A visit to upstate New York and Vermont – Calamity Jane’s

We were driving through Hudson Falls on our way back to our Vermont Inn, when we passed this sign. We weren’t sure that we’d read it correctly, so we turned around and went back to take another look.

It seems we did read it correctly, but the juxtaposition of “Firearms” and “fine shoes” was just too much for us and we couldn’t stop laughing for a good part of the rest of the drive.

The store was closed when we went past, but for a look at the interior checkout their website at Calamity Jane’s Firearms & Fine Shoes.

Taken with a Sony RX10 IV

A visit to upstate New York and Vermont – Saratoga Springs, Congress Park

Congress Park is a 17-acre (6.9 ha) site in Saratoga Springs, New York, United States. It was formerly the site of the Congress Hotel (also called Congress Hall), a large resort hotel, and the Congress Spring Bottling Plant, as well as Canfield Casino, which together brought Saratoga Springs international fame as a health spa and gambling site. At the peak of its popularity, it was a place where the wealthy, major gamblers and stars of the entertainment world mingled. The park’s artwork includes a statue by Daniel Chester French and landscape design by Frederick Law Olmsted, among others. The site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) as the Casino-Congress Park-Circular Street Historic District in 1972 and was then declared a National Historic Landmark in 1987. The later listing excluded some of the property outside the park and halved the overall size of the district.

Congress Park is a City of Saratoga Springs Park, bounded by Broadway, Spring Street, and Circular Street. The Canfield Casino buildings, built in 1870, 1871 and 1902–03, house the Saratoga Springs History Museum, an art gallery and spaces which host public and private events. Gambling was ended by reformers in 1907.

It had been a long day, and I was feeling tired, so we didn’t spend much time in Congress Park. The limited time we had I spent mostly taking pictures of ducks.

For more information on Congress Park see here.






Taken with a Sony RX10 IV

A visit to upstate New York and Vermont – Saratoga Springs History Museum

According to the Museum’s website:

The Saratoga Springs History Museum was founded in 1883 as the Saratoga Historical Society. Being one of the earliest organizations of its type, our early collections and displays were quite eclectic. Our founders included Ellen Hardin Walworth (one of the four original founders of the Daughters of the American Revolution) and many influential residents of Saratoga County. The museum acquired artifacts from the Trustees’ personal collections and from all around northern New York.

Since then, our mission has become focused on the City of Saratoga Springs.

Today our museum presents changing exhibitions and public programs, and serves numerous researchers annually on three floors of a historic 1870s gambling casino, the Canfield Casino, designated a National Historic Landmark. We care for 16,000 artifacts and a photographic archive of some 325,000 images of Saratoga Springs.

Our mission is to foster public education and chronicle Saratoga Springs history by operating the History Museum, conducting programs, and collecting, preserving, exhibiting, and interpreting materials that document the city’s social, political, economic, geological, and cultural history.

We invite you to be one of the tens of thousands of people who visit the Museum each year to experience the history of the Spa City!

Taken with a Sony RX10 IV

A visit to upstate New York and Vermont – National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, Saratoga Springs

According to Wikipedia:

The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame was founded in 1950 in Saratoga Springs, New York, to honor the achievements of American Thoroughbred racehorses, jockeys, and trainers. In 1955, the museum moved to its current location on Union Avenue near Saratoga Race Course, at which time inductions into the hall of fame began. Each spring, following the tabulation of the final votes, the announcement of new inductees is made, usually during Kentucky Derby Week in early May. The actual inductions are held in mid-August during the Saratoga race meeting.

The Hall of Fame’s nominating committee selects eight to ten candidates from among the four Contemporary categories (colts and horses, fillies and mares, jockey and trainer) to be presented to the voters. Changes in voting procedures that commenced with the 2010 candidates allow the voters to choose multiple candidates from a single Contemporary category, instead of a single candidate from each of the four Contemporary categories. For example, in 2016, two mares (Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta) were inducted at the same time.

The museum also houses a large collection of art, artifacts, and memorabilia that document the history of horse racing from the eighteenth century to the present.

History

The National Museum of Racing was founded in 1950, led by Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney and a group of people interested in thoroughbred racing. The museum first opened its doors in 1951, at which time it occupied a single room in Saratoga’s Canfield Casino. The establishment was supported by the city of Saratoga Springs, which donated $2,500, the Saratoga Racing Association, which donated $5,000, and various patrons of the sport, who also donated various pieces of art and memorabilia. The first item in the museum’s collection was a horseshoe worn by the great Lexington.

In 1955, the museum relocated to its current location on Union Avenue, across the street from the main entrance of the historic Saratoga Racecourse. The museum was relocated to a newly reconstructed building and a thoroughbred racing Hall of Fame was included. Since then, the museum has expanded several times to allow for the display of its extensive art collection and more multimedia displays on the history of the sport.


Sea Biscuit, 1933-1947.




A nearby plaque reads:

Pimlico Race Course Gate
Wrought iron, ca. 1870
9 feet, 5 inches high by 13 feet wide
Gift: Mr. and Mrs. E. Stack Gately

This gate once stood at Pimlico Race
Course near the clubhouse of the
Maryland Jockey Club, which operataed
Pimlico beginning in 1870. Chanins and
pulleys were used to raise and lower
the gate. Removed in 1966 when fire
destroyed the clubhouse, the gate is an
excellent example of mid-nineteenth
century wrought iron craftsmanship

Taken with a Sony RX10 IV

A visit to upstate New York and Vermont – Lunch at Eddie F’s New England Seafood Restaurant in Saratoga Springs

We’d spent most of the day at the Saratoga National Historical Park and we didn’t get back to Saratoga Springs until late afternoon. We were hungry and there were lots of restaurants to choose from. Unfortunately, it was quite difficult to find parking. Thankfully, my friends remembered a restaurant that someone had recommended. It was a little outside the main shopping/eating area so there was a chance that we could find parking. The restaurant is called Eddie F’s New England Seafood Restaurant, and we found parking immediately. There are two locations: Clifton Park and Saratoga Springs. As I’m writing this the website is featuring the Clifton Park location, which is not the one we went to.

One review described the Saratoga Springs location as follows:

Eddie F’s New England Seafood Restaurant serves outstanding seafood dishes, including their signature lobster roll, which is praised for its freshness and flavor. Other favorites include the New England Clam chowder, fish sandwich, lobster Mac and cheese, and shrimp basket. The restaurant offers a fun and welcoming atmosphere, with both indoor and outdoor seating options. The staff is friendly and attentive, and the food is consistently fresh and delicious. This local gem is a must-visit for seafood lovers.


My friends and their dog, Juno.

I enjoyed the food, but by that time I was so hungry I would probably enjoyed have anything.

Taken with a Sony RX10 IV.