There’s More to NY than NYC

New York’s Finger Lakes region is a beautiful destination filled with history, adventure, and the great outdoors. Hikers, historians, artists, and literary buffs alike can find numerous attractions to draw them to the area. From Mark Twain’s time spent writing in Elmira, to the Corning Museum of Glass, and the natural splendor of forests and lakes, this is a truly inspirational trip.

NY State vacation

Mark Twain Country

One of America’s greatest writers, Mark Twain, was a regular visitor to Elmira NY. He summered there for over 20 years, his words flowing as he looked out over the countryside, penning such works as Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. Now tourists can have their own adventures in the very same surroundings.

You can visit the octagonal study where Twain wrote, which he called “the loveliest study you ever saw.” USA Today list it as the “number one literary attraction in America”. Now located at Elmira College, tours of the study are offered. Or perhaps a trip to Woodlawn Cemetery to see the author’s final resting place. Don’t be surprised to see a cigar or two, a common offering to the memory of the great Mark Twain.

In July and August the hour long Trolley into Twain Country Tour is available. Starting at the Chemung Valley History Museum the narrated tour hits multiple historic stops in Elmira touching on Twain, Civil War Sites, the restored Powers Theater, and Dunn Field, “home of the Elmira Pioneers baseball team”.

Tanglewood Nature Center even features a Mark Twain trail. Quotes from the author are posted along the trail. His voice still resonates surrounded by the very places he too visited. Twain’s appreciation of the natural world is reflected in all of his work, and though he traveled all over the world this is the countryside he returned to time and time again.

Younger visitors may find the Children’s Trail more up their alley. This path includes some obstacle courses while following “a disassembled nature-themed book along the way.” The Nature Center is home to more than 40 species of live animals most notably their birds of prey. They have ongoing education programs and events for kids and families.

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Soaring Above Harris Hill

Searching for a loftier view? Try a trip above the tree tops. Soaring is a familiar word, but what does it mean when you are entering the “Soaring Capital of America”? An opportunity to take to the skies in a glider, high above the terrain that inspired some of America’s greatest literary works.

You can visit the National Soaring Museum to learn about these motorless planes or head over to Harris Hill Soaring Corporation in Elmira NY for a ride in the passenger seat. Weather can be an issue with gliding, but on a clear day there are no prettier view for your silent 15-20 minute flight across the sky.

For those of us happier to hug the ground Harris Hill Amusement Park offers some family fun and thrills at a lower altitude. A carousel, go-karts, and games right by the museum combines learning and play time in one stop. If mini-golf is your game than this is the place, or the driving range where you can see how far your golf balls soar.

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Visiting Watkins Glen

Watkins Glen State Park is famous for its beauty and perfect for a day trip or as a camping stop. The Gorge Trail is nature at its most amazing and unexpected. Over a two mile stretch the glen’s stream forms 19 waterfalls as it descends 400 feet. The path goes over, under, and around the waterfalls or “rim trails overlook the gorge”. A suspension bridge 85ft. above the creek offers a birds eye view or you can go down and feel the water on your face while standing behind two waterfalls at Cavern Cascade. Swimming pools, fishing, hiking, and biking make the State Park ideal for anyone of any age that enjoys nature.

If you take the Gorge Trail be prepared for a workout. Over 800 stone steps await you as you hike. Also remember to bring lots of drinking water, you’ll get thirsty staring at the stream as you make your way through the gorge.

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Must See Museums

The Corning Museum of Glass is more than a gallery of glass art. It is dedicated to the history of glass, and home to historical glass pieces an amazing “35 centuries of glass art”. From the Romans and the origins of glass blowing to modern day innovations there is more to learn than you could ever have imagined and always more to see amongst the huge collection. If you want to feel the heat there are  demonstrations of glass blowing (Hot Glass Demo), or the Flameworking Demo where glass rods are shaped. Optical Fiber and Glassbreaking Demos are also offered so you can watch them make it or break it depending on your mood.

