The Baseball Hall Of Fame is located in Cooperstown NY,
about 1 ½ hours from Saratoga.
According to our GPS there really isn’t any direct way, actually it took
us through very beautiful countryside as the shortest distance there. On the way back we took a different
route which we often do.
Cooperstown is a beautiful little town that is home to not
only the baseball hall of fame but also Glimmerglass State Park (that has a
gorgeous marina), The Glimmerglass Opera and The Farmer’s Museum and the Fenimore Art Museum. But the main draw is
the Baseball Hall of Fame. Once
inside the Hall of Fame you enter the Gallery, which very impressive but that’s not all to the
Hall of Fame.
Bob Gibson Plaque– Photo by Laura Mann
lots and lots of facts about baseball players, teams and history.
Photo by Laura Mann
What might seem to some as a dry subject are somehow made
interesting and exciting. They
brought back memories of when I was kid in St. Louis, summers in our back yard
when my grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins would come over for a cookout
and the ball game would be blasting on the radio. As we walked around reading about the different teams, it
was like a blast from the past–names my husband Mark and I grew up with–Bob
Gibson, Lou Brock, Stan Musial ( all members of the hall of fame) along with
more recent greats like Tim McCarver, Jack Clark, Ozzie Smith and Albert
Pujols.
In the last
section of the hall of fame there is a display of baseball cards, from the very beginning of baseball
cards–just take a look to see if you had any of those growing up and don’t kick
yourself if all you did was put them in the spokes of your bike!
After you walk through your childhood be sure to take a trip
up and down the streets of Cooperstown.
There you can visit all kinds of gift shops and maybe pick up a souvenir
of your trip and if you’re lucky you might be able to catch a minor league game
on a nice, warm summer afternoon.
After we spent hours at the Hall of Fame it was time to head
back home. As I said before we
took a different way than we got there, sorry GPS lady….
Once we got to Galway we thought we would try Village
Pizzeria, a place a friend of my husband’s raves about. Well at first we weren’t too
impressed. It took me finding
someone to be seated after standing there for more than five minutes. And after that the service was very
slow…..We ordered the BLMT salad which is Applewood smoked bacon, iceberg
lettuce, maytag blue cheese and tomato with a creamy blue cheese dressing. I have to say it was very good and big
enough for two to share, which we did.
After that we ordered a large pizza with the works: sausage, pepperoni, mushrooms, onions,
peppers, olives and anchovies. A
huge pizza for $19.00. Once again
the service was very slow but the pizza came out hot and absolutely delicious,
and we had plenty to take home.
The name Village Pizzeria is deceptive since there is a lot more on the
menu than pizza, including pasta dishes, seafood, pork, steaks, veal, chicken
and sandwiches. The Village
Pizzeria is easy to find, its exactly 12 miles west of Saratoga on Rte. 29. The food is
worth the drive if you can stand to wait.
Not only do they offer seating inside but also outside which might be a
nice addition to your Cooperstown trip.
You can even add a game of bocce ball.
If you visit Cooperstown remember:
There really isn’t a direct route so don’t be surprised if the GPS takes you around and through the countryside. Might be better to plan your own route.
There is a charge to enter the Hall of Fame but they offer discounts to military personnel and AAA members.
Parking is difficult although there are parking lots that offer a shuttle service back to town for a small charge. We just found a place on the street, which is possible most of the time.
Allow yourself at least 2 hours to go through the Hall of Fame, maybe longer for a first visit and if you can stay longer in Cooperstown then there are Bed and Breakfasts, hotels and campgrounds nearby, then you can take advantage of the other attraction Cooperstown has to offer.
If you visit Village Pizzeria remember:
They are a busy place and the seating times and services might be not be great, but I’m sure you will agree its worth the wait.
They offer carry out if you would rather not chance getting a seat.
The menu is more than pizza if you’re in the mood for something more or something not as heavy.
