Mickey's Place in Cooperstown for the Love of Baseball!

Mickey's Place. Photo by Eric H.

No surprise given that it's the home of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, but Cooperstown, N.Y., offers many interesting, high-quality baseball-theme retail stores. Each one has its own unique personality and is worth a visit. 

Out of all the baseball shops, Mickey's Place seems to have one of the highest batting averages in regards to stores we like. Named after the late New York Yankee star Mickey Mantle -- who was a friend of one of the owners -- Mickey's Place features a large selection of baseball cards, autographed photos and baseballs, authentic baseball caps that go beyond just "Major League" and Major, Minor and World Classic apparel. You can also personalize a Louisville Slugger baseball bat while you wait.  I once was able to find a Rochester Red Wings Minor League Baseball League t-shirt for my Dad who grew up and played baseball in Rochester, N.Y., in the 1940s. What a thrill it is for him to wear this shirt!  No doubt, Mickey's has a lot of "hard-to-find" baseball merchandise.

While Mickey's is officially a retail store, the place seems to almost take on a museum-like quality, as I've found myself almost touring the shop instead of quickly locating and buying things.  I highly recommend kids of all ages check out this wonderful baseball retail destination. Additionally, Mickey's Place is a stone's throw (maybe Steve Stone!) away from the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum -- what a great way to spend a morning or afternoon!

Mickey's Place

74 Main St.

Cooperstown, NY

Phone: 1-800-528-5775

The Riverwood Flows With Great Gifts

Riverwood,  Cooperstown, N.Y. (photo by Eric H.)

Article by Eric H.
The Riverwood, on Main St. in Cooperstown, operates a little bit differently and that's a good thing.

Ignoring the either overly precious/pretentious or hokey elements of so many other modern-day gift shops, the Riverwood chooses to display a fabulous array of unique and hard-to-find gifts in a friendly setting. You'd have to see it for yourself, but the presentation is simply "the right mix."

It's amazing how much merchandise owner Rick Gibbons can fit into a small store. You'll find art and fine craft (and photo prints) by local artists and artisans, Brighton purses and accessories created for all ages, commemorative baseball-style "home plates," as well as jewelry, wind chimes, leather goods, toys, puzzles and games and locally-made soaps. 

Gibbons is an exceptionally nice, charismatic gentleman who really has "pride of ownership" written all over him. His staff is nice, too, especially Tierney who has been quite helpful and knowledgable every time we visit the store. Here's proof that stores on Main Street in Cooperstown are so much more than "baseball!"


Riverwood
88 Main Street
Cooperstown, New York 13326
607.547.4403

A Cooperstown Area Restaurant with an Amazing Lake View

Lake House Restaurant View (photo by Eric H.)

If you like to have your dinner with a scenic lake view, we strongly recommend trying the Lake House in nearby Richfield Springs, N.Y.

This historic 1843 restaurant and inn is family-friendly, serves excellent steak, chicken and seafood dishes, and the views... well, they are simply amazing! Try to visit during sunset where the big dramatic sky meets the pristine waters of Lake Canadarago. During the warm weather, there's an outdoor dining deck for even better views.

Recommended dishes: prime rib, chicken Kiev with herb garlic butter

The Lake House
2521 County Highway 22
Richfield Springs, NY
Tel. (315) 858-2058

What a beautiful restaurant! (photo by Eric H.)

A Good Sign For Cooperstown...

We just stayed at the Cooperstown Bed and Breakfast. It goes without saying that we love that place... and we also love the new sign put front. The blue tones, the nice fonts and the signature pineapple design really are an improvement over the last sign -- which, by the way, we also liked a lot.

The family-friendly Cooperstown Bed and Breakfast is a charming 1902 Victorian home, operated by two of the nicest people in the world, John and Linda Smirk. To learn more about this fabulous B&B, visit the Cooperstown Bed and Breakfast web site or its brand new Facebook Copoperstown B&B Fan page!

Willis, Read!

Willis Monie Books (photo by Eric H.)

We're back! Call it a vacation from a travel blog, I suppose...

Pardon the headline pun on the former NBA basketball star, but we'd like to start our return to blogging by featuring Willis Monie Books.  Jam-packed to the ceilings with thousands of popular and hard-to-find books, Willis Monie epitomizes the old-time Main St., small-town book shop.  The old book smell, personalized service, and the leisurely feel bring one back to another era. This type of store also validates that Main Street in Cooperstown goes well beyond baseball souvenir stores. Willis Monie is part of a group of downtown shops that provide a valuable service to local residents and tourists, instead of just the latter.

Willis Monie Books
139 Main Street
Cooperstown, NY 13326
Phone: (607) 547-8363
Tollfree: (800) 322-2995
Fax: (607) 547-7128

Cooperstown's Many Wonderful Attractions

Article and photo (Empire State Carousel at The Farmers' Museum) by Eric H.

Cooperstown, N.Y., is best known as the home of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, but many visitors are surprised to find out that there are so many other attractions within this magical, beautiful region.

At CooperstownForKids.com, we have written an article on many Cooperstown family attractions, (including recreational attractions) like the aforementioned National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum,The Farmers' Museum, Fenimore Art Museum, Fly Creek Cider Mill and Orchard, Abner Doubleday Field, Clark Sports Center, Glimmerglass State Park, Cooperstown Fun Park, Doubleday Batting Range, and the Cooperstown and Charlotte Valley Railroad. Additionally, we feature a section on attractions close to Cooperstown, including the impressively educational and entertaining National Soccer Hall of Fame in Oneonta, N.Y.!

We hope you enjoy these articles. We can't say enough good things about Cooperstown. The village and nine-mile long Otsego Lake are beautiful, and, as mentioned, there's certainly no shortage of things to do!

The Virtues of a Cooperstown Motel Lake Vacation

Article and photo (vew of Otsego Lake from the Bayside) by Eric H.

Our latest article at CooperstownforKids.com focuses on the Bayside Inn and Marina on Route 80 alongside beautiful nine-mile long Otsego Lake in Cooperstown, N.Y. Stressing the grand tradition of a family-oriented lake motel vacation, this article reveals the wonderful amenities offered at the Bayside like a swimming beach area with sand, free kayaks and canoes, cottages accommodating up to 10 people, well-kept motel rooms, a game room, fitness center, a family room with television and board games, a BBQ pavilion and, of course, the amazing lake and rolling hill views from just about every perspective. The Bayside is the type of traditional place people vacationed in during the 1950s, 60s and 70s. To this day, Cooperstown lake motels are quite popular amongst families interested in vacationing around Cooperstown. For us, the Bayside is a great choice for a lakeside vacation!

To read the Bayside Inn article, click on the link near the top of the story.