We are a family of road trippers and adventure travelers. The miles that we’ve already put on our brand new vehicle would definitely prove that point! My family finds adventure by packing up the (fully snack-stocked and tablet charged) car and heading off on a long journey that ends with a new location that we’ve never visited before.
Last month, we took to the north! As northern east coasters, we knew our destination choices of Lake Placid, NY, and Mont Tremblant, Canada, would be a doable, yet fast-paced, week-long road trip full of outside fun!
LAKE PLACID, NY
Lake Placid is a summer outdoor lover’s paradise. This former Olympic village surrounds serene Mirror lake and plays host to amazing mountains (the incredible High Peaks region in the Adirondack mountains provide panoramic views), lakes galore, as well as a fantastic food scene and beautiful resorts. There is something for everyone in the entire family to enjoy!
Where to stay:
I can confidently say that staying at The Golden Arrow resort should be the easiest decision you make while in Lake Placid (deciding which mountain to climb is another story…). The Golden Arrow sits directly on Mirror Lake and has its own private beach to relax on. Included in your stay is the free use of the property’s canoes, kayaks, rowboats, and stand up paddle boards, so you can fully enjoy the lake during your entire stay. Mirror Lake only allows non-motorized boats, so it’s truly a relaxing and enjoyable experience.
A tip: If you can, choose to stay in a ground floor, 1 bedroom suite, which includes a small sitting area with a fireplace, as well as lake front access and amazing views. Guests staying on property also receive full day happy hour drink pricing at the attached hotel restaurant, Generations!
Where to eat:
Lake Placid has a vast dining scene that offers everything from casual burrito joints, fine dining, to family friendly restaurants with fantastic outdoor seating right on Mirror Lake.
Favorites during our stay:
Generations Restaurant (attached to The Golden Arrow Resort): Head here for breakfast before your full day out on the trail. Their eggs benedict and full skillet breakfast were hearty and noteworthy!
Smoke Signals Barbeque: This was our favorite dining experience while in Lake Placid. It’s loud (which is great when dining with little ones), the drinks were on point, and the barbeque was the best we’ve had outside of the south. Our nacho appetizer (made with wonton nachos) and dinner of pulled pork and brisket tacos were a big hit with the whole family (even my picky 3 year old!). They also have a children’s menu which goes beyond chicken fingers, which your older kids will likely appreciate! For the full lake experience, be sure to sit on their brand new outdoor dock area on a warm night.
Emma’s Lake Placid Creamery: Homemade soft serve maple ice cream. Every. Night.
What to do:
During our four-day stay, I often made the comment to my husband that I think we could stay in Lake Placid for a month and never get bored! We chose to spend our time outdoors, exploring some of the adventurous options the area had to offer… with a little relaxation thrown in for mom…
For the cyclist, rock climber, and fisherman in your family:
My husband headed to the hub for all things outdoor in Lake Placid, High Peaks Cyclery and High Peaks Adventure Center. This 30-year-old staple in the community offers everything from rock climbing sessions, kayaking, ice climbing (in winter), and mountain biking. He chose to check out the Center’s mountain bike course and spent the morning following his guide on the groomed trails, and exciting banks and turns they had to offer. They outfitted him with a quality bike and helmet, so there was no need for him to bring his own! The High Peaks Cyclery gear shop is also a good place to grab a bar for the trail or pick up some new outdoor gear.
For the mountain lovers:
Lake Placid offers an unlimited amount of hiking options with various difficulty levels, but the most notable trails are those of the 46 high peaks in the region. Some of the high peaks can make for pretty intensive day hikes, so we chose to go with one of the easier peaks with Cascade Mountain. This peak is about a 5-mile round trip trek that summits with some pretty spectacular views of the surrounding mountains and the Adirondack park. My 5-year-old hiked the entire thing on his own...an amazing feat that left us with smiles on our faces for the rest of the trip. A tip: the trail is rocky and steep, so wear good hiking shoes, and bring along trekking poles if you have them!
Spa-hhh:
After a few days of boating and hiking, I headed to the Element Day Spa & Salon for their Aveda Stress-Fix massage. It was 80 minutes of pure bliss and a perfect ending to our time in Lake Placid before heading out to the second part of our road trip!
MONT-TREMBLANT VILLAGE, CANADA
It was an easy 3.5 hour drive from Lake Placid to Mont Tremblant village, and we arrived before lunchtime. Mont Tremblant village is a full pedestrian village with several dozen dining, activity, and lodging options. It is a perfect vacation spot for families with younger children, because you never have to leave the village and you are never lacking something fun to do! We were thrilled at the amount of summer activities offered for our younger kids.
Where to stay:
With so many options and different price points for lodging in the village, there is a hotel or condo for any traveler’s needs. We stayed in a 2-bedroom suite at the Homewood Suites by Hilton, and it was a perfect size for our family of four. We especially appreciated the full kitchen! The hotel was located at the top of the pedestrian village, close to many of the kids' activities, and also offered a full hot breakfast every morning.
Where to eat:
When we weren’t noshing on Quebec specialties like Poutine (french fries topped with gravy and cheese curds), Beaver Tails (a fried dough pastry dessert topped with maple butter or nutella), or maple taffy (maple syrup poured atop a barrel of snow and rolled up onto a stick), we were enjoying many of Tremblant Village’s restaurant options. 
Our favorite was Pizzateria, an al fresco, family-friendly pizzeria with fabulous thin crust pizzas. Another great amenity for families: Pizzateria, and many other restaurants in Tremblant village, offers take out and hotel delivery options! Be sure to take a gondola ride up to the summit of Mont Tremblant (or you can hike up!), and have a cafeteria-style lunch among the clouds!
What to do:
Activity Card: There are endless possibilities for family activities in the village! Purchasing an activity card is a great option to be sure that your kiddos get to experience all of the fun! A highlight for my boys, was the LUGE ride and taking the ski lift up to the top of the course... just to race back down the mountain in our speedy luge cart. Also included on the activity card is the awesome indoor La Source Aquaclub pool (and Tarzan rope swing!), rock climbing wall, a mini ropes course, bike rentals, mini golf, a gondola ride, and a floating inflatable iceberg in neighboring Lac Tremblant.
Activities for a rainy day: Go swimming at the La Source Aquaclub, paint a mug at the ceramic painting studio or stuff a stuffed animal at the plush animal store!
Hiking: You can choose from several hiking trails offered on the ski mountain of Mont Tremblant. The more strenuous hike to the summit will be a longer day hike, or you can choose to take the Gondola up the mountain (as we did) and then do the summit loop hike which takes you into the woods and up beautiful streams. The trails are all very well-marked and the view from the top is an impressive one of the Laurentians mountain range.
Festivals & Events: At the top of the pedestrian village is Tremblant’s huge event stage. The village hosts festivals and events almost weekly. So there is almost always a music group, music festival, food festival, or outdoor festival going on to enjoy and check out!
ZipTrek: Mont Tremblant village is home to ZipTrek Ecotours, 4 km of thrills along 5 ziplines... the longest in all of Quebec! This is a perfect activity for an adventurous family with older kids (ages 7+ can experience ZipTrek) with side-by-side ziplines so you can zip two by two with friends and family.
Our road trip to the north was full of memories that our family already holds so dear. We are already looking forward to planning our winter trip to Lake Placid and Mont Tremblant to experience the winter activities and skiing!
*In order to facilitate the preparation of this article, we were hosted for certain parts of our stay. No other compensation was received and all opinions are my own.
