Best of the Adirondacks

Saratoga Race Course [1]: Come to the 1864 racetrack for breakfast or to take advantage of the track tradition of reserving a bench seat or picnic table on the grounds by leaving your belongings to return hours later at racetime.

Hyde Collection [2]: Housed in a 1912 mansion styled as a Renaissance villa is an important collection of Old Masters, including works by Rembrandt, El Greco, and Degas.

Fort Ticonderoga [3]: The French, British, and Americans all once held control of this now-meticulously restored fort holding everything from stables to a lock of Washington’s hair.

Olympic Ski Jump Complex [4]: The Olympic ski jumps offer a gaspworthy view of the 90- and 120-meter high jumps from an elevator-accessible skydeck, while the nearby freestyle aerial training center boasts a year-round training and competition site for freestylers who perfect their incredible feats using a 750,000 gallon landing pool in the summer (though winter showoffs must hit the 37 degree slope just right).

Verizon Sports Complex at Mount Van Hoevenberg [5]: Passenger rides are given on bobsleds year-round on the 1980 Olympic bobsled track in charming Lake Placid. Don’t worry, professional driver and brakeman are included.

Hiking from Adirondak Loj [6]: Run by the nonprofit Adirondack Mountain Club, the lodge holds a first-rate information center about hiking in the Adirondacks. Many trails into Adirondack country begin here.

Sackets Harbor [7]: Built on a bluff overlooking Lake Ontario, the village is peppered with handsome limestone buildings and a battlefield that dates back to the War of 1812.

Boldt Castle [8]: On one of the Thousand Islands, the huge, abandoned castle was built by hotel magnate George Boldt for his beloved wife, who died before it was completed.