My husband and I will be flying into Albany late 9/14, then driving up to Lake George for a weekend business meeting. We will have Friday (9/15) afternoon and Sunday (9/17) afternoon and evening free before we fly out early Monday morning. We will be staying at an airport hotel in Albany Sunday night. We would like to see some of the area. Does anyone have any suggestions about what to do in our little windows of free time? We like the outdoors and are interested in history. Thank you for any guidance.

In Lake George, you could visit Ft Williams Henry. East of Saratoga, you could visit Saratoga Battlefield, site of the turn ing point of the Revolutionary War. Close to the airport, but of limited interest is one of the few Shaker sites in the US. Albany Institute of History & Art is excellent, and the nearby NY state Museum might be of interest to you as well. A visit to Saratoga Springs, even if to merely stroll along Broadway is always nice.

Visit the old and new Erie canal locks in Waterford (State Canal Park I think is the name)

Take a hike in the Heldeberg mtns overlooking Albany (Thatcher Park / Indian Ladder.) You can also visit Indian Ladder Farms at the base of the escarpment for fresh apples, cider and old fashioned donuts.

If either of you is a baseball fan, the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown is a nice Sunday afternoon visit. Also, take a short walk from the Hall to view the beautiful lake.

Click on my name and see my trip report from Lake George. In addition to Ft. William Henry in Lake George Village, Ft. Ticonderoga is approx. 30 mi north of Lake George in Ticonderoga, NY, and has lots of good re-enactments, etc.

There are boat rides around Lake George which are pretty informative and other stuff to do.

Agree that Saratoga is a beautiful old town with wonderful houses. If you have any interest in horse it also has a wonderful Racing Museum (the track operates only for about 6 weeks in the summer) - but has been for well over 100 years - this is one of the places the wealth vacationed in the 870s and 880s.

Thank you for the information. Another question..... Does anyone have any recommendations for a nice place to have
dinner in Albany on Sunday night?

it would help to know where you are staying in Albany to give you an idea. If you are staying near the airport, I would highly recommend Lanie's Cafe on Albany Shaker Road - it's in Kimberley Square. Great food - all types from italian to american and a nice salad bar. Also, on Wolf Road I would recommend the Macaroni Grill which is Italian or the Barnsider, a steakhouse with a salad bar, which is right off of Wolf. The Desmond Hotel has a nice restaurant as well. Your hotel will know each of these places to give you directions. Hope that helps!

It's been a long time since I lived in Albany, but I heard recently that Il Capriccio (or Cafe Capriccio) is still around and still great. It's downtown. Great Italian.

I still dream of Justin's (on Lark) Ropa Vieja. Then again, as I said, I was a student then. Who knows if it's as good as I remember! More of a casual bar kind of atmosphere, but when my parents were in town they were always happy to go there.

The Desmond's "Scrimshaw" is probably the area's best (and most costly) dining option. I like Macaroni Grill, but it is a chain. We've enjoyed the Barnsider for years. If you dine in the area, skip the coffee & dessert and head to Bella Napoli at US 9 and Rt 155, "south of the circle". Even better would be Villa Italia in Schenectady, but you probably wouldn't want to drive that far ... UNLESS you were to have dinner at Mallozzi's, the Stockade Inn, or Parisi's ... all in or near Schenectady. And if you did, on Sunday they have open mike at the Moon and River Cafe at the edge of the historic Stockade ... a funky small coffeehouse with a good cup of coffee or tea for $1 and free entertainment (tip jar passed around for the entertainer).

You'd love Cooperstown, but I think it a little too far from Lake George for an afternoon trip returning to Albany. Troy also has a number of pluses (and minuses as well) .. overall I think you'll find a number of things along the Rt 9 / I-87 corridor .... two last words: Hudson and Olana.

Yes, we are staying near the airport. Thanks for all the suggestions! Appreciate knowing the memorable places to explore!

How about a side trip about 35 miles east for a visit to the Shaker Village complex in New Lebanon. There are fine Shaker buildings, a museum and the remains of what was the largest stone barn in the country until fire gutted it in 1972 (I was one of the volunteer firemen who helped fight that fire - it was quite a night!). It is well worth a visit for someone interested in history. Follow your visit with dinner at the Chatham House Restaurant in nearby Chatham, N.Y. The Chatham House is in a very nicely restored building that dates to the mid 1800s and has fine food and ambiance. You would most likely need a reservation. Your drive back to Albany should be about 45 minutes.

You mentioned the outdoors as one interest: there is much fine hiking around Lake George. One with stunning views at the top is the Buck Mountain hike (http://gorp.away.com/gorp/publishers...n/hik_adr2.htm).

I've also heard good things about the views from Prospect Mountain near Lake George.

Something else several people have enjoyed is the Albany Aquaducks tour: an amphibious vehicle takes you through the streets then into the river (www.albanyaquaducks.com).

Enjoy your visit.