“Make Your Own Glass” Classes are offered at the Museum for all ages, which seriously fun and offer a sense of accomplishment when finished, and we highly recommend trying. You can make items such as flowers, ornaments, and other objects that will also serve as a unique souvenir of your time in NY State.

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The Rockwell Museum located in Corning NY, is the only Smithsonian affiliate in Upstate New York. The name comes from collectors Bob and Hertha Rockwell who gifted their art and artifacts to start the museum. Their goal to “make art accessible to kids” reads loud and clear. Visit the Family Exploration Studio to draw on a light board or take part in the Art Hunt by matching partial images to the full artwork throughout the galleries. To add to it’s draw, kids and teens visit free.

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The Glenn H. Curtiss Museum is dedicated to the local and international legend who became the “fastest man on earth” when he raced a motorcycle at 136.4 MPH. He went on to be a pioneer in early flight being awarded the very first pilot’s license ever issued. The first to take off and land on water, Glen Curtiss pushed the limits of flight and plane design. The museum houses motorcycles, planes, boats, antique tools, and a Restoration Shop where you can see volunteers working on historic aircraft.

From museums, to wildly beautiful natural scenery, to high flying adventures and more, NY has it all. Visit the Finger Lakes to make memories that will last a lifetime (and take some of the most “Instagram Worthy” photos you will ever post).

new york vacation

New York’s Lake Placid Holiday Stroll

If you are seeking a great place to get into the holiday spirit, you need look no further then Lake Placid, in upstate New York.   During one magical weekend a year, the area holds a “Holiday Stroll” where the entire town celebrates Christmas with a wide array of activities and festivals, many of which are free, and almost all are family friendly.

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The Lake Placid Holiday Village Stroll is amazing for the holiday season- you will find yourself  in an Adirondack Winter Wonderland. The volunteer run committee plans a wonderful weekend of art, music, gourmet foods, and boutique shopping. It’s a fun and festive alternative to  big box store options, and the intimate setting makes the Village Stroll appealing to couples and families (not to mention you gift the local flavor as well- take home a bit of the Adirondacks and give a taste to your friends and family).

There is much to see and to in the area, well known for winter activities and sports, as well as formerly hosting the Olympics. Families will love the ice skating party and Holiday Story Time at the Mirror Lake Inn. Couples will enjoy the wine tastings and art displays. Children will delight in the matinee showing of the Polar Express, the craft workshops and breakfast with Santa at participating hotels on Sunday morning.
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Halloween Harvest At Luna Park Coney Island NY #HalloweenHarvest #MyLunaween

halloween activities

It’s that time of year again- the air is crisp, the leaves are changing color, and the ghouls are out.  With this time of year comes the Halloween Harvest at Luna Park.  Luna Park is full of rides and fun for kids of all ages, but this time of year also includes in park Trick or Treating, mazes, pumpkin carving, and more.  Luna’s employees are decked out in costume such as princesses and super heroes and ready to hand out candy to all the little candy hunters that come to the pier. Make sure to visit Jack’s Pumpkin Shack, where guests can try to guess Jack’s weight for a chance to win cash prizes.  Jack is one huge pumpkin!

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Creepy Crawly Crafts are also spread throughout the park, where kids can make fun crafts to bring home and decorate.  Kooky Spooky Karaoke has guests dress up and sing some of their favorite songs.  There is also a monster themed dance party, the Monster Mash, magic shows, clowns, face painting, and balloon benders as well.  This is the perfect time to check out Luna Park with your little ones in tow for a fun seasonal activity.

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Of course- the rides are still there, and those are not to be missed, either.

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“Experience all the thrills, chills and Halloween frills during Halloween Harvest at Luna Park. Kicking off on September 24th and running through October 30th, the park will be abuzz with festive and seasonal activities along with special events in the spirit of Halloween.

