LOCALadk Magazine

Spring 2016 LOCALadk Magazine 25 LOCALadk try. This is what they had been waiting for." "The usefulness of railroads in America has faded from the public's perception – right now many people feel that old rail- roads serve no purpose and have no future," explains Mary- Joy. "The truth is, they can be used. They can be re-activated. Rail Explorers have proved that disused railroads can revital- ize communities and provide significant economic growth. We hope that Saranac Lake is just the beginning." Rail Explorers just completed a VERY successful first season – serving 11,000 visitors in just 100 days of operation. A cus- tomer survey conducted at the end-of-season revealed that 65.5% of Rail Explorers' riders nominated Rail Explorers USA as their primary reason for visiting the Adirondack Park. Visi- tors travelled an average of 250 miles to their base in Saranac Lake to ride the railbikes. "We've had people come from as far as Pennsylvania, a seven- and-a-half-hour drive, because they saw this online and want- ed to try it," said Mary-Joy Lu. "We thought we'd start slowly with 5-10 people per tour. Since we opened, it's been booked every seat, every day, every tour. After the first month, we doubled the fleet from six to twelve rail bikes." Rail Explorers is currently ranked on Tripadvisor.com as the #1 Outdoor Activity in Saranac Lake, with a 5 star rating from re- viewers. "It's a priceless experience which families and groups will remember forever," said Mary-Joy. Merchants in Saranac Lake and Lake Clear had a good sum- mer, in part due to Rail Explorers. Thousands of out-of-town visitors stayed at local hotels and dined in restaurants in and around the village. Mary Joy described the success of the rail bikes in their first year. "We thought this would be a development year, and that next year things would really take off, but the immediate re- sponse to the railbikes has been beyond our expectations. We have ordered more bikes and hired more employees, but we are still unable to keep up. Our customer surveys have indicat- ed that over 75 percent of respondents were traveling to the region for the very first time, and a large reason they came was to ride the railbikes. For Mary Joy Lu and Alex Catchpoole, the success of the rail- bikes had fueled a bigger goal of forming partnerships with historic rail lines in other parts of the country. Rail Explorers operations require little or no construction – the business ac- tivates existing rail infrastructure which is either abandoned or underused. This allows for fast and efficient rollout when a new location is secured. The company has been approached by four other locations around the country, and the owners will be meeting with these prospective partners in the next few months. As Rail Explorers expand to open additional locations, owners Mary Joy and Alex want the Adirondack location to remain the company's headquarters. "This is where we envision training our new associates, operating our central office and eventual- ly open a railbike manufacturing plant to supply all of our new locations", adds Alex. Rail Explorers USA is attracting a new demographic to the Ad- irondack Park and helping to put Saranac Lake on the map in a big way. Whether you are a long time local or visiting with family or friends, make plans in 2016 to ride the rails of this spectacular region. Bring your camera to capture the fun, or your binocu- lars to spot the local wildlife, including eagles and osprey. Rail Explorers brings together the freedom of the wilderness with the magic of the rails to create an unforgettable experience for all. www.railexplorers.net Rail Explorers Rail Explorers

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