Getting the flavor of ... Saratoga Springs’ artistic roots

Saratoga Springs’ artistic roots

While known for its horse racing and hot springs, Saratoga Springs, N.Y., has a third attraction that’s always fascinated me, said Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan in The Washington Post. The “little city near the picturesque Adirondacks” is also home to the “storied artists’ colony” Yaddo, a retreat that’s been “fertile ground for thousands of creative spirits” since its 1900 founding. The colony has been a haven for Sylvia Plath, Saul Bellow, Langston Hughes, and Carson McCullers, among other luminaries. In total, Yaddo alumni have won 64 Pulitzer Prizes, 61 National Book Awards, and one Nobel Prize. “Many believe that the creative powers of Yaddo lie in the 400 scenic acres of woods and lakes” surrounding it. The “magic of the place” is especially palpable in the Yaddo Gardens, whose “massive beds of pink and yellow roses” are secluded by 100-year-old pines. Contact: Yaddo.org

Quebec’s wine country

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Take a drive through Quebec’s Eastern Townships region and sample “serene countryside” and some of Canada’s best wines, said Sarah Staples in the Los Angeles Times. A self-guided driving tour through the region begins about 40 miles southeast of Montreal and continues along 82 miles of country roads. The journey wends “past burnt-straw-colored fields; Anglican, Methodist, and Catholic one-room churches; covered bridges; and old sawmills.” Seventeen wineries dot the route, which some weekenders tour by bicycle. Les Pervenches, near the town of Farnham, produces Quebec’s only Chardonnays and is a favorite of sommeliers and celebrities. Quebec’s oldest township, Dunham, is home to Val Caudalies vineyard, which encourages visitors to stop in for a tasting after enjoying hiking or cross-country skiing on its forested trails. Contact: Laroutedesvins.ca