Anyone been to Saratoga Springs, NY?
 

Planning on spending a weekend in May in Saratoga Springs. Looking for suggestions re: hotels, things to do, etc. Is there any good shopping? Thanks!

Saratoga comes alive in August which is when the Racetrack is open -- it is also VERY crowded and impossible to find hotel rooms then, so it's a good thing you'll be there in May.

Make sure to walk around Congress Park -- it has charming fountains, duck ponds and an old casino, which I think is now a museum of sorts.

The main road through town, Broadway, has many cute shops, book stores, and places to poke around.

Yaddo is a nearby artists'/writers' retreat with lovely gardens that are accessible to the public (the mansion is not, nor is the land right near the mansion -- don't want to disturb those artists at work or thought!)

hope this helps!
PS I'd also recommend getting a AAA tourbook for the area; there's more to do in surrounding areas (e.g. Lake George) if you have time.

Saratoga is quaint. Taking a walking tour would be very helpful. Make sure you go up to Lake George to The Sagamore Hotel - A grand hotel of the past worth the trip for a nice breakfast, lunch or dinner by the lake. Also Lake George area has some outlets but can be for the most part pretty tacky. We took a ride on one of the paddleboats on lake George which will give you a nice view of a beautiful lake and the history of thje area.

For accomodations, check out the Gideon Putnam Hotel. Wonderful old hotel set in state park lands. Ask for a porch-suite room - located at one end of the hotel, they have a glass enclosed porch - great for the afternoon sun. For dinner, the hotel's dining room is noce and their Sunday brunch is not to be missed. In Saratoga, check out the Old Bryan Inn. Have fun!

Since everything else has been covered, I'll mention the Saratoga Golf Course. It is set right in Saratoga State Park, and is a wonderful, challenging course to play, if you're into that. Also, even though the Thoroughbred Racetrack isn't open until late July, there is also a Harness Track in town. It's not as exciting as the Flat Track, but if you like horse racing, it can be a lot of fun once. Have a great time.

As some of the posts above indicate, you're going to Saratoga a little early for the "season," but it's a beautiful town, espcially right in town along Broadway, Philae St., etc. Interested in Revolutionary War history? The Satatoga National Battlefield is a few miles outside of town, and you can trace one of the turning-point battles of that war -- plus it's beautiful to hike. Ditto the Saratoga Springs State Park, which has miles of pine forest trails through which to wander. While the flat track and harness track don't get going until summer, the Saratoga Perforning Arts Center season starts considerably earlier, and my suspicion is that a little web sleuthing will turn up the SPAC schedule. As to where to stay, the Gideon Putnam (described above) is great, especially if you make use of the spa facilities. In town, there's the Inn at Saratoga, a wonderful old Gilded Age relic that has been beautifully rebuilt and restored. The prices during the "season" are eye-popping, but in May you'll probably find rooms much more reasonably priced (unless you're going up for graduation at Skidmore, in which case all bets are off...)