Quick rundown on filling time in Lake Placid before and between games. And it's exciting that with Quinnipiac sidelined by Clarkson, it will be quite competitive for the games. (NCAA RPI has Q 11th with Dartmouth 8th, Cornell 9th, Princeton 23rd, Clarkson 34th) I've written more deeply on this in previous years (see the 2025 thread (https://elf.elynah.com/index.php?topic=265038.msg265044#msg265044)).
If you had trouble finding lodging for 2026, yeah, sucks, there's the FIS Cross-Country World Cup Finals in town Thursday to Sunday. Sucks. You will find something. And if you're a little bit crazy, you could even do LP as a day trip since the title game is 5 pm.
About dining and drinking, most all you want is on the main drag in LP, Main Street, which runs south to north, with the Olypic Center / Herb Brooks Arena at the south end. Best parking for the rink is just south of the rink, it's free, go where the guys with safety vests point you, not a scam. Five-minute walk.
As you walk north along Main Street, the water on the right is Mirror Lake not Lake Placid (that's beyond the northern tip of Mirror Lake). Lot of shops, restaurants, coffee shops. All in the span of about a mile. In the past, the arena lets you leave between games to get something to eat and in addition to pizza nearby, there are
- Wiseguys, the sports bar in town. Lots of TVs, good-enough food. In recent years service has been impacted by difficulty in getting staff. You'll wait a few minutes, not a half-hour. Sometimes the game referees dine there. Be nice to them. They're only assholes during the game. And they may be judging Cornell next year, too. From the rink, walk downhill (south) and when you pass the Olympic speed skating oval, turn right
- Lake Placid Pub & Brewery. Good food, great beer, some brewed on site. Walk south almost to the end of the speed skating oval, left on Mirrow Lake Drive, one short block in. Big, darkish downstairs pub, 2 floors above that is better for dining. There is a gorgeous deck in summer. It has a sibling, Big Slide Brewery & Public House, about a mile out of town on Route 73 heading toward LP Airport / Keene, they are transitioning to Mexican fare and I assume that means upscale Mexican. Been there 3-4 times, always good food after a sometimes lengthy wait; they have outside seating and they keep it open even in the shoulder months.
- Big Mountain Deli & Creperie. Fabulous lunches and breakfast but not dinner (site says closes Saturday 5 pm but I thought it was 3. Crowded. Now the best place for breakfast with the closing of the ...
Downtown Diner. Classic diner, lots of Cornell fans found the place, had a great conversation with some of the family of Andy Iles '14, our All-Ivy goaltender. Alas, it closed in January 2026. (https://www.lakeplacidnews.com/opinion/columns/2026/01/01/on-the-scene-lake-placids-downtown-diner-is-closing/)- Saranac Sourdough. Really good sandwiches, eat in or take out. About a mile out of town, turn left where Main Street bears right. Breakfast (great if you have a car) and lunch til 2 pm, 12 noon Sunday. Good food for the victorious ride home Sunday. 2126 Saranac Ave.
Mirror Lake Inn. Continue north on Main Street as the road curves right around the lake. Walkable. On Mirror Lake. Nice decor inside, a great deck outside were this summer. We used to own the land the MLI sits on but post WWI they thought it was overvalued, and sold (correction, I married into the family).
Anyplace downtown not mentioned, the food is okay at minimum, else they go out of business.
Time to kill Saturday during the day? Drive south out of town on Route 86 and follow the West Branch of the Ausable River to Wilmington, where Whiteface Mountain (ski area) is. Or drive 25 minutes to Saranac Lake, larger than LP, picturesque downtown. (Just driving around Mirror Lake is a great 10 minute detour, see the recent mini mansions at the top end of Mirror Lake now that it was discovered by Wall Street bros circa 1990.
Is there still a pancake breakfast fundraiser open to the public on Saturday morning of ECAC weekend? I think it was the American Legion but I honestly don't recall, it's been several years now since my last one.
Checking. We spend a third of the year in LP-Keene. Don't recall a recent March fundraiser-pancake breakfast but sometimes groups don't always get the word out even when the listing is free.
Apropos of other dining, the name alone makes you want to try it: The Redneck Bistro on the Saranac Road (the road that joins up with Main Street at the north end, about a quarter mile from downtown.
