Ale is their signature brew, an English strong ale with a deep red color and 7% ABV. The Nippletop Milk Stout is also a solid choice and most of their bottled product is available in Syracuse proper. Baby-back ribs made for a happy ending.

If you go:

Located about four hours from Syracuse, Lake Placid offers plenty for everyone’s taste. Whiteface Mountain has some of the best downhill skiing in the East. Its Main Street has plenty of shops and restaurants with only Starbucks representing the national chains. There are year-round bobsleigh rides at the Olympic Sports Complex and many of the Winter Olympic athletes practice here. There are plenty of hotels, cottages for rent and even a hostel surrounding Mirror Lake and within 10-15 minutes of the town. While I thought the town would be mobbed given the holiday weekend, it was easy to park and there was no wait at the restaurant.

Winter in a small upstate city is what you make of it. Activities won’t seek your attention on the way home from work or class. Rather, they must be actively sought out. Beaver Lake Nature Reserve is one of those areas. Thanks to an article in Syracuse.com, we decided snowshoeing would be a fun sport to try.

About 15 minutes north of the city in nearby Baldwinsville, Beaver Lake is owned and operated by Onondaga County. Large, wooded and remote, it provides a perfect venue for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and winter treks. All is available at graduate student friendly prices including $3 entry fee plus $3 per pair of snowshoes per hour.

Never having snowshoed any significant distance, it was relatively easy thanks to a well-used trail. In an hours trek, the only person we saw was a lone skier. There was at least 18” of snow and it was neat to step off the trek and seen how effective snowshoes are in the deep stuff. For steep sections, crapon-like grips on the bottom allowed slippage free ascent and descent. It is almost similar to wearing moon-shoes as you plod along in a wide stance. Overall, even the most unbalanced person could handle snowshoeing.

As a nature reserve, the park hosts numerous critters but most were asleep under the snow. The exception was the large warming lodge. After returning the snowshoes, we sat in rocking chairs to watch the winter’s birds enjoy the bird feed outside the window. Birds of all shapes and colors gathered to eat their fill, chat with their neighbors, enjoy the crisp 25 degree weather and watch the curious onlookers through the window. Snowshoeing through Beaver Lake is an easy break from the rigors of winter.

A vast majority of PAIA students live in Westcott which about a mile west of Syracuse University’s main campus. For most of us, it is a 20 minute walk or 10 bike ride to campus or a 30-40 minute walk to downtown Syracuse. When living so close, driving to campus is usually a hassle because of limited parking. Westcott is a little ways off the undergraduate chaos along Euclid Ave and has some local, single family homes in addition to converted apartments which house students and other transients.

Begun as one of Syracuse’s original streetcar neighborhoods, Westcott retains a semblance of a downtown where Westcott Ave. and Harvard St. meet. There is more than meets the eye. Two bars and a liquor store, two coffee shops, a bike shop, two convenience stores and two clothing stores inhabit Westcott. Plus, there are three pizza places, Indian, Chinese, Tex-Mex, Middle Eastern and diner-style restaurants. There is even a fantastic music venue, Westcott Theatre, which sells tickets for $10-15 a pop and serves brews from Middle Ages.

Syracuse is at the eastern tail of the Rustbelt and housing prices reflect this. Expect to pay $350-550 for a two bedroom apartment per person or a less for a larger one split across more people. It will cost a little more to live closer to campus. The PAIA office maintains a fantastic listserv for housing and roommate shopping and even joining midyear from an internship abroad is not too difficult as some students graduate midyear.