A weekend trip to Saratoga Springs for the wedding of a former student and friend also provided time for some sightseeing, so we decided to share this special one-off post about the trip.

Susannah found us accommodations at a restored mansion from the Gilded Age known as the Batcheller Mansion Inn. Originally built for a local politician and judge, the house fell on hard times and (we imagine) was a rather classic “haunted house” for several decades before being restored in the 1970’s. Today it boasts many fine rooms open to guests, including a generous open air porch where we ate our morning breakfast.

The memorable wedding itself took place at the Canfield Casino, within Congress Park in the middle of town. Built to tempt the rich and fortunate who flocked here a century ago, the building boasts ornate decorations including stained glass medallions in the coffered roof. Although its gambling days are long gone, it is still much in demand as a event space. Wandering its beautiful rooms while dressed for the festivities, we could feel the echos of the long-vanished glitterati.

Although we have visited the town of Saratoga Springs several times before, we had never been to the eponymous state park nearby. In search of a place to go hiking, Susannah suggested that we explore it the next day. As it turns out, it offers far more than a simple walk through the woods.

Scattered throughout the park are numerous outlets where water escapes from the limestone formations deep below. Each is unique, with different mineral compositions – some are tasty, some are not. (Most of them fall in the latter category, it seems!) Nearly all are carbonated and most leave mineral deposits as they flow away from their source. The most dramatic spring in the park is the geologically misnamed Geyser Spring, which fountains up from an island in the middle of Geyser Creek. Despite the moniker, it is a cold spring like all the others in this region, emerging from the ground at 55 degrees Fahrenheit year-round. The pressure behind its fountain is entirely natural, driven by underground carbon dioxide.

As we learned from the friendly guide of a tour that we happened upon, the entire area was briefly industrialized by companies harvesting the underground gas. This lasted until their operations grew so large as to disrupt the springs, thereby angering the wealthy spa clientele who liked to come up from New York City for their baths (“the Saratoga Cure”). The upshot was the creation of the state park, which protected the land and put an end to the drilling.

One portion of the hike took us past the Roosevelt Baths, still in operation, whose grandiose architecture (seen in lead photo) is adorned with rather overheated lines from a local poet. The main buildings are augmented with covered arcades, allowing visitors to exercise in the fresh air regardless of the weather.

After finishing our hike, we headed south to the nearby town of Ballston Spa, once equal in popularity to Saratoga Springs. We had a most delightful three-tiered lunch at the Whistling Kettle – highly recommended!