BALLing it Up in Cooperstown ⚾️
Trip with me and my husband on our adventures together!
A travel guide to help you with tips, places to visit, good global eats and anything else that comes with taking a trip away…. let’s start the trippin’!
Over the Marathon (Boston) Monday/Indigenous People’s Day long weekend, I surprised my husband with a mini lil getaway to the mecca of all meccas….especially if you are a HUGE baseball fan like he is. Got any ideas what place I am talkin’ about? Yup, you guessed it…..Cooperstown NY to the Baseball Hall of Fame! I mean, it actually seemed appropriate considering we went to the Basketball Hall of Fame in February of this year (check out my post ‘Glammin’ It Up in Northampton’ under The Diaries–Trippin’ It With the Vegas’). Bucket list to do ✓✓. I know, I know…..total wifey brownie points right there 💁♀️.
Since a lot of the hotels in the area were already booked up (even though I did this a couple of months in advance), I searched Airbnb’s for surrounding areas. I came across this super cute place called the ‘Sunrise Suite’, about a 30 minute drive to Cooperstown in Oneonta, NY. We honestly didn’t mind the drive which was really pretty & scenic, so for us it was the perfect match! Since CV-19, we only have stayed at hotels and were a little weary about staying in someone’s actual property but with the Airbnb sanitizing guidelines protocol as well as the 5 star reviews & stellar rating the owners had, we said F it and gave it a shot.
We left on a Saturday morning around 9ish and the ride was about 4 hours and 15 minutes due to a little bit of traffic. The ride itself was a straight shot all the way down the Mass Pike which was really easy. About 20 minutes away from our destination we were starving and stopped off at Mountain Dog Café https://mountaindogcafe.com/, in Stamford NY for an egg and cheese breakfast wrap, a scone and a good ole cup of coffee. Exactly what we needed. Our check in for our Airbnb was at 4pm but we arrived around 230ish. The owner was extremely accommodating and let us check in an hour and a half early. We were relieved & thankful that we could do this.
Before I get into the reason we booked this trip in the first place, I have to talk about how AMAZING the ‘Sunrise Suite’ was!! It had everything that you could possibly need even if it was tiny quarters (maybe like 300-400 sq feet, if that). My guess, since the owners live on premise and since the ‘Sunrise Suite’ is attached to the main house, this Airbnb gem was converted from a very large garage. ‘Your own space with a separate entrance and private deck.’ Set back from the main house, privacy was not an issue. When you pull up in the parking spot designated for guests, you will notice a little stone path leading to two stairs that lead to the french style front doors, and a nice sized deck with a grill, a table and chairs and lounge seats to enjoy the scenery (picture the Sound of Music hill lol). I love how the deck also had an L shaped couch on it that had globe string lights hanging for an intimate setting for nighttime. Country homey feel is the vibes I got.
We walked into the ‘Sunrise Suite’ and were blown away with how modern, clean and welcoming it was. I literally fell in love with this place! Opening the french doors to go into the space, it was a nice, open, airy, concept and took a whole other spin on small living quarters. I felt like I was in a treehouse, well because, let’s face it, we were in the country, but also felt like I was in an apartment in Soho because of the modern touches, if that makes any sense lol. It featured a California king bed, a small loveseat couch and a small built in alcove kitchen with sliding barn doors that had the smallest appliances I have ever seen….dishwasher, fridge etc. The room also had a recliner chair, a mounted t.v., a stand-up dresser closet, and a table and benches for eating. A skylight made the space very bright and sunny. What I liked most about this place was above the table and benches was this huge, handwritten chalkboard, that listed local attractions, restaurants, & things to do. The best part of this place was that the guests could use anything on the 12 acre grounds including a salt water heated pool, tennis/basketball courts, fire pit, and playground. Unfortunately, since we were there for such a short stay, we didn’t get a chance to use any of these amenities but would love to come back in the warmer weather to take advantage.
Our plan was to drop our bags off and then drive to Cooperstown to see the main street that the Hall of Fame was on. We had tickets for the next morning so we really wanted to get a feel of the area and walk around. We lucked out, because the weather was in the low 60’s which was perfect to do some sightseeing & some shopping. The majority of the stores on the main strip surrounding the NBHOF, are memorabilia stores with some of the best souvenirs and collectibles for the avid baseball superfan. So, you can only imagine how excited my hubby was. Literally like a big kid in a candy store……or baseball card shop lol.
