My wife will kill me for telling everybody about how terrific our stay was at Mirror Lake Inn, the resort and spa at Lake Placid. “Don’t tell a soul,” she said before I mentioned to my editor how great it was. “You will ruin it.” Maybe I just couldn’t resist crowing, but personally I don’t think a place that memorable can be ruined by a little publicity. The combination of the best service we have had in the Northeast, cozy rooms, unbelievably good food and wine, a world-class set of spa features – she loved the Honey-Almond Body Polish, I the Deep-Tissue Therapeutic – and quite reasonable prices makes this destination a keeper. In your zest for downhill skiing – Whiteface is just a few minutes away – don’t overlook the fantastic cross-country course at Cascade. Ice-skating and dog-sled rides just across the street make it fantastic for kids. This is a true family place, with a great library and plenty of chocolate-chip cookies and tea. (Nice bar, too.) Only downer: Massive wait-times for tobogganing and bobsledding make those breathtaking events too line-intensive for most New Yorkers in a hurry.
Details Mirror Lake Inn, 518-523-2554 (rooms start at $140); Whiteface, 518-946-2223; Cascade, 518-523-9605.