Started day four by checking out, then driving down to the JFK Library & Museum. I have to note, although a current project has forced me into taking a required interest in JFK, I had never understood the fascination. As someone who didn’t live through it, my understanding was that he’d been a womanizer who knew how to speak well, and who’d irritated a lot of people to the point where the list of possible assassins was a long one. After a couple hours at the Museum I have to say I can understand it now. While it’s possible I was swayed by an obviously slanted view on the former President, he did seem to be someone whose intentions were true, and who had attempted to do things that were honest to himself without concern for what his advisors or financers said he should do. His ability to speak was interesting as a number of his speeces featured screw-ups or fumbled sentences, but it was when he seemed to deviate from his scripts and speak from the heart that the true solid comments came out. Interesting experience.
Mary wanted to hit Mr Bartley’s Burger Cottage near the grounds of Harvard so we headed in there. It was a solid reminder of why you should never ever ever drive in Boston. A truly horrible experience as I attempted to get in the jumble of one-way streets and construction to find somewhere to park, make our way to the restaurant to find it was closed, and snag a coffee for the trip home. Harvard looked interesting enough but at that point I could care less about anything but getting out. My car hood was scratched – awesome – I had a bad headache and cared about nothing but leaving. It took forever to find our way back to the I-90 due to the mess of one-way streets running in all directions. My advice – never, ever drive in Boston.
We’d decided to take the long way home through the Adirondack Mountains, and because our morning had been eaten up (it was now 4PM) and my wife was anything but well, I began to realize we’d have to find somewhere to crash overnight in the mountains. Thus began the trip to Lake Placid.
The drive in is insane, amazing. I owe thanks to Mike Hogan of the FAN590 for turning us on to the idea of the trip, and I shall e-mail him thanks soon. However once in Lake Placid we found ourselves in the midst of a horse show that had sold the entire town out of hotel rooms. We caught some dinner (it’s now 11PM) and decided our only hope was Saranac Lake, 15 minutes further. The Best Western there was sold out, but told us to try the Hotel Saranac. Thankfully, they not only had vacancy, but were affordable.
The Hotel Saranac is interesting – it’s associated with Paul Smith’s College, and all the hospitality students do their work credits at the hotel. So the restaurant staff, gift shop staff, front counter staff, all of them were students. Really interesting idea, and the place was great, including an inexpensive and tasty Eggs Benedict (my favourite breakfast) in the morning.
The shortest entry (thankfully) but don’t take that to mean it was a bad trip – if you ever have the chance to drive via the Adirondacks I suggest you do it.