Cooperstown, NY, certainly caters to kids with its fun attractions, but this quaint, little village also has a place in the heart of parents looking for their own, special travel getaway.  Romantic inns, wineries and breweries and a unique combination of rural beauty and world-class museums help make Cooperstown a one-of-a-kind adult vacation.

You know you're in Cooperstown when you pass the Inn at Cooperstown (16 Chestnut St , Cooperstown, 607-547-5756), a stunning 1874 country inn on Route 80 just before the village's only traffic light downtown. The Inn at Cooperstown's stunning external and internal ambiance serves as a microcosm of Cooperstown's beautifully-kept big, old homes with a classic central hall entrance and a charming formal dining room, sitting room, cozy guest rooms and an amazing veranda with rocking chairs  -- perfect for reading the paper or just watching the old-fashioned pulse of Cooperstown. Although the Inn at Cooperstown is centrally located, the first step onto the wonderful veranda will instantly wash away the stresses of modern life. It's like having the best of both worlds: your own oasis, yet just a minute's stroll to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, shopping and dining. A perfect parents getaway can't get much better than a stay at the Inn at Cooperstown!

We have never stayed at the Otesaga Resort Hotel (60 Lake St Cooperstown, Tel. 607-547-9931), but when our budget permits we'll be there in a heartbeat! They just don't make hotels like the Otesaga anymore -- so proud, solid in character and architecture, and full of dignity that is yet accessible to all walks of life.

It seems fitting that the Otesaga is a member of the prestigious Historic Hotels of America. With a look that turns more heads than an L.A. fashion show, the Otesaga is a stunning piece of Federal hotel architecture -- in operation since 1909 -- with its larger than life pillars, an elegant old-world interior with 135 renovated rooms and suites, and a charming, expansive veranda perfect for viewing beautiful Otsego Lake, having dinner and drinks, and watching and/or dancing to live entertainment. Additionally, a grand main dining room, the more casual Hawkeye Grill, and a wonderful outdoor summertime buffet provide perfect and diverse settings for the wonderful selections of steak, seafood and chicken dishes, along with an extensive wine list and fabulous desserts.

The Otesaga also offers the challenging and scenic Leatherstocking Golf Course, tennis, a pool, lake swimming, canoing, a top-notch fitness facility and meeting rooms. It is an all inclusive resort before that term became cool and trendy. There is nothing cool and trendy, however, about the Otesaga. It is pure, old-time Americana, yet with all the modern amenities that anyone could ever ask for.

We've heard wonderful things about the accommodations and know first-hand that the ambiance just from dining there, walking through the stately lobby and hallways, and relaxing on the veranda creates lifetime memories. We look forward to staying a few nights to capture the true essence of an Otesaga experience, one that so many people throughout the years have enjoyed as an integral part of their visit to Cooperstown.

Keeping a more hidden, quiet profile but just as special is the Barnwell Inn (48 Susquehanna Ave., Cooperstown, Tel. 607-547-1850).  Tara and Mark Barnwell invite you into their elegant yet informal and friendly 1850 Victorian home with furnishings and antiques that match the era. With freshly brewed coffee in the morning, sherry in the afternoon, an apple tree to sit under and some very charming first and second-floor rooms, the Barnwell Inn is a hidden gem, also just a minute's walk to the heart of Cooperstown Village.  What's more, the breakfast in the beautiful, old-world dining room is memorable with fresh fruit, quiches, meats, breads and juices that help start your special day off on the right foot. Tara and Mark are really great people, the ultimate bed and breakfast hosts who will remind you of your favorite relatives.

Along with the aforementioned Hawkeye Grill, we recommend Cafe Nicoletta (96 Main St., Cooperstown,
Tel. 607-547-7499) as a top-notch dining choice in Cooperstown. If you're looking for a great Italian meal that's every bit as good as the much-heralded urban Italian restaurants we always read about in the "best of" newspaper dining sections, then Cafe Nicoletta will not disappoint, Cafe Nicoletta is the type of place people dream of on a special night out with its dim, romantic lighting to go with fresh bread and pasta, wine, and a confidence that lets you know this is no minor league Italian restaurant -- every meal is a home run, and that goes for the atmosphere, too!

Hoffman Lane Bistro (Hoffman Lane, Cooperstown, Tel. 607-547-7055) is an casually upscale restaurant tucked away on, surprise, Hoffman Lane, a pleasant, narrow Village side street leading to Otsego Lake. Hoffman Lane Bistro sports attractive, multi-level dining, and a great fireplace in the bar area. The food is top-notch, especially the creative versions of meatloaf, pasta, and salmon. The atmosphere is laid-back and the service always thoughtful, enthusiastic and professional. There's always a culinary twist at Hoffman's; they never disappoint. 

