A Letter to the Editor

It bums me out to see the final "real and untouched" Hojo's come to a close. When I found out about it's existence, my friend and I trekked from here in Glens Falls, NY over to Hojo's in Springfield. I went back three times after that. Then came the official news.

When I discovered Springfield's existence back in December, my friend and I set out on a mission to get to all the open restaurants knowing full well that we may not get a chance to ever again. We ate at Millington, Maryland 2 weeks before the auction date (nothing authentic on the menu, but good food nonetheless), went to Springfield again, and Lake Placid twice since then. In fact, I ate there Wednesday night and snapped some more pics. :)

I am fortunate to live only 7 miles from Lake George, but it's not the same. Even Lake Placid is less than 2 hours from here, and luckily boasts a couple of the original menu items, but still, it's not the real deal like Springfield is.

This weekend my friend and I are going to Times Square and Waterbury, and in June to Bangor and Bay City, Michigan. Hopefully Lake George won't go away by the time I get back.

I could have cared less about Howard Johnson's falling off the map, except for one thing reason -- it's demise totally caught me off-guard. It seems chains fold all the time, but this one was completely under the radar. When I finally saw it before my eyes, I couldn't believe it. That is why I am on a quest to see what's left, and more.

Thanks for mentioning it in your paper. I wish more people realized what is disappearing, because you don't know what you've got until it's gone.

Sincerely,

Brian Florence

Glens Falls, NY