Cooperstown, NY - The Baseball Hall of Fame, The Cooperstown Diner, and the Neptune Diner

I thought this would be as good a time as any to jump across the country, so, here we are in Cooperstown, New York.  As you may know, Cooperstown is allegedly the "birthplace" of baseball.  Abner Doubleday supposedly invented the game here, back in 1839, although there's no evidence to support that claim, but, why let the truth get in the way of a good story?  If you're a baseball fan, this trip is a must! 

It's also home to the James Fenimore Cooper Art Museum, dealing with art based on his writings, and local Native American tribes.  If you're a big Cooper fan, his grave is here, too.

That being said, this is a beautiful, rustic New England town.  Unfortunately, it's in the middle of nowhere, and there's no real easy way to get here.  It defies the laws of physics.  Even if you live in Cooperstown, it's still about a 7 hour drive away.  There are only 2 hotels reasonably nearby (lots of pricey B&B's available though, but I consider this blog for the budget conscious), and they both tend to book  upmonths in advance (especially for spring and summer weekends).  We stayed at this Holiday Inn Express.  It featured clean, quiet rooms, included a made-to-order breakfast (not the usual buffet, but that may have changed), and had a nice pool, with a view of the Catskill Mountains.  The price (during the height of tourist season) was reasonable.  Booking your hotel first is a must, because there is NOTHING anywhere nearby.  Nada, zip, zilch.  If you don't have a reservation, you could easily end up driving over an hour to find a room for the night...

Since it's a small town, parking can be impossible to find, I parked my car in clearly-marked lot, and a vintage trolley bus came to pick us up.  This vintage bus will provide you with unlimited transportation all day, stopping at designated points every 15 minutes, for about $2.00. 

We were dropped off at Doubleday Field (a small baseball stadium) on Main Street, and started walking through the downtown.  It's a very small downtown - about 5 or 6 blocks - filled with mostly baseball memorabilia shops and restaurants.  Walking through it made me feel like I've stepped back in time to the 1900's - sort of like Main Street at Disneyland.  At the end of Main Street is the Mecca:  The Baseball Hall of Fame.

If you like baseball, even if it's only a little, this place will make you feel like you're 10 years old again.  Artifacts and other memorabilia from most of the heroes from baseball's golden age (Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, Ted Williams, etc.) are on display.  There's a few films to watch, and, of course, the actual Hall of Legends:

Seriously, check out the gift shop at the end.  It sells some exclusive stuff that you can't get anywhere else.

After all that walking around, we were starving.  Fortunately, this little place caught our eyes on the way to the museum:

The Cooperstown Diner.  It's a noticeably miniature diner, with about 4 booths inside; but, don't let the small size fool you.  This place is known for their juicy, 1/2 lb., hand-formed cheeseburger.  With fries and a drink, it's around $8.00, and believe you me, you will not be hungry afterwards.  Here's a picture:

As big as it was, the burger was still cooked perfectly - it was juicy and greasy, but not too greasy.  The bun was soft, and the lettuce was crisp.  The fries were fat, fresh steak fries (my favorite).  It was perfect.  If you're a burger connoisseur, you need to try this.  I've tried burgers all over the country, and this would definitely make it on my Top 5 Burgers List.

If you've read this far, here's a bonus suggestion:  The Neptune Diner.  Right outside of Cooperstown, in Oneonta, NY, this vintage diner is a work of art that makes you feel like you've stepped back into 1958.

When you first walk in, you'll see a display cooler filled with all kinds of homemade desserts, like pies stuffed with fruit, and oversized cakes.  That's a good sign.

The servers were very friendly, the menu was extensive, and the portions were definitely shareable (I've been here twice:  the first time, I ordered the Monte Cristo, and couldn't finish it, the second time, I had an omelette).  I got a slice of chocolate cake to go (both times), and it was amazing (both times).  It's a combination of American comfort food, and Greek diner food.  Another definite recommendation!

In short, Cooperstown, NY is a great weekend trip, with something for the whole family, and some great places to eat...

Thanks for reading!  Keep checking back - there's plenty more to come...