With the Baseball Hall of Fame, two historic museums and a charming resort hotel on the lake, Cooperstown, NY has its bases loaded with tourist attractions, but the home run feature is the town itself. Perched on the shore of placid Otsego Lake, gently overseen by Clark family heirs of the Singer sewing machine fortune, the village of one-stop light and time-warp shops is a throwback to idyllic days of small town America. For visitors, the “bonus extra” feature is a trip back in time.
Joining a small group of journalists, I drove up from the city to spend a recent autumn weekend. The Otesaga Hotel is a stately red brick mansion with giant white pillars on the porch and a spacious lobby overlooking the lake.
My top/fifth floor room required a walk upstairs from the elevator’s fourth-floor termination, but it was a spacious, sunny corner room with a king size bed and comfortable club chair seating area in front of the giant flat screen television. The hotel’s name brand citrus-y amenities stocked the bathroom where a cleverly designed wall “box” concealed the hair dryer, tissues and provided space on top for my own cosmetics.
A ten-minute walk down the road past the leather stocking golf course took us to the Fenimore Museum displaying Americana primitives and artifacts in what is known as one of the country’s premier folk art collections. One room recounts the history of William Cooper who founded the town and brought his family including his sixth son James Fenimore who grew up to write tales of the region including “The Last of the Mohicans.”
An entire wing is devoted to the distinguished Thaw collection of Native American lore including beaded saddle blankets and fringed leather tunics. We caught one of the last days of a traveling exhibit at the Hudson River School and admired the bust of Thomas Jefferson, one of a group of presidential life masks the museum owns and exhibits periodically. Majestically perched over the lake, the museum cafe offers spectacular views along with delicious traditional fare.
Just across the street is the Farmers Museum, a recreated 19th-century village depicting life before automobiles, where authentically attired interpreters explain the days of yore. We watched a blacksmith forge iron hooks at his anvil, a pharmacist concoct potions out of mullein, a spinner wind flax fiber into linen thread. The showcase barn has been converted to hold exhibits on local tools and implements and the temporary exhibit details the history of the pickup truck. One curiosity is the outsize stone carving of a 10-foot petrified man that was unearthed in 1869 and widely exhibited as the “Cardiff Giant” before it was revealed to be a hoax.
Since we didn’t have any children in tow, they let us take a spin on the historic renovated Empire State Carousel mounted with native animals along with one customary horse. Shunning the likes of the cow, pig, moose and bear, I chose the beaver, which I was told is New York’s official mammal. At the throwback general store I bought licorice and anise drops and a wrought iron hook mantle piece hook forged by the blacksmith.
Back at the hotel we assembled for cocktails at the new fire table, a giant slab of stone with a flickering fire counteracting a chill from the lake. With Halloween approaching, the signature drink was the “Spook-a-tini,” tinged slightly pink from the bloodshot macadamia nut eyeball garnish.
The dining room is old world elegant with giant crystal chandeliers and elegant table settings. Visitors on the American plan can order prix fixe whatever they want from the extensive menu, which aims to provide variety for guests staying more than a few days. I had cheese ravioli then goat cheese salad with raspberry vinaigrette before delicious shrimp and scallops finished off with the house specialty pistachio layered chocolate cake.
Awakening at 7 a.m., I skipped the fitness room and opted to swim twenty laps in the outdoor pool with the mist rising over the water and shimmering lake.
I was happy I’d exercised when I encountered the memorable breakfast. What a buffet! Besides chefs cooking made-to-order omelets, the tables were laden with pancakes and fluffy waffles with apple, orange, and what compotes, scrambled eggs and bangers and bacon, cold cereals or steaming oatmeal. For me the nostalgic highlight was creamed chipped beef on toast, a post-war delicacy I remember from childhood. And if that weren’t enough, gracious waitress April (back in the morning after serving us dinner last night) offered a to-go cup of coffee when I left.
Even if you’re not a fan, the Baseball Hall of Fame is engrossing. Situated in the town where it was thought Abner Doubleday invented baseball, the museum shows the game’s broad appeal, teaching geography, math, team playing, physics and science. Exhibits trace the history of the game and notable players such as Jackie Robinson and Cy Young (whose nickname was shortened from Cyclone.)
Before screening the introductory movie in the grandstand theater, we assembled in the education room where we learned geography, mathematics (calculated Derek Jeter’s batting average) and history (towns where baseball was originally played). In a practical science lesson we tried on a series of catcher mitts showing how they evolved through the years from mere gloves, to a padded chunk, to today’s very flexible mitten. I browsed for hours through exhibits tracing the game’s history, star players, winning and losing teams and wound up on the top floor where the famous Abbot and Costello skit “Who’s On First” is perpetually screened.
In the somber Hall of Fame Gallery I picked out the plaques commemorating Duke Synder, Yogi Berra, Pee Wee Herman and other favorite players through the years. It was tempting to watch the clips from Hollywood baseball movies and I and could have lingered for hours more, but I was just in time to catch the end of the farmer’s market.
Set up indoors and out and open year round, it offers beautiful vegetables, natural soaps, goat meat, gluten-free treats, cookie platters and knitted crafts. I bought a slice of Greek pastry and filed away the possibility of buying some alpaca insoles for my winter boots.
Back at the Otesaga I found the rest of the group in rocking chairs on the porch sipping coffee before we assembled to go to the Middlefield Orchard U-Pick Fruit Farm.
It was a perfect day for harvesting their crops. First we filled pint boxes with raspberries, wandered in the corn maze, and helped press delicious fresh apple cider. Then we wandered among the trees, 30 varieties are grown on site, we filled out bags with Fuji, Honey Crisps, Blondies, Cortland and Jonagold, each with it’s own take on the essence of apple.
Back at the hotel it was time for dinner at the Hawkeye Grill, a year-round restaurant on the lower level with outdoor seating in season. Inside it is cozy with maroon striped walls and a mirrored mahogany bar. We had supper there and I started with the half order of amazing lobster risotto, asalad and a pork chop with chutney, finally pumpkin cheesecake for dessert.
Lunch before leaving was a trip to the Brewery Ommegang. Snacking on cheese and horseradish spreads we sampled their six Belgian style ales learning to taste the traces of coriander, orange, and paradise seed flavorings. A special favorite was the spicy rye-barley-oats flavored pumpkin-y Scythe and Sickle ale brewed in this season. Heaps of mussels and fries and crepes with sausage or crab served in the on-site cafe rounded out our visit.
All of us felt sorry to leave. There was so much still to do! A cruise on the lake, visits to the private art galleries, the city walking tour, tastings at local wineries and summertime operas at the Glimmerglass festival. Later that evening the town would be hosting its annual community potluck supper and they were already setting up a red and white gingham checked table stretching four blocks down Main Street. As a goodbye souvenir, each of us received a regulation baseball bat with our name engraved on the shaft. It was a fitting souvenir to a memorable down home all-star weekend.
www.otesaga.com, www.thefenimoremuseum.org, www.farmersmuseum.org, www.baseballhall.org, www.middlefieldorchard.com, www.ommegang.com
