NEW YORK, August 29, 2011— Racing season in Saratoga has come to an end, but it's not too soon to start thinking about planning a trip for next year's event.
During the summer, Saratoga Springs is full of movie stars, big money, glamour and, yes, the gorgeous thoroughbred horses that have made this small, upstate New York city the “it” city during the season for more than a hundred years. That doesn’t mean there isn’t room there for families looking for an alternative to the beach.
Just about three hours north of Manhattan, Saratoga is an easy overnight trip that pays off big for parents looking to infuse their family vacation with something unique. After all, what kids doesn’t love horses?
Here’s how to spend an idyllic family overnight in Saratoga:
WHAT TO DO:
If you’re talking summer in Saratoga you’re talking horse racing. Plan to spend some time at the Victorian-era Saratoga Race Course. Even puttering around the grounds (which taps you for just a $10 parking fee) will enable your family to see horses that will compete in the race, as well as young horse who use the paddock for training. Jockeys and trainers will occasionally pause to tell you about their horses and allow children to pet them.
Rainbow over Saratoga Racetrack (Image: Adam Coglianese/NYRA)
Free tram tours take families around the facility, including a stop at the starting gate and the paddock.
The tours begin at 7:30 a.m., and if you want to ensure a spot on the tour, be sure to get there early. Don’t wait until after breakfast as the trams book very quickly.
Grandstand seats are on sale each morning before the races begin at 1 p.m. The office opens at 9 a.m. Again, if you want to be assured tickets, arrive early because tickets sell quickly and space is limited. (Tickets cost, depending on the day, are from between $9 to $16. As the weekend approached, tickets get more expensive.)
Come over Labor Day weekend and you’ll find the racecourse especially welcoming to children. There’s a family BBQ that includes lots of activities for kids and close-up opportunity with the horses.
After you’ve explored the racecourse, head back to the charming historic downtown town. Drive up Broadway where the Gilded Age mansions that were once summer cottages are now beautifully restored homes owned primarily by lawyers and lobbyists in nearby Albany. At the end of the street is the bucolic campus of Skidmore with its cutting edge Tang Museum. Downtown, there are shops, cafes, restaurants, bars, and galleries.
The historic wooden carousel right downtown is a kid magnet. For a buck children can ride from late morning until dusk.
Stop by Congress Park in the evenings. A beautiful park, designed in the 1920s, there are plenty of vistas and ponds to pause. Saratoga is almost as famous for its spring water as it is for horseracing. No visit is complete without cupping your hands to taste the naturally carbonated springs that jet up in the park. Many nights during the summer, there are free live concerts. Even if you don’t have a chair, settle in on the vast lawns, where you can dance ‘till sundown.
WHERE TO EAT:
Breakfast at the racetrack is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Starting at seven in the morning, a buffet breakfast is served on The Porch at The Clubhouse. Tables overlook the racecourse enabling diners to watch the thoroughbreds’ morning workout on the main track.
Historic plaque at Saratoga Racetrack (Image: Adam Coglianese/NYRA)
There’s no prettier seat in town than lunch on the front terrace overlooking the main drag, Broadway, of the historic Van Dam Hotel at Maestro’s. Order a classic like the crab Louis topped with crispy onions and garnished with deviled eggs or duck confit bruschetta topped with tart green apple.
Hands down local favorite is Hattie’s, a charming down-home restaurant that’s been serving Southern favorites like cornmeal-crusted catfish, fired chicken and fried okra since 1938. Kids will love the hush puppies. Adults will love the Dixie beer. Angle for a table out back under the tented ceiling that’s glammed up with a crystal chandelier.
WHERE TO STAY:
The Saratoga Hilton at City Center is one of the town’s largest hotels with 214 rooms and 28 suites. Located on Broadway right in the heart of downtown, it’s within easy walking distance to all of Saratoga’s 50 restaurants, and its galleries and shopping.
Saratoga Hilton (Image: File)
The hotel sits next to the convention center, so it ably caters to large groups, but don’t let that put you off. It’s actually very family friendly with spacious rooms and a heated pool. Plus, every child that checks in during summer is treated to a miniature stuffed horse in honor of the races.
There are other accommodations within city limits where families will feel comfortable, like the bevy of old-school motels on the outskirts of town, but the Hilton is the only place in town where adults don’t need to sacrifice location and style for kid comfort.
The hotel has recently been renovated and features a modern lobby and rooms with features like textured headboards, granite baths, flat screens and upscale bath products, including a surprisingly effective massage soap bar created by Peter Thomas Roth.
Families should aim for a roomy corner room with pullout sofa. Room during the summer start at $229.
An inveterate traveler, Andrea Poe writes frequently about travel for national and international publications. You can email Andrea at andcpoe at gmail dot com or follow her travel notes as andpoe on Twitter. She is also editor of Food & Travel at The Washington Times Communities.
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