Music Legends
My wife & I drove over from Watertown today (Wednesday, February 5th) to see my boyhood hometown’s 2025 Ice Palace. The sun along the drive up along Route 3 was bright, making sunglasses required, especially when it reflected off the fresh fallen snow. The outdoor air temperature, however, rebuffed every effort the sun’s rays made at offering anything remotely akin to a mid-winter warm-up. Unless one considers the rise from -5F (our 9 a.m. Watertown departure temp) to +7F (our 11:30 a.m. Saranac Lake arrival temp) a “warm-up”.
We didn’t have much of an agenda, really; tour the ice palace, snap a few photos, stop in at the Carnival Kiosk to buy this year’s button, then scoot over to my brother Ray’s house to pick up my signed Garry Trudeau Winter carnival poster.
Probably in part due to better ice making weather, this year’s ice palace is much larger than last year’s iteration, and, with a variety of music themed displays, much more elaborate. Bravo to the palace construction crew. It’s well worth a visit & very well done.
They even included an ice fishing contest as an intermission show, with what looked to me like a perch, pike & rock bass encased within blocks of ice. I’m not sure exactly how they accomplished that, but it’s pretty cool!
With the outdoor air temps hovering just below 10F and the breeze off Lake Flower, the morning was brisk. We finished our self-guided palace tour and walked across the parking lot to the Carnival Kiosk to buy this year’s button. We were too early though. We had finished touring the Ice Palace at 11:55 and the kiosk did not open until noon. So, we stood and waited. Once the kiosk opened, we bought this year’s button, keeping my collection complete. Then we walked back up to the St. Bernard’s parking lot where we had parked and headed across town to my brother’s, where my signed poster awaited.
I’m number 65 on the signed poster list. Garry Trudeau only signs 100. This year’s poster, for the first time, is sideways. I’m not sure if its unique sideways status in any way enhances its collectible value, but even if that’s not the case it’s still pretty cool!
With all of our day’s agenda items complete, Robin & I headed for home. It was a nice little mid-winter day road trip diversion.
Our Music Legends ice palace tour was really enjoyable…
But the band stole the show.
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Until Our Trails Cross Again:
ADKO
About The Author
rdmonroe5
Lifelong NYS resident. Raised in Saranac Lake. Cornell graduate(ROTC). Army veteran, Airborne/Ranger qualified, 10th Mtn Div, stints in Honduras and with JTF VI. 3rd degree Black Belt; 3x cancer survivor; published writer with several featured stories in Adirondack Life Magazine. Residing in Watertown NY with wife Robin & our 3 adult children. Loving Life. Living in the Day I am in.
Dick.
Glad you made it. Sorry you didn’t get to hear our actual live concert Saturday at the Landing on Flower Lake. Hope to meet you in person sometime.
Bob.
Thanks for the check-in, Bob. It’s always nice to hear from you. It seems like we always just miss each other. I’d love to meet you & see your band play. I’m sorry I missed your performance. I’m sure it was epic. It just occurred to me- now there is another thing we have in common. We’ve both played the drums during Winter Carnival, though I’m sure my performance as a cymbal crashing member of Fred Baker’s marching band was definitely far less illustrious than yours. Be well & keep warm!
Thank you Dick. You too, be well, stay warm and keep on being and expressing the wonderful person that you are.
Great photos! Have been following the construction of the palace … would have been nice to have been able to make the trip. but a knee surgery in January preempted all that. My niece is headed up there today for the weekend. We would try to make it most years, but it’s a 10+ hour trip each way, and though I hate to admit it … the age is catching up! Thanks for the update …
Thanks for the check-in, Tim. I’m sorry to hear about your knee surgery. I know the feeling, age creeps up on all of us, like that cold winter chill blowing in across Lake Flower yesterday. Ten years ago, I’d have shaken that off like nothing. After an hour outside yesterday though, I was ready to call it a day and stoke up my wood stove.
Sounds like a perfect day! And…would you call that your classic air guitar or ice guitar, in keeping with the rest of the band?
Glad your button collection remains complete and yay! on your signed poster!
Sending warm hugs your way!
Love from the family down south…
♥️ Aunt Susie
Hi Aunt Susie. Yes, Robin & I had a great winter carnival road trip. I was happy to get my button & poster. I’m not sure what you call it- but I definitely ICED that guitar riff! Hope we see you this summer. Love from up north.
Dick,
Must have been like ICING on the cake to make such sweet music! 🎶
We’re definitely talking about a trip up this year…late summer or early fall.
♥️🤗
Do you remember marching in the Winter Carnival Parade in the years 78’ thru 1981? I do as I froze my knees off in a miniskirt cheerleader outfit for 🥁SLHS!!
I sure do! I was wearing a heavy itchy wool uniform that smelled REALLY bad, banging drums in Mr. Baker’s marching band, oogling the miniskirt clad cheerleaders marching in front of us.