Besides the endless souvenir shops, there are places to grab a bite to eat like Mel’s at 22, http://www.melsat22.com/, for your classic American comfort fare; Bocca Osteria https://www.boccaosteria.com/, for that delectable Italian cuisine that everybody loves, or Lakefront Restaurant http://www.lakefrontcooperstown.com/, part of The Lakefront Hotel , where you can enjoy some yummy bites while taking in the beautiful scenery of Otsego Lake. I suggest making reservations to ALL these places, especially if you are going on a long weekend like we did. We made the mistake of not making any but were lucky enough to try at least one of these local favorites. Also, make note on when these places are open not only for the season but also for normal hours (some close on the weekends altogether and for the slower months).
Besides fine dining with not only good eats and views, you can grab a quick bite to eat at several of the pizza shops on the main strip, like Sal’s Pizzeria https://www.cooperstownmenus.com/sals.html, which had some amazing pizza, garlic knots and salads to satisfy our hunger after a long day of being on the road & walking around all those shops. This was the perfect dinner for that. We liked it so much, we ended up going there the next day for lunch. I mean, you can’t go wrong with pizza.
For a delicious cappuccino and a HUMONGOUS piece of pie (Reese’s Pieces Pie, may fav 😋), head on over to Doubleday Café https://doubledaycafe.com/. You won’t be disappointed that you did. A local fav spot serving not only awesome desserts but some good chow too! For an on the go sweet and some of the BEST breakfast treats on Main, head on over to Schneider’s http://facebook.com/Schneidersbakery for the BIGGEST and YUMMIEST and glazed to perfection, Cinnamon Bun you have ever seen (& eaten)!! Pair it with a delicious and fresh cup of coffee and you will be in SWEETS HEAVEN!! They also have homemade bread and bagels, danishes, muffins and scones to name a few. It’s no wonder they have been in business since 1887, keeping the locals sweet tooth yearning for more.
Since you are on Main and walking around, check out a really cute gift shop called Tin Bin Alley https://tinbinalley.com/. Specializing in gifts, souvenirs, collectibles, homemade fudge, chocolate and ice cream, this little unique boutique gem has everything you could want in it and more. And I guarantee you will walk out of there with something. BTW, their Peanut Butter and Cookies and Cream homemade fudge is out of this world!! Oh, so is there Apple Pie Ice Cream that is just as good so make sure you grab a scoop or two!
A historical place to go visit and that I was super excited to see since it is in one of my fav women’s sports movies of all time, A League of Their Own, is the Doubleday Field, https://www.doubledayfield.com/. It’s pretty cool to stand on the grounds and watch an actual baseball game that just happened to be playing on the same field that Geena Davis, Lori Petty, Madonna & Tom Hanks starred on. It was really awesome to see the actual ‘Home of Baseball’. It was also mentioned in a section of the NBHOF which we got to see the day after. There is a parking lot right in front of the field which is where we decided to park and there are several shops and a bar with some hoppy local beer that outline the field itself. So, you get so much to experience just in the area where you park.
Now, let’s get to the whole reason we came here. You’ve seen it in movies, you’ve read about it in books and you’ve heard about it from family and friends. The National Baseball Hall of Fame, right on Main, which houses so much history, memorabilia, souvenirs, and fame. And it’s all for the love of the game. See what I did there? Lol. This place is a mecca of all things baseball; from the originators, to the GOATS, to the MVPS, to the coaches to the lives and to the historical stories to where it was to what it has become. If you come here, expect to stay here for several hours. It’s literally a whole day affair which we were so ok with, because it was the whole purpose of our trip. I enjoyed it as much as my husband did especially because being a feminist, I love to see how women came about to pave the way and change the game. I could go on and on about how amazing out time there was, but I want you to go for yourself to enjoy. It was an awesome two day experience!!
There were several places that we couldn’t see since they were closed either for the season or because of the pandemic like the American Baseball Wax Museum https://baseballwaxmuseum.com/, the Cooperstown Diner, https://www.cooperstowndiner.com/, & Wood Bull Antiques in Milford http://woodbullantiques.com/bullsite/ (about a 15 minute drive from the center of Cooperstown) One thing we did get to see which was nice to walk around was Otsego Lake and it’s pretty grounds that you could tell is a hopping place in the warmer weather. Perfect scenery for an outdoor wedding or perfect backdrop for my influencers out there looking to snap that unforgettable pic. Either way, it’s a place to see.
Since we traveled to Cooperstown in the Fall, we would love to check it out in the Spring or Summer to fully experience everything this historical, cute, quaint town has to offer. And I’m sure you would too!
Side note….On the way home, we decided to stop and grab a bite to eat (to break up the long drive) at 51 Park in Lee, MA. It’s about halfway point to Cooperstown at around the 2 hour mark but this place had such amazing food!!! If this is your way back home, then stop off and grab one of their popular and delectable Reuben sandwiches!
Hope you enjoyed what I shared with you!! If you are visiting and have questions, don’t hesitate to ask me with either a comment below or send me an email! Check back for our next trippin’ adventure!
Until the next trip with us!!
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