Every summer, hundreds of thousands of people make the pilgrimage to Saratoga Springs, N.Y., for one of the most celebrated meets in the world of horse racing. 

If you’re one of the lucky fans who’s about to make the trip to “The Spa” – and especially if you’re a first-timer – you’re probably wondering what else there is to see and do around Saratoga aside from the racetrack. While I’ve visited more than dozen times over the years, I knew if I was going to write this article I needed to find a true local, someone who knows Saratoga inside and out.