Having taken off from writing my blog for over 3 years, I'm ready to share with anyone who'll read my new ideas, tips, advice, and anything interesting that comes my way. The reason for my hiatus was a four letter word...work. In 2017, I retired from my job at the New York State Senate as a writer and next an event planner and then decided to try out a few things. Namely, I temporarily moved from my home on Long Island to upstate Saratoga Springs, NY to live closer to my two married children and grandchildren. My spouse and I rented an apartment there during November through January and realized that it just wasn't for us. Although we love our family dearly, those winter days and nights were long and sometimes unbearably cold. Not for us...not at this age. But we gave it a try and helped out our daughter who was expecting her third child. We did have a lovely two bedroom apartment which we rented at the Springs
https://www.burnsmgmt.com/community/the-springs/ and were happy to be 4 hours closer to our family.
Don't get me wrong...Saratoga Springs is a destination place and probably most famous for having one of the oldest racetracks in the United States
https://www.saratogaracetrack.com/ We've spent many family weekends there enjoying the history, and beauty of the track. And, of course, there are the horse races, betting, and if you're lucky...winning! On certain weekends, the track has giveaways including backpacks, shirts, hats, and even lawn chairs. There are also plenty of dining choices not only here but both in downtown Saratoga and throughout.
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Grab a cup of coffee or reserve for breakfast and
watch the early morning warmups |
One of our personal favorites is the restaurant 15 Church
https://www.15churchrestaurant.com/saratoga-springs/ which offers both indoor dining as well as patio dining...reservations are a must especially during the track season. The food is fresh, creative and beyond delicious...give it a try! Some other favorites, all located in Saratoga's downtown are Cantina
http://www.cantinasaratoga.com/ which offers trendy Mexican and Southwest cooking. The restaurant moved to a new location on the same street with a larger space and is fantastic. A rooftop deck is scheduled to open this spring 2019. Boca Bistro
http://bocabistro.com/ offers Spanish cuisine and tapas, Forno Bistro
http://fornobistro.com/ a Tuscan-style food eatery and Chianti Il Ristorante
http://chiantiristorante.com/ offers Northern Italian cuisine and are all owned by the same organization DZ Restaurants. You can't go wrong at any of them and suggest you try all of them!
Other excellent attractions in Saratoga are it's beautiful state park
https://parks.ny.gov/parks/saratogaspa/details.aspx which houses the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (also known as SPAC). which has a world-class concerts
https://spac.org/calendar/calendar-of-events/?view=list&gen=9 as well as a 5-day visit from the New York City Ballet
https://www.saratoga.com/things-to-do/nyc-ballet/ and opera performances. There's also a Museum of Dance, an Automobile Museum, the Roosevelt Baths & Spa at the Gideon Putnam hotel
https://www.gideonputnam.com/ (you can soak in the world famous Saratoga Springs mineral water or get a massage), an excellent golf course, as well as a multitude of trails and 12 mineral springs for your drinking pleasure.
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| One of the many beautiful walking paths in the Park |
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| Avenue of the Pines |
Throughout Saratoga Springs, you'll find 21 public mineral springs
https://www.saratoga.com/things-to-do/parks-landmarks-nature/mineral-springs/ Sample every one of them and pick your favorite.
Mine is the Hayes Well Spring located right in the state park and you are free to bring water bottles to fill for drinking...can't get any fresher or better than this!
Another favorite is the Saratoga Winery
https://www.thesaratogawinery.com/ located on Route 29 just 10 minutes from downtown Saratoga. Great selection of handcrafted wines and beer. They also have a nice menu and live entertainment Friday through Sunday. It's a great place for the kiddies to run around outside during the warmer weather and corn hole boards are set up for all to play.
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| The winery interior |
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| Outdoor patio with live entertainment under the tent |
Saratoga Springs has become sort of our home-away-from-home because we visit so much...just too cold for us in the winter months. Like I mentioned above, it's a definite destination spot with so many things to do, it's chock full of history, a great selection for dining and shopping and worth the trip.
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| Shopping, dining, and attractions on Broadway |
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| Great nightlife with something for everyone |
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