One thought about Wiseguys. I went there last year after the game. The only food on offer was deep fried bar munchies: Fries, onion rings, mozzarella sticks. Nothing else. No burgers, no sandwiches, no salads.
There's also a decent Peruvian restaurant (Sol de Oro) on Main Street.
Ah, you've hit on the issue of service staff availabity:
Job desirability <--> wages & tips <--> distance to travel from residence (living cost makes you live outside Lake Placid) <--> lack of kitchen staff / busboys (read: ICE seems everywhere) ----> longer waits for service, fewer food offerings, unhappy customers.
We spent half of May to October in the Essex County/LP area last year. Even at season's peak the local websites had frequent postings about no lunch service today (sorry no staff), reduced hours tomorrow night, etcetera. Yes, we have noticed fewer late-evening offerings or the kitchen closing late. In the past, Wiseguys and others tracked the ending time of the ECAC games and made sure extra servers were on hand.
There have always been challanges. Out in the Rockies where workers have to travel an hour late at night to get home to shared trailer 40 miles away, there have been late night accidents and some deaths of worker who, sober, still fell asleep at the wheel.
In LP / Saranac a decade ago there were a lot more international guest workers especially those from eastern Europe where there is no phrase in the native language for "customer service" exemplified by a pizza place on Mirror Lake where we ordered a large pizza half plain, half sausage and were informed "Izz not possible."
Quote from: billhoward on March 17, 2026, 05:32:54 PMIn LP / Saranac a decade ago there were a lot more international guest workers especially those from eastern Europe where there is no phrase in the native language for "customer service" exemplified by a pizza place on Mirror Lake where we ordered a large pizza half plain, half sausage and were informed "Izz not possible."
Hey, as someone who's half-Polish...
yeah you're right tbh our customer service generally sucks 😅
Quote from: stereax on March 17, 2026, 05:42:59 PMHey, as someone who's half-Polish...
yeah you're right tbh our customer service generally sucks 😅
I am referring to someone coming in from much farther into Europe than Poland. Hint: Where an USA-born server might say, "My pleasure," our guest worker might have said "Nyet" or "Iss not possible."
Quote from: billhoward on March 17, 2026, 08:54:27 PMQuote from: stereax on March 17, 2026, 05:42:59 PMHey, as someone who's half-Polish...
yeah you're right tbh our customer service generally sucks 😅
I am referring to someone coming in from much farther into Europe than Poland. Hint: Where an USA-born server might say, "My pleasure," our guest worker might have said "Nyet" or "Iss not possible."
The Russians aren't that bad!!! Hahaha. Only sometimes.
Several years ago I impressed a comely server from Moldova with my knowledge of Transnistria before it was cool.
Lotsa Bulgars too. And Serbs.
A few years ago, pre and post game at Zig Zags was full of Red of all ages. The Marcy Bar is a great pregame spot as well. With a 5pm start on Saturday, if we advance, make a 7:30 or 8 res. for dinner at one of the fine dining choices like Smoke Signals, Interlaken, MLI, Dancing Bear, Players Sports Bar, or Top of the Park. Pickled Pig is a place I've wanted to try.
Thanks for trhe adds. Dancing Bear is in the High Peaks Resort at the north end of Main Street, corner of Saranac Ave. aka Route 86 (nee Hilton built for the 1980 Olympics). Fabulous second-floor outdoor deck with a view of Mirror Lake, the mountains, the downtown but usually not open outside in March (they have heaters but are relucatant to light them up). Decent-enough food.
Maybe 10-15 years ago the ECAC brought back 3-4 members of the 1980 Miracle team and they worked Dancing Bear and the Main Street bars (sorry: as ambassadors, not drinkers). Really good time, impressed our then teenage son who wanted to play pro hockey (settled on being a hockey trainer).
Not on my 2026 list nor BlueSky's but: Lisa G's, ~walkable (on Sentinel Road / Route 73 en route to LP airport / Keene / I-87. Two-plus decades of pretty good creative American cuisine, open 'til 10 pm weekends. Falls into the realm of Yogi Berra's "That place is so crowded nobody goes there anymore" restaurants.
Is one of these recommended places the former Mudpuddles? That place was amazing in 1996.
