Compare and Contrast

After visiting both The Mountaineer in Keene Valley and Hoss’s Country Corner in Long Lake, I began to compare and contrast the two stores in my head. The Mountaineer is clearly directed towards an audience seeking more serious outdoor recreation while Hoss’s Country Corner is directed towards the typical tourist. Because both of these stores serve different purposes, it makes sense that they would each be very distinct.  

The Mountaineer sells gear for hiking, camping, climbing, skiing, fishing, and several other outdoor activities. In order to engage in these types of recreation, at least one person in a group needs to know what they are doing. Tourists generally do not have the breadth or depth of knowledge to walk in a store that sells these types of gear and know exactly what they are looking for; however, there are still several exceptions. Hikers, campers, climbers, etc. all have to start somewhere, so it is not fair to judge someone if they are new to the activity. Rather, the point is that most tourists who travel to the Adirondacks only venture out on day trips without the need for a lot of equipment.

On the other hand, Hoss’s Country Corner sells a wide variety of Adirondack apparel, children’s toys, maple sugar products, and other general items. If someone lives in the area, they are not going to need many things from this particular type of store, so customers are mainly tourists. Something that both stores have in common is a large section of books pertaining to the Adirondacks. Even though the types of books each store has are not exactly the same, there is still quite a bit of overlap. In addition, both stores are a way for money to stay within the local community and support the permanent residents of the Adirondacks. The two stores are drastically different from one another, but after taking the time to reflect on our class field trip, I have realized that they have a bit more in common than I originally thought.