GOT KIDS, MUST TRAVEL: LAKE PLACID

Holiday Magic and (Extra) Special Touches at the Mirror Lake Inn Resort and Spa, Lake Placid

(Long Island, N.Y.) If you're looking for someplace truly magical to escape to this December, the Mirror Lake Inn Resort and Spa is a must-not-miss winter wonderland. Six million acres of wilderness surround the inn which is perfect for hiking, biking, rock climbing, canoeing, kayaking, whitewater rafting, ice climbing, snowshoeing, and just about anything else your heart desires.

Located in the Olympic village (the Olympic Center is the heart of Lake Placid), the area is famous for easy access to: alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, hockey, speed skating, bobsledding, skeleton, luge, curling, and ski jumping.

Mirror Lake Inn Resort and Spa, Lake Placid

It's about a five-hour drive from New York City but to be honest, this neck of the woods is probably one of the most splendid spots I have ever visited and there's no sweeter place to ring in the season. The village has a distinct warmth and invigorating vibe and Mirror Lake Inn's accommodations can best be described as all-out Adirondack elegance with a laid-back, casual charm.

To make the holidays merry and bright, the Inn sparkles with these extra-festive special touches:

-Elegant decorations, including nine real, themed Christmas trees, and a poinsettia tree
-300,000 twinkling lights illuminating the outside of the inn. This is approximately 6,000 strands at 50 lights per strand

-Approximately 70 lit trees (45 small and 25 large) on the property

-Christmas trees in guest rooms upon request

-Exclusive Santa Turndown Service complete with elves and milk and cookies

-Personal shopper – making holiday gift shopping and wrapping easy

-Homemade cookies with afternoon tea

-Private skating rink on frozen Mirror Lake with complimentary hot chocolate at The Cottage Café

-Winter bonfires with marshmallow toasting

-Special Christmas Eve buffet and Christmas Day dinner

-The annual Joy to the Children benefit, the red-carpet holiday party of the Adirondacks, raising over $1 million to date for children's programs -Charm, warmth and romance manifested by the inn's cozy corners and crackling fires

-Children's activities including crafts, ornament making and magic shows

-An exhilarating ride down the Toboggan Chute onto frozen Mirror Lake

-Snow cave adventures with story-telling and hot chocolate

-Horse drawn sleigh rides around picturesque Mirror Lake

-Dog sled rides across the frozen ice

-World-class skiing at Whiteface Mountain, just 10 minutes from the inn

-Bobsled and luge rides to give guests the Olympic thrill Holiday spa treatments

The Holiday Village Stroll package includes deluxe accommodations in a Classic room for a family of four, a hearty Adirondack breakfast with Santa, $50 in holiday shopping dollars, holiday story time, holiday crafts, and skating on Mirror Lake (weather dependent).

December 9 - 11, 2011: $800 for a two night stay. Priced for a family of four.

Janene Mascarella

November 7, 2011 2:46 PM Eastern

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