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Pop Quiz: stuck in upstate NY for a weekend in Nov

staboner

By staboner
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staboner

staboner 4,987

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alright assholes. I have a weekend in upstate NY - close to the Vermont border, just north of Albany. I have a car. WTF am I supposed to do with myself. Weather looks like assholes. 

Drive to Montreal is the answer I think.  3 something hours. Not sure if the Canadian border patrol will rape us though.

Syracuse? Burlington? WTF. Its all nature shit and its rainy and cold. Like not cold enough for snow at lower elevations, but just mud. 

Likes: food, booze, French things, museums, culture, booze

dislikes: driving long distances, boredom, rain, border patrol agents, circus folk

help me panic please, thanks

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DoobieWah

DoobieWah 1,460

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Fort Ticonderoga is a restored star fort at the southern end of Lake Champlain that was pivotal in the American Revolution. I love that shit.

Montreal seems to check all of the boxes in your "Likes" but seems to check all of the boxes in your "Dislikes as well, so...

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staboner

staboner 4,987

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6 minutes ago, DoobieWah said:

Fort Ticonderoga is a restored star fort at the southern end of Lake Champlain that was pivotal in the American Revolution. I love that shit.

Montreal seems to check all of the boxes in your "Likes" but seems to check all of the boxes in your "Dislikes as well, so...

thats the issue my tissue

but yeah prob going to Montreal. Wondering if that border crossing is crowded, slow, etc. 

Thanks for the note on that Fort. Love that type of thing too. Will look into it. 

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staboner

staboner 4,987

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Just now, Firemans4Horn said:

Or you could just say fuck it and take a 2.5 hour train into Grand Central station and spend the weekend in NYC. 

yeah i was thinking on that. Montreal is cheap though and I would assume much cheaper than NYC or Boston for a weekend

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G650

G650 14,277

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3 hours ago, staboner said:

thats the issue my tissue

but yeah prob going to Montreal. Wondering if that border crossing is crowded, slow, etc. 

Thanks for the note on that Fort. Love that type of thing too. Will look into it. 

Border is usually pretty easy. And the Thousand Islands are gorgeous. 

 

Kingston is just over border, fun ass town.

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Underdog

Underdog 28,773

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12 hours ago, HornPhD said:

Fort William Henry in Lake George is closer to Albany. Adirondack Pub & Brewery is in Lake George, as well.

If you like gambling, Turning Stone Casino is about 75 minutes West of Albany. Easy driving using the NYS Thruway.

Schenectady has a Rivers Casino now. 

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staboner

staboner 4,987

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3 hours ago, WhatTheBuck said:

Lots of great diners in that part of the country. The old school kind with stainless steel countertops and fixtures. I love those. I wouldn't pass through without having breakfast at one. 

thanks. will add that to the to dos

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staboner

staboner 4,987

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1 hour ago, Bat Guano said:

Border crossing in that area should be fine. Just don't try to load up on booze past the 2 bottle limit at the duty free store; customs checks for that kind of thing. Ask me how I know.

please tell captain bat guano, if that is your real name

thats cool. i figured its an easy crossing. i just know i have been hung up before at crossings where it takes hours to get through. wasn't sure if its a major trucking/trade border or what, but whatever. should be fine. i mean they are Canadian, what can they actually do

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Bat Guano

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LOL. Long story short, I flew into Montreal from Texas, rented a car and went across the border, then back again to fly back out of Montreal. Something about that itinerary must have looked suspicious, because they held me in the little room while searching that rental car VERY thoroughly.* While I was waiting I saw them do a cursory search of an elderly couple's car behind mine, and they took out several armloads of booze over the limit. Say, what do you think they do with all the confiscated booze, anyway? I'd be willing to bet that not all the bottles make it onto the list to be destroyed as I assume the regulations require.

 

 

*Fortunately I had the presence of mind to consume all the drugs before crossing the border.

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lemonlime

lemonlime 5,503

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On 10/23/2018 at 1:19 PM, Firemans4Horn said:

Lake Placid is a nice place to go with the wife. Whiteface Lodge is a great place for dinner and cocktails. Lot’s of cool Winter Olympics history in town  

You can can pay to go bobsledding down a track there. 

