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June 2017 18 Find Us On Facebook at Boating On The Hudson
A funny thing happened in the 50 years since the Chamber
of Southern Saratoga County was founded, in part, to attract a
name brand hotel to Clifton Park in upstate New York’s Saratoga
County – some 1000 hotel rooms have appeared! Coupled
with the nearly 500 rooms in nearby Malta, this little stretch of
former “flyover country”between Albany and the resort towns of
Saratoga Springs, Lake George and the Adirondacks has become
a new Upstate destination!
At Exit 9 on the I-87 Northway is the hotel district of Clifton
Park. These facilities (and the ones nearby in Malta) offer very
competitive rates without the higher occupancy taxes charged
elsewhere. This means real savings especially when a block of
rooms is needed or, in the case of many company representatives
who frequent the Tech Valley corridor between Westchester and
Montreal, a long term stay is desired for a project, new facility
opening or corporate relocation.
Clifton Park is a wonderful
community with great shopping,
restaurants, trails, historic sites and
activities, but to fully enjoy this area
local hotel guests should check out
the many adjacent towns, cities and
villages. For example, Halfmoon,
literally next door, has several farm
stores within a mile or so of Exit 9’s
hotels, as well as some great town
parks and a stretch of the historic
Champlain Canal that looks as if Sal
the Mule could start pulling a boat
once again. Nearby Mechanicville
has a restored train tower that once
commanded the 3rd largest rail
yards in America. Malta to the north
is home to GLOBALFOUNDRIES, one
of North America’s mightiest new
manufacturers, while just to the
west, the historic hamlet of Ballston Spa has quaint restaurants,
museums and a wonderful cultural experience. Burnt Hills/
Ballston Lake and Glenville have a mix of everything from
farms to shopping and are easy to reach. Slightly more distant
is Charlton, well worth a drive to explore rolling farmland and a
very different, relaxed lifestyle.
Finally, don’t forget the River Towns! Glenville, Clifton Park,
Halfmoon, Waterford, Mechanicville, Stillwater and Schuylerville
are easily accessible by land or water and have much to see and
do. Schuylerville still celebrates its connection to the 1777 Battle
of Saratoga. Finally, travel agents working with Amtrak have
developed a Tugboat Roundup tour package this September for
those wishing to visit by train, stay in a local hotel and enjoy the
festivities.
For more information visit the Chamber of Southern Saratoga
County website at , stop at the
Southern Saratoga Information Center at the Clifton Park Rest
Area on the I-87 Northway at Exit 9 or call (518) 371-3763.
-Pete Bardunias, President/CEO, the Chamber of Southern
Saratoga County
The Discover Clifton Park logo, which greets travelers at
the Southern Saratoga Information Center on the I-87
Northway, steering them to the area’s burgeoning hotel,
restaurant and shopping district.
Clifton Park hotel guests can find some interesting
attractions within a few minutes’ drive from downtown, such
as the restored XO Train Tower in Mechanicville, a testament
to NewYork State’s transportation heritage.
“Discover Clifton
Park” and its
Neighboring
Communities!
by Pete Bardunias,
President/CEO, the Chamber of Southern Saratoga County