Saratoga Springs

Saratoga Springs needs 2 days: touring Saratoga Spa State Park and its natural mineral springs -which give the city its name- on one, and attending a race at Saratoga Race Course, the oldest continuously operating thoroughbred track in the US (since 1863), on the other. July-August is peak racing season, with hotels at double their usual rate. It's mid-to-upper priced during racing season, inexpensive the rest of the year. Its natural carbonated springs made it the fashionable spa resort of New York high society in the late 19th century, and the same horse racing track from back then is still running today.