Jul 7, 2008

Local tourism forecast: SunnyBy Alex NunesPostStar.com

Lake George — Last week, Patty Kirkpatrick was roasting almonds in the front window of Nina’s Sweet Shoppe in Lake George when she was distracted by customers.

The batch burned.

But the smell of overcooked nuts was a good sign to Kirkpatrick, the owner of the store. It meant she was busy and on her way to record business over the Fourth of July weekend.

“I’m just a happy girl,” Kirkpatrick, 61, said Saturday. “Yesterday was a bigger day than any day I’ve had.” Kirkpatrick’s store was one of several businesses in Lake George to see an increase in customers over the holiday weekend compared to the same time last year.

The boost comes despite an increase in travel expenses. Last year, a gallon of regular gas cost about $1.15 less statewide, according to AAA.

Businesses stayed open past their usual closing times, some hotels were completely booked and shops had lines stretching out the door.

Owners and workers attributed the success to the timing of the holiday, which fell on a three-day weekend this year; Canadian tourists taking advantage of their currency’s strength in the U.S.; and economical vacationers from the Albany region who opted to stay closer to home rather than travel to destinations like Cape Cod or Maine.

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