This year, The Mirror is launching a new series called “Bucket List Locations.” A bucket list location is a place or an event every student should visit or do before they graduate to take advantage of Northwood and the Lake Placid region. A member of The Mirror Staff and I will be taking a new student to a Bucket List Location almost every week for the rest of the school year.
Through the series, we hope to share the extraordinary activities we can experience in Lake Placid with the greater Northwood community. Our goal is to encourage other students to step out of their comfort zone and maximize their Northwood experience before they graduate.
Machai Davis ‘25 and I took Elise Fraser ‘25 to the famous “go-to ice cream spot,” Emma’s Lake Placid Creamery this week. Emma’s is famous for its large portions and delicious options. Elise’s first reaction when we told her she would be going to Emma’s was surprising, she said, “Emma’s? What is that?” Elise is a new student from Sweden. She arrived in Lake Placid only a month ago, meaning she hasn’t ticked off a single Bucket List Item. We knew she would be a great candidate for the inaugural Bucket List article.
The trip to town was short but allowed us to learn more about Elise and Swedish culture. Elise came to Northwood to progress her academic and athletic career to a level that would allow her to attend college in the United States. “I’m not really sure what my dream school is, but I love the Ivy League schools,” Elise shared.
Another thing we learned is that the Swedish love ice cream. According to Elise, Sweden is the world’s biggest sweet eater and Europe’s biggest ice cream consumer. “Ice cream and sweets are very popular back home, which means I am picky about ice cream. I don’t like ice cream that isn’t top quality because of what I’m used to in Sweden.”
After the short walk, we enjoyed some long-awaited Emma’s ice cream. Elise’s favorite flavor is cookie dough, so she ordered two scoops on a waffle cone. Machai and I were nervous that she wouldn’t like the ice cream because of the high standards of Swedish ice cream. We made Emma’s sound like ice cream heaven, which it is to most of us, but would it be ice cream heaven for her?
“The ice cream was great. I really enjoyed the texture and the large portion. I also liked the service and the shop. It felt like home almost!” Elise loved it even more than anticipated.
Elise concluded the trip by saying, “I will definitely visit Emma’s again, and this is something that I feel like all students must experience. I had no idea about Emma’s. Now, I am a huge fan. This experience makes me wonder about the other hidden activities in Lake Placid.”
This was the first destination on the Bucket List and was immensely successful. We encourage all students to take a relaxing walk down to town and enjoy some delicious ice cream at Emma’s.
Next time around we will be taking a new student to experience a more nature-themed activity, stay tuned!
