Traveling and taking a little time off from the day to day grind is important during any time of the year. Why not take a weekend getaway to Saratoga Springs, NY. Most people visit the unique small town of Saratoga in up state New York during the blissfully warm summer months when the turf is green and the Saratoga Race Course is open. We visited Saratoga in December when the charming town is decked out for the Christmas season and less tourists are visiting.

Getting to Saratoga, New York

If you are traveling from a distance the closest large airport is Albany International Airport. From Albany NY you can rent a car and travel about 30 minutes north on interstate 87. If you are planning to drive, Saratoga is located 200 miles west of Boston, 140 miles east of Syracuse and 190 miles north of New York City.

We drove to Saratoga and booked an affordable two night stay using our favorite mystery hotel feature on the Priceline app. We were pleasantly surprised to get a great hotel just outside the downtown area, but still walkable. After arriving late on Friday night we enjoyed a wonderful late night treat delivered to the hotel from Caputo’s Pizzeria Saratoga. Caputo’s pizza and pasta was some of the best Italian food we have had in a very long time! 

Day 1

On Saturday morning we went in search of a great coffee and take-out breakfast so we could make the most of our weekend. We came across The Bread Basket Bakery on Spring Street. We were so happy we stopped in. As soon as we walked in we were overwhelmed by the delicious smell of freshly baked bread and freshly brewed coffee.

Our eyes were immediately drawn to the glass display cases brimming with the most beautiful and mouth watering tarts and pastries you could imagine. The Bread Basket offers breakfast all day as well as lunch sandwiches, soups, salads and delectable desserts. To ice the cake, all profits from the bakery go to local charitable causes, including those fighting food insecurity and hunger!

After our fantastic breakfast stop, we continued on our journey down to Saratoga Spa State Park. We took a nice walk and enjoyed the brisk morning air. During our visit there wasn’t any snow on the ground but the gentle breeze was crisp and cool, perfect for a walk, as long as you are dressed appropriately. 

Saratoga Spa State Park

Saratoga Spa State Park is a National Historic Landmark that encompasses an expansive park that includes a performing arts center, theater, two museums, two pristine golf courses, twelve mineral springs, classical baths, spa houses and a plethora of other recreation opportunities. We parked near the Geyser Creek Welcome Center because that area has the most concentration of mineral springs in the park. We started our walk north along the Geyser Creek Trail, there it was! There was the perfect view of the Island Spouter Geyser. 

The Island Spouter

The Island Spouter is a dazzling natural wonder located on an island created by the hardened mineral deposits distributed by the spouter pushing a continuous 5 to 15 foot fountain of water up from deep underground. The island spouter is not a true geyser because the pressure is created by pockets of carbonic gas trapped below the earth, not heat related to seismic activity.

Orenda Spring

As we continued to wander along the Geyser Creek we came upon an enormous tufa mound that is created by the Orenda Spring just above the trail we were on. Tufa is a type of limestone created when carbonate minerals are pushed up and out of ambient temperature water. The tufa dome is brilliant white in color and has a very unique texture. The best way we could describe the texture is similar to dead coral.

After walking to the end of the trail we climbed the staircase to the upper trail. We wandered back down towards the welcome center and were able to see the Orenda Spring along the way. The Orenda Spring had a slight sulfur smell but it was not overwhelming.

Karista Spring

We continued past the welcome center to see the Karista spring. The Karista spring has a much more pungent sulfur smell and has one of the heaviest iron-rich waters in the world. The area around the spring is stained with an iron like residue. 

On our way out of the park we stopped to see the Polaris Spring and one of the State Seal Springs. The State Seal Spring’s mineral water has a very clean taste so it is a popular place for park visitors to fill up their water bottles. The Polaris Spring’s mineral water has a slight tangy flavor with an effervescent or naturally carbonated quality. The water is tested regularly and is safe for drinking. 

Evening Exploration

As the afternoon was waning we decided to make our way back into town to enjoy a stroll around Saratoga Springs main shopping and dining district. There are metered parking spaces on Broadway, the main street in town or you can find parking lots down the side streets. As we made our way up to Broadway we were struck by how magical the Christmas decorations were.

There were delicate snowflakes falling and the street was adorned with lights and tinsel along the street and each light post. Each shop had a unique wreath on their door and most shops featured sparkling seasonal window dressings. As we meandered along we enjoyed listening to the music from the local buskers and looking into the chic boutiques and lively restaurants. 

Saratoga boasts a diverse variety of restaurants and has a little bit for everyone. There are great pubs, bar & grills, breweries, ice cream shops, bistros, cafe’s, BBQ, seafood, international cuisine and the list goes on. The downtown district shops offer an eclectic blend of designer stores and local gift shops and boutiques. We appreciated the local feel of the town and did quite a bit of our Christmas shopping before making the difficult decision on a place to warm up and have dinner. 

Day 2

Sunday was our last day in Saratoga so we decided since the weather was so beautiful we would explore the Saratoga National Historic Park. The park is the site of a crucial victory for the American forces against the British army in 1777 during the American Revolution. This victory renewed the patriots’ dreams of independence and impressed French allies and in doing so secured foreign support for the cause.

Saratoga National Historic Park

Today the park is open year round but the tour road, visitor center and facilities are only open during the summer season. As we were visiting in December the tour road was not open but we enjoyed a beautiful hike from the visitor center and came back on the tour road. The tour road is a 10 mile paved road that takes visitors to all of the historic buildings in the park and to all of the scenic overlooks. We were only able to see a small section of the park on foot during our visit, so we have to visit again during the summer months when the tour road is open.

Our winter weekend getaway was quickly coming to an end. As we were driving home we agreed that our time in Saratoga left us refreshed and looking forward to returning. We truly enjoyed our stay and would recommend a visit during any season. Saratoga and the surrounding area has so much to offer it is impossible to see and do everything in one weekend. We look forward to sharing another visit to Saratoga with you in the future.