HELLO SARATOGA SPRINGS!
To alleviate Megan's sadness at leaving the Wilson Foundation (http://wilsonfdn.org/) after 9 years and to temper her excitement at joining the Farash Foundation (https://www.farashfoundation.org/), we took a very quick trip to nearby Saratoga Springs, New York.
"Were you born in a barn?"
"No, but I did sleep in a horse stable..."
The Brentwood Hotel (https://brentwood-hotel.com/) was a nice, fun, and comfortable place to stay within the grounds of the Saratoga Race Track (https://www.saratogaracetrack.com/). Very European accommodations. And close to town, but far enough away to be very, very quiet.
While it was the off-season, the Brentwood Hotel was a great place to watch all the horses head to the track from their stables for training.
Druther's Brewing (http://www.druthersbrewing.com) with their good beer and food of gigantic proportions. We saw another table order a mac and cheese that could easily feed a family of four.
Friends gathering around the table.
When there's a bit of rain on vacation, the best thing to do is try everything a brewery offers. To see what's on our flight, visit: http://www.druthersbrewing.com/beer
Megan trying our race day hats at Soave Faire Art & Office Supplies (http://www.soavefaire.com). This store somehow carried everything. They had fashion, cards, home decor, art supplies, and so much more. If they carried food, there'd be no reason to shop anywhere else.
Since 1938, this is the Louisiana cooking they've been serving at Hattie's Chicken Shack (http://hattiesrestaurant.com). Great food and atmosphere. Almost like taking a vacation while on vacation.
Just a sliver of the expansive grounds of the Saratoga Race Track. It's at least 125 acres (if not more) of race tracks, stables, fields, barns, Hall of Fame, and more.
Please tell me that mini horse racing is a thing. Com' on Lil' Sebastian!
Taking our morning strill into town we were able to watch some harness racing warm-ups and training.
Just a small slice of the enormous mansions around town.
The little Hobbit House known as the Bread Basket Bakery (https://www.saratogabreadbasket.com)
Enjoying our maple twist and raspberry bear claw in Congress park. These were pretty amazing.
A bit of the historic and old world charm of Congress Park (https://www.saratoga.com/hotspots/congress-park/)
Megan overlooking Lake George from Pilot Knob Preserve (https://www.lakegeorge.com/hiking/pilot-knob/#1).
This is protected lands in the Adirondack Mountains. A mile-long driveway and house was constructed on this site, which blighted the unbroken wilderness of the Pilot Knob range. The property was confiscated, rehabilitated by the Zug Family, and the house was torn down to the cheers of the crowd of people in 40 boats below.
The hemlock and oak forest on the back part of Schumann's Preserve at Pilot Knob.
Back at the gazebo overlooking Lake George
After all that vertical hiking, we earned these burritos at the Cantina (https://www.cantinasaratoga.com/). Chicken Tinga with cactus fries really hit the spot.
Watching the horses return to the Bond Racing Stables (https://www.jamesbondracing.com) after some training at the race track.
It's amazing how athletic these horses look compared to the horses you see wandering around the fields on farms.
Five Points Grocery (https://www.saratoga5points.com/) wonderful little grocery store perfectly situated between our place and town.
Hathorn Spring One is one of the namesakes of the city. "Discovered in 1866, by a workman, Samuel Freeburn, while digging an excavation for Congress Hall, and named after Henry H, Hathorn owner of the Congress Hotel .A highly-carbonated water of an Alkaline-Saline flavor noted for its high mineral content, and renowned as a digestive curative..."
Compton's Restaurant (https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Diner/Comptons-Restaurant-159286897415115/) for breakfast. It's the perfect no-nonsense, good food and reasonable prices greasy spoon.
Adelphi Hotel (https://www.theadelphihotel.com/) and Morrissey Restaurant (https://www.morrisseyslounge.com/) showing some of the grandeur of Broadway.
Some of General Philip Schuyler's 168,000 acre estate (https://www.nps.gov/sara/planyourvisit/schuyler-house.htm) given to him and maintained by tenant farmers and slaves. Also, just know the difficulty of navigating the area when every house, laundromat, rest stop, and street is named Schuyler...
Saratoga National Park (https://www.nps.gov/sara/index.htm) overlooking the battlefield where the British faced their first surrender ever. A feat that encouraged the French to join the America cause for independence, which turned the endeavor to our favor.
Our final stop on our way home. The eerie nesting grounds of the Heron at Ballston Creek Preserve (https://www.saratogaplan.org/explore/public-preserves-trails/ballston-creek-preserve/) in Ballston Spa, NY. While we didn't see any Heron, Megan did see a Bald Eagle from I-90 at the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge (https://www.fws.gov/refuge/montezuma/).
That's it from our sample-sized vacation.
