Cybertrips: Combine a country vacation with a visit to baseball's national shrine

Your kids want a vacation in the country, someplace with a lake and forests, and you want to focus on baseball. How about this: go to a game in New York or Philadelphia, and then head into the rolling countryside of upstate New York and the National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum.

The museum — web.baseballhalloffame.org/ — is in Cooperstown, N.Y., on the shore of Otsego Lake about 200 miles north of Philadelphia and 150 miles northwest of New York City, between Interstates 90 and 88. Check out "The Museum" for the monthly Voices of the Game, other programs and exhibits. Then scan the "Events" calendar to see what programs coincide with your plans, including the June 16 Hall of Fame Game, Cubs vs Padres, on Doubleday Field. Why is it in a town so far from major league stadiums? You'll have to read "History of the Hall." And because of where it is, you might want to glance at "Plan Your Visit" and "Driving Directions."

Fine, you've gone to the museum, but where are you and what else is there to do see and do? Click on "Photo Gallery" at Visiting Cooperstown — www.visitingcooperstown.com/ — for a look around, especially the vista over the hills from Oaks Creek. Then try "Travel Essays" for descriptions of the town, the countryside, Otsego Lake, even tips for a budget vacation in the area. And dip into "Attractions" for things to see and do in the area, including Glimmerglass State Park at the other end of the lake, and the National Soccer Hall of Fame and Museum.

There are some more stunning photos at Cooperstown Otsego County Tourism — www.visitcooperstown.com/ — along with a section called "Hot Deals" that might have a room package to fit your plans. "Maps" has charts to help you find everything from attractions to campgrounds to antique shops, though you might have to adjust the maps to make sure they're centered on Cooperstown. You might also try their "Activities" section to see if there's anything the previous Web site missed.

The area that includes Cooperstown is called the Leatherstocking Region — tinyurl.com/62jaed — an area of rolling hills, farms, lakes, caves and country roads. This Web site has links to county tourism agencies across the region (except for the mislabeled one that says Leatherstocking Regional) and to information on its towns.

Looking for a scenic road into the area? Try the Route 20 Scenic Byway — tinyurl.com/4a877s — which cuts across the Leatherstock Region from about Syracuse in to the west to Duanesburg, just west of Schenectady, in the east. There's not much here besides a pair of maps, but it's an alternative to the heavy traffic on the interstates.