Not Horsing Around

Saratoga Springs is my last northeast stop this summer though I chose not to go when the horses were running and the high-season crowds were about. Yet, Saratoga Springs did not appeal to me -- racetracks and casinos -- with Broadway, the main drag, filled with local and chain stores alongside overpriced restaurants. However, in normal times, I would have visited Caffe Lena, the longest continuously operating folk venue in the country, and the Lyrical Ballad Bookstore, a Saratoga icon for 50 years. 
 
Thankfully, what has made Spa City a destination for over 200 years did make for an interesting week.  Congress Park in town center has had visitors since the early 19th century for its "healing waters," but nearby Saratoga Spa State Park , 2,379-acre grounds of mineral springs, classical bath and spa houses, and multi-use trails became my go-to spot for many days of touring by bike and foot. Lucky me, the weather was gorgeous all week long, but with fall just around the corner, it's time to point south before the final quarter of 2021 is upon us!