Bobsledding in Lake Placid

Hello NY Escapist fans! I've been slacking, I know. Any of you northeasterners know that the weather up here has not been so conducive to outdoor escapes, but hopefully we are on the up & up with weather if today is any indication! I did have one outdoor escape this past winter that was pretty unique - bobsledding on an official Olympic bobsled track. My fellow bobsledder claimed it was his "life long dream." Yes it's $79 a person, and yes it lasts under a minute, but it is definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience (though they offer 20% off your next ride, so it doesn't have to be.)

Please enjoy a few photos of the experience! In keeping with the custom of the New York Escapist blog, the identity of bobsledders remains unknown. But those in the know might recognize the wearer of a green puffy coat. Our grey ski-jacketed bobsledders perhaps remain incognito.

A few other notes..... you (obviously) get to wear some cool gear like the huge padded helmet. You are accompanied by a professional driver and brakeman (thank God, because you reach about 60mph!)... and the best part... they announce your "name" over the loud speaker for the entire complex to hear. This is your opportunity to return to your childhood and select a creative name ala Bart Simpson like "Hugh Jass" or "Mike Rotch." Ours was more of an insider joke -"Lolly Bob Job".... I can't even remember exactly what it means but it was conceived by nine 30+ year-olds tucked away in a snowy Lake Placid cabin with too much booze.
After your sled, you receive a bobsled lapel pin, a 4x6 commemorative team photo, t-shirt, sticker and membership in the U.S Bobsled & Skeleton foundation (not sure what that entails, but maybe you can impress people on your Facebook.)
Bobsledding is unfortunately closed until next November, but you can check out all of the details on the official website Lake Placid Bobsledding and start planning your trip to Lake Placid now. Oh, and there's skiing and a cute town there as well, but perhaps I can string this escape out into another post!

Overlook Mountain Hike near Woodstock, NY

A 90 minute drive from NYC will bring you to the Catskills, a land of fresh heirloom tomatoes from roadside markets, clear night skies filled with stars, ice cold swimming holes and views like this:



This video was taken at a scenic overlook point on Overlook Mountain, reached via a steady uphill climb along a gravel road- about a 3-hour round trip journey. The trail head is easy to find - from the center of Woodstock, drive up Meads Mountain Road and it is across from the Tibetan Buddhist monastery of Karma Triyana Dharmachakra.  The entrance sign cautions to be wary of rattlesnakes (seriously?) ... fortunately we didn't see any.

At the top of the hike are the remains of the Overlook Mountain House, a prestigious old Catskills resort from 1820-1920. According to the www, in the 1800's it was allegedly "fashionable to take a vacation to the Catksills instead of Europe."

We stopped by the North/South Lake for a picnic lunch - great setting with boat & canoe rentals - though the beach was a bit crowded so we left in search of a swimming hole.

There are several great swimming holes around Woodstock - get ready for ice cold water. This swimming hole with a rock to jump off of is relatively easy to find - continue along 23A past Kaaterskill Falls and park in the small gravel lot on the right. Another one just outside of downtown Woodstock has a rope swing - turn right into the gravel parking road across from Gallo's nursery on Route 212.

Don't leave the Catskills without stopping by Vinnie's roadside farm stand on Route 32 to get amazing heirloom tomatoes to bring back to the city.

Catskill trees. Lots of 'em.

Lobster Quest Part 2: Newport, Rhode Island

My quest for lobster and chill music brought me to Newport, RI for the Newport Folk Festival. Newport is an awesome little town, attracting a lot of New Yorkers, Bostonians and bachelorette parties. My friends and I journeyed there via Amtrak from Penn Station, armed with plastic cups and bottles of wine. The 3-hour train to Kingston enabled us to avoid stressful getting-out-of-NYC traffic, and as we approached the stop we called a local cab to take us to Newport ($50 plus tip)

We stayed in a weekly rental, which is allegedly illegal in Newport, but vacation rental websites like VRBO or Homeaway offer plenty of options. Our house was right by the Cliff Walk, a seaside walking trail which I highly recommend. View from the Cliff Walk:

The Cliff Walk passes by many of the famous mansions in Newport, such as this one featuring our regal dachshund:

Next to the Cliff Walk is a beach with decent waves for boogey-boarding and even surfing at times. Plus… the beach snack shop offers twin (that means two) lobster rolls + fries for $10! Surprisingly good for the price. Can’t promise those prices when the lobster glut is over. As far as other meals, we ate at Scales & Shells – I highly recommend the grilled lobster and my friends raved about the clams. One night we purchased lobsters for $7 per pound from Aquidneck Lobster Co. and boiled them in pots at home. This was truly some of the best lobster I’ve ever had.

The festival itself was a ton of fun, and fed my Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros binge (seen them 3 times in 15 days- Webster Hall, Newport, & Lollapalooza!) They are magical and perhaps slightly cultish (Lead singer Alex could start a compound in Waco, TX)

This short little video featuring the Avett Brothers gives you a good sense as to the Folk Fest space – it’s at the Fort Adams park on a peninsula with water surrounding (per the definition of “peninsula”). Boats & yachts anchor near the shore to listen in.



Some advice about getting to/from the festival – I’ve heard traffic can be bad but we lucked out. We arrived early in the day via car– around noon – and left about halfway through the final act with little traffic. There’s also a ferry to/from downtown Newport– next to The Moorings restaurant.

A final note on the nightlife in Newport – the Cooke House rooftop bar is chill and breezy and makes you feel like drinking a rum cocktail and listening to Jimmy Buffett. In the basement, the Boom Boom Room is full of rowdy bachelorettes and wealthy looking older men supplying them with vodka sodas. Toss in a few cougars and you’ve got the Newport scene down pat. But seriously, Newport is not as pretentious as people believe – it is very un-Hamptons-like and everyone is laid back and ready for a good time.

PS If you know someone who knows someone with a yacht, the cruise around the harbor is stunning. And who knew… rum & grapefruit juice is surprisingly delicious!