Ithaca Area
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Camp at Sned-Acres in Ovid. About 20 miles north of Ithaca. A nice, quiet campground, clean bath houses pool, over looking Cayuga Lake. I’ve stayed here 4-5 times and really like this campground. http://snedacresny.com/
Hike & Waterfalls
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Taugannock Falls State Park is one of my favorite hikes to a waterfall. It goes along a shallow river and ends at the tallest waterfall in NY.
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Buttermilk Falls State Park is another beautiful waterfall with hiking trails spanning the park. https://parks.ny.gov/parks/151
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Triphammer Falls – another one of the many waterfalls in the Ithaca area. https://www.visitithaca.com/attractions/triphammer-falls-fall-creek
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List of Ithaca area waterfalls & hikes. https://www.visitithaca.com/attractions/waterfalls
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Robert Treman State Park is a placer to swim, hike and explore https://parks.ny.gov/parks/135
Kayak
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Allan Treman State Marine Park launch your kayaks here. Paddle down into the canal inside Ithaca or paddle up into the big lake. Fun and interesting paddling. https://parks.ny.gov/parks/35/details.aspx
Of Interest
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Museum of the Earth is a fascinating to find out about dinosaurs and prehistoric NY. https://www.priweb.org/index.php/museumoftheearth-main
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Cornell Lab of Ornithology Sapsucker Woods – hike, bird watch, animal watch, download their bird identification app called Merlin. https://www.birds.cornell.edu/home/visit/
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Cayuga Nature Center https://priweb.org/index.php/cayuga-nature-center
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Not really in Ithaca area, but worth the visit is Cascades Indoor Water Park in Cortland. Spend the day in a indoor water park that is about half the size of a Home Depot. Water slides, wave pool, water sports, hot tubes indoor and some out door. Relax on the chairs, have some pizza, a great way to spend the day.
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Greek Peak Mountain Resort has a very cool mountain coaster. A thrilling ride down the mountain where one ride is never enough. https://greekpeak.net/nor%E2%80%99easter-mountain-coaster
- Sagan Planet Walk is a 3/4 mile long walk of the planets. An app and augmented reality helps you to learn and enjoy this unique walking experience. http://www.sciencenter.org/sagan-walk.html
Wineries
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The Fingerlakes area of NY is the wine tasting heaven of the Eastern USA. In the Ithaca and surrounding area there are over 300 wineries. If you like wine, the tastings are very affordable and fun. https://www.visitithaca.com/attractions/wineries
Watkins Glen
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Camp at the Watkins Glen KOA which is located south of the bottom of Seneca Lake. It has a nice indoor pool and lots of amenities. https://www.watkinsglenkoa.com/
Hike and Waterfalls
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Watkins Glen Gorge at the Watkins Glen State Park is a must see attraction. Wear comfy walking shoes and start early. Park at the bottom and walk up. Have an ice cream up top and ten walk back down. How many steps was that? https://parks.ny.gov/parks/142/
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More waterfalls to explore https://www.watkinsglenchamber.com/waterfalls
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The Grand Canyon of the East aka Letchworth State Park is about 30 miles long. You can drive it, stop and hike, white water rafting, bicycling, stop and enjoy the sights and waterfalls. https://parks.ny.gov/parks/79/details.aspx
Kayak
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At Clute Park, put your kayaks in and enjoy this magnificent lake. Paddle amongst the boats and along the shore exploring the interesting scenery http://www.watkinsglen.us/clute-park-campground
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Put your kayaks in here or rent ones to go explore at Seneca Lake Kayaks https://www.senecalakekayak.com/
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Sampson State Park is a great place to launch your kayak from. The Navy used to test it’s submarines here as the lake is 600 feet deep in places. https://parks.ny.gov/parks/154/
Of Interest
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The Glenn Curtis Museum is a must visit. It’s simply a fascinating museum about this inventive aviation pioneer. He invented much more than aeronautical plane though. You owe it to yourself to tour this fascinating museum https://www.glennhcurtissmuseum.org/
