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AN ADIRONDACK VACATION EXPERIENCE
MEET ANDREW
April 18, 2004 - April 29, 2004
Andrew arrived to the Adirondack Mountains on a late Sunday evening (April 18th) in a thunderstorm. He showed up at doorstep inquiring if we had accommodations open. Nothing was prepared but were able to quickly accommodate him in the Crow's Nest Yurt. Once Andrew was settled we directed him to the local store for supplies. When Andrew returned, he went for a stroll in the pouring rain to check out his new area.
When Andrew arrived back at the main house, we found out some basics.
Andrew is originally from Australia and currently residing in Canada with his sister. He is over to Canada for a year on a Commonwealth work exchange program. He is currently traveling from hostel to hostel often working in exchange for room and board. We found this very interesting and had a wonderful time visiting with Andrew and learning about his travel experiences.
Andrew let us know he arrived from Hamilton Canada to Back To Basics for one night (so he thought). From here he departed to Cape Cod to meet a friend and from there he is heading to New York City to see a Western Australian folk band play. Next on his itinerary is Alberta Canada where he hopes to work for the summer. We wish Andrew the best during his travels and hope he receives the hospitality he deserves during his experiences.
Well, we thought we'd seen the last of him ..but no. On the way back from New York he stopped in again (1 week later- April 24) with his sister Caroline and her baby Abbey (being Western Australian she also wanted to see the local band play). They stayed in the Crow's Nest yurt and opted for one of our dinner packages. In the morning they went on the Nine Corner Lake trail before heading home to Hamilton.
I received a call on Tuesday April 27 from Andrew stating he was in St. Johnsville (only about 20 minutes Southwest of us). Since I received the call on voice mail I was a bit confused. Andrew and Caroline had departed on April 25 and headed to Hamilton. It was only two days later and they had only made it to St. Johnsville.
Andrew ended up staying a few more nights after his vehicle broke down not too far up the road! He's suspicious the locals hadn't got enough of him and are sabotaging his departure :-) He's spending his time doing some more hiking: Kane mountain, Stewart and Indian lake. He's still here so stay tuned for next update......
I waited for a return call from Andrew and learned that his car had broken down in Rockwood. Andrew and Caroline had been staying down the road while one of the local garages attempted to fix the car. Apparently, the first garage was unable to perform the repair so it was then towed into St. Johnsville to a Ford dealership. Caroline was shuttled to Amsterdam, New York to catch a train with Abbey for the return home.
Andrew asked if he hitched a way back to us could he stay. We told Andrew to stay put and we would be down shortly to pick him up in "Gods Country". We brought Andrew back and put him back in Crow's Nest. It took the dealership three days to fix Andrew's car along with a nice bill $$$$$$$$.
During his stay here he did some day hikes while we were working (even took a day hike to Canada Lake Store for supplies - about 8 miles away). We were also trying to prepare for a weekend survival course, and Andrew graciously helped with the preparations.
Friday afternoon Andrews car was finally repaired repaired. We waited for our survival guests to arrive and then brought Andrew back to St. Johnsville to pick up his car. Finally back on the road headed for Hamilton and then out to Alberta Canada. The establishment that Andrew was to be working for was very understanding with the situation.
BEST WISHES FROM THE ADIRONDACKS
"An unforgettable experience for 3 "aussies" living in Canada on their way back from New York to see the home town band.
Thanks for unbelievable hospitality and we'll see you soon."
CAROLYN, ANDREW & BABY ABBEY
© Back To Basics Adirondack Wilderness Adventures 2004