And they're off ... to Saratoga Springs, that is, home to world-class thoroughbred horse racing. If you want to visit during August, be sure to book your hotel early, because tourists from all over the world will be swarming in to bet at the Saratoga Race Course. This is the oldest continuously-operating horse track in the nation and rightfully famous. Even if you're not betting, the races are glorious to watch.

Horses aren't the only reason people gather to Saratoga Springs. Saratoga's Broadway is crowded with boutiques and bistros, an attractive walk-through, and for the night-time groove, the Springs has nightclubs. Yadoo and Skidmore College hosts writers' conferences and retreats and you can watch the New York Ballet at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center.

But what about the springs? Surely Saratoga Springs must derive its name from something. It does, of course. The Saratoga Spa State Park is all winding paths and mineral springs and the London Bathhouse gives visitors a chance to actually relax in the water of those springs.

Horses, shopping, natural beauty, and the creative arts . . . and also architecture. Over 400 historic homes line the streets between Lake and Union Avenue. You'll see mansions of Gothic and Victorian splendor as well as far more modest homes, a kind of cross-section of the past.

You'll find Saratoga Springs mid-way between Albany and Lake George Village on I-87, Exits 13-15. For more information on Saratoga Springs, look at the navigational sidebar on the left side of the page.