Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
BacktrackingtoLakePlacid,takethetimetostopatHighFallsGorge,situatednearthe
base of the Whiteface Mountain Ski Area. The deep cleft was sliced into a mass of layered
rock by the West Branch of the Ausable River. A thundering waterfall shoots between the
walls, dropping 100 feet, then another 600 feet over three downriver ledges. Bridges and
pathways—wooden boardwalks that cling to the cliffsides—make for unforgettable views
of the river, which rushes and roars below.
You should also keep an eye out for unusual vegetation. One plant, the rare Lapland
rosebay, resembles a rhododendron and manages a toehold in the merest of crevices.
8.
Saranac Lake
Thethermometer's''mercury…curlsupintothebulblikeahibernatingbear,''lamentedthe
noted author Robert Louis Stevenson, who spent six months at Saranac Lake in 1887-88.
He had come hoping that the crisp air would check his tuberculosis, which was being
treated at a sanatorium established by Dr. Edward Livingston Trudeau. Stevenson's one-
time cottage, preserved as a museum, displays memorabilia recalling his life.
The village of Saranac Lake, settled in 1819, provides travelers with yet another entry-
way to the wilds. Camping, hiking, canoeing, and fishing await among the interconnected
lakes and streams, parts of which are designated as the St. Regis Canoe Area. Popular, too,
is the town's Winter Carnival, an annual festival highlighted by an elaborate castle built of
ice.
Canoeists and anglers give high marks to Tupper Lake, while hikers enjoy the lakeside trails.
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