Not only does Luna Park house the best pumpkin patch in New York City, but this year’s Halloween Harvest will also feature a petting zoo and pony rides, compliments of Pony Express Entertainment. Magicians King Henry and Gary the Great will awe visitors, who can also enjoy face painting, arts and crafts, kooky spooky karaoke and more.

In addition, mark your calendars:

  • Sunday, October 23: Marc and the Maniac Carvers, Brooklyn-based pumpkin carvers, are back for their fourth year in a row to transform a giant gourd into a Halloween masterpiece.

“Halloween Harvest is going to be spectacular this fall,” said Alberto Zamperla, President of Zamperla Group and operator of Luna Park. “All the fun at Luna Park doesn’t just happen during the summer. We provide exciting and diverse entertainment and attractions for guests to enjoy on beautiful autumn weekends.”

Sponsors for this year’s Halloween Harvest include: Rubies, Welch’s, Cow Tales, Campfire Marshmallows and KiND.

Luna Park is open on Saturdays from 12 noon to 11 p.m. and on Sundays from 12 noon to 8 p.m. For a complete schedule of Halloween Harvest events and activities and for more information, go to www.www.lunaparknyc.com.”

Save On Your New York Vacation With The New York Pass

museum of natural history

New York is definitely a spot that should be on your vacation bucket list – and great things are coming to New York! With a newly updated New York Pass, the City’s largest attraction pass card – the first of which is the inclusion of a free double-decker bus tour with every New York Pass purchased (thanks to a new partnership with the Big Bus New York) – now is the time to start planning that New York vacation you have always talked about.  With the New York pass it will make your Big Apple visit fast and easy as your ride along on the double-decker bus and enjoy the sights and sounds.

visit new york

Not only will you get to ride the double decker bus and tour the Big Apple, but you also get admission and discounts to over 90 must-see New York attractions. You can hop-on or hop-off at any attraction or sight that catches your eye, and then be back on your way in a matter of minutes to a new and wonderful destination of your choosing. With the New York pass, you will get more bang for your buck by saving up to 70% all while skipping the lines at several of the busiest attractions in the Big Apple area.

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American Museum of Natural History

“The New York Pass is quickly becoming a mobile metro card for tourists,” said Ken Barrows, Vice President of Leisure Pass North America LLC, the parent company of New York Pass.  “Our exciting new venture with Big Bus New York will allow our customers to maximize their use of each pass by giving tourists and locals the option of using Big Bus to have a seat with a view, or to simply travel between attractions.”

Madame Tussauds New York

Madame Tussauds – New York Celebrity Wax Attraction

Whether you are planning on staying in the Big Apple one day or 10 days, there are New York passes for both and everything in between.  In 2015, New York Pass launched a new “10-Day Pass” to cater to tourists staying in the Big Apple for lengthier periods of time and added new attractions such as the 9/11 Memorial and Museum and Fashion Windows Walking Tour. Every New York Pass includes a free 200-page guidebook with detailed maps, hours of operation, tips and directions to every New York Pass attraction featured.

St. Patrick's Cathedral New York

St. Patrick’s Cathedral

There has never been a better time to vacation to New York. What will your first New York attraction destination be?

For more information and a complete list of attractions where the pass can be used, please visit www.newyorkpass.com.  

Disclosure statement Disclosure- This is a sponsored post. All opinions are my own. For more information, please see “I Disclose”.

Getaway to the Catskills

We are fortunate to live near New York City, with lots of cultural events and attractions. However, going to NYC at any time has some drawbacks, namely that it is SUPER CROWDED, everywhere, and it can be SUPER EXPENSIVE.

I was recently hosted on a weekend getaway with the Catskill Mountain Foundation and discovered that there is much culture to be enjoyed just a two hour drive away from the city, with wide open spaces.

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Our home base for the weekend was Sherwood House, a guesthouse where students, teachers, musicians,
dancers and artists have stayed to collaborate and produce amazing pieces.