Quote from: BlueSky on March 18, 2026, 04:57:22 AMA few years ago, pre and post game at Zig Zags was full of Red of all ages. The Marcy Bar is a great pregame spot as well. With a 5pm start on Saturday, if we advance, make a 7:30 or 8 res. for dinner at one of the fine dining choices like Smoke Signals, Interlaken, MLI, Dancing Bear, Players Sports Bar, or Top of the Park. Pickled Pig is a place I've wanted to try.
Pickled Pig is decent but can be noisy if there's a band. Getting a seat is a challenge since they're one of the few places open after the game.
Can you still go down the bobsled run?
Quote from: Al DeFlorio on March 18, 2026, 12:48:53 PMCan you still go down the bobsled run?
Not this winter, per the note here:
https://mtvanhoevenberg.com/todo/bobsled-experience/
May I suggest the biathlon experience: https://mtvanhoevenberg.com/todo/discover-biathlon/
I did that with the family a few years ago and enjoyed it. We were planning on spending a chunk of the day cross country skiing anyways, so it was a good deal for us.
ECAC hockey tweeted that the lower bowl is almost sold out and they are now selling upper bowl seats. Could be a surprisingly large turnout this year.
As much as a like so many things about LP, the one big negative is the difficulty of finding accommodations. Immediate after we beat Harvard Sunday and my friend and I decided w'd make the trip, I began searching for a place to stay. Seemingly all the lodging of any type within the town was booked, and the few that had availability required a 3 stay minimum. I ended up finding a nice looking home on VRBO about 15 minute out of town, but it's pricey.
Quote from: scoop85 on March 19, 2026, 08:55:21 AMAs much as a like so many things about LP, the one big negative is the difficulty of finding accommodations. Immediate after we beat Harvard Sunday and my friend and I decided w'd make the trip, I began searching for a place to stay. Seemingly all the lodging of any type within the town was booked, and the few that had availability required a 3 stay minimum. I ended up finding a nice looking home on VRBO about 15 minute out of town, but it's pricey.
T'was ever thus. When you could find a place that
didn't require a three-night minimum stay, invariably they instead had a one-week cancellation deadline, which meant that you couldn't wait until the outcome of your Saturday night (or, G_d forbid, Sunday afternoon) QF game before knowing whether you had to cancel your Friday arrival. It sucks, but they're not stupid, and they're hedging their risks just as much as they are locking in their profits.
Quote from: scoop85 on March 19, 2026, 08:55:21 AMECAC hockey tweeted that the lower bowl is almost sold out and they are now selling upper bowl seats. Could be a surprisingly large turnout this year.
As much as a like so many things about LP, the one big negative is the difficulty of finding accommodations. Immediate after we beat Harvard Sunday and my friend and I decided w'd make the trip, I began searching for a place to stay. Seemingly all the lodging of any type within the town was booked, and the few that had availability required a 3 stay minimum. I ended up finding a nice looking home on VRBO about 15 minute out of town, but it's pricey.
Pretty sure they anticipated that a bit and put our band and presumably the Clarkson band in the upper bowl. If I'm not mistaken, the last couple of years the band was in the back rows of the lower sections, so that is a change from recent years.
As for accommodations, back in the 90s pretty much all hotels and motels either required that three night minimum and/or required cancellation a week ahead of time. Back then I would often stay in Saranac Lake, where the policies were more flexible. Now it seems plenty of hotels will take a two night reservation and/or allow a 72-hour cancellation without penalty. I made the cancellable reservation we are using this year when I left Sunday morning last year.
Edit: Was posting at the same time as Beeeej, and ignored the warning.
The upper level seats at Herb Brooks have better sightlines because of the 7.5' gap between the side boards and the first row of seats rinkside.
On the bus to Binghamton 🥳
Quote from: stereax on March 19, 2026, 01:06:01 PMOn the bus to Binghamton 🥳
You're going in the wrong direction... :)
Quote from: andyw2100 on March 19, 2026, 01:12:19 PMQuote from: stereax on March 19, 2026, 01:06:01 PMOn the bus to Binghamton 🥳
You're going in the wrong direction... :)
Haha, unfortunately no direct bus to Albany from Ithaca. This is at least better than going all the way to NYC and connecting there!
I know they had to get rid of it but I miss the consolation game. Having 4 games over under 2 days with all of the associated overtimes.... made for my favorite hockey weekend of the year.
