Monday Memories: Fall fun in Cooperstown, NY

September 10, 2012

By: Shayla Martin

Happy Monday! I hope you had a great weekend. I spent my weekend spiffing up this here blog (I hope you like the changes!), catching up on old episodes of Revenge a.k.a. the best show on television, practicing yoga, and watching football. All in all I’d say the relaxation factor was at a high.

In NYC we had a few storms over the weekend, helping to kick-start the fall season. The temperatures have dropped a bit and I even saw a few leaves changing. As you know, I’ve had leaf peeping on my brain since mid-August so I decided that for today’s Monday memory I’d revisit one of the best leaf peeping destinations I’ve ever been to – Cooperstown, NY. A couple of years ago I had the wonderful fortune of acting as a public relations representative for the destination of Cooperstown, NY. I tell you that to say that I am a bit biased when it comes to this destination but previous work relationship aside, I truly feel that this town is one of the best in America. I’m not a baseball fan at all which is why prior to working for the agency that represented Cooperstown, I had never heard of it. To be honest with you, I didn’t think I’d find anything interesting about the town that is the home to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Baseball has never been my favorite pastime (I find it rather boring) but all it took was one four-hour drive to Coops for me to fall head over heels in love.

Cooperstown is so much more than the Baseball Hall of Fame. For starters it has such an interesting history with its ties to author James Fenimore Cooper as well as a strong Native American history. Additionally, much of the town surrounds Lake Otsego, also known as “Glimmerglass Lake” in Cooper’s famed novel The Last of the Mohicans, providing a gorgeous backdrop (and a pretty sweet way to view the foliage by boat!). Although the Baseball Hall of Fame is a splendid way to spend a day in Cooperstown, the town also offers a world-class art museum in the Fenimore Art Museum (one of their most interesting exhibits this fall is called On the Home Front: New York in the Civil War), as well as a fully operating 19th century village by way of The Farmers’ Museum. Cooperstown has a haunted history making it the perfect destination for Halloween visits. The Farmers’ Museum hosts a super creepy Things That Go Bump in the Night tour and Candlelight Ghost Tours are available by private companies.

In addition to beautiful fall foliage for leaf peeping, Cooperstown and the surrounding area is home to classic fall activities such as apple picking, pumpkin picking, and beer tasting. My absolute favorite orchard is Middlefield Orchard, located in Middlefield, NY, about a 15 to 20 minute drive from Cooperstown. The gorgeous orchard spans for acres of you-pick apples, raspberries, pumpkins and squash. Owners Willy and Joan also sell a varieties of homemade specialty jams in flavors such as Pear Lime and Strawberry Rhubarb. A trip to Ommegang Brewery is a must for craft beer lovers of the world. I’ve met people at Ommegang who made the pilgrimage to Cooperstown just to visit the famous Belgian brewery. The brewery offers tours on the hour and recently added a new cafe so you can kick back and enjoy a beer flight over a bowl of mussels and frites.

I could honestly talk about Cooperstown all day but the point of this blog is that I want you to see for yourself! As a representative of the destination I was able to stay at the pièce de résistance of Cooperstown, the Otesaga Resort Hotel. From the front portico supported by massive 30-foot columns to the row of rocking chairs on the back veranda offering sweeping views of Lake Otsego, the 103-year-old Grand Dame resort instantly transports its guests to a time of classic elegance. The resort is all-Americana with little touches such as coffee and fresh cookies everyday at 4pm and jackets require for men for dinner in the Main Dining Room. As accommodations at the resort include a dining package, rates can be a bit steep starting at $345 per night, including dinner and breakfast. The Cooper Inn is an excellent alternative bed & breakfast style lodging option just down the road with rates starting at $115 per night. Guests at The Cooper Inn can enjoy recreational activities at the Otesaga including golf, tennis and swimming. Mixed pictures of two separate fall trips to Cooperstown are below! Where are you headed to leaf peep this fall? Let me know below!