Here's the last set of pictures from my little trip last week, which more-or-less finished up in Saratoga, a nice little town that attracts a lot of wealthy people because of the nearby springs and racetrack (what, you didn't think they came to check out the historic battlefield, did you?).
First up is a fountain in Congress Park that sits between Broadway downtown and the neighborhood of large mansions (and the aforementioned racetrack) on Union Avenue.
This gazebo is another nice feature in Congress Park. There was also a carousel and a pretty little stream running through a very green meadow.
Here's one of the big mansions we walked by-- every house on Union Ave. is big, mostly ornate, and different from all the others around it. It boggles the mind to think of all the money that must've been floating through this place at one time (and maybe still does).
Here is another of those big houses, perhaps a bit more modest than most of the others, but impressive nonetheless. I especially like the big, rounded porches, especially the round one on the corner of the second floor.
The houses in the previous two pictures date from the late 19th century, and reflect the wealth of the nation by that point in time. This last one is of a place known as Fort Klock just outside Fort Johnson, about fifty miles or so west of Saratoga. It was built in the 1750s, and occupied by the same family until the 1930s. It is a much more simple affair, with its major feature being double walls that made it a safe haven when enemies were lurking about the neighborhood. We stumbled on this place by accident-- seeing a historical marker, we turned in, and although he was in the process of shutting down for the day, the docent kept the place open a little longer and gave us a tour. It turned out he was the great great great great (there were at least four, maybe five "greats" in there) grandson of the first inhabitant of the house. His hospitality made out last stop one of the highlights of the trip. Next year, I'm thinking of making another loop through the state, possibly to the north (maybe the Thousand Islands).
First up is a fountain in Congress Park that sits between Broadway downtown and the neighborhood of large mansions (and the aforementioned racetrack) on Union Avenue.
This gazebo is another nice feature in Congress Park. There was also a carousel and a pretty little stream running through a very green meadow.
Here's one of the big mansions we walked by-- every house on Union Ave. is big, mostly ornate, and different from all the others around it. It boggles the mind to think of all the money that must've been floating through this place at one time (and maybe still does).
Here is another of those big houses, perhaps a bit more modest than most of the others, but impressive nonetheless. I especially like the big, rounded porches, especially the round one on the corner of the second floor.
The houses in the previous two pictures date from the late 19th century, and reflect the wealth of the nation by that point in time. This last one is of a place known as Fort Klock just outside Fort Johnson, about fifty miles or so west of Saratoga. It was built in the 1750s, and occupied by the same family until the 1930s. It is a much more simple affair, with its major feature being double walls that made it a safe haven when enemies were lurking about the neighborhood. We stumbled on this place by accident-- seeing a historical marker, we turned in, and although he was in the process of shutting down for the day, the docent kept the place open a little longer and gave us a tour. It turned out he was the great great great great (there were at least four, maybe five "greats" in there) grandson of the first inhabitant of the house. His hospitality made out last stop one of the highlights of the trip. Next year, I'm thinking of making another loop through the state, possibly to the north (maybe the Thousand Islands).
1 comment:
A friend of mine from college and her husband (retired) moved to Saratoga Springs for the golf course, John. Besides the springs and the race track, I'll bet a lot of those folks over there play golf. I understand it is a great course. Mom
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