The Albany metro area, the Capital District, has many more attractions. The city of Troy offers well-preserved 19th century architecture making it a location for period films and fine antique shopping downtown. The Cohoes Falls are the second-largest in the state a distant second to Niagara Falls, but impressive nonetheless. The area in and around the city of Saratoga Springs about 40 minutes north of Albany features wonderful shops, restaurants and bars, a national park about 15 miles from Saratoga proper at the site of the Battle of Saratoga the turning point of the Revolutionary War, a lovely State park with a mud and mineral bath spa run by the state, a par 29 and two championship 18 hole courses as well a stately restaurant. Saratoga is most known for its great horse racing track oldest on the country and harness racing track. Victorian visitors came to take the waters at springs. The spring waters are located at different pavilions around the city and surrounds. They vary tremendously in flavor from a light mineral water to frosty and hard. The city of Saratoga Springs is major tourist destination during its summer horse racing season. Yaddo, the famous writers retreat is located near the "flat track" on Union avenue. Call ahead you may be able to tour.
Visitors to the Albany area should consider day trips to destinations in the Berkshires of western Mass., including Tanglewood, Mass MoCA, and the Clark Art Institute. The Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown is also fairly close, as are the Adirondack and Catskill mountains.
Several state parks are within easy driving distance, among them Thacher State Park. A scenic 25-minute drive south on route 85, it tops an escarpment and has great views of the city and several beautiful hiking trails, including a lower trail which winds and turns near the bottom of the escarpment and actually goes behind two waterfalls. Spring is the best time to view these falls due to the thaw and increased water volume. Steep inclines and rocky paths on the lower trail could challenge less robust hikers.
