New York/Canada Road Trip 2019
June 20-26th, 2019
Day 1 – Cooperstown, NY
AKA Center of the baseball universe (and high on Peter’s bucket list). We got up early this morning to make our flight from ATL to Albany, NY. Upon landing we immediately grabbed a rental car and headed toward Cooperstown, NY, stopping for a quick (delish) lunch at Apple Barrel, a cute little cafe and store on the drive. We checked into our hotel, the Railroad Inn, a recently renovated historic building within walking distance of downtown and set out for a stroll – in the pouring rain. Stopped in the Cooperstown Distillery and sampled some great gin and rye whiskey. Saw Doubleday Field – the (disputed) birthplace of baseball and stopped in ten million baseball souvenir shops. Topped off the day with a visit to the very cool Red Shed Brewery. Tomorrow we’re heading to the Baseball Hall of Fame and Brewery Ommegang before driving to our next stop on the road trip!
Day 2 – Cooperstown, NY to Saratoga Springs, NY
Our 5th wedding anniversary! Visited the Baseball Hall of Fame first thing before hitting the road. Peter was definitely in his happy place. We planned to go to Brewery Omnegang for lunch, but they were closed to set up for a Death Cab for Cutie concert tonight. We drove through some gorgeous farmland (complete with horse buggies) on our way to Saratoga Springs, NY for the night. Checked into the Springwater Bed & Breakfast – our room even has a clawfoot soaking tub!! After a quick nap we headed to do some exploring, walking through Congress Park, a gorgeous green space with fountains everywhere and into a cute little downtown with lots of local shops and restaurants. Dinner was at Osteria Danny, one of the most popular places in town – we had to book our reservations a month in advance. It was tiny and filled up quickly. The coconut pie was to die for. Seriously mouthwatering.The inn was very thoughtful, and sent champagne to the room after dinner for our anniversary, so I got some bubbly and a chance to relax (while Peter watches the Braves, haha). Let’s be real, baseball is his first love! On to Montreal tomorrow!
Day 3 – Saratoga Springs, NY to Montreal, Canada.
Fabulous breakfast on the porch of our B&B. Many of the old Victorian style houses here have huge porches. Feels like spring and all the flowers are in bloom – perfect weather for porch sittin’. Started driving north on I87, stopping briefly in Lake George – a town on the lake that would remind you of Gatlinburg with the kitchy shops – complete with old timey photos and fudge. Lunch stop in Plattsburgh, NY on Lake Champlain – but no sign of Champy the lake creature. Crossed the Canadian border mid-afternoon. We learned it’s Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day/Fete Nationale for Quebec so Monday is a holiday and the city is absolutely packed with people. Our hotel is right on the main street in the Old Port area. We took a walk around the area to get our bearings, climbed to the top of Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel (“the sailors church”), enjoyed some Nutella crepes and ice cream, and saw a really dramatic light show inside Notre-Dame Basilica.Once it gets dark, there are projection installations set up across the city to tell the local history in an engaging way. One is in the alley outside our hotel room. It’s neat to watch the people being pulled into the alley and interacting with it. Very innovative. Tomorrow we have a scooter tour of some of the local neighborhoods. Wish us luck!
Day 4 – Montreal, Canada
We spent the morning scooting all over town on electric scooters. It’s a very bike and pedestrian friendly city – so we never felt unsafe in traffic (travel in a pack and “intimidate” when making turns as our guide advised – I don’t think I was very intimidating grinning and waving at everyone we passed, haha). Loved exploring the local neighborhoods of Plateau, Mile-Ex and Little Italy on scooter. Stopped for some bagels – fresh out of a wood fired oven, hit some lookout points on Mount Royal and stopped by the Jean Talon Market. They have public art literally everywhere and art pianos set up for people to walk up and play. Very creative vibe. Hiked a few extra miles after the tour to get Peter some poutine – made the traditional way with french fries, cheese curds and gravy – I honestly don’t get what the fuss is about, but I’m not a fry lover. Finally make it to my #1 stop in the evening – Bota Bota – a ferry boat in the harbor that has been converted into a spa. We spent almost 4 hours relaxing in the hot tub/sauna/steam rooms and eating dinner in our bathrobes, while watching the sunset over the city. We also got to dip our toes into the St. Lawrence river (WAY too cold to get all the way in!) No pictures allowed, but it was an amazing experience and gave us a chance to rest our legs. Tomorrow we head back to the USA – driving down to Burlington, VT for the night.
