Entertaining is an art onto itself.\u00a0 In other words, some people excel at it, while others really struggle.\u00a0 In fact, my wife and I have found that some people make excellent hosts, while others make excellent guests.\u00a0 Few other than my wife and I of course, excel at both.*<\/p>\n
* I know you may think that my declaration of my wife and I being excellent at both hosting and guesting is arbitrary and capricious, but I actually did a survey in my house and 100% of the respondents were in agreement.<\/em><\/p>\n What are the qualities of a good guest?\u00a0 How does one gain the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval <\/em> when it comes to their hosting skills?\u00a0 Sadly, people are rarely aware when they turn out to be poor at either endeavor.\u00a0 Why?\u00a0 Political correctness of course.\u00a0 Nobody has the\u00a0caljones <\/em>to\u00a0pull people aside and say, “You know you are really being a little b**** about the fact that we took you to see Cohoes Falls and you had to walk in the mud, now man-up!”\u00a0 At the same time, who is going to tell somebody who has been nice enough to host them that, “Would it kill you to have\u00a0Pop Tarts\u00a0<\/em>laid out for us when we wake from our afternoon nap?”\u00a0 \u00a0Therefore, people blissfully stroll along, unaware that they are failing in either of these most important of human responsibilities, the ability to be a successful host or guest.<\/p>\n So, as a public service, here are some things to consider when you are preparing to show up as a guest at somebody’s abode in my humble opinion.<\/p>\n Just as being a good guest takes a little work, being a good host isn’t just a skill one is born with, or is it?\u00a0 Here are a few items to keep in mind when hosting out-of-town guests.<\/p>\n There’s definitely a built in advantage to hosting people when you come from a major metropolis with limitless museums, professional sports teams, parks, and dining venues.\u00a0 However, what if you live in a medium size urban center with a sprawling suburban landscape ?\u00a0 One might have to be a little more creative in figuring out the ways and means to entertain one’s guests.<\/p>\n Here in the Capital Region, there’s a big difference between hosting people in the winter versus the summer.\u00a0 During the winter, it can be so cold and\/or nasty, your outside options may be fairly limited.\u00a0 Of course, if you are into winter sports, you’ve got numerous skiing options, everything from West Mountain in Glens Falls, to Whiteface Mountain, one of the most famous ski facilities in America.\u00a0 However, are there any good options to entertain your out of town guests that shield one from the elements?<\/p>\n For us, one place that we always took our out of town family and friends to, especially if they had children,\u00a0 was the New York State Museum <\/em>in Albany.\u00a0 The museum incorporates a bit of culture, as well as the history of our state.\u00a0 It’s an enjoyable experience, but you always leave thinking there could and should be more to the collection.\u00a0 \u00a0It feels like they short-shift New York City a little bit, and considering it’s the biggest city in the country, it should get a lot more play.\u00a0 There are also a couple of small planetariums in our area, and a variety of expos, festivals, and celebrations for everything from how to decorate your home to who has the best chowder depending on the season.<\/p>\n Of course during the summertime, we have a few more options.\u00a0 First and foremost would be one of the most popular and famous vacation spots in the United States, the village of Lake George.\u00a0 Lake George has an old-school charm to it that has become harder to find in today’s world of sophisticated and technologically driven entertainment venues.\u00a0 Lake George still has the wax museums, the arcades, the “fudgeries,” and a variety of drive-in burger joints, soft ice cream stands, and endless “crap-a-toriums,” or trinket shops with flags, hats, and toy Native American weaponry.\u00a0 Of course, if you prefer a little history, you can venture off to Fort William Henry<\/em> and see a real British fort from the French and Indian War.\u00a0 When was the last time you saw a fake British soldier light off an 18th century grenade?\u00a0 However, probably the most popular tourist attraction in Lake George is Great Escape,\u00a0<\/em>which in addition to being a dynamic mix of classic and new fangled rides, also has an indoor waterslide attraction with accompanying hotel that attracts visitors all year round. Those old enough to remember might still prefer the days when Great Escape\u00a0<\/em>was known by its former name,\u00a0Story Town.\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>Story Town’s\u00a0<\/em>remnants are still visible within the confines of\u00a0Great Escape,\u00a0<\/em>and just one look at its former majesty will remind you why it’s no longer a viable option as a vacation destination.<\/p>\n Saratoga Springs provides a great location for you to take your out of town guests, especially during the month of August.\u00a0 During the day you can travel up to the Saratoga racing track, and at night they can enjoy the Saratoga nightlife.\u00a0 The racing track in Saratoga has been celebrated on television nationally as well as in\u00a0Sports Illustrated\u00a0<\/em>as perhaps the most historic venue for watching a sporting event in the United States.\u00a0 It’s as if you’ve walked into the 19th century.\u00a0 (If they charged 12 dollars for a can of beer in the 19th century.)<\/em>\u00a0If Saratoga Springs isn’t your scene, there is the new casino in Schenectady.\u00a0 If you are on a cold streak there, why not take a walk to the steel mill, it’s literally within Frizbee<\/em>\u00a0 There’s always SPAC (Saratoga Performing Arts Center) if you want to take somebody to a concert, or of course the Times Union Center<\/em>, or even The Egg.\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>The Egg\u00a0<\/em>can be found right in Empire Plaza, and it’s an intimate spot to see a show.\u00a0 It actually looks more like a kidney, but nobody wants to go to a kidney for their entertainment needs.\u00a0 As for restaurants, in the summer we have our seasonal places and drive-ins, in the winter many good pubs and Italian restaurants.\u00a0 In fact, if you do a little research for your guests, you won’t even have to take them to a “chain” establishment.<\/p>\n So I would say that if you are worried about how to entertain your guests, remember, you’ve got Saratoga, you’ve got Lake George, and you’ve got parks, sports, museums, and even a few breweries for those so inclined.\u00a0 Just remember, you can’t do any of these things if your guests are waiting for you while you sleep till noon.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Entertaining is an art onto itself.\u00a0 In other words, some people excel at it, while others really struggle.\u00a0 In fact, my wife and I have found that some people make excellent hosts, while others make excellent guests.\u00a0 Few other than my wife and I of course, excel at both.* * I know you may think […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":201,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[161],"tags":[3,10,4,162,163,166,164,165,167],"class_list":["post-281","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-guests-and-hosts","tag-albany","tag-capital-region","tag-clifton-park","tag-guests","tag-hosts","tag-lake-george","tag-new-york","tag-saratoga","tag-the-sagamore"],"yoast_head":"\r\n\n
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