Lake Swimming Near Cooperstown

What would a summer vacation be like without a place to swim? Fortunately, the Cooperstown, N.Y., area offers several lake beaches with Glimmerglass State Park at the forefront of idyllic places to swim. With plenty of sand and some of the cleanest lake beach water we've ever experienced, the beach at Glimmerglass State Park is an experience you won't want to miss. The beach is part of the beautiful, nine-mile long Otsego Lake -- everywhere you look is, quite simply, memorable. The swimming area is ideal with not much of a drop off, all the way out to the first set of ropes. The lovely mountains and hills add scenic splendor, the air is most likely fresher than where you live, and the open green land to have a cookout (along with some beautiful hiking trails) or toss a ball around helps make the beach a staple of locals and summer vacationers. We recommend checking out the New York State Parks Web Page for more information.

Beautiful Lakefront Park in Cooperstown

Many visitors to Cooperstown, N.Y., aren't aware that there's a beautiful park just a few minute's walk from Main Street! Whether on a sunny summer day or a cool night with dramatic sunsets, Lakefront Park affords beautiful views of magnificent Otsego Lake, perfectly framed by pleasantly scenic rolling hills. With a sprawling, lush green lawn, gazebo, marina with boatyard and a small lighthouse, and boardwalk with wonderful landscaped gardens, we embrace Lakefront Park as a "must-see" when visiting Cooperstown. From Main Street, take Lower Pioneer Street (at the intersection in the heart of the Village near the Tunnicliff Inn) to this special Cooperstown destination. It's great for a picnic, weekly Tuesday night concert (from July through Aug. 25 at 7 p.m.), or just to relax and take in one of Upstate New York's most scenic lakes!

National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum Events Page

If you are planning on visiting the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, N.Y., I strongly recommend logging onto to the "Upcoming Events" page. There's a lot of wonderful things going on at the Hall of Fame, including the upcoming 2009 Baseball Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony Weekend featuring baseball greats Rickey Henderson, Jim Rice and Joe Gordon on July 26th at 1:30 at the Clark Sports Center on Susquehanna Ave. in Cooperstown. Of course, we recommend you taking a look at the entire National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum Web Site for additional information on visiting this truly remarkable destination!

A Sweet Shopping Experience in Cooperstown Just Got Sweeter

Straws and Sweets has made its popular candy and gift shopping experience that much sweeter by moving, not too long ago, from 70 Main St., Cooperstown, N.Y., to a new location virtually across the street at 81 Main St. For those of you who know Cooperstown well, this is the former site of the National Pastime baseball collectibles store. The new, bigger location means more sweets, more gifts, a nicer layout and ultimately a more visible location in the heart of this idyllic, quaint village. The store looks great!

By the way, when visiting Straws and Sweets, be sure to buy some cookies from the Cooperstown Cookie Company -- locally made, all-natural cookies with a baseball theme! This is a quality product and it feels good to support local businesses.

Straws and Sweets
81 Main St.
Cooperstown, NY 13326
Tel. (607) 547-5365

Fun Activities for the Summer at a Local Farm

Cooperstown, N.Y., has so many wonderful attractions for kids, but let's not forget the myriad things to do for the family not too far outside the village. One such destination is Glen Brook Farm, about a half-hour from Cooperstown in Oneonta, N.Y. Glen Brook Farm features summer workshops where kids can "interact with animals, work in the garden or create in small groups led by artists, who guide them in drawing, painting, sculpture and other mediums, all while working in outdoor studios," according to its brochure. The emphasis is on education and sustainability, inspiring the values of caring, responsibility, honesty and good stewardship of the land. Wow, this beats playing with a video game any day! We recommend checking out some of the summer activities at Glen Brook.

New York Pizzeria Comes to Cooperstown!

Opening July 4th with lines quickly assembling out the door, New York Pizzeria, at 75 Chestnut St., indeed experienced a welcoming debut. Clean, personable and with some of the best made-from-scratch Italian-style pizza we've sampled anywhere, we look forward to eating at New York Pizzeria during our future vacations. The homemade sauce and cheese blend, as well as the truly fresh eggplant and red pepper toppings, were absolutely phenomenal -- and quite noteworthy, given we are from the Boston area where some of the most renowned pizza places reside (Pizzeria Regina, Santarpio's, etc.). Take-out seemed to be the preferred mode when we visited, but New York Pizzeria (with its flagship restaurant in Richfield Springs, N.Y.) also features very pleasant, nicely renovated dining rooms with a moderate amount of seating. It's nice that Cooperstown finally has a pizza place that is running on all dining cylinders!

New York Pizzeria
75 Chestnut St.
Cooperstown, NY
Tel. (607) 547-2930

Mom will Love the Shopping Opportunities in Cooperstown, NY!

Article and Photo by Eric H.

If Mom has any trepidation about your Cooperstown, NY, vacation being entirely comprised of baseball-related activities, have no fear. Cooperstown has many wonderful cultural vacation attractions like the Fenimore Art Museum, Glimmerglass Opera, Cooperstown Art Association, and the Cooperstown Concert Series, but it is also a place that features some great shopping on Main Street. We recently showcased an article on Main Street shopping in Cooperstown, focusing on the shops that Mom might enjoy in this quaint downtown district. We encourage you to read this article, as well as the myriad attractions and recreational activities that will appeal to all family members.

You can read the "Cooperstown Main Street shopping for moms" article here.