Idyllic
is the word that comes to mind.
And
that’s not a word to be tossed around lightly. It brings with
it images… of peace… of scenery… and perhaps most specifically,
of everything being just about exactly what you would expect it
to be. Everything is tranquil. Everything is maintained. Everything
is right about where you would look for it to be.
Welcome
to Cooperstown, New York. And for the sense of idyllic… welcome
to Cooperstown, New York, and the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
The city and landmark are intertwined, and for the sake of the
setting, impossible to separate. And quite honestly, I don’t see
any reason you would want to consider one without the other. Unlike
so many partnerships that are heavy, forced, or lopsided, here
it works far too well.
Baseball
is timeless, in more ways than we will cover. For now… the game
has no clock… it unites generations… its heart and soul are on
display during the long summer days when the sun rises early and
sets late.
Teams
can play a game… two people can play catch… a person in a field
with a stick can take some swings at a few rocks.
The
drive into the village establishes everything you would need to
know about your visit. Tree lined roads. The occasional cider
mill and ice cream stand. Boat docks and tractors far more prevalent
than any signs for recognizable chains of restaurants or stores.
Not only is it a relaxing path to navigate, it almost seems to
possess a supernatural power for removing any and all complex
thoughts from your mind. It is almost meditative nirvana.
There
is an argument to be made that the immediate region is phenomenal
and filled with unique attractions. Lakes… The Farmer’s Museum…
Fenimore Art Museum… nice. Breweries and wineries and apples and
more. Great stuff. Places that provide opportunities of interest
for even the most difficult to interest.
When
you arrive on Main Street though, any and all questions about
the heart and soul of Cooperstown are revealed. The stores are
overflowing with baseball-related merchandise. Restaurants beg
to be enjoyed during a break from your visit to the Hall or in
the evening of an overnight stay.
I
have had the pleasure of spending several days in Cooperstown
on multiple visits. And I will admit that each was based around
the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Parking
was easy enough to find. While it might not have been directly
in front of the Hall, it was within a leisurely walk. A few hours
in the Hall… back out to address the parking and meter… off to
lunch and perhaps a few stores… check on the car and then back
to the Hall to finish the visit. A pretty sweet day.
There’s
more to Cooperstown than that however.
For
whatever reason, the trees and buildings and everything else just
seem right. Cooperstown is clean and maintained and… it almost
seems like Tobey Maguire and Reese Witherspoon should be on the
sidewalk across from you. It seems pleasant. And when looking
to recommend a way to spend an afternoon, that’s a pretty great
place to begin.
The
Fly Creek Cider Mill and Orchard invites a return at another time,
in another season.
Jerry’s
Place offers itself up as an ice cream and grill establishment,
and the perfect treat on the way home.
Cooperstown
is inviting and welcoming, intriguing and fun, completely open
about itself while hiding enough to create curiosity for the future.
There is no need to check your watch. It celebrates parents and
children. It is a town of all seasons, while paradise on a summer
day. Few places… if any… can match the balance.
Idyllic
is the word that comes to mind.