Sitting on a bench at Lakefront Park in Cooperstown, N.Y., does more for the soul than any wellness doctor could ever offer. The distant hills framing the sparkling, one-of-a-kind Otsego Lake water create a stadium of nature's greatest hits. Boats bob up and down at Lakefront Park, as if they were nodding approval at their owner's choice of location. Soon you are relaxed as the antidote to your daily life of endless traffic, subscribing to the rat race, and other stressed out urban and suburban lifestyles are relegated to the bench.

What was planned as a five-minute stay soon becomes an hour, with thoughts of making a visit to Lakefront Park part of one's daily regiment. The reason is simple: you've found a new "quality of life" benchmark at this special place only a few minute's walk from Main Street. Nature's wonders indeed provide a true portfolio of peacefulness at this idyllic location in Cooperstown, in the heart of beautiful Leatherstocking Country.