Get back to nature – fresh air and sunshine- with a bird’s eye view of the pristine wilderness of Lake Placid on a gondola ride up Little Whiteface Mountain… Experience the Ausable Chasm – the Grand Canyon of the Adirondacks… stroll past Rainbow Falls and Elephant Head, then take a float trip on a serpentine river… a luncheon cruise on the serene waters of Lake Champlain and a stop @ the Vermont Country Store make this outdoor outing the perfect way to rejuvenate your spirit.
Itinerary
Day 1 - Arrive Lake Placid, NY
A journey like no other! So close, but you feel like you’re in another world. This afternoon we arrive in Lake Placid, NY, home to two winter Olympic Games, 1932 and 1980 and nestled in the midst of the Adirondack Mountains. Meet our local guide who will take us on an amazing gondola ride up to the peak of Little Whiteface Mountain. A 15 minute ride to the top, where as you look around and your surrounded by Lake Placid, Lake Placid Village and Lake Champlain. After, we head over to the Olympic Jumping Complex, where we take the new skyride up to the base of the ski jump towers, then we get into an elevator that takes you to the sky deck of this 120-meter ski jump tower. A 360 degree view of the Adirondack high peaks and the village of Lake Placid. We check into the Crowne Plaza Lake Placid, located in the center of the village. The evening is yours to explore the village.
Day 2 - Ausable Chasm - Burlington, VT
This morning, enjoy breakfast before leaving Lake Placid behind and setting our sight on Ausable Chasm, NY. Just after the last Ice Age (Pleistocene) and 15,000+ years in the making, Ausable Chasm has thrilled and amazed all who have come to explore. A uniquely carved, vertical walled canyon made of 500 million year old rock. This morning we meet our guide who will take us on a walking tour along the walking trails in the midst of the Adirondack Forest. Stroll past Rainbow Falls, Elephant’s Head, Column Rock and more, before we board our raft and float through the narrowest and deepest region in Ausable Chasm. Your float guide will tell you about the geology and history of the chasm. After some free time, we depart this incredible place and head for Burlington, VT. After checking into our hotel, the Hilton Burlington Lake Champlain, the evening is yours to explore the river front or go shopping at Church Street Marketplace. (B)
Day 3 - Rockingham
After breakfast, spend your morning at leisure, after breakfast, before we check out of the Hilton and head to the Spirit of Ethan Allen III for a luncheon cruise on Lake Champlain. Listen to the Captain tell tales of Indian lore, the Revolutionary War, and legendary Vermont hero Ethan Allen. This afternoon we head for home, but no trip to Vermont is complete without a stop at the famous Vermont Country Store. (B, L)
