Saratoga Spa State Park 2019
Saratoga Spa State Park
Saratoga Spa State Park could very well be my favorite thing about Saratoga Springs, New York. The park is huge with so many features to take advantage of that I doubt I’ll ever exhaust my options for park adventures!
My very favorite thing to do in the park is walk around and taste the different springs!
This summer while I was walking in the park a gentleman asked, “Are you getting all your steps in for the day?”
I replied, “I don’t do steps. I like to see how many springs I can visit in the park in and hour!”
Generally, I end up walking about 3 miles when I visit the park. And quite often I will see 9 of the 13 springs within the park.
2019 in the Park
January
I love winter in the park. The different formations of ice around the springs always capture my intrigue!
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Roosevelt Baths & Spa
The Spa has changed a lot since I took my first bath there in the winter of 2014. No matter how they change, a 40 minute soak in a mineral bath is always exquisite.
In March, my husband and I were offered pure mineral baths. Honestly, for all the times I’ve been to the baths I didn’t know there was such a thing as a “pure” mineral bath.
The water from the natural carbonated springs comes out cold, around 55° F, so they mix the spring water with hot water for a comfortable soak.
A “pure” mineral bath was different!
The water is heated in the pipes, right before it flows into the bathtub, so it never mixed with hot water. So much more superior than any other bath I’ve ever had.
I asked for it again when my sister Rebekah visited in August and they said there was no such option. It was horse racing season, so perhaps it’s not a summertime option, but I do hope to soak in a pure mineral bath again one day.
Victoria Pool
My husband and I went to Victoria Pool in Saratoga Spa State Park to swim the first weekend the pool was open. After a beer or two from Catherine’s in the Park, and too much sun for the month of May, I walked right over to the pool and jumped right in. No regrets. I remember the water being super cold. A stimulating cold. Not a lot of people in the pool that day. A true perk for the awkward self-isolator that I am. I loved it!
The summer was hot. No matter how I describe the summer’s heat, I would seriously understate how much I longed for winter!
My husband waiting for me at Victoria Pool…
Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC)
I went twice this year to see music concerts, but of course in the winter months I walk all over SPAC. I love the emptiness of a venue that size. Plus, it’s a good place to walk stairs in the winter without having to worry about ice and snow.
Alice in Chains sounded phenomenal! I realized at this show that many of their fans never knew Alice in Chains before their current singer. Time is a strange thing.
Korn. The first and only time I ever saw Korn was at the Moore Theatre in Seattle, WA 1996. It was fun and nostalgic to see them perform after 20+ years.
Behemoth. Opened for Slipknot, and I finally got to see Behemoth with pyrotechnics. The best part about this show honestly is that my sister Rebekah was with me. I don’t think we had been to a show together since Nine Inch Nails in 1994.
Slipknot. I honestly have no idea how many times I’ve seen them perform live. It’s funny because I wouldn’t call myself a fan, but I do enjoy a good performance, and they are entertaining.
Hall of Springs
Since 2016, once a year, I get to enter the Hall of Springs for my husband’s company holiday party and I always look forward to it. The building is truly impressive.
Walking through the changing seasons…
Tufa of Orenda Spring
Autumn Selfies
I love walking in the park in the autumn almost as much as I do the winter.
On September 25th, I went on the tufa of the Geyser Island Spouter by myself for the first time and I loved it!
I honestly don’t visit Karista Spring very often because I always get bitten by mosquitoes… and even on days when the sun shines bright, it always seems dark and damp where Karista flows.
In 2019, I never saw Ferndell Spring or Charlie Spring flowing, and I didn’t take a single photo of Ferndell Spring.
Also, Coesa Spring has been sputtering with failed piping for a very long time, but I still check Coesa’s pond occasionally to see if it is spouting again.
Places I have yet to visit in Saratoga Spa State Park but fully intend to include the Auto Museum (former bottling plant), National Museum of Dance & Hall of Fame (former Washington Bathhouse), and the Spa City Farmers Market (former Lincoln Bathhouse). They have enough interesting art and history outside of the buildings that I just haven’t made it in yet.
“Saratoga en pointe” around Saratoga Spa State Park.
All photos were taken by me (Alicen) unless otherwise stated.
Saratoga Spa State Park Information