New England
 

I’m traveling from Central Pa to Saratoga Springs, NY to Portland Maine.
I don’t want to drive on major highways, especially across Connecticut.

Friends have suggested that from Saratoga Springs to Portland,
I could drive the Merritt Parkway (Rt 15) across Connecticut or Rt 2 across Massachusetts.

I’m not in a hurry. Any ideas?

Also, what is a good thing to see or do in Saratoga Springs for one day?

From Saratoga Springs to Portland you would take either Rt2 across Mass, or Rt 9 across VT & NH. If I had to choose I'd take Rt9, via Concord & Portsmouth, then on up to Portland. Merritt Pkwy is in southern CT.

When are you coming through Saratoga? Thoroughbred track season starts in 2 weeks and runs through Labor Day. If you are interested in horse racing, then a day at the track can be enjoyable. There's a nice back-stretch/stables tour that run around 9am daily.

If you are not a horse racing fan, then you best day to visit Saratoga is on a Tuesday, which is a dark (no-racing) day. Avoid Saturdays at any cost. Most other days of the racing season the crowds aren't really an issue except for hotel prices for the entire summer.

Here are some things to do in & around town.
1. Hot mineral bath at the Roosevelt Spa (1930's New Deal Era construction)

2. Sample the mineral waters in Spa State Park (you can visit about 10 different mineral springs, all near the aforementioned spa. There are volunteer led tours that will narrate the history and folk lore, or you can visit them yourself in about a 1-2mi walking loop. Springs range from salty to sulfur rich to bicarbonate rich, to sweet water. Most are still water, but a few are naturally carbonated.

3. Also in Spa Park is an auto museum. Never been.

4. Adjacent to Spa park is National Dance Museum - mostly ballet focused history. Interesting for 30-45min if you are a NYC ballet aficionado.

In town.
5. Stroll along Broadway, lots of coffee shops, cafes, restaurants & bars. Many very good dining options - happy to list my favorites if you wish.

6. More mineral springs. There are a handful of mineral springs scattered around town.

7. Discover the series of painted sculptures. a) horses, from about 2005, and b) en-pointe ballet slippers, ~2 dozen or so, all from the same mold but painted by various artists in a different theme. Most of the horse sculptures have been moved indoors or out of town, so there's only 3 or 4 to see. Ballet slippers are easy to spot.

8. Between town and the track - many Victorian era mansions - there may be a tour to take - not sure.


Near the track.
9. Even if you don't go to the races it's fun to watch the horses train in the morning ~7:30am to ~11am at the Oklahoma practice track, across the street from the grandstands. They built a nice overlook pavilion a few years ago that gives you a good view. You can see these amazing athletes up close - 2018 or 2019 Kentucky Derby hopefuls.

Outside of town.
10. Saratoga Battlefield - Nat'l historic park. Site of the Revolutionary war battle - one of the 1st turning points. A 10mi driving (or v. popular bike riding) loop around the battlefield with a dozen or so stopping points with interpretive signs/markers.


11. 30min north of Saratoga is beautiful Lake George.

Some additional info.


Yaddo (artists retreat & gardens) Just outside town, right at Exit 14 off I87 & Union Ave. www.yaddo.org

& critical info re ice cream...
#1. Stewarts. Locally made, top quality, good price. (single scoop cone = $2.34, tax included (at least is was as of last night..). There are 3 Stewarts right in town. One on the S. Side as you enter town. One on Church St, 1 block off Broadway, and one @ North Broadway. I've been known to visit all 3 in a single day.

#2. Several other places but I never visit them. See #1.

Do not take the Merrit. I'd suggest rt.9 to 202.

Or just put in the places on google maps and for options choose avoid highways for other options.

New York is not New England. Don't lump New Yorkers in with those RedSox loving freaks.

Second (or third) the recommendation for going to the Victorian-era-looking track at Saratoga.
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And yeah, best not show up anywhere in New England with one of those ugly NY ball caps.

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Thank you Samba Chula, BigRuss.
And emalloy too - but why not drive the Merrit Parkway?

Especially thank you J62!

Why not the Merritt?

Two reasons.

1. The Merritt goes parallel to I-95, along the southern part of CT near the coast, from Greenwich to New Haven, which is not along your route.

2. Traffic on the Merritt can be worse than a major highway. Yes, there are no trucks, but the volume & speed of car traffic can be just as harrowing as the worst highways anywhere, on a road built ages ago in the era of 45mph cars.

If you were traveling from NYC to New Haven, then the Merritt could be an option if you wanted to avoid I-95.

Got it. Will probably travel Rt 9.
What are your favorite restaurants in Saratoga Springs?

Restaurants:

Breakfast/brunch
Comptons (diner). Cash only. Cheap, fast (very fast), and consistent. Nothing fancy. If there's a await to get in, it's only ~10min.

Uncommon Ground (Coffee/Bagel). Often a wait for a bagel when it's busy.

Saratoga Coffee Traders (coffee, sometimes a breakfast sandwich). Home of "Death Wish" coffee.

Ravenous. Creperie. Very traditional french crepes, both savory & sweet. We'll go there for dinner sometimes too.

Country Corner cafe. (diner/cafe). A little more variety than Comptons. Not as fast. More lunch options. Closes at 2pm.

Farmers Hardware, opened 2 weeks ago. Still has some teething pains, hopefully they'll work those out.

Mrs Londons for a coffee & danish. Pricey, but a nice bakery cafe atmosphere.

Lunch:
Putnam market - deli sandwich & salads/soup to-go, or grab an inside or outside table if they are free.
- or one of the breakfast places above

Dinner:
Max Londons. Reasonable price. Consistent, good quality. Love their pizzas, great muscles.

Izumi - sushi/japanese foods. Non-descript, rarely busy. Good value, good quality, nothing fancy.

Duo - sushi/japanese foods. Fancier/more upscale than Izumi, but not directly in-town

Muzon house - more upscale, "special event" type place for us.

15 Church. very upscale, very $$$. Recently changed exec chef, so not sure if menu has changed or not.

Sperry's. Long time Saratoga classic. Always good.

Karavalli - Indian. Always tasty.

Places we avoid.
Wheatfields. Don't avoid it for any particular reason, just never appealed to us.

Salt n Char. Went there a few times when it opened up last summer. Prices fit for royalty, service fit for dogs. Since then they've adjusted their prices, but we've not been back.

Any number of pubs. Some have ok pub food (eg Druthers), others have no idea how to cook even a basic burger. We're not pub food/beer drinkers.

Again, J62, thank you very much - a wealth of information!