The line at the Avis rental car location in New York City was packed with Memorial Day weekend travelers wearing sunglasses and hats, dragging carry-ons behind them and hoisting backpacks over their shoulders. In the pickup area, employees reversed freshly cleaned SUVs into parking spots one after another, preparing them for long holiday drives out of the city.
My friend and I were headed to Upstate New York to escape the cacophony of the city and spend the weekend around Lake George before hiking in the Adirondacks. Getting there, however, wasn’t easy. Amtrak tickets were sold out for the weekend, Metro-North wasn’t practical for where we were going, and rental-car prices were exorbitant.
