[Road trip] North Country?

[RichS]

Sorry guys...after being away a couple of days after Thanksgiving, I forgot about the directions.

Those are right on John so I'll just fill in a bit.  The exit off the Northway is for Warrensburg, which you'll hit just a few miles up on Rt 9.  That's where you'll pick up Rt 28 and I think you pick up Rt 30 making a right turn in Blue Mtn Lake...or is it Long Lake?  As many times as I've made the trip, I can't keep these Lakes straight...except Lk Placid, of course....  :-D   And you don't hit LP following these directions as it's slower that way.

Right John, you do get onto Rt 3 for just a short while...yeah, I forget how many miles.  Hard to believe I just made this trip 3 wks ago, eh?  I think you pick up Rt 3 in Tupper Lake.   Thats a good place to stop for gas at either of the two Mobils you'll pass since it might be the last open station you find before Potsdam, depending on the time of night.  Allow about 50-60 mins from Tupper to Potsdam.  Be alert for the right turn from Rt 3 onto Rt 56 as the sign advising of the turn is only about a quarter mile ahead of it.  There are a number of tricky curves on Rt 56 before you get to within 5 miles or so of Potsdam.  Be careful on these, esp if driving at night!  I've never taken 68 to Canton but 56 takes you past SUCP-Potsdam, and into the center of town...Clarkson's famed Snell Hall is on the right at the traffic light.  A left turn at the light onto Main gets you headed through town and to the hill campus, where Cheel Campus Center (containing Cheel Arena) is.  If you're arriving just before game time you can follow the crowd once you've made the right into the hill campus.  Parking can be tight so you may have to walk back a few minutes to Cheel after parking beyond it.

One word of advice...make as much of the trip as you can in daylight if possible, because if the weather is bad, the roads in the mountains can be nasty, especially at night!   Eat before you leave the Albany area becuse there's not much along the way except for a couple of delis and Italian places in Warrensburg.  After that, I'm not familair with anything but gas stations.   The food at the Cheel center is decent and more varied now but with the game being on Sunday evening, I can't guarantee they'll be open.

As for lodging, I personally recommend Smallings Motel-South on Rt 11, all of about a 5 minute trip from Cheel, towards Canton on the left.  It's newly remodeled in summer 2001 and I've been there a few times.  The tel # is 315-265-0709.  I think its the best by far of the handful of roadside motels in the area.   The Smalling family that owns it, and another older motel on the other side of town, has been part of the Clarkson family for over 30 years at least, and that may account for their maintaining their regular rates on hockey weekends.  I jut paid $49 a night incl tax and a AAA discount of 10% I think.  Only 16 (?) units I believe so call NOW if you're interested.

For breakfast in Potsdam in particular, I recommend McNamara's on Clarkson Ave at the foot of the hill campus.  They are friendly, efficient, and very reasonably priced and the food is good.  Have only had breakfast there.  It's practically next door to the old arena, Walker, or Clarkson Arena as it was known in my day and taking a peek there is worth it...it may even be open on Saturday if you're lucky.

For events on campus, try www.clarkson.edu.  Hope this helps and that you folks enjoy the trip...except for the outcome at Cheel, of course...:-P

[Jim Hyla]

RichS wrote[Q]For breakfast in Potsdam in particular, I recommend McNamara's on Clarkson Ave at the foot of the hill campus. They are friendly, efficient, and very reasonably priced and the food is good. Have only had breakfast there. It's practically next door to the old arena, Walker, or Clarkson Arena as it was known in my day and taking a peek there is worth it...it may even be open on Saturday if you're lucky.
[/Q]While I heartily agree with the breakfast rec., I don't know about worth it. For old times sake maybe, but not many of us non-Clarksonians (?) were sorry to see it go.;-)

[jtwcornell91]

Jim Hyla '67 wrote:

RichS wrote[Q] the old arena, Walker, or Clarkson Arena as it was known in my day and taking a peek there is worth it...it may even be open on Saturday if you're lucky.
[/Q]I don't know about worth it. For old times sake maybe, but not many of us non-Clarksonians (?) were sorry to see it go.;-)

I'm sure the rest of the ECAC will say the same thing about Lynah when it's been replaced by the Andy Noel Campus Center.

[Jim Hyla]

John T. Whelan wrote:[Q]I'm sure the rest of the ECAC will say the same thing about Lynah when it's been replaced by the Andy Noel Campus Center.[/Q]You could at least put some sort of a smiley face after a statement like that.

[colo83]

Pretty good casino   35 minutes nort in Hogans burg..    (age is 18)    God for a few hrs on Sun.

[Al DeFlorio]

John T. Whelan '91 wrote:

I'm sure the rest of the ECAC will say the same thing about Lynah when it's been replaced by the Andy Noel Campus Center.

...which will feature steam-table turkey on its menu.

[Al DeFlorio]

ken stillman wrote:

Pretty good casino 35 minutes nort in Hogans burg...(age is 18).  God for a few hrs on Sun.

Since when are they holding lengthy church services in casinos.
 ::nut::

[RichS]

Sounds like he'll be worshiping the Gambling gods...;-)

[colo83]

Boy,   did you two take the boot,    I mean  bait!

[jtwcornell91]

I can second Rich's recommendation of either Smalling Motel, and had only not said it before because I didn't want people to fill it my before I made my reservations.  Unfortunately, it was irrelevant, because they both filled up a month ago. :-/

As an alternative, some of us are staying in Ottawa, at the Days Inn Downtown (book online at http://www.daysinn.com/ ) if anyone wants to join us.

[DeltaOne81]

So does that mean the Cornell parties are gonna be up in Ottawa? ;-)... should I bring my passport? (do you even need it to go to Canada, haven't done so in about 4 years)

[Ben Doyle 03]

Yes, either your passport or two forms of photo ID. . .otherwise expect to be at the border for a loooooooooooooooooooooong time. ::snore::

[rhovorka]

Well, we drove through Ontario on the way back from the WMU trip, and had absolutely no problems.  Crossed at Windsor and Lewiston.  The Canadian customs agent joked with us, and even the US customs agent was friendly.  No ID was necessary at either point.  I'll still probably pack my passport just in case.

I'm also bringing my skates, in case there's a chance on Sunday to skate that canal that runs through the city.
http://www.canadascapital.gc.ca/winter/skateway/index_e.asp

[Josh '99]

I don't have a passport, so I'm not bringing one.  I've never been asked for one at the Canadian border.

[Adam \'01]

The Andy Noel Campus Center?  Cringe.  So now we know where that bloody $7/month is going.

 ::yark::