Niel and I had a really nice weekend. We went upstate for some R & R. Niel wanted to see the horse racing at Saratoga Springs and the Giants train at the University of Albany. Plus we went to the horse racing hall of fame, got to meet Lisanne and we hung out with Dave & Holly.
Friday morning we head up to Albany. I love road trips no matter how far or near they are. Seeing new places or revisiting places I've been to before. We stopped at a rest stop close to Albany premises and I tried the new Green Tea Frappacino from Starbucks I've been hearing about. Niel was right it was awful. I was disappointed I didn't enjoy it. It tasted like melted candy mixed in some water. And not good candy either. We decided to go to Saratoga Springs first since we had some time before we had to check into our hotel.
Saratoga Springs is a gorgeous town even if you just go to see the town. The architecture is Victorian and they have a variety of eateries. Victorian designed homes are so lovely and have such character. It's one of my favorites. We've been to Saratoga Springs previously but had never watched horse racing.
The landscaping for the track is quite lovely, lots of flowers and a picnic area. Plus admission is relatively cheap. Starting bets are only $2.00. We aren't gamblers and only stayed for two races. Afterwards we went to the horseracing museum. Horse racing was brought over by the British and there were small replica ships showing how the horses were stored. And participate. Interesting stuff.
We were pretty hungry afterwards and found a Dennys. I was pretty excited to try a Dennys. I like trying different eateries, chain or mom and pop. We ordered from their breakfast menu even if it was dinnertime. Dennys always serves breakfast and I guess breakfast is their specialty. I asked for the cherry stuffed pancakes and Niel had the meat bowl. It is scrambled eggs with hash browns and a variety of breakfast meats with cheese melted on top. Then we went back to the hotel and fell asleep. A good day indeed.
Saturday morning we saw the Giants practice at the University of Albany. There was a pretty large crowd and a small area for kids, plus a stand selling shirts and other items. That was pretty exciting for Niel. Ever since he saw the Mets and Dodgers practice at Port St. Lucy in Florida in March, he's been wanting to see teams practice during the off season. Afterwards we went to the Christmas Tree Shops at the Colonie Mall. A place I read about on Lisanne's blog. It was a really nice store with a variety of things for the home. And then we went to meet Lisanne, her husband Jeff and their son Lucas for lunch at the Albany Brewery. I was a little nervous even though I speak with Lisanne on comments and email. I felt like the first day of school when you make a new friend. I guess I wanted to be liked. Heh heh. Niel and I got a little lost coming back but finally arrived a few minutes late. Lisanne is as nice in person as she is on her blog. Jeff and Niel had a good deal to talk about and little Lucas is adorable. They are a nice couple and we enjoyed their company. I was happy to have met them in person! The meal was also good and I would recommend eating there. After lunch we walked around downtown Albany a bit and then headed over to Dave and Holly's. We played virtual Trivial Pursuit for a bit before heading out to Sitar, an awesome Indian restaurant. Sitar is beautifully decorated with great service and delicious food. Rob is teaching in Japan and had stories of life there. After dinner we went back to Dave and Holly's, where they made drinks and we played some card games. It was a lot of fun.
Sunday morning Niel, me, Dave and Holly ate at the coolest diner I have ever been too. Miss Albany. The food is inexpensive and plentiful and the menu has such great variety. I ordered the Rocky Mountain High which is a large plate of cornbread topped with bacon, scrambled egg topped with jalapeno cheddar mix. Niel had the Corned Beef Has which includes two eggs and toast. If I lived in the Albany area, I would eat at Miss Albany every day so I could try the different tasty items on the menu. After coming back to the city, we stopped by my mother in laws for a bit to see her before she went on her cruise.
It was a much needed and relaxing getaway. Pics here.
Also happy first day of National Inventors Month.
Song Stuck In My Head: "Private Eyes" by Hall and Oates
7 comments:
Glad you had a nice weekend. Sorry that the green tea was crappy. I have had two and the second one wasn't as great as the first one. I think that it might be the person who makes it? Happy August!
Sounds fun. Our green tea fraps have been yummy. maybe it's where you buy it?
Thanks you guys! I never thought of that? Maybe it was that particular starbucks but Niel tried it at another spot and did not enjoy it. Just a personal prefernace I guess.
We sure had a great time with you guys! We'll have to get together again sometime. Hey, you really got some awesome shots of Albany! I've passed that diner a million times ... didn't know that they had great food! Will have to check it out. Sorry about the green tea frap ~ I liked mine!
Hey Lisanne. Yeah that would be nice. Thanks. It's such a lovely town. Such great architecture. Hope you like the diner. The variety is incredible. It's ok to each their own.
I have eaten in that Denny's when I was up to visit Lisanne! Isn't she a sweetie? I loved Saratoga Springs. WHat Hotel did you stay at?
There are three in the area. We ate in one in Clifton Park. I believe. Yes Lisanne is the nicest and Saratoga is great. We stayed at the Red Carpet Inn. It was ok since we weren't in the room much.
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