We were situated in Sherwood House because it is very convenient to Sugar Maples Center for Creative Arts, a center for the study of studio arts. The arts are really poppin’ in the Catskills!

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In Hunter Village Square, the Kaaterskill Fine Arts & Crafts Gallery, features the work of local and regional artists in a variety of mediums, everything from craft exhibits to salon-style exhibitions for art work. Everyone in our group found something they needed to purchase.

Right across the street is the Catskill Mountain Foundation’s Piano Performance Museum, an unexpected and fascinating gem displaying the Steven E. Greenstein Collection of historic pianos from Europe and the Americas over the past four centuries. These pianos can actually be PLAYED and all can be featured in professional performances.

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This afternoon filled with music and art left us read to enjoy dinner at the Deer Mountain Inn lodge and restaurant.
Deer Mountain Inn is ALL kinds of luxurious. I felt like the Rat Pack definitely would have convened in the restaurant for a cocktail. The lodge has six gorgeous rooms appointed with a combination of turn-of-the-century design and rustic modern touches. The property is on 168 wooded acres, making for great views and relaxing nature hikes. After filling our bellies with top notch cuisine, we could only drive back to Sherwood House to recharge for our next day’s adventure in the Catskills.

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Spending the Holidays in New York City

The holidays are one of New York City’s busiest seasons of the year — with an estimated 5.2 million visitors expected to stay in the city during the 2015 holiday season. According to NewYork.com, now is the best time to book your trip to the Big Apple to ensure you get the best rates and availability on hotels, attractions and Broadway shows.

Also, many of NYC’s tour companies offer seasonal versions of their tours, like the popular Gray Line City Sightseeing Holiday Lights Tour and the Hornblower Thanksgiving Day Dinner Cruise, that generally go on sale 2–3 months before the holidays.

NewYork.com has compiled lists of the best hotels, attractions and Broadway shows of the holiday season that are most likely to sell out over the holiday and/or are offering early access pricing:

Top Hotels

  • The New York Palace goes all out for holidays, stringing up more than 68,000 lights and hanging 32,000 ornaments on the looming Christmas tree that presides over the elegant courtyard, and is one of the most sought-after hotels over the holiday season.
  • Centrally located near Central Park and the city’s most iconic stores, from Tiffany’s to Bergdorf Goodman, and holiday window displays, AKA Central Park gets snapped up quickly.
  • This playful midtown hotel, Le Parker Meridien, is one of the city’s most coveted holiday hotels with its annual Gingerbread Extravaganza fundraiser, where local bakeries craft gingerbread houses in the shapes of New York landmarks.

 

Top Attractions

  • Top Of The Rock Observation Desk often reaches visitor capacity during the holiday season, so book now to guarantee entry on the day of your choice. For those who want to skate at Rockefeller Center ice rink after, it’s important to book tickets at the rink in advance as there are limited tickets available.
  • Empire State Building is one of the hottest tickets in town, especially during the holidays. Book now and time your visit for just before sunset, so you can watch the skyline glow under changing colors as day turns to night.
  • Gray Line City Sightseeing Holiday Lights Tour showcases the best of the holiday sights and sounds in Midtown Manhattan and beyond. See all of the best of the holidays in one convenient loop with this tour — but be sure to bring a hat, scarf and gloves if the top deck is calling you.
  • Thanksgiving Day Dinner Cruise Tickets lets you take your Thanksgiving dinner offshore this year. Hornblower’s Thanksgiving Day Dinner Cruise is perfect for those want a side of skyline views with their turkey and stuffing (and for someone else to do all the cooking and cleaning up).