This.  Also Liquids and Solids is a good place for cocktails and food.

Or Cooperstown is only about 1 1/2 hours away.  Could check out Ommegang Brewery and the baseball hall of fame.

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lemonlime

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2 hours ago, lemonlime said:

This.  Also Liquids and Solids is a good place for cocktails and food.

Or Cooperstown is only about 1 1/2 hours away.  Could check out Ommegang Brewery and the baseball hall of fame.

Just saw you ruled out Cooperstown.  Can't read today apparently.  

Also, Thousand Islands, Watkins Glen, and Montreal are all at least 3 hours from Albany.  

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RollLeft

RollLeft 5,045

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On 10/23/2018 at 3:58 PM, G650 said:

Border is usually pretty easy. And the Thousand Islands are gorgeous. 

 

Kingston is just over border, fun ass town.

This.  I don't remember there being many trucks.  When i crossed it was quick and quite a nice view.  

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staboner

staboner 4,987

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2 hours ago, Underdog said:

Only issues Ive had for border crossings was it just being crowded, both at Niagra Falls and at the VT border.  No real issues with the Border Agents at all.  

thanks. gonna take the crossing at champlain, Rouses point, or Saint Armand. right now at lunchtime it looks like not much traffic at the first two, some at the third. should be fine. 

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Spankytoes

Spankytoes 1,743

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On 10/23/2018 at 11:53 AM, staboner said:

alright assholes. I have a weekend in upstate NY - close to the Vermont border, just north of Albany. I have a car. WTF am I supposed to do with myself. Weather looks like assholes. 

Drive to Montreal is the answer I think.  3 something hours. Not sure if the Canadian border patrol will rape us though.

Syracuse? Burlington? WTF. Its all nature shit and its rainy and cold. Like not cold enough for snow at lower elevations, but just mud. 

Likes: food, booze, French things, museums, culture, booze

dislikes: driving long distances, boredom, rain, border patrol agents, circus folk

help me panic please, thanks

Having been to Upstate NY many, many times, I will say that you're proper fucked. The entire Albany area is a wasteland. If you haven't been to Montreal, that's the obvious choice. Crossing to the Canada side is easy, it's the U.S. side that sucks. There will be a long line in every lane and there will definitely be a former mall cop on a power trip at the end of it. If you are considering Montreal because you think it's cheaper than NYC or Boston, you're wrong. The exchange rate isn't enough for any savings to be significant. Bagels, pastrami, poutine and strip clubs. That's what the Faux-French do well.

Unless you are a diehard baseball fan, skip Cooperstown. It's a bitch to get to and you will be shocked at how small the museum is. It is a pretty drive once you reach the lakes though and the city has an old-time feel to it. I haven't made it Lake Placid yet, but it's on the list. I don't know that it would be worth a weekend though.

You didn't mention when you are going, but NYC is always good for the holiday decorations. You won't run out of things to do there.

Finally, fuck Boston.

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staboner

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1 hour ago, Spankytoes said:

Having been to Upstate NY many, many times, I will say that you're proper fucked. The entire Albany area is a wasteland. If you haven't been to Montreal, that's the obvious choice. Crossing to the Canada side is easy, it's the U.S. side that sucks. There will be a long line in every lane and there will definitely be a former mall cop on a power trip at the end of it. If you are considering Montreal because you think it's cheaper than NYC or Boston, you're wrong. The exchange rate isn't enough for any savings to be significant. Bagels, pastrami, poutine and strip clubs. That's what the Faux-French do well.

Unless you are a diehard baseball fan, skip Cooperstown. It's a bitch to get to and you will be shocked at how small the museum is. It is a pretty drive once you reach the lakes though and the city has an old-time feel to it. I haven't made it Lake Placid yet, but it's on the list. I don't know that it would be worth a weekend though.

You didn't mention when you are going, but NYC is always good for the holiday decorations. You won't run out of things to do there.

Finally, fuck Boston.

yeah i am always afraid of border patrol people. TSA. they are all one breed of mall cop extraordinaire. 

i've done Montreal a few times. Will prob just do that. Maybe a night in Burlington getting drunk at a college bar and then a day and night in Montreal. I have found Montreal to be really cheap in my experience. Housing, drink and food. And the food and drink scene there is easy and fun. 

