Shopping

In his novel Independence Day, Richard Ford describes Cooperstown's main street thus: "Shops on both sides are selling baseball everything: uniforms, cards, posters, bumper stickers, no doubt hubcaps and condoms." We can't vouch for the last two items, but it's true that the main drag is almost entirely devoted to trinkets of the trade. From autographed baseball cards and inscribed bats to baseball bracelets, you'll find it here. Get your wooden bat personalized at Cooperstown Bat Co., 118 Main St. (tel. 888/547-2415; www.cooperstownbat.com). Pioneer Sports Cards, 106 Main St. (tel. 607/547-2323), has an excellent selection. Outside of the baseball realm and 3 miles from town, Fly Creek Cider Mill & Orchard, 288 Goose St., Fly Creek (tel. 800/505-6455; Apr-Dec), offers samples of cider, salsa, fudge, and tasty cheddar cheese, and a chance to tour the 150-year-old water-powered cider mill.