Kim, Lucas and I had another busy day on our visit to the Lackes to Locks Passage & Saratoga area. (Check out my recap on the first day of our trip here)

We got started a little later than expected due to being a bit tired from the long drive and busy day we had the day before. We also got lucky with the weather. Rain was in the forecast but we ended up with a comfortably chilly day with the rain holding out until dinner time!

Here were some things we did:

• Saratoga National Historic Park
• River/ canal tour with Champlain Canal Tours
• Climbing to the top and jumping by the Saratoga Monument
• Checked out some of the creatively decorated horse statues around the area 

Entrance to the park

Our first stop of the day was the Saratoga National Historic Park. We had a nice chat with one of the park rangers at the visitor’s center. We learned a bit about the site which was crucial during the Revolutionary War. A 10 mile, one way road connects most of the important stops along the way. There was lots of information at each stop and many of the sites had nice views.  I can’t say that there was a lot to see going through the park but history buffs will love it. Free downloadable MP3 files about the site are available here.

Inside Lock 5

We took a two hour boat tour with Champlain Canal Tours. The scenery on the water was really great. We passed by some small islands, saw a waterfall and got to go through Lock 5 of the Champlain Canal which was the highlight. It was really amazing to head into the lock and get lowered 18 feet to the level of the Hudson River. 

The Saratoga Monument

The Saratoga Monument is part of the National Historic Park but is 8 miles away.
I consider it a separate site since it is so far away plus we saw it after our boat tour. The monument is a 155 foot tall obelisk that commemorates the American victory at Saratoga. We climbed to the top of the monument (184 steps) which was worthwhile for the excellent views. Inside the monument are a bunch of metal plaques which tell about various events during the revolution.
 I also jumped in front of the monument (on three of sides) which I will post at another time.

Pony “X” Press horse

We saw a bunch of creatively painted horse statues around Saratoga and Schuylerville that reminded us of the Cow Parade in NY and the Custer Stampede in South Dakota. From what I could tell these uniquely painted horses were part of a few art-related projects. It was fun seeing these horses while walking around.

Some more great food:
Two places that were on Throwdown with Bobby Flay were recommended to us. One famous for it’s fried chicken, the other for it’s ice cream. We also stopped by a really awesome bakery.

• Hattie’s Restaurant– Hattie’s is know for having some of the best fried chicken according to Food & Wine magazine online. The chicken did not disappoint, Kim and I both loved it. The mashed potato’s were also really great. The rest of the menu was filled with Southern and Louisiana style food. (They beat Bobby!)
• The Ice Cream Man makes their own ice cream using the old fashioned batch method of production. There were some interesting flavors and the flavors we had were very creamy and tasty. A small wasn’t so small. After our visit, Kim and I wished we had shared one.
• We had amazing pastries at Mrs. London’s Bakery & Cafe. According to some newspaper/ magazine articles inside, Mrs. London’s was considered one of the best bakeries in the U.S. After eating there it was worthy of that distinction. Everything we tried was excellent so I am pretty sure whatever you try will be tasty!