How to Spend Your Summer in the Capital Region

Finally! The weather is starting to get nice, Spring is right around the corner, and it's time to get outside! Though upstate New York may not have the picturesque white sandy beaches, there is still so much to do in the great outdoors!

Go see a show at SPAC! Folks, this is one of the premiere concert venues in the whole state, and it is outside! This summer, the SPAC events calendar is loaded with awesome bands and musical groups for all of your favorite genres. The lawn is a great place to see a show. Whether you're on the rail, or in the back, the sound is awesome. SPAC also offers inside pavilion seating, with two levels. There isn't a bad seat in the house! Get there in the afternoon and enjoy the park. It has a couple of trails to walk through and it an absolute blast on a nice day.

While you're up in Saratoga, head downtown. The city of Saratoga is absolutely beautiful, and SPAC isn't the only thing it has to offer. The race track is a great place to bring the family and spend the day in the sunshine betting on the ponies. Make sure you get there early though, you'll want a picnic table, trust me! Aside from the track, there are tons of great restaurants and bars as well as outdoor activities that place in Saratoga all summer long.

Albany has a lot to offer during the summer as well. Though it's actually at the end of spring, Albany kicks off the season with Tulip Fest during Mother's Day weekend. This is a great place to take the family. There are tons of cool looking flowers, and great food vendors. I usually end up with a bag of kettle corn that's the size of me! Tulip Fest also has music and kid activities as well!

There are plenty of parks in the area to get outside with some friends and shoot some hoops. My friends and I frequently head to Tawasentha Park and either play basketball, or compete in home run derbys at the baseball field. This is a small park, but also offers great areas to picnic and grill with friends and families. Though you may not have realized it, there are actually a ton of parks around you with great bike trails, hiking routes, swimming, and pretty much anything you can think of outside! Check out the list of all the parks the capital region has to offer!

There are plenty of amusement parks that are only a short drive away. My old time favorite, the Great Escape, is a blast for the whole family! There are a tons of smaller rides for young kids, as well as, roller coasters such as the Boomerang and the Comet for older kids and adults! The FunPlex Fun Park in East Greenbush offers mini golf, go carts and batting cages and it a blast for all ages!

Go play mini golf, swim at the community park pool, have a squirt gun fight, get ice cream, draw sidewalk art, grab a beer and lounge on your front lawn, anything! Just get outside! You've logged enough hours in front of the tv from being cooped up inside all winter, its's time to get out and enjoy the sunshine and beautiful weather!