Saratoga's "Summer" Break Is...Now
Why Thanksgiving isn't the only current travel for some 'Toga folks, the tree is here!, and how to win a huge holiday lights prize.
Spending $67 for a jet-laggy, 5:30am breakfast overlooking the Las Vegas Strip has never felt so good. Last night, I flew straight from moody Reykjavik, Iceland to Sin City, where I have a hotel room to myself for one glorious night and morning (I finagled a late 1pm check-out). In a month, I’ll head to Costa Rica for New Year’s after spending Christmas home with my family in Albuquerque. Then, while hopscotching around some long weekends in familiar places such as Hudson and Canandaigua, I’ve got my eye on Spain and Mexico for the spring, with maybe a quick jump west to see the stunning vistas of northern Montana.
And then…ah, summer. A road trip with the fam to a beach house maybe? Perhaps a jaunt to Paris, to drink wine along the Seine taking advantage of the long summer days when the sun seems to never set (because literally, it sets at 10pm)?
Alas, no. Those memories are of years long past. You know, before I moved to Saratoga.
In fact, please excuse me while I take a minute to laugh out loud at the impossibility of taking even one day off between mid-July and the end of September.
Who’s with me? (Carly, Cate, Maureen, Jen, Nancy, Sheriza, for starters…)
Yup, every single one of you fellow Saratogians who works in certain fields that ramp up in the Spa City come summertime is probably nodding your head. After 2021’s exciting (but realistically fairly luke-warm) post-Covid comeback, it was this past chaotic, off-the-charts summer that reminded us that in many regards, we are a seasonal town. It passed in a blur of seven-day workweeks and the longest of days, where we sashayed from one event or activity to the next.
I did sneak off to NorCal’s wine country for Labor Day Weekend (I thought it was safe, since it marked the end of both SPAC and track seasons), thrilled to have a break from Saratoga overall. To my surprise, as I scrolled through my Instagram feed, there was Chris Shiley, whom I saw approximately 922 times at SPAC over the summer…also in San Francisco. A little too close for comfort if you know what I mean. The next day? Yup, we were both in Napa. I surreptitiously stalked his posts to make sure we preserved our personal space and didn’t run into each other; he on the other hand, ignored me and then blocked out my very presence so expertly that he later claims to have never seen it at all—“Wow I guess I really needed a break from anything Saratoga,” he told me later, wide-eyed. And oh, I understood.
(Pics below: two industry Saratogians blissfully ignoring each other’s presence in a geographically tiny area of California.)
But then September, that sneaky little devil, turned into a whirlwind none of us were quite expecting. “We’ll sleep in September” turned into “We’ll sleep in October.”
So here we are: It’s November, and everyone I know is…at long last…traveling. Simply because we finally can.
I grew up heading to the beach for one glorious week each summer, and I wistfully watched non-Saratogian Capital Regionites do just that this past July and August, kids and pool toys in tow. And now they watch me pack, instead of flip-flops and sun block, my warmest winter puffer, wool mittens and a Christmas list—one of the handiest parts of traveling this time of year is finishing your holiday shopping while on the road. As with my upcoming Costa Rica trip, other friends have headed south away from the Upstate New York chill: Turks & Caicos; Clearwater, FL; Miami; Sarasota, FL; Naples, FL. (I sense a theme.) There are talks of scuba trips and sailing trips and yes, Disney trips for the children of parents who just couldn’t make it happen during their summer break. Of course, in some circles the theme will soon be ski trips, but I’ll allow someone who wasn’t raised in Florida to tackle that one.
Even though it feels a bit off from the norm to take one’s big trips in the winter, it’s always been very common in certain circles—there’s a reason why fashion designers put out their Resort Wear collections in December and January. But while many a fashion plate simply must have the latest kitten heel and caftan for the winter’s yacht trip, a subset of us locals are simply taking advantage of Saratoga’s “slow” season—when we get to pack our bags and see the world. Or at least visit friends and family, many who did make it to the beach house last summer—without us.
—Abby
Saratoga’s tree has arrived! The lighting ceremony will kick off the Victorian Streetwalk Weekend on December 1. See you there!
You could win a professional photo shoot of your decked-out home (including drone footage!)…and bragging rights (you bet there’s a trophy) as the winner of the very first Capital Region Holiday Lights Competition with Roohan Realty. Read the details—and then hit up your favorite holiday lights store to level up your regular display. PLUS: there’s a map of the most festive neighborhoods—a tour is a must!
Hey, Saratoga, we have some major whiskey connoisseurs in town—and some new ones who are sipping and tasting their way to the top. Yup, we’re talking about the attendees of our second annual tasting with First Full Spirits. We’ve got all the pics to prove it!
This Week in Saratoga Living After Hours
On Monday, we played a little local Jeopardy.
And on Tuesday, we also played…in a spelling bee at King’s Tavern. (Plus, we revealed the answers to the Jeoparady questions!)
We hope everyone’s having a wonderful and relaxing holiday weekend!
—Abby and Nastalie