lake placid

"Miracle On Ice" Gold Medal Brings In Over $310,000

Last month we wrote about the planned auction of the first "Miracle on Ice" 1980 Olympic hockey gold medal ever offered in a public auction. It was estimated to sell for $100,000 as part of a sports memorabilia auction to be conducted by Heritage Auctions in Dallas, Texas and online on November 5, 2010. and it greatly exceeded that goal, selling for $310,700. Spirited bidding by 16 collectors who vied online and by telephone for the prize boosted the price. Part of the lure had to be that it was the first one to hit the market and also the sentiment attached, a connection to a time when the U.S. was transfixed by the accomplishments of an underdog team taking on the world and, against the odds, achieving the dream.

"The winning bidder is a Western United States rancher who enjoys many categories of collectibles, but this was his first purchase from our sports department. He is very excited to own this iconic piece of American sporting history," said Greg Rohan, President of Heritage Auctions.

The gold medal was awarded to Mark Wells, then 21 years old and a center for the U.S. team," said Chris Ivy, Director of Heritage Sports Collectibles. It was created by Tiffany & Co. The obverse shows a raised torch framed between the words "XIII Olympic Winter Games" and the Olympic rings. The reverse shown above has a tree with the raised text "Lake Placid 1980" and the engraved lettering "Ice Hockey, Mark Wells." The medal hangs from its original powder blue and white ribbon. Wells privately sold the medal earlier this year to an anonymous collector who consigned it to the Heritage auction.

Tags: heritage auctions, hockey medal, lake placid, mark wells, miracle on ice, olympic gold medal

Fly Fishing's Finest Destinations, Courtesy of Orvis

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Sports, Books

When it comes to fly fishing, legendary Vermont-based sporting outfitters Orvis is the recognized authority. The company celebrates nearly 50 Orvis-endorsed fly-fishing lodges across the U.S. and Canada in a nifty new book for the armchair angler, Great Fishing Lodges of North America. The perfect tool for planning your next outing as well as a rich visual feast for anyone interested in sport fishing or the lodge lifestyle, the book highlights the best destinations from Alaska to Florida, Montana to Maine, and across Canada.

Each lodge is profiled and portrayed along with detailed information on the local waters and its game fish, the lodge, amenities and activities, landscape, and game species and wildlife in the area. Featured lodges in include the Alaska Sportsman's Lodge (Lake Iliamna, AK); The Essex, Vermont's Culinary Resort & Spa (Burlington, VT); Lake Placid Lodge (Lake Placid, NY); Chetola Resort at Blowing Rock (Blowing Rock, NC; The Blue Damsel Lodge (Clinton, MT); North Fork Ranch (Shawnee, CO); Cow Creek Ranch (Pecos, New Mexico); Moose Lake Lodge (Anahim Lake, British Columbia); and more.

Gallery: Great Fishing Lodges

Alaska Sportsman's Lodge, Lake Iliamna, AK

Morrison's Rogue River Lodge, Merlin, OR

Tags: Alaska, books, British Columbia, Canada, coffee table books, fishing, fly fishing, fly-fishing, Lake Placid, Montana, Orvis, outdoors, sporting, sporting goods, Vermont

Lake Placid Resort Wins Rare Five Leaves Rating

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Green

You've heard of a five-star hotel but what about a five-leaf hotel? Audubon International has given the Golden Arrow Lakeside Resort in Lake Placid, New York the highest rating in their Audubon Greenleaf Eco-Rating Program. Five leaves are rarer than five stars, this is the only property in the United States with five green leaves and only one other property in the world has achieved this. Audubon International first rated the Golden Arrow in 2006 awarding 3-Green Leaves, in 2008 it achieved a 4-Green Leaf Rating, the first in the United States.

The resort's green initiatives go far beyond most resorts. Golden Arrow has a 3400 square foot living roof that guests can enjoy from the deck of Generations Restaurant. A white sand made of crushed limestone helps counteract the effects of acid rain. All meetings and events held at the Golden Arrow use only "real" plate ware/glasses and cutlery to cut down on waste, any waste generated is properly recycled/disposed of and all of the paper goods (including the pens) are made of post consumer content and are recyclable. Instead of bottles of water they use carafes or pitchers. Guest rooms have recycling bags guest room is a recycling bag. Any guest who travels to the Golden Arrow Lakeside Resort by foot, ski or hybrid car receives a "Thanks for Bein' Green" gift bag upon arrival.

Tags: eco-friendly hotel, golden arrow, green resort, lake placid, new york resort

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High Peaks Resort Opens In The Adirondacks

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Just in time for leaf peeping season a new resort has opened on Mirror Lake in Lake Placid, New York. The High Peaks Resort is located on the site of the former Lake Placid Hilton and is offering couple-centered packages including "Romancing the Peaks" which features two nights accommodations; bottle of wine, fruit and chocolates upon arrival; two High Peaks bathrobes; room service or breakfast for two in the dining room each morning, and three-course dinner for two at the Reflections Restaurant. The hotel also has extensive banquet facilities which can accommodate up to 800 guests and is hoping to cash in on the area's scenic beauty as a wedding destination.

The resort includes a "floating" lobby with a two-sided stone fireplace, three indoor and outdoor pools; a fitness center with the latest equipment, and spa with array of treatments. Located at the resort directly on Main Street is the Dancing Bears restaurant with street-side seating, casual dining and great beverages. The Reflections Restaurant has an outdoor patio overlooking Mirror Lake and regional menus of fresh, healthy cuisine that utilize local produce and the finest fish and prime meats from New York and Canada.

There are 79 guestrooms with double queen beds and 54 with king beds, several with fireplaces, whirlpool tubs and direct waterfront access. All have European-styled bathrooms with natural stone tiled walk-in showers, granite vanities and Molton Brown of London amenities; work desks; flat screen televisions; wireless and wired high speed Internet access, and multi-function music systems with MP3 players and movies.

Gallery: High Peaks Resort

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Tags: adirondacks, high peaks resort, HighPeaksResort, hotels, lake placid, mirror lake, MirrorLake, travel

The Spa at Whiteface Lodge

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Spas

The Whiteface Lodge in Lake Placid, New York was already luxurious enough to make our list of the top ten U.S. resorts last year. It is even more of a draw now that it has opened the Spa at Whiteface Lodge. The intimate spa matches the rest of the resort with rustic wood timbers, antler chandeliers and stone water features. The spa includes a salon with hair, make-up and waxing services. There are six treatment rooms including a double suite for couples that includes a tub for two. There is also a wet treatment room with a Swiss shower. The spa uses the B Kamins' signature line and the Red Flower's signature line and offers treatments that reflect the setting such as Adirondack Forest Facials, the Whiteface Peak Facial, and Dreamcatchers' Massage Rites featuring a Maple Butter Massage which costs $135 for 50 minutes or $205 minutes for 80 minutes.

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Tags: adirondack, getaway, lake placid, new york, resort, spa, travel, whiteface lodge