Sweet Home Saratoga

Forty-eight hours- that’s all the time I had to show my mother my new home in all its grandeur. And although it seems like a decent stretch to do this and that, it was a race against time the entire visit. It was an extremely short trip in which she was passing through merely to get her piano; my husband and I have been storing it for her for the past five years. My parent’s recently bought a home in Florida that was finally big enough for her to retrieve one of her favorite pieces. Prior to her visit, I asked her multiple times what she wanted to do. She always responded with, “Anything and everything that has to do with Saratoga and the surrounding area.” Now, if you’ve lived here long enough, even a mere six months like me, you know that the list of things to do and see is endless.

The first day was too short. It was my son’s birthday so we tried to focus on things he loves to do. We started the day early and drove up Prospect Mountain in Lake George with some family friends. The intention was to have a picnic lunch all together on the peak. Unfortunately we didn’t plan for it to be as cold and windy as it was on top of the mountain and ended up retreating to Shepards Park. There, we enjoyed our huge Roma sandwiches as we watched the boats cruise along the water. We then let all the children play on the playground and strolled along the waterfront until they were tired enough for their naps. That evening, which one could say is less “Saratoga,” we spent some time, and money, in Wilton Mall playing in the bounce area at the food court and watching Cars 2.

The next day, we got up early again and we decided to do some shopping downtown Saratoga. We walked in and out of stores getting little mementoes for my mom and gifts for my dad. Over and over she would stop and gaze at the buildings and say she was just amazed on what a beautiful town and area this was. Subsequently we stumbled upon Ravenous, where my mother insisted we had to have lunch. Later, with our bellies full, we decided to walk it off in Congress Park. Of course a visit to Congress Park wouldn’t be complete without a ride on the carousel. Later that afternoon, after another naptime, we decided to head back up to Lake George for Shoreline’s Pizza Cruise. With pizza, entertainment, drinks, and a breathless view all together in one place, it was a nice way to spend our last meal as a family before she left. Of course, even though dessert was provided on the cruise, I informed my mother that she couldn’t leave town without trying Stewart’s ice cream- which to me is the best ice cream I’ve ever had and one of my first experiences in this town. And as quickly as she came, she was gone again, back to the Sunny State.

My only frustration with the past two days, however, is the thought of all the things we didn’t do. There’s Saratoga State Park, Saratoga Historic Park, Circus Café, SPAC, Yaddo Gardens, Beekman Street, the Saratoga Winery, etc… the list can go on and on. Prior to her leaving kept I apologizing on all the things we didn’t get a chance to do, but as she pointed out, there wasn’t enough time in two days. She did, however, say that she truly understands why I have fallen in love with this town and looks forward to another visit soon.

So I guess if you had forty-eight hours, what would you consider a “must see” or a “must do” in this area? Love to hear your thoughts!