Things to Do in Oneonta

Colossal train engines once pulled hefty freight along the O&W Railway's main line. Today, where the rails lines formerly cut through glistening tree canopies, a 2-mile unpaved trail splices through six rural hamlets, just 90 miles from New York City. It's along this rails-to-trails path that Woodridge Segway Tours whisks its adventurers through beautiful mountain views, clean country air, and the sounds of fresh water trickling. With safety helmets securely atop their heads, tour takers steer the two-wheeled segway transporters with intuitive gestures: leaning forward to go ahead, leaning backward to reverse, and pulling on their ears to make the segways sing.

As stunning fall colors settle into the leaves of Saratoga County, beer lovers gather at the Malta Drive-In to celebrate the changing of the season with 27 different German and seasonal fall craft beers. Traditional German food complements a wide selection of American seasonal favorites, such as the Fall Summit ale from Peak Organic Brewing Company and the traditional Oktoberfest beer produced yearly by the Spaten brewery. The organizers endeavor to entertain more than taste buds, arranging live musical performances throughout the day from German accordion player Herb Liebenhagen, Saratoga favorite Headband Jack, and the Bluz House Rockers. Visitors also partake in games and contests such as Best Brat Costume or Who Smells the Most Like Cabbage.

Located inside the Poughkeepsie Galleria, Vendetta Paintball and Laser Combat challenges players to technologically advanced games of laser tag and paintball on a 22,000-square-foot indoor field. Designed to mimic live-action games of Call of Duty or Halo, Battlefield Live laser tag manufactures adrenaline with real-time hit feedback, realistic special effects, and equipment that can simulate 69 different weapons, ranging from AK-47s to banana-cream pies. The facility’s professional-grade indoor PSP paintball field lets gamers improve their hand-eye coordination while simultaneously turning rivals into walking tie-dyed targets.

BubKat Bounce! fuels hours of airborne festivities with bright, neon bounce houses and whimsical treats. Their staffers deliver and set up three styles of inflatables that range from a simple castle with a drawbridge entryway to a bounce house outfitted with an interior slide, basketball hoop, and springy mortgage agreement. BubKat also assembles 10-person party packages complete with cakes, cupcakes, cookies, and candy, which they can customize with everything from monkeys and dinosaurs to princess wands.:m]]

Looking to put a new spin on a classic family activity, the minds behind Glowgolf decided to give the game a phosphorescent update. Incandescent courses place friends and family amid a tropical-fantasy golf world of neon orange, green, and violet surroundings. Players putt luminous orbs through vibrant treasure chests and glimmering windmills while negotiating tricky obstacles near walls portraying black-light-lit aquatic scenes. With more than 20 locations spread over 10 states, Glowgolf's fluorescent labyrinths challenge human players and traveling gnomes.

The 18-hole course at Rainbow Golf Club takes players careening across a 6,287-yard layout carved into the foothills of the Northern Catskill Mountains. Players rip tee shots from one of five sets of tees per hole, allowing for an enjoyable yet challenging round for greenhorns to green-jacket holders. As rental carts transport players across the well-manicured landscape, they must take care to avoid tree-lined fairways, undulating greens, and feral caddies looking to stock up on golf balls for winter's hibernation. The course's signature hole is the 13th, a 135-yard, par 3 that forces golfers to carry their tee shot over water onto an island green, the only known island in New York. A pro shop, practice facilities, and a restaurant with an outdoor patio overlooking the course all provide entertainment when golfers aren't practicing their postputt struts.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 71 course
• Total length of 6,287 yards from the back tees
• Course rating of 70.8 from the back tees
• Course slope of 126 from the back tees
• Five sets of tees per hole