Hanover - take it for what it is or leave as quickly as possible
I prefer to leave it as quickly as possible. How about you?
I'm actually looking forward to hiking through Hanover. Trail is trail and town is town, and I prefer my towns to have a very nice inn and all the amenities.
Sometimes I feel like I am walking in my own shadow.
Cool. Then it will work well for you. Bring lots of cash.
Amen to that.Originally Posted by tlap
"All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us."
Hanover was great. I'm fortunate enough to have enough money to splurge now and again and Hanover is a great place to get a nice room, eat some good food and get a *real* cup of coffee.
I can see how it would be a drag if you didn't have any bucks - in which case the hostel at Glencliff is just 40ish miles up the trail.
I did pick up on the 'upper crust' vibe but that's just the kind of town it is, like Salisbury, CT and my favorite trail town, Manchester Center, VT.
I had fun in Hanover, where I started and ended section hikes. Didn't spend the night there, just enjoyed the visit and the trip down memory lane. I did my Peace Corps training there in 1965 and had a great time (yep, I'm THAT OLD).
A vote for Hanover
There are pros and cons to every trail town, based on your needs and preferences.
I think Hanover has more pros than cons, and appreciate the effort currently being made to be more accomodating to hikers.
I always looked forward to visiting town when the Aldha Gathering was held there, and hope that at some point we can return.
Admittedly there has been a price premium to stay and resupply there, but if 10K can get a room at the Hanover Inn for $100 a night (the cheapest room for tonight on their website including AAA discount is $242 .), then change may be coming
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Most hikers appreciate good food when they hit town. You could make a good argument that Hanover has the triple crown of good restaurants:
Lou's for breakfast, Thayer Hall for lunch, 5 Olde Nugget for dinner
And the Dirt Cowboy for regular caffeine hits, with a side trip to Ben and Jerry's for your sweet tooth
So, I guess the reply to the query would be that I would be in no hurry to leave town (at least, not until my wallet was empty)
CG
The rack rate I was quoted was $265 per night.
Admittedly there has been a price premium to stay and resupply there, but if 10K can get a room at the Hanover Inn for $100 a night (the cheapest room for tonight on their website including AAA discount is $242 .
CG
I was pretty surprised myself to get the price down that low as it was also on a weekend. Hotel rooms are right up there with buying cars when it comes to negotiating - a lot depends on the time of day, how full the place is, what kind of chemistry you have with the desk clerk, and if the desk clerk is feeling generous.
I introduced myself like so: "My name is Tom Bradford and I'm a quiet, neat and very tired hiker that would love to stay at the Hanover Inn."
She then quoted me the $265 rate and offered to lower it to $175. I countered with $100 per night, paid in cash and would commit to 2 nights if she'd accept my offer.
We chit chatted for a few minutes about hiking and the town and she finally said she guessed she could go $100 per night.
So.... it was a mix of luck, being nice and being willing to negotiate.
"Now thats negotiating", William Shatner.
When I hiked SOBO thru Hanover I just kept going. Temps in the upper 80s just made it nothing more than another miserable road walk.
Pain is a by-product of a good time.
After hiking thru Hanover five times now what surprises me the most is that Hanover is where I have never seen Jack Tarlin. I have run into him at Neels, Duncannon several times, Damascus, etc, but never his 'hometown'. I think he is avoiding letting me crash at his place. Smile Jack.
we've only been in the area twice, but both times we opted not to stay there.
Passed Thru, Looked very nice...
Hanover seemed like a nice town. I bought a great big box of cherrios, a half gallon of milk and hiked the short distance north to the first shelter and had myself a feast!
In '76 I stayed in the kappa kappa kappa dorm gratis - enjoyed the nightly frat party ansd Thayer Hall the next day. Wonderful and unique experience.
Quod gratis asseritur, gratis negatur.
Relax people! Go with the flow and you can enjoy Hanover immensely!
Free camping(near soccer field), free slices of pizza, lots of young brainy female college coeds wandering around, good coffee w/ decent bakery items at the Dirt Cowboy right in the midst of the hustle and bustle near the Dartmouth campus, good eats, decent bars, great food co-op, and there's Baltimore Jack directing hikers as to what services and goods are available!
Lose the, "everyone is here to cater to me because I'm a thru-hiker mentality" and you'll have a decent night in Hanover!
10-K, that was a heck of a deal you negotiated. $275 per night - @#$! CRAZY!
Bare Bear:
Sorry we managed to miss you so many times. Lemme know the next time you're around and we'll see what we can do. The swimming hole is really nice this time of year.
People with simple needs and no demands tend to have a good experience in just about any town.
If I was going to move to a "trail town" Hanover would be one of the cities on a very short list.
There is only one thing to know about Hanover: Molly's $2 Margaritas all day, everyday.
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