Celebrating our life at Saratoga Springs

Sonia thought she should come too ;-)

My mom flew in and helped us with Sonia. Jeremy planned out the whole trip and it turned out wonderfully. I couldn't believe how much we enjoyed this weekend together.

On the way out of the city we stumbled onto a Good Morning America show with Marry and Donny Osmond.

Then after a short trip by train and car, we arrived at the Mansion.

That is the most romantic 19th century B&B in NY. I loved our Excelsior original bedroom on the second floor. Main features include the 14' ceiling, golden walls, white marble fireplace and the 19th Century high Victorian and quite decadent queen bedroom set.

The distinctive black set was hand painted with a floral and gold leaf design. As I learned from the house keeper this room is the most photographed bedroom and was featured in Victorian Homes Magazine.
I have to mention delicious eggs Benedict with crab cakes, french toast and stuffed crapes with spinach every morning on the main porch. I absolutely loved fresh scones with strawberries and enjoyed them way too much. I gained about five pounds while there ;-)

Tiffany's chandelier and beautiful molding.

Picturesque grounds with swans in the pond, gazebo, fountain and an old barn are enticing to take a walk.

Jeremy couldn't help himself and had to take a short nap in the hammock.

The owner of the house was a brown paper bag creator and producer. His factory is still there, across the river.

Saratoga is famed for its springs.

In the 19th and 20th century visitors flocked to the Queen of Spas, they followed a rigid regiment, designed to maximize the health benefits. We took a tour of Spa State Park and tasted all three categories of cathartic (laxative), alkaline (antacid) and chalybeate (high in iron) waters.

All springs are naturally carbonated, they come from the ground at a brisk 55 F all year round and they are all good for you ;-) Later that day we enjoyed the historic Roosevelt Baths and Spa that opened in 1935 as a bathhouse.

Of cause we had to go see the oldest horse race track in the country. We made bets against each other and won until we decided to make an official bet and lost a whole $9.

I loved the horses. Here is a winner of one of the races. We also checked out National Museum of racing and Hall of Fame. All famed horses made their marks on this celebrated grounds Man o’ War, Secretariat, Arcaro, and the Jones Boys. I definitely could race a horse!

At night there was nothing less but the Philadelphia orchestra with Charles Dutoit, conductor and Jean-Yves Thibaudet, piano performing Roussel, Saints-Saens, Debussy and Respighis one night and Sergei Khachaturyan with Tchaikovsky the other.

How can one end a night any better?

On Saturday it was a family night at SPAC.

So much to do so little time... on the way back we stumbled upon Ulysses Grant Cottage and had a tour and a story told about last battle of the man who had tenaciously commanded the Union Armies during the Civil War.

He faced financial disaster and incurable cancer. Fighting pain, weakness and time, Grant raced death in order to complete his memoirs and save his family from financial ruin. He passed away a day after finishing his last work. He and his wife used to sit right here in the chairs that are still in the house.

We also visited Hyde home and gallery that holds a splendid collection of art in the upstate New York. The empire state comes to life. It is beautiful.