Saratoga Springs NY
 

Am headed to Saratoga Springs this summer probably August .. late making decision .. Can anyone suggest the best time to go .. hotel recommendations ... what to be sure to see ... restaurants not to miss .. and anything else not to miss within an hour or so of Saratoga Springs .. An overview would be most welcome ... Thank you ...

mahs, do you realize the annual horse races starts July 26th until September 4th? If you are not slightly interested in this activity be prepared this is an extremely busy time in the area with very high hotel rates and most accommodations already booked far, far in advance. If you are not to horse racing then going in September when everything calms down is more enjoyable. Yet, I been told there is a lot going on during horse races.
www.saratoga.com
www.discoversaratoga.org

that is the highest of the high season for the area. i loved the fort william henry hotel in lake george. enjoy .

hattie's restaurant -45 Phila street phone 518-584-4790. Awesome southern cooking! best fried chicken i ever had.
yummy
also country corner cafe on church street. tinie tiny itsy bitsy place but great homemade pancakes.

I think you are already too late for hotels if you want one in Saratoga Springs.

Restaurants I would recommend:

The Ripe Tomato
Longfellow's
Olde Bryan Inn

Also, something that's fun - Reel Meals - it's a dinner theatre with pretty up to date movies and the food is pretty good too.

August is racing season in Saratoga and any decent hotels wil have sold out months ago -at outrageous prices. You will probably need to stay in Lake George or similar - at least 30 minutes away - and it may be too late for that as well.

Unless you are going for the races highly reco you pick another month - when prices are 50% less and you're not fighting the mobs to do or see anthing. (Good restauants also run out of resies weeks in advance.) If you go be sure to see the Museum of Racing and the colonial stuff near Lake George.

Probably will try to go during the racing weeks .. we have a place that is an hour away .. but maybe will try to get closer .. it sounds as though race weeks are a great take in ... if we can get near any of the activities going on ... ?

Anyone can get into the races. It's open admission - no limit. But you won't have a place to sit. (Grandstand tickets were sold out in January.) So you can carry lawn chairs around with you, or sit on the ground - or try to find a spot behind the stands.

Just realize that the weather that time of year can be really bad - high 90's and humid with incredible thunder storms in the afternoons. And the track is entirely outdoors - so there's no place to cool down.

Also- parking is a major issue - since the few lots near the track fill up in the early am. After that you need to walk fairly long distances from lot to track.

If you really like racing it can be great - but if you don;t have arrangements far in adance and the weather turns bad it can be hell.

We go to the race track every year and it is great! If you go during the week, right when the track opens, you can get a picnic table pretty easy. I have been going for about 8 years now, and have only got rained on once. It is alittle warm, but you can bring in coolers with what ever type of refreshments you want (cans only). The people there are great, and make watching the races so exciting. I don't know the exact time, but around 7:00 a.m., we go to the track with bagels and coffee to watch the trainers exercise their horses on the track. It is gorgeous, with the fog coming off the field in the crisp morning air.

After the track is done for the day, alot of the bars and restuarants have bands playing. They put up giant tents to fit all the people inside. It is a great time!

Go to the Roosevelt Spa for a relaxing afternoon. I used to go there frequently and really enjoyed it.

If you are at all interested in the horses - go! Saratoga Race Track is beautiful and it can be a fun day.

I don't think it gets the crowds it use to in the "old days" but I am sure the hotels are charging out of sight prices if anything is available.

Last year I took my 86 year old mother on the second or third day (it was even Bobble Head Day) and we could have gotten any kind of seat at the entrance. The parking was a disaster (looking for handicap parking) but it was the first week and they were still working it out but plan to park far away.

There are certainly lots of other things to do in a 100 mile radius or so.

And it rarely gets hotter than the 80's and almost always cool nights.

Have fun.