Saratoga Springs (Pop. ~ 28,000) is a magical kind of town, one that invites you to explore it on foot. There are many reasons you may wish to come early or stay after the ReLeaf Conference (July 14-16), taking place at Skidmore College, ends.

saratoga book cover*Skidmore College is a 10-minute walk to the very walkable city of Saratoga Springs, where horticulture has a longstanding and elevated station among the beautiful and historic buildings (see especially, Congress Park). A book was written about the horticultural history of Saratoga Springs called Saratoga in Bloom: 150 Years of Glorious Gardens by Janet Loughrey. You can see an article about the book and author here.

*Saratogians loves their urban forest. The City and the nonprofit Sustainable Saratoga Urban Forestry Project partner to get big things done. From the Urban Forestry Project website: “Sustainable Saratoga’s Urban Forestry Project (UFP) gained visibility during 2012 by deploying 125 volunteers to inventory more than 5600 street and park trees in Saratoga Springs. The City used our inventory to shape its first-ever Urban Forest Master Plan, funded by a DEC grant. The City invited the UFP to partner with it during the process of drafting the plan, which was adopted by the city council on May 21, 2013. The UFP quickly broadened its focus beyond the inventory, and now works on many fronts, educating about and advocating for the “preservation and expansion” of our urban forest. In 2014, we partnered with Saratoga Springboard and the City’s DPW to organize Tree Toga, a [now annual] Arbor Day tree planting initiative and a festival on Henry Street.”

the tang

The Tang Teaching Museum & Art Gallery

*There are many cool museums in Saratoga; two I can personally recommend are the National Museum of Dance & Hall of Fame, a quirky and fascinating place set in an old natural springs bath house, and the Tang Teaching Museum & Art Gallery on the Skidmore College campus. The Tang is a small gem with world-class art exhibits. During the time of ReLeaf, the exhibits include Elevator Music: Critter & Guitari, where you can make electronic music in an elevator, and According to What, in which the artists “mimic, alter, and deconstruct found objects.”

*The Saratoga Springs Visitor’s Center will give you a guide to the natural springs of the City and paper cups so you can sample the 18 different sources around the City. This is the water with such a storied history that was considered to have so many healing properties that for over a century, people flocked to the City’s springs and baths to drink and soak. The taste can be rather arresting in some of the springs, milder in others.

*Several nature trails are accessible within the city limits, including the Bog Meadow Trail and Meadowbrook Nature Preserve, Lake Lonely, Skidmore’s North Woods, Hemlock Nature Trail, and Railroad Run. Then there’s the nearly 2400-acre Saratoga Spa State Park.

spirit of life michelle sutton

Photo of “Spirit of Life” by Michelle Sutton

*Sculptures and statues abound in Saratoga’s public places, like “Spirit of Life” (left) by Daniel Chester French, in Congress Park.

*The range of eats in Saratoga is really impressive. One quiet gem is Four Seasons Natural Foods at 33 Phila Street, where you can eat from a vegetarian buffet and sit by the window for prime people-watching.