Quote from: stereax on March 19, 2026, 02:16:45 PMQuote from: andyw2100 on March 19, 2026, 01:12:19 PMQuote from: stereax on March 19, 2026, 01:06:01 PMOn the bus to Binghamton 🥳
You're going in the wrong direction... :)
Haha, unfortunately no direct bus to Albany from Ithaca. This is at least better than going all the way to NYC and connecting there!
For those of you who enjoy my little travelogues, on the bus to Albany! And significantly less stressed - that was the most critical part of the trip and if God forbid the connection was missed, I'd have to book quickly and connect in NYC, getting to Albany around midnight 😭
Quote from: stereax on March 19, 2026, 03:08:41 PMQuote from: stereax on March 19, 2026, 02:16:45 PMQuote from: andyw2100 on March 19, 2026, 01:12:19 PMQuote from: stereax on March 19, 2026, 01:06:01 PMOn the bus to Binghamton 🥳
You're going in the wrong direction... :)
Haha, unfortunately no direct bus to Albany from Ithaca. This is at least better than going all the way to NYC and connecting there!
For those of you who enjoy my little travelogues, on the bus to Albany! And significantly less stressed - that was the most critical part of the trip and if God forbid the connection was missed, I'd have to book quickly and connect in NYC, getting to Albany around midnight 😭
The bus driver to Albany is putting stuff in ORDER. Telling us everything we can't do, from illegal drugs (yikes, do people do this on buses?) to phone calls (correct).
"No profanity allowed on this bus."
Well f-
Quote from: stereax on March 19, 2026, 04:09:38 PMQuote from: stereax on March 19, 2026, 03:08:41 PMQuote from: stereax on March 19, 2026, 02:16:45 PMQuote from: andyw2100 on March 19, 2026, 01:12:19 PMQuote from: stereax on March 19, 2026, 01:06:01 PMOn the bus to Binghamton 🥳
You're going in the wrong direction... :)
Haha, unfortunately no direct bus to Albany from Ithaca. This is at least better than going all the way to NYC and connecting there!
For those of you who enjoy my little travelogues, on the bus to Albany! And significantly less stressed - that was the most critical part of the trip and if God forbid the connection was missed, I'd have to book quickly and connect in NYC, getting to Albany around midnight 😭
The bus driver to Albany is putting stuff in ORDER. Telling us everything we can't do, from illegal drugs (yikes, do people do this on buses?) to phone calls (correct).
"No profanity allowed on this bus."
Well f-
So mind your g*d d*&n Ps and Qs there, Ma'am. ;)
Details - are you going to Albany today and then on to LP tomorrow, or something else? Forgive me if you posted about this earlier - sometimes I'm lucky to remember my name.....
Quote from: Chris H82 on March 19, 2026, 04:14:32 PMQuote from: stereax on March 19, 2026, 04:09:38 PMQuote from: stereax on March 19, 2026, 03:08:41 PMQuote from: stereax on March 19, 2026, 02:16:45 PMQuote from: andyw2100 on March 19, 2026, 01:12:19 PMQuote from: stereax on March 19, 2026, 01:06:01 PMOn the bus to Binghamton 🥳
You're going in the wrong direction... :)
Haha, unfortunately no direct bus to Albany from Ithaca. This is at least better than going all the way to NYC and connecting there!
For those of you who enjoy my little travelogues, on the bus to Albany! And significantly less stressed - that was the most critical part of the trip and if God forbid the connection was missed, I'd have to book quickly and connect in NYC, getting to Albany around midnight 😭
The bus driver to Albany is putting stuff in ORDER. Telling us everything we can't do, from illegal drugs (yikes, do people do this on buses?) to phone calls (correct).
"No profanity allowed on this bus."
Well f-
So mind your g*d d*&n Ps and Qs there, Ma'am. ;)
Details - are you going to Albany today and then on to LP tomorrow, or something else? Forgive me if you posted about this earlier - sometimes I'm lucky to remember my name.....
Hahahah!
Yeah. Overnighting in Albany, getting collected tomorrow morning (still finalizing details there). LP Fri and Sat, going back to Ithaca Sun. That was my original plan, as I couldn't land a spot in a car from Ithaca. No time for sightseeing in Albany though, I get there at 6 and need to get to my hotel which I think is mildly in the middle of nowhere, then leaving early tomorrow.
Leaving Cobleskill right now :D
Travelogue update: at my hotel in Albany! A wee bit sketchy but it'll do, for 60 bucks.
