Sep. 19, 2003: I tried to get up to Lake Placid before dark, but I failed. However, "Ems" (see the previous entry) provided me with some useful beta on a low-priced motel there, the Saint Moritz. Because it was a Friday, they wanted $45 for a room, so I drove around a bit looking for something lower. I really wanted a room rather than tenting because I wanted to climb Mt. Marcy the next day.

However, even the Econolodge wanted the princely sum of $80. I found a couple mom & pop motels that were between the Econolodge and the Saint Moritz in price. However, none of the motels were flexible on the price. In fact, the very attempt to dicker seemed to cause them to take offense. "We're a family motel, we need to pay the staff, etc. etc. It's $50 plus tax, for $54.20. I'll make it $54, but that's it." Someone should pay Motel 6 to build a whole fleet of motels there, that'll show them.

As with the others, the gent at the Northway refused to bargain. Not only that, when I asked to see the room he refused my request on account of my rain-wettened boots and his clean carpets. I continued to try to bargain him down in what I and almost everyone else thinks is my happy friendly Huell Howseresque way, when he suddenly suggested that I find a room elsewhere and left the office. In a non-antagonistic way, I called him back and asked him what the problem was. He complained about my "bad attitude," and told me to leave or he'd call the police. He even picked up the phone. Well, rather than having to explain myself to the Olympic Ski Patrol and Gendarmerie, I left.

Based on my experiences with the local moteliers, I decided to spend as little money as possible in Lake Placid, and I tented it at the Whispering Pines campground. It was more like state park camping than a big open area at KOA, and, even though because of Hurricane Isabel it was a warm and wet night, it was still worth it. In fact, between patronizing the local mom & pop motels (especially the Northway) and sleeping in a local field, I'd take the field.

As for the rest of Lake Placid, it's a ski resort with a one or so mile main drag. Apparently, enough money wheels its way through there that it can support a Gap, an EMS, a few fashion outlets, and all the rest of the normal ski-resort-shops-and-appurtenances. I'd also like to give a big shout out to the golubushkis at the pizza place west of the EMS store and the band shell. They were quite friendly.