Things To Do In Saratoga Springs
By Jaclyn Einis
Twenty
The Roosevelt Bathhouse minutes on Amtrak ’ s Adirondack line . That ’ s all it takes to feel completely removed from the city . Another three or so hours of rambling along the Hudson , and Manhattan ’ s a faint memory . Lawn jockeys stand guard on wraparound porches , flanked by flowerpots and rocking chairs . This is Saratoga Springs , “ The City in the Country .” Its main stretch boasts a solid roster of restaurants ; a handful of lively bars , a CVS and a Ben and Jerry ’ s , but calling it a city still seems a stretch . It feels like more of a town ; one bustling with culture ( both artistic and horseracing ) and the quaint calm that only the country can bring .
Saratoga ’ s population more than triples during the summer racing season , and with good reason , but if crowds aren ’ t your thing , off-peak offers plenty to see and do , plus a few sweet ways of doing very little .
THE SPA Before it became a racing destination , the city ’ s natural mineral springs gave it the moniker “ Spa City .” The Roosevelt Bathhouse ( Franklin D . Roosevelt was one of the health retreat ’ s strongest supporters ) has operated as a spa since the 1930 ’ s , with original bathtubs and tiling to boot . Now part of the Gideon Putnam Resort , the Roosevelt Spa carries in quality what it lacks in frills .
The mineral treatments will leave you feeling smooth and lithe ; even a little effervescent . The mineral water is naturally freezing , so it ’ s mixed with a bit of hot fresh water to make it just warm enough for comfort . Don ’ t be thrown off by the rusty color ; the iron-filled water oxidizes upon contact with the air .
THE SPRINGS You can also sip on mineral water from the more socially acceptable spouts that pop up all over town . Most are housed under small
Saratoga Spa Golf
pavilions , though some lay low as lone , unmarked spigots . The water we tried tasted only a little better than it smelled ( a pungent , sulfur stench ), but each spring has its own flavor profile so you might want to make a detoxifying mineral-crawl of your morning stroll . Or get the full-body treatment outside of the spa by visiting The Victoria Pool or Peerless Pool .
THE GREAT OUTDOORS The Roosevelt Baths , Saratoga Performing Arts Center ( SPAC ) and Saratoga Spa Golf are all part of Saratoga Spa State Park . You ’ ll want to crane your neck to see the pines towering above the park ’ s manicured lawn , but it ’ s the forest that kept us busy . We took the Hemlock Path , a peaceful trail of wetlands forest and fields just over a mile long , noted for its blue butterflies . For the most direct walk to the path from the park ’ s center , take Gideon Putnam road to Route 9 , cross onto Crescent Ave , and look for the path on your left .
ARTS & CULTURE The culturally curious have plenty of museums to hop between in Saratoga , each with impressive children ’ s “ edutainment ” areas . The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame gives visitors a look at horse racing history , the anatomy of a racehorse
The Saratoga Automobile Museum
plus jockey training and fashion . The National Museum of Dance and Hall of Fame and notoriously haunted Saratoga Springs History Museum also bring historical fashion into focus . The Saratoga Automobile Museum houses some of the world ’ s hottest engines in a converted bottling plant .
This excerpted article originally appeared on offMetro . com , a travel resource on the best car-free getaways from the city .
PHOTOS : ( SPA ) DELAWARE NORTH ; ( GOLF ) COURTESY SARATOGA SPA GOLF ; ( RACECAR ) SARATOGA AUTOMOBILE MUSEUM
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