Saturday, June 16, 2012

Historic Congress Park

Last week we had such a beautiful day I surprised my husband with a picnic at the park.  He had no idea we would be spending the afternoon outside breathing in fresh air and enjoying the beauty of nature.  Picnics are unique in that every one of them is a different experience and always memorable.

Congress Park is one of our favorite places.  There are a lot of places to sit and reflect or take a leisurely walk.  It even has a historic wooden carousel that was restored to its original splendor.

Wildlife is in abundance with duck filled ponds.  A park with shady trees, scattered benches and natural springs sprouting up in fountains really made for a perfect day.  So come on and join us for a tour ...


Columbian Spring was discovered by Gideon Putnam in 1806 (another beautiful place I will show you sometime).  



Ducks were following us around and I enjoyed watching them glide through the water.


Lined with brick, this 20 ft. diameter reservoir was built in 1820.  Water from underground sources fill the reservoir, providing an ideal habitat for large trout.


Built in 1932 on the site of an old Victorian bandstand is a war memorial.  Bricks, engraved with names and dates of service in honor of veterans from WWI.



This is the Morrissey fountain.  Legend has it that a small red ball was floated atop the fountain when gambling was in session at the Casino so the local police would not raid it.


So peaceful to sit and have a picnic ...


with a friend to keep us company ...


The carousel features 28 horses and plays traditional calliope and organ tunes.


I'll wait for you if you want to go for a ride  :-)


This birdhouse resembling the White House was adorable and worthy of a picture.


An ornate bridge will take us to the northeast corner of the park where we will find the Italian Renaissance Gardens (see why I love this place so much).

 

These photos are of The Triton Pool.  In Greek mythology, Triton was the son of Poseidon (Roman name, Neptune) the god of the sea.  Triton was half dolphin and half man.  He created winds and waves at Poseidon's bidding by coming to the surface of the sea and blowing through a conch shell.  The two Tritons in the park were brought from Italy and sculptured in 1905.



As you stroll by the Corinthian columns there are four pillar-like statues of satyrs and maenads based on works from the fourth century A.D.






This is the Spirit of Life designed by Daniel Chester French.  The graceful bronze statue was dedicated in 1914 in memory of civic leader Spencer Trask.




Here we have a civil war monument dedicated in 1875 to honor the men from Saratoga Springs who volunteered for the 77th NY Infantry.  It is the only regimental monument not located on a battlefield.



There is even a museum which focuses on the history of Saratoga Springs and John Belter's Victorian furnishings.  This park is a vibrant gem in the crown of a sparkling city!


After the park we walked into downtown to Lillian's Restaurant on Broadway for coffee and dessert.


Michael had cheesecake drizzed with raspberry sauce and I opted for the carrot cake. 


Both were delicious!  Which one do you think had less calories?


Next, we stopped at a quaint florist and antique shop.

 

They had some beautiful items and a few things came home with us.  I will share them with you in another post.  Isn't that horse fountain just gorgeous?


I hope you enjoyed your day with us.  I am linking with the following blog parties:

Saturday Show Off @ The Rose Garden in Malevik
Seasonal Sundays @ The Tablescaper

15 comments:

Grandma Barb's This and That said...

That looks like a wonderful place to have a picnic and spend the day. Thanks for taking us on the tour.

Blooming Rose Musings said...

What a wonderful post! I have to ask you, is this the park in Saratoga Springs, NY? I grew up in New York state and I am quite certain I have walked through this exquisite park. Your photos are fabulous and I especially love the carousel and the Triton pool. Thank you so much for the tour and for stopping by. This is a wonderful post!

KarinsArtScrap said...

wow what wonderful pictures donna and it looks very beautiful there.

greetings karin

Becky said...

What a beautiful place for a picnic, great photos and great history lesson. :)
I think that carrot cake had more calories. ;)

Donna said...

Hi Donna!

Thank you for this wonderful tour of the park and all of the sites held within. So beautiful, and so interesting! I think all of the war memorials are great - celebrating the men and women who help make and keep this country great and free. We owe them so much!

Thank you for such a lovely tour!
Blessings,
Donna

Leena said...

Such a beautiful park! Thank you for letting me follow you on this guided tour!

Chris said...

Wow! And a Merry Go Round too!!! What a fabulous place!

Connie B. said...

What a fun trip... I love the pictures of the food you ate... We like to take short trips, too.

Karen said...

Such a beautiful and peacful tour Donna. Living in North America, we have so much to be thankful for and such peaceful places to relax and have a lovely picnic.

Mina fotostunder said...

Så otroligt vacker park för en underbar picknick

Ellen Whyte said...

What lovely pics! Esp the cake!

Dee ⚜️⚜️⚜️⚜️⚜️ said...

Oh wow! That is one amazing looking park. I only wish I lived closer to it. I'm in Jersey.

Dee

Cynthia said...

Beautiful and lovely pictures. Love the ducks!

Cynthia

Carrie Sampsel said...

What a beautiful park! This is just our type of park and a what a perfect ending to a perfect day...an antique store.

The Tablescaper said...

Looks like a wonderful place and a marvelous day!

- The Tablescaper

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