Don’t panic. Just give yourself time between visits to catch up on sleep and laundry. Then con your local friends into a dinner invitation so you can have a respite from cooking and all will be well for the next batch of visitors.

I have two secret weapons that I use with summer guests. First and most importantly, maintain one or two routines for yourself that give you an hour or two to catch your breath. Keep your weekly golf date with the guys or your hair appointment or your time at the gym. This also allows a few private moments for guests to complain to each other about the lumpy bed or the weak coffee.

Secondly, keep your guests outside and on the move. No need to sit around and talk about old times or politics or dead relatives when there is so much to enjoy outdoors.  Have as many meals on the deck or patio as possible, especially if guests include children (the birds will get the crumbs).

Start the day out nice and easy and resist the temptation to run a small diner out of your kitchen.  

Saratoga has plenty of fine breakfast spots to satisfy everyone’s particular breakfast needs beyond fruit and coffee. Don’t forget to set up the hammock and then suggest your guests read the morning paper gently rocking to the sound of chirping birds. Take an early morning walk to pick-up fresh bagels and in racing season walk over to the track for breakfast in the Governor’s box. Then you can talk politics. Follow that with a backstretch tour, great fun for all ages. Every time I‘ve done this with guests I learned something new.

You don’t have to stop there. Go across the street to the National Racing Museum to see the many permanent exhibits and the 2008 exhibit on equine medicine. If you have children in tow check out the exhibits and activities Just for Kids.

But wait a minute; I jumped into the racing season instead of starting at the beginning. The beginning is right now with the Skidmore Jazz Institute June 28 – July 12.  Students study during the day with the big names in jazz and in the evening the public is invited to free concerts given by the instructors, students and guest artists. The free concerts start at 8 p.m. in the Bernhard Theater. Arrive early in order to get a seat. Check the Skidmore Web site for the schedule.

The Saratoga Performing Arts Center is also in full swing with the Lake George Opera program July 3-13 and then the New York City Ballet July 8- 26.  If you have a big group, try lawn passes and a picnic before the performance. Picnic tables are scattered throughout the SPAC area. The covered patios framing some of the buildings also provide great spots for picnicking as well as the SPAC lawn. It’s a gorgeous setting and an easy way to entertain your guests.

Granted, all your summer visitors are not going to be interested in the arts. Don’t despair. There are plenty of other activities to match-up with. Get a copy of the various walking tours that are available and take a walking tour. Most likely you yourself have never done this. The tours are full of bits of history and gossip.  Send the ladies out to hit the boutiques on Broadway while you and the brother-in-law enjoy the Automobile Museum. The ladies can pick and choose from a wide variety of shops while you engage in a major fantasy about driving a vintage convertible.

When your guests are less than four feet tall you could spend an entire afternoon downtown.

Start by riding the carousel, then savor ice cream at Ben and Jerry’s, followed by stops at the Children’s Museum and the library. The library has a beautiful aquarium in the children’s section and lots of books for bedtime stories.

Make sure you fit in a trolley ride or horse drawn carriage ride and of course a visit to a toy store.

A fun activity that I did with one of my grandsons several years ago was to walk to all the mineral springs downtown, sample the water and collect samples to take with us. When we arrived back at my house we had a mineral water tasting for everyone and voted our choices.

Children also enjoy the farmers’ market on Wednesday afternoon or Saturday morning.  The textures and colors and the tastes are all intriguing while the jam samples and cookies can’t help but be a treat. There are also many opportunities to show your grandchildren off when you run into friends browsing the many stands.         

In addition to all the music offered by SPAC, you can avail yourself of many other music venues.

Concerts in Congress Park, music on the roof at the Tang Museum and jazz in several downtown restaurants provide great entertainment for young adults. Several of these venues are free as well.

If you prefer to have a specific schedule for summer guests to follow you can set-up a bulletin board by the back door, that way everyone can check the comings and goings at all times. Start by going to the visitor’s information booth or the visitor’s center, picking up brochures and sending them to summer guests before they arrive. Ask for their preferences and then make a plan. This method saves a lot of that “What do you want to do?” going back and forth and often resulting in missed opportunities.

Every good plan needs a good ending. For me the finale is Aug. 31. No more guests, no more entertaining. Everyone is entitled to a few days of chilling out before the September activities kick in. So deflate the air mattresses, close up the kitchen, roll into the hammock and start a good book.