Things To Do In...Unadilla

July 10, 2007, 1:46pm

This weekend Unadilla Valley Sports Center is hosting the The Monster Energy Nice ‘N Easy Pro National Presented by Renegade Haulers, which is also the midpoint of the 2007 AMA Toyota Motocross Championships Presented by FMF. Unadilla is now New York’s only professional motocross race, so expect some very large crowds this weekend. For directions, motels, campgrounds and other event information, be sure to visit www.unadillamx.com. As far as some other “things to do,” keep on reading.

If you really want to do something exciting around the Unadilla race weekend, don’t stay in Utica. There just isn’t anything to do there. There is not one thing that I can recall from the decade I’ve been going there and even a furious Google search only produced the long distance running hall of fame. That’s a great place to check out if you are having trouble sleeping. Otherwise, the only “Happening” place in town is a restaurant called Babes. At least they have a bar. Welcome to Utica.

www.babesutica.com

In fact, the only way you are going to lose a limb in this region is if you drink at the bar and then jump behind the wheel of your car. I checked Syracuse, Binghamton and Ithaca (Paul Carpenter’s hometown) and found nothing fun to do. My suggestion is to camp at the track and get the entire AMA Motocross experience.

Unadilla Drive-In
(Exit 11 off I-88)
Adults ($6); Sr. Citizens ($5); Children ($3)
(607) 369-2000 Map and directions
Open Every Night - 9pm
www.drive-in.ws

Baseball Hall of Fame
Cooperstown, NY

http://web.baseballhalloffame.org/index.jsp

Okay, if you read this far, here's a helpful hint: If you are traveling home South on 8 from the track towards Binghamtom, you know there's always a huge traffic jam. Last year RC himself showed us THE shortcut. As soon as you leave the track and start down 8, take the first left. Follow it out maybe a mile across the river, then just head south down the back roads on that side of the river. It runs parallel to the river, almost all the way to the 81. It will save you from the long, slow process of inching down the 8 after the race. Thank RC!