The Blue Mingo Grill (6098 State Highway 80
Cooperstown, Tel. 607-547-7496) creates such fine cuisine that it competes with the unbelievably beautiful setting on Otsego Lake. The scenic boatyard, and the fresh mountain air would be worth the price of admission even if the Blue Mingo served average. On our memorable night of dining at the Blue Mingo, we sampled a healthy green salad (translated: no iceberg), bourbon berry baby back ribs and a herb flavored sea bass that ranked somewhere in our top five best meals, including some pretty well known choices in Boston, Mass., and Quebec City, Quebec.The menu changes frequently and is brought to you on a chalkboard by the wait staff. Regarding the wait staff, we found them to be almost always courteous, right there when needed, and very friendly.

The Blue Mingo is located in a boatyard a few miles from the Cooperstown.You have to enter through a gift and clothing shop before finding the soothing environment of the Blue Mingo. From that point on, the night is there to remember long after you've left this incredible lakeside restaurant.

The chef-owned Rose & Kettle (4 Lancaster St.
Cherry Valley, Tel. 607-264-3078) in the quaint, cozy Village of Cherry Valley, NY (20 minutes from Cooperstown), taps into local, seasonal, and small-farm ingredients, whenever possible, in and around farm-rich Leatherstocking Country to create one of the best dining experiences we've experienced, anywhere.   The Rose & Kettle's 200-year-old house setting creates a relaxing, charming ambiance, perfect for a romantic night out. Upscale, but never stuffy, the Rose & Kettle offers myriad culinary gems, especially the orichiette pasta with caramelized garlic and shallots, chicken, and almond cream as well as the sky land farm lamb shank, "braised and toasted," with lemon herb risotto and creamy reduction. Wonderfully fresh salads, delicious desserts, some unusual wine selections and stellar service add to the overall great experience, helping make the Rose & Kettle a truly special restaurant, sure to please even the most finicky urban sophisticate. For the rest of us, the Rose & Kettle is an instant dining memory, pleasing the palate with the freshest selections in the Cooperstown region, and far beyond.

For purveyors of fine adult beverages, Cooperstown has many wineries and breweries. Belgian-style ales are the specialty here at Brewery Ommegang (656 County Highway 33, Tel. 800-544 1809) -- come tour the facility set within the beautiful Cooperstown area countryside. Bear Pond Wines, (Route 28, Oneonta,Tel.800- 544 1809), about 20 minutes from the Village of Cooperstown in Oneonta, NY, offers many fine white, red, and sparkling  wines and uses New York State  grapes grown on their property and at other local vineyards.

The arts are alive and well in the gentle rolling hills of Cooperstown! The Glimmerglass Opera (7300 State Highway 80, Cooperstown, Tel. 607-547-0700), a world-class company, attracts 32,000 patrons each season to its beautiful Alice Busch Opera Theater on Otsego Lake.   The Cooperstown Art Association (CAA) exhibits approximately 18 shows a year, featuring a cross section of styles and abilities an bringing in a multitude of artists and patrons. The CAA also offer classes, demonstrations and lectures throughout the year along with our ongoing figure drawing class. Our top museum choice is the Fenimore Art Museum, housing one of the country's premier folk art collections, as well as the American Indian Wing with a dazzling collection and galleries "any museum in th world would envy." (The New York Times)

On the music side, the Cooperstown Chamber Music Festival offers many year-round concerts performed by dedicated, talented area musicians at various local locations. The musicianship is top-notch and the musicians really love what they are doing. What nicer place to play than Cooperstown?

If you love antique shopping, prepare yourself for a treat at Brooklyn Bridge Antiques (State Highway 28, Milford, NY 13807. Tel. (607) 286-9288).  With 6,000 square feet  of quality antiques at fair prices, Brooklyn Bridge Antiques is an antique-lovers dream-come-true! I was simply amazed at the seemingly neverending selection of antiques. With a vast and everchanging array of "house-ready" Empire to Victorian era room settings and appropriate period accessories, we heartily recommend visiting Brooklyn Bridge Antiques. Owner John Anagnost is a very nice fellow and is really proud of his store -- this is the type of "local" business to patronize. John and his wife Rita also have a beautiful bed and breakfast across the street -- an 1850s, newly-restored Italianette called the Brooklyn Bridge Bed and Breakfast. Quiet and graceful, this looks like a great lodging getaway for parents!

Check out the architecture at Hyde Hall (Mill Road, Cooperstown, Tel. 607-547-5098), if you have a chance! Hyde Hall promotional literature accurately says it all: "Hyde Hall is a stunning reminder of a bygone American era when families of English aristocracy established vast estates in the former colonies. The house itself may well be the finest example of neoclassic country mansions anywhere in America. Roger Kennedy of the Smithsonian writes that Hyde Hall is "a great house, architecturally, and a social document of the first importance." The late former Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan called Hyde Hall "one of the most remarkable buildings in America."

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