Day 5 – Montreal, Canada to Burlington, VT
Drove by Habitat 67 and the Biosphere on our way out of the city, both remnants of the Expo 67 (world’s fair) in Montreal and architectural landmarks. A must see for any architecture geek like me. Crossed the US Border a little before noon, our first time using our Global Entry cards at a land crossing. It was a little confusing, but we finally found the Nexus lane and breezed right through. Cut over to Hwy 2 so we could drive down the Lake Champlain islands. Got checked into the hotel in Burlington and headed to Magic Hat Brewing for the 2pm tour. Sampled some good beers, but the tour guide didn’t have a clue about the production process, which was disappointing – especially since they charge for the tour. Grabbed lunch at cute neighborhood bakery, August First and explored the Church Street Marketplace – a pedestrian street in the middle of downtown. Took a walk along the harbor, where they have a community dock/boathouse run by the local park system. Hit Foam Brewery – an amazing brewery near the water with a huge following and then stopped by the Crepes & Comedy night at the Skinny Pancake. Burlington, VT is the largest city in Vermont with a population of 42k…that’s only a little larger than Dalton! Crazy. Tomorrow we’re headed back to Albany, NY – with a few fun stops planned along the way…stay tuned!
Day 6 – Burlington, VT to Albany, NY
Stopped for breakfast at the Penny Cluse Cafe in downtown Burlington. The biscuits and herbed gravy were a unique and delicious treat. Drove by the self proclaimed “World’s Tallest Filing Cabinet” – because who doesn’t love quirky roadside attractions. I always check Atlas Obscura to see what’s around when we travel.Got at hug from Jerry (Greenfield) himself at Ben and Jerrys in Waterbury, VT – along with a tour and delicious samples. They were launching a new flavor today to support transforming the criminal justice system – Justice ReMix’d. Drove up to Stowe, VT to The Alchemist brewery – home of the famous Heady Topper & Focal Banger. A downed live power line and road construction turned what should have been 40 mins out of route into 2x+ that. Still worth the special trip though! Food stop in Killington, VT – home to the east coast’s largest ski resort, a stop on the Appalachian Trail – and is absolutely dead in the summer. We were lucky to find a local pizza joint that was open. Long, rainy day on the road. Finally cleared up around the time we got the Green Mountain National Forest area. Got to Albany around 5PM. We quickly explored the New York State Capitol building and the Empire State Plaza – an interesting contrast in architectural styles. Tomorrow we plan to do some more exploring around downtown Albany before our flight back to ATL.
Day 7 – Albany, NY & flight home
Last morning in Albany, we went back to the Empire State Plaza area to explore. It has a hidden underground concourse that runs under the reflecting pools and connects all the buildings. They also have an impressive collection of modern art and sculpture displayed throughout the plaza area. We visited the New York State Museum, an eclectic collection of state related items and art. It even has a working antique carousel on the 4th floor! Took the underground concourse to the Corning Tower and went up to the observation room on the 42nd floor, looking out over Albany. Every Wednesday they have a farmers market, food trucks and live music on the plaza so we grabbed our lunch and sat at a picnic table by the reflecting pool to eat (thankfully it had an umbrella for shade – it is toasty here!). Went back to the hotel for a quick nap and then headed to the Albany airport to catch our flight back to ATL. It’s been a great little road trip adventure, but we’re looking forward to being home!