 

Broadway Shows

  • Radio City Christmas Spectacular has been one of the most popular and iconic holiday shows in NYC for decades. There are up to six performances on some days beginning November 13 through January 3, 2016 and early access pricing is in effect.  Book now to not only save money, but also get the date that’s best for you.
  • An American in Paris is one of the few Broadway shows performing on Christmas Eve so tickets are sure to go quickly.
  • On Your Feet! The Story of Emilio & Gloria Estefan opens for the very first time on October 5th, but the pre-NYC production in Chicago is generating a lot of buzz. Booking tickets now means more availability and lower prices than when the buzz hits after the Broadway premiere.
  • Allegiance, starring George Takei and Tony winner Lea Salonga, is also one of the most buzzed about new shows opening this fall. Get tickets now before the positive reviews roll in when the show opens in early November and prices skyrocket.
  • The Off-Broadway run of Hamilton, the new musical by Lin Manuel-Miranda, was a sold-out sensation, and tickets are already going fast for the Broadway run. If you are coming for the holidays, tickets are available now for December – but probably not for long.
  • The Lion King and Matilda are one of the top shows for families during the holidays and prices can get higher and higher as the date nears. If you are planning on bringing the whole family, it will also be also more difficult to get multiple seats together if you don’t book well in advance.

This is a guest post from NewYork.com. NewYork.com is a leading and trusted expert on New York City and the only existing website to plan and book a complete New York City itinerary, ranging from hotels, Broadway shows, dining, attractions and tours.

Spring Break in the Catskills

The Fisk House, a lovely Bed and Breakfast in the Catskills, would be the perfect place to stay for a large family, a family reunion, or a bridal party.  There are 5 individual rooms, one of which has it’s own bathroom, and 2 large bathrooms upstairs as well as another downstairs.  Breakfast is served daily in the large dining area, and there is a fully functional kitchen for your use the rest of the day.

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In addition to it’s spacious kitchen, dining area, and living room, there is plenty of space to spread out. The furnishings are cozy with mix of country chic and a rustic feel to it.  There is an outdoor swimming area and porch as well, which during warmer weather can be taken advantage of. Directly across the street is an antiques barn, where you can peruse and shop at your leisure.

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After eating breakfast, we headed out to Platkill Mountian for last winter’s hurrah. It was supposed to be Springtime, but as anyone in the Northeast can tell you, Spring too it’s sweet time to arrive to the area this yea. Located in Western upstate NY, you can easily spend the day (or several) on the many trails of Platkill.  You can choose from skiing, snowboarding, snowtubing and snowshoeing on the mountain.  Group or individual lessons are also offered.

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Not having our own equipment, we rented skis, boots, and helmets on site. After being properly fitted for our sizes, my son and I headed out for our ski lesson. We had only skied one other time, so we thought it would be a good idea. The ski instructor had his hands full with us, since my son decided he was all of the sudden scared of skiing. He wanted to (quite literally) hold my hand the whole time, and he cried quite a bit. Being 7 isn’t all it’s cracked up to be all the time. This was interesting, because I was feeling less nervous about the process- I guess we evened each other out.
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The Winter Clove Family Resort in the Catskills

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Winter is a great time to visit the Catskills in upstate NY. With the wide variety of winter sports and activities to do in the area, head East, young man (or woman) when next the weather looks stormy. What a great place to get stranded during a blizzard!

When we last visited, it was less then a winter wonderland. In fact, it was downright balmy at 50 degrees. While that made for a nice day outside- no chapped cheeks or frozen noses and toes to speak of- it did take the wind out of some of the typically snowy activities.

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There was still plenty to do, even if Mother Nature wasn’t cooperating. The resort we stayed at, The Winter Clove Family Resort, has a great location for family fun and activity in the area. It’s local to several mountains, horseback riding, and the Baliwick ranch.

The resort itself has quite a bit to occupy you and your family- it is also a great place to unwind and relax, spend some time reconnecting. We are all so busy, running this way and that, it’s nice to spend some time as a unit now and again. In addition to it’s activities, pools (both indoor and out) and bowling ally and game room, there is a grand room for spending time together, relaxing by the fireplace. Read, do a puzzle, check out a newspaper, play some board games- the lodge has lots of options to suite just about everyone. There are also sitting room areas on each floor, if you would like to watch TV or a movie.
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