Spitzer heads to country with family, dogs

NEW YORK, March 15 (UPI) -- Eliot Spitzer, in his last weekend as New York governor, left the city Saturday, heading for his country retreat with his wife and two of his daughters.

Spitzer had not been seen outside his Manhattan apartment house since he announced his resignation Wednesday, the New York Daily News reported. But Saturday morning he walked one of his dogs in Central Park and then loaded the pets and luggage into his van.

The governor even spoke briefly to photographers staking out the building entrance -- "Can you give me some space, guys?"

The Spitzers arrived in Gallatin, about 50 miles south of Albany, at noon.

Lt. Gov. David Paterson is to be sworn in as governor Monday, only a week after the story of Spitzer's trysts with a young woman employed by a high-priced escort service became public.