Milepost 6,433 (Albany, NY)

We had a very busy day today.  It started quite early as we wanted to catch the 7:30 ferry boat across Lake Champlain from Burlington, VT, to Port Kent, NY.  We weren't sure how busy the ferry would be so we got there at 6:45 to get in line.  We ended up being the first in line of only six cars making the crossing.  But it was a very pretty ride.  It took about an hour and was a very nice trip, though a bit on the nippy side.

From there, we drove to Adirondack National Park.  Among other things, the park is home to Lake Placid, site of the Winter Olympics in 1932 and 1980.  Of course, the 1980 Olympics are famous for the so-called Miracle on Ice, which featured the U.S hockey team beating the Russians on the way to the gold medal.  Many, including me, consider it the greatest sports event of the 20th century.

We went on a tour of the Olympic facility in Lake Placid.  On the left is the Herb Brooks Arena.  Named after the coach of the U.S. team that year, this is where the the Americans beat the Russians in the semi-final game and then beat Finland to win the gold medal.  It's such an amazing place that I half expected Al Michaels to walk up and ask if we believed in miracles.

But that wasn't the only amazing feat of the 1980 Winter games.  There was also Eric Heiden, the speed skater who won five gold medals.  This photo shows the outdoor oval track (next to Lake Placid High School) where he won all those medals.  And if you look in the background, you can also see the ski jumps.

We left Lake Placid and the Adirondacks for one more visit to a Revolutionary War site.  This time it was the Saratoga National Historical Park.  This battle in 1777 represented an important win for the Americans.  This photo was taken at a British fortification called the Belcarres Redoubt.  This photo was taken from the perspective of the British with the Americans coming toward them.  The Americans forced the British to retreat, which was a turning point of the battle and the war.

We are now in Albany, NY.  We're going to be here the next five nights and make day-trips to various sites.