"Do you believe in miracles?"

Sportscaster Al Michaels shouted these famous words on February 22, 1980, as the US Men's hockey team defeated the Soviet Union 4 to 3 in the "Miracle on Ice" at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, NY.

Although I am a lifelong resident of New York State, and grew up only about two hours drive from Lake Placid, I have rarely been there and had not visited the Olympic Center until this past summer.

If you are in Lake Placid, invest 90 minutes and $10 for a guided tour of the Olympic Center.  With luck your guide will be Jim Rogers.  Jim is as passionate as he is knowledgeable about Lake Placid and the 1980 Olympics. He shares stories from his own experiences because Jim was a member of the Lake Placid bidding committee and head of the protocol committee at the games.

During the tour Jim led our small group through the Olympic Center retelling its history and notable persons and artifacts along the way.  The highlight of the tour for me was Herb Brooks Arena, the site of the famous hockey game, named for the U.S. team's coach.  Jim explained the events leading up to the game and the game itself  as we moved through the bleachers culminating with viewing video of the end of the game on televisions.  Then he described the aftermath.  Since 1980 visitors have come from around the world to see the site where the Americans beat the Soviets on the ice.  Some of those visitors are from the former Soviet Union.

So if you are in Lake Placid, visit the Olympic Center and take the tour.

Old bridge on the farm (1912), part 2

Old bridge on the farm (1912)

Around the country there are roads and bridges lost to time. Many dirt
roads and country lanes were never developed into modern, paved roads.
I grew up on a road like this.

The road now has a Dead End sign in front of my parents' house where
the pavement ends. Three quarters of a mile down the dirt path
travelled now by horses, deer, and farm equipment is a small concrete
and steel bridge. According to a rusty plaque, the bridge was
constructed in 1912 by "Climax Road MCH Co. Marathon, N.Y." Another
plaque says "1912 J.D. McCormick SUPT." Mr. McCormick must have been
the town highway superintendent at the time. Given that the bridge is
now 100 years old, it must have been well built.

Sunset on the St. Lawrence River

Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree

Here's the tree.

Top of the Rock view South

I was told there was a good view of the NYC skyline from the top of Rockefeller Center, aka "Top of the Rock." $25 gets you there. The line at 8:00 on a Friday night was not bad at all.

At the top there are three levels. On the first two levels there are tall glass panels to keep you safe, but they interfere with photography. Take the stairs to the very top for an unobstructed view.

For those of you afraid of heights, you can not see straight down like at the CN Tower in Toronto. Going at night might also suppress the feeling of being high, but that's just a guess.

(Photo taken with Blackberry Bold 9650)

9/11 Museum

The museum is still under construction between the North and South pools. Overheard someone say it would open in Spring 2012.