Love At First Sight

By: Dawn H.
North Syracuse, NY

Our very first stay at the Mirror Lake Inn was not planned. We happened upon Lake Placid by chance and started to look for a place to spend the night. We had our two young sons with us, it was late in the day and everyone was tired and hungry. We had been driving most of the day and were pretty worn out. As we drove down Main Street we noticed the quaintness of the village and how relaxed and comfortable we suddenly felt. My husband commented that if we should be lucky enough to find a place to stay here we probably would not be sorry. No sooner than he said that we saw the Mirror Lake Inn. There it stood elevated above everything for all to see with the late afternoon sun shining on it. We were in awe of what we were seeing; the upward sloping driveway to the main entrance, the manicured lawns, the stone stairway from the road; just the majestic size of the inn, the tall pines and the immediate surroundings views of mountains, and of course Mirror Lake.

As we neared the front entrance I silently thought there would be no chance of us getting a room here for the night. When I opened the front door to the Inn, I was amazed. I knew at once this was a very special place and it truly was "love at first sight". I still remember the feeling I had when I climbed that magnificently wide wooden stairway and how the soles of my shoes echoed on the stairs. I just wanted to stand there and take in all of the sights and smells of this wonderful place. Needless to say we did get a room and ended up staying four nights. The boys were young so we spent much of the time taking advantage of what the inn offered as well as swimming, boating, fishing and hiking. We were treated like royalty and everyone was very accommodating. We had the most wonderful time of all and it became a yearly tradition for the Hogan family to return summers and winters.

Mirror Lake Inn has ruined us for others. Since that first stay in 1986, we have had the opportunity to stay in many other fine hotels and inns but nothing has ever touched us or impressed us as the Mirror Lake Inn has been able to do over and over again. From the moment you open the front door upon arrival to the afternoon tea and famous chocolate chip cookies, from cocktail hour with hor dourves to the dinning room for a gourmet dinner, from the indoor pool and sauna to the pampering of the spa. It's beyond me why anyone would want to stay anywhere else. The Mirror Lake Inn, like many of us has gone through changes over the years but it has had the ability to hold onto those basic values and standards that are strong and true and touch our hearts. Our sons are grown now and they too return to the Inn when they can to relive those childhood visits. (One son spent his honeymoon there.)

We have introduced many friends to the Inn over the years and all have become lovers of it such as us. My husband and I live 4 hours away and we take every chance we get to return. One of his favorite spots is sitting in the library by a crackling fire with a book and a Scotch on the rocks. My favorite spot is just being at The Mirror Lake Inn.