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The Corning Museum of Glass is an amazing museum for everyone. When I brought my boy scouts here, they found the place amazing and fascinating. It’s an easy place for anyone to spend a good 4 hours touring. https://www.cmog.org/
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National Soaring Museum in Elmira is located at the top of a mountain. The views are excellent, the museum is very interesting and fun. Go on a clear day and watch the planes soaring around. https://www.soaringmuseum.org/
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Plan a tour thru the Mt. Morris Dam on the northern tip of Letchworth State Forrest. It’s a fascinating tour and worth the trip. Start here and then tour Letchworth to make for an excellent day. https://www.recreation.gov/camping/gateways/1821
Wineries
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Lots more wineries in this area of the Fingerlakes. https://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/lifestyle/rocflavors/2019/07/03/seneca-lake-finger-lakes-watkins-glen-wineries-restaurants-things-to-do/1499356001/
Rochester
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Camp at the Canadaigua/Rochester KOA https://koa.com/campgrounds/canandaigua/
Of Interest
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The Antique Wireless Association has an excellent museum to tour. Tell them you are coming so a docent is available to give you a guided tour. This place fools some GPS’s and can be tough to find. http://www.antiquewireless.org/
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George Eastman House is an interesting tour through the beginnings of photography. The father of Kodak and a must see museum. https://www.eastman.org/
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If you love animals, you’ll love the Seneca Park Zoo. https://senecaparkzoo.org/?utm_source=gmb&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=GMB_listing
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Ontario Beach Park will make you think you are at the ocean. Lake Ontario is HUGE. Stop and take a look and maybe take a swim. https://www2.monroecounty.gov/parks-ontariobeach.php
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Hamlin Beach State Park is another public park to spend the day at along the shores of Lake Ontario. Go for a walk, swim, sit and relax and be amazed by this HUGE body of water. https://parks.ny.gov/parks/20/details.aspx
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Drive along Lake Ontario State Parkway and enjoy the sights and views https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Ontario_State_Parkway
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Lockport Cave and Underground Boat Ride is a pretty neat way to spend a few hours. Especially if you like haunted exploration. https://lockportcave.com
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Old Fort Niagara will take you back in history https://www.oldfortniagara.org/
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Niagara Falls State Park is a nice day trip from the Rochester area. Walk around the park and enjoy the beauty of it all. https://www.oldfortniagara.org/
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Robert Moses Niagara Falls Power Plant – take the tour and learn about this amazing hydro electric source of energy https://www.niagarafallsmarriott.com/attractions/robert-moses-niagara-hydroelectric-power-station/
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Naval & Military Park in Buffalo is always an interesting stop for a few hours. Bundle it with Niagara Falls and the power plant tour and you’ll have a full day of interest. https://buffalonavalpark.org/
Newburgh
- Camping at the Newburgh/NYC North KOA is a great place to camp. Nicely sized and out in the country and away from highway and city noises. There is a DJ on weekends, nice pool, and other amenities. https://koa.com/campgrounds/newburgh/
- Walking or Biking with the Walkway Over The Hudson https://walkway.orgas the center point of two bike trails that are connected is a MUST see. The Walkway is a converted railroad bridge that is now a Walkway 200 feet above the Hudson Rover. Views on a sunny day are tremendous. There are trails on either side of the Walkway. https://dutchesstourism.com/uploads/PDF/brochure_rack/dutchessbikeguideforweb.pdf
- Just down the street from the parking lot on the West side of the Walkway is the Mid-Hudson Music Bridge next to the Johnson-Iorio Memorial Park. Park and enjoy the views, read the info and walk across the bridge. Listen and read about the Bridge Music. It’s unique and worth the stop. https://josephbertolozzi.com/bridge-music/
- The West Point Military Museum is a must see. https://history.army.mil/museums/imcom/westPoint
- My favorite winery in the area is the Kedem Winery. Enjoy the wine tasting and buy some wines and don’t forget the delicious juices too. http://www.kedemwinery.com/
- Learn all about the Hudson river on a nice cruise that goes from Kingston south. The views are beautiful and the boat ride very enjoyable. https://www.hudsonrivercruises.com/