Anyone know anywhere decent to grab a bite here?
Quote from: stereax on March 19, 2026, 06:50:24 PMTravelogue update: at my hotel in Albany! A wee bit sketchy but it'll do, for 60 bucks.
Anyone know anywhere decent to grab a bite here?
Let's see...
You don't have a car. You're in a sketchy part of Albany in a $60 a night room. I'm thinking Ubereats.
Quote from: andyw2100 on March 19, 2026, 07:01:57 PMQuote from: stereax on March 19, 2026, 06:50:24 PMTravelogue update: at my hotel in Albany! A wee bit sketchy but it'll do, for 60 bucks.
Anyone know anywhere decent to grab a bite here?
Let's see...
You don't have a car. You're in a sketchy part of Albany in a $60 a night room. I'm thinking Ubereats.
The hotel is sketchy. The area... y'know, might also be sketchy? On my way into the hotel parking lot I got approached by a lady with shards of front teeth carrying giant can bags asking if I could spare change...
Eh. I'm sure it's not THAT bad.
Besides, I'm like 15 minutes walking from some stuff, I can take the bus many places, it's all good!
also i trust ubereats as far as i can throw it, would genuinely rather go grab food at a nearby supermarketI'm just off Watervliet if that helps.
Quote from: stereax on March 19, 2026, 07:07:05 PMQuote from: andyw2100 on March 19, 2026, 07:01:57 PMQuote from: stereax on March 19, 2026, 06:50:24 PMTravelogue update: at my hotel in Albany! A wee bit sketchy but it'll do, for 60 bucks.
Anyone know anywhere decent to grab a bite here?
Let's see...
You don't have a car. You're in a sketchy part of Albany in a $60 a night room. I'm thinking Ubereats.
The hotel is sketchy. The area... y'know, might also be sketchy? On my way into the hotel parking lot I got approached by a lady with shards of front teeth carrying giant can bags asking if I could spare change...
Eh. I'm sure it's not THAT bad.
Besides, I'm like 15 minutes walking from some stuff, I can take the bus many places, it's all good!
also i trust ubereats as far as i can throw it, would genuinely rather go grab food at a nearby supermarket
I'm just off Watervliet if that helps.
Just outside of the city of Watervliet of off Watervliet Avenue?
Quote from: marty on March 19, 2026, 07:18:51 PMQuote from: stereax on March 19, 2026, 07:07:05 PMQuote from: andyw2100 on March 19, 2026, 07:01:57 PMQuote from: stereax on March 19, 2026, 06:50:24 PMTravelogue update: at my hotel in Albany! A wee bit sketchy but it'll do, for 60 bucks.
Anyone know anywhere decent to grab a bite here?
Let's see...
You don't have a car. You're in a sketchy part of Albany in a $60 a night room. I'm thinking Ubereats.
The hotel is sketchy. The area... y'know, might also be sketchy? On my way into the hotel parking lot I got approached by a lady with shards of front teeth carrying giant can bags asking if I could spare change...
Eh. I'm sure it's not THAT bad.
Besides, I'm like 15 minutes walking from some stuff, I can take the bus many places, it's all good!
also i trust ubereats as far as i can throw it, would genuinely rather go grab food at a nearby supermarket
I'm just off Watervliet if that helps.
Just outside of the city of Watervliet of off Watervliet Avenue?
Watervliet Ave. Close to the Market 32.
Don't have a car, you're not gonna be able to use the drive-up window.
There used to be a ride-board in the Straight. Sorry that was decades ago.
I liked the idea "sightseeing in Albany" when you're not a HS civics class.
Quote from: billhoward on March 19, 2026, 07:24:45 PMDon't have a car, you're not gonna be able to use the drive-up window.
There used to be a ride-board in the Straight. Sorry that was decades ago.
I liked the idea "sightseeing in Albany" when you're not a HS civics class.
Hey, the downtown looked like it had some cool stuff!!!
Quote from: stereax on March 19, 2026, 07:19:43 PMQuote from: marty on March 19, 2026, 07:18:51 PMQuote from: stereax on March 19, 2026, 07:07:05 PMQuote from: andyw2100 on March 19, 2026, 07:01:57 PMQuote from: stereax on March 19, 2026, 06:50:24 PMTravelogue update: at my hotel in Albany! A wee bit sketchy but it'll do, for 60 bucks.
