Ballston Spa and Saratoga Springs New York

A Relaxing Vacation

As you may or may not know I recently went on vacation, we headed up to New York for our friends Cody and Corey’s Wedding. The boyfriend and I decided to make it a long trip and arrived in Ballston spa NY for the first half of our vacation. I was eager to see all that the area had to offer (you can check out my list of things to see and do I posted about before we left). Most of my days were spent checking out the parks and around Ballston spa and Saratoga while the boys played golf at Saratoga National. The area was seriously beautiful filled with tons of trees and greenery and adorable shops and restaurants around town. Keep reading if you want to see more of the first half of my trip.

We were the first of our friends to arrive so our first day I went with Corey to visit downtown Saratoga (while the boys golfed of course) where I got to check out the amazing park filled with Mineral springs.

Saratoga is known for these springs that are said to have natural healing properties. People have been traveling to this area for centuries to experience these healing benefits. Today you can see people filling up jugs of water straight from the wells

While out in downtown I picked up a fun maxi dress from one the many shops around town (the store was called Saratoga Sundress).

We were dying of thirst and stopped by this cool juice bar where I had a refreshing blend of melons and mint.

I also couldn’t resist this bag of freshly popped Kettle Corn. (FYI I might be addicted to kettle corn)

Corey drove through some of the Neighborhoods where they had considered purchasing their home and this beautiful lake was the backyard of these homes. (Wouldn’t that be a dream to have?)

There was a regatta going on so we stayed and watched for a bit before calling it a day.

Our second day part of the group ventured off to Cooperstown to visit the baseball hall of fame. Corey and I decided to stay in town where we started the day with a delicious brunch at the Iron Roost. The most adorable spot with amazing food, it even had a large collection of books that was on the “take one, leave one policy”. I went with the Eggs Benedict which didn’t disappoint.

After brunch we walked around town sipped some coffee from a local shop called Coffee Planet while doing some antique shopping. We went into the Stone Soup an antique shop where vendors can set up there treasures. Corey and I went through all the shops convincing ourselves we didn’t need every treasure we passed. I did manage to score these beautiful desserts and bread plates for 8. They were a total steal and I can’t wait to use them.

After shopping we set out to visit the state park. It is a serene and relaxing park with groups of people relaxing out on the lawns.

The park is full of Mineral baths filled with the water from the areas mineral springs. For a small fee you can take a dip in these baths and relax. Sadly the large mineral pool wasn’t open while I was in town (no worries I plan to take advantage of this on my next trip).

We drove around the area checking out the beautiful horse farms…

And old mansions…

The homes here completely stole my breath.

Our last day in Ballston Spa started with the guys playing a round of golf at Saratoga National where we met them for lunch with the whole group.

The view on the veranda was beautiful. I enjoyed an adult beverage and one of the yummiest lobster rolls ever.

After lunch we went back to downtown Saratoga where everyone was able to experience the park and mineral wells.

After a day of strolling around town we headed back for dinner where we enjoyed these yummy muscles and steaks (which I ate to fast to photograph!)

I really had a wonderful time and can’t wait to visit the area again.