Early November, the shittiest time to go up that way. And its amazing how every goddamn thing of interest is 3 hours away from Albany

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Underdog

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1 hour ago, El Diablo said:

I guess horse racing season is over? Big harness racing in that part of the world. Totally different and pretty cool to see at least once.

Thoroughbred racing is done for the season but harness racing is a go at the smaller track in Saratoga, smaller Casino is attached to the Track. 

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G650

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22 minutes ago, Underdog said:

Curious to know why you "think" that.  

It's like the end of the planet. You eventually get back to civilization when you cross into Canada. Like you went through a wormhole. I'm not even positive Watertown is a legit place.

 

My uncle lived in Rochester for ages and I've been all over various upstate places so I'm not wholly unfamiliar with it. And I obviously don't think it's literally worse than say Syria.

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lemonlime

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Same here.  A lot of what there is to do upstate is outdoors type stuff, and November is definitely the wrong (i.e. muddy) season for that.  But the Adirondacks are beautiful.  Lake Placid is one of my favorite places, albeit in winter to go skiing or summer hiking.    Within a couple hours of Albany is Saratoga, Lake Placid, Berkshires (Lenox, MA), Rutland, VT, Lake George, New Paltz/Minnewaska, Woodstock, and could go on.  Could easily spend a weekend in any of those places.

Lake Placid is definitely worth a weekend.  Lots of restaurants and bars.  Good hiking.  Olympics museum type stuff if you want to be indoors in November.  You can watch them practice the ski jump, go bobsledding.

And yeah, never had any problems at the border, other than some long lines.

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staboner

staboner 4,987

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4 minutes ago, lemonlime said:

Same here.  A lot of what there is to do upstate is outdoors type stuff, and November is definitely the wrong (i.e. muddy) season for that.  But the Adirondacks are beautiful.  Lake Placid is one of my favorite places, albeit in winter to go skiing or summer hiking.    Within a couple hours of Albany is Saratoga, Lake Placid, Berkshires (Lenox, MA), Rutland, VT, Lake George, New Paltz/Minnewaska, Woodstock, and could go on.  Could easily spend a weekend in any of those places.

Lake Placid is definitely worth a weekend.  Lots of restaurants and bars.  Good hiking.  Olympics museum type stuff if you want to be indoors in November.  You can watch them practice the ski jump, go bobsledding.

And yeah, never had any problems at the border, other than some long lines.

yeah thats teh issue man. Nov is the worst time. October or december would have been better

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Underdog

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We haven’t been to Watertown but have heard that Thousand Islands is beautiful, especially during fall/peak leaf peeping season.  I think Rochester’s a nice little area, all matter of perspective I guess.  It does get a bit depressing looking after fall season and before the first snowfall when the tress/mnts look barren.  The best description I’ve seen of this area is someone on here saying looks like a fisher price farm set.  It’s a lot more rural than we were expecting but it’s great driving through the country side and not see strip-mall after strip-mall along the way.  Been in the Capital Region area for 7 yrs now and just love it, no plans to leave in the immediate future. 

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lemonlime

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25 minutes ago, G650 said:

Thousand Islands might be most naturally beautiful place in the whole continent. 

Yup.  It is.    I haven't been in fall, but in summer it's beautiful, especially out on the water.  I've stayed in Gananoque a few times.  It's gorgeous, and it's never even been crowded when I've been there.  

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G650

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41 minutes ago, lemonlime said:

Yup.  It is.    I haven't been in fall, but in summer it's beautiful, especially out on the water.  I've stayed in Gananoque a few times.  It's gorgeous, and it's never even been crowded when I've been there.  

When I was there in late September once, it was pretty damn fantastic. 

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Spankytoes

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4 hours ago, Firemans4Horn said:

I’m spending the next 3 days in Rochester and plan on having a blast.  

If you figure it out, tell me how. Syracuse, Albany, Rochester, Saratoga...don’t even bother leaving the hotel room anymore. I’d rather go to Lubbock. Buffalo is tolerable.

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