Anyone know anywhere decent to grab a bite here?
Let's see...
You don't have a car. You're in a sketchy part of Albany in a $60 a night room. I'm thinking Ubereats.
The hotel is sketchy. The area... y'know, might also be sketchy? On my way into the hotel parking lot I got approached by a lady with shards of front teeth carrying giant can bags asking if I could spare change...
Eh. I'm sure it's not THAT bad.
Besides, I'm like 15 minutes walking from some stuff, I can take the bus many places, it's all good!
also i trust ubereats as far as i can throw it, would genuinely rather go grab food at a nearby supermarket
I'm just off Watervliet if that helps.
Just outside of the city of Watervliet of off Watervliet Avenue?
Watervliet Ave. Close to the Market 32.
I've got nothing - sorry.
ok so Trots just texted me, and I quote, "Watervliet? Yikes..."
I'm in for a long night huh
Quote from: stereax on March 19, 2026, 07:49:17 PMok so Trots just texted me, and I quote, "Watervliet? Yikes..."
I'm in for a long night huh
Watervliet Ave. is not Watervliet! That said, you're in an area that was primarily industrial.
Quote from: marty on March 19, 2026, 08:57:44 PMQuote from: stereax on March 19, 2026, 07:49:17 PMok so Trots just texted me, and I quote, "Watervliet? Yikes..."
I'm in for a long night huh
Watervliet Ave. is not Watervliet! That said, you're in an area that was primarily industrial.
So I've discovered.
Food adventures:
El Mariachi (kitchen closed) -> El Mariachi Tapas (homeless person sleeping outside the door, locked, kitchen closed when I called) -> "fuck this" -> Out of Town Bistro (open!!!)
(https://i.ibb.co/JFjpdZcv/IMG20260319210214.jpg) (https://ibb.co/BK26Pkfy)
(https://i.ibb.co/rKJ097F1/IMG20260319210251.jpg) (https://ibb.co/mr7TpDbM)
Did I win at solitaire? Yes.
Overpriced? Yeah, I paid 15 bucks for this (Philly cheesesteak egg rolls) with tip. Unfortunately, I was starting to get the bends from not eating, so... They were also damn good. So there's that!
Next stop, grocery store to grab some Crap to chew on tonight and tommorning. (They say there's free breakfast, but do I trust it?)
Well, you found your way to Lark St, which would've been my recommendation. Back when the ECACs were in Albany, that was the strip you could find some late night eats and decent nightlife, even though it was a bit of a hike from the arena & downtown hotels. But things can change. I see that Bomber's Burrito bar is now closed, for example.
It's further away, but Wolff's had German bites and was a favorite of some eLF'ers during the weekend.
Quote from: RichH on March 19, 2026, 10:26:39 PMWell, you found your way to Lark St, which would've been my recommendation. Back when the ECACs were in Albany, that was the strip you could find some late night eats and decent nightlife, even though it was a bit of a hike from the arena & downtown hotels. But things can change. I see that Bomber's Burrito bar is now closed, for example.
It's further away, but Wolff's had German bites and was a favorite of some eLF'ers during the weekend.
I heard about Wolff's from a Devils friend of mine, actually! Looked great too, but I figured it was way far away + German fare (wurst and sauerkraut) might not sit well on a nearly empty stomach. Man I miss kielbasa and kapusta.
Anyways. Headed home. Grabbed some crap to chew on, came in at $7.27 for a donut, a bagel, some cheddar fries, a buncha crunch, and a liter of iced tea lemonade (god bless cheap stores), now back at the hotel and about to see if the TV has anything worthwhile. See y'all tomorrow at LP!
Quote from: stereax on March 19, 2026, 03:08:41 PMQuote from: stereax on March 19, 2026, 02:16:45 PMQuote from: andyw2100 on March 19, 2026, 01:12:19 PMQuote from: stereax on March 19, 2026, 01:06:01 PMOn the bus to Binghamton 🥳
You're going in the wrong direction... :)
Haha, unfortunately no direct bus to Albany from Ithaca. This is at least better than going all the way to NYC and connecting there!
For those of you who enjoy my little travelogues, on the bus to Albany! And significantly less stressed - that was the most critical part of the trip and if God forbid the connection was missed, I'd have to book quickly and connect in NYC, getting to Albany around midnight 😭
I, for one, do enjoy your travelogues.