New York, the ‘city that never sleeps’, is one of the world’s great metropolises, offering visitors everything from the ethnic flavors of Chinatown and Little Italy, to the galleries of SoHo, the cafes of Greenwich Village, the glitz of the Theater District, the shopping on Fifth Avenue and the affluence of Park Lane and the Upper West Side. New York City is made up of five boroughs and is laid out on a grid of avenues and streets. Most tourist sights are found on Manhattan Island, the city’s entertainment and business center. The remaining
four boroughs are primarily residential – the Bronx to the north, Queens to the east, Brooklyn to the southeast and Staten Island to the southwest. Each has wealthy and salubrious districts alongside working-class neighborhoods – demonstrating New York’s varied social mix. The total area of all five boroughs is 780 sq km (301 sq miles). New York’s location at the mouth of the Hudson River on the Atlantic Ocean is reflected in the city’s importance as a port, and as the point of disembarkation for millions of immigrants to the USA. Vibrating with the energy of over 7 million inhabitants, New York is a constantly evolving, growing and changing organism. The sheer volume of things to do – theater, ballet, opera, museums – is astonishing. Many of the city’s 18,000-plus restaurants are reporting boom times, while several new hotels have emerged over the past few years. Renovations of historic theaters in the area – such as the Victory, the Lyric or the Academy/Apollo – have been followed by a flood of restaurateurs and prospective retail tenants signing up for space on or near Times Square. The terrorist attacks on Manhattan’s famous Twin Towers on 11 September 2001 has had a detrimental effect on the city’s tourism. However, New York’s JFK airport still enjoys its status as the USA’s busiest airport for international arrivals, with over 15 million international tourists (many of them from the UK) using the airport in 2002. On the whole, however, numbers are down, with Newark International and La Guardia reporting a 4 per cent and 6 per cent decrease in international arrivals respectively. Crime, on the other hand, is plummeting, following the introduction of ‘zero tolerance’ policing; according to FBI crime statistics, the city is the safest large city in the USA. The New York City Police Museum, at 100 Old Slip at South Street, shows just how this is done. Visitors with disabilities will now find wheelchair access to 99 per cent of New York City buses and 40 per cent of subway stations. Public telephones for the deaf are also widespread. Two brochures for disabled people are available from New York City Transit (see contact number above).
Manhattan The Manhattan skyline is an instantly recognizable sight, immortalized in countless films and television programs. One of the best views of it can be obtained from the Staten Island Ferry (see below). Following the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001, the famous landmark of the World Trade Center with its twin towers was completely destroyed, forever altering both the skyline and the history of America. The decision has recently been made to build a memorial at the ‘Ground Zero’ site. The Lower Manhattan Development Corporation announced in January 2004 that Michael Arad and Peter Walker’s design for a grove of trees above two reflecting pools, named ‘Reflecting Absence’, would be chosen to immortalise that infamous event. The design was chosen over 5000 submitted ideas. Also in the planning is the ambitious Freedom Tower skyscraper, designed by David M Childs, which could have a unique turbine tower as a feature, creating one-fifth of the energy used by the building and doubling as somewhat unorthodox Buddhist prayer wheels. The first European settlement on Manhattan was by the Dutch in the 1620s, who named the city New Amsterdam. In 1664, the British took over and renamed it New York, and settlement continued from south to north along the island. Skyscrapers, such as the art-deco Empire State Building, offer spectacular views of the city by day or night. Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island: New York’s most famous image is the 46.5m- (151ft-) high Statue of Liberty, located on Liberty Island, which may be reached by boat from Battery Park on Manhattan’s southern tip. A lift and staircase inside the Statue take visitors up to an observation platform. The Liberty/Ellis Island Ferry departs from the historic Castle Clinton at Battery Park every 30 minutes and also stops at Ellis Island, the gateway for the massive numbers of immigrants arriving in New York between 1892 and 1954. On the island, the Wall of Honor, the world’s longest wall of names, commemorates over 600,000 immigrants, and the Ellis Island Immigration Museum offers an interesting insight into the lives of New York’s early immigrants. In Battery Park City, the new Skyscraper Museum celebrates the architectural style so intrinsic to the city’s history and psyche. Lower Manhattan: The oldest part of the city is at the southern end of Manhattan. East of Battery Park is the Financial District, containing the famous Wall Street and the New York Stock Exchange, where visitors have access to a public gallery to catch a glimpse of the frenetic trading action. The historic South Street Seaport, located at the end of Wall Street, offers great views of New York Harbor. The seaport is a thriving waterfront community with a world-class maritime museum and more than 100 shops, cafés and restaurants. To the northeast of the seaport is the famous Brooklyn Bridge, leading to Brooklyn. Chinatown, Manhattan’s most thriving ethnic neighborhood extends from Canal Street into Little Italy and east into the Lower East Side. This labyrinth of narrow streets, crammed with Chinese stores and restaurants, is home to over 100,000 residents. While Chinatown has expanded in recent years, neighboring Little Italy has dwindled somewhat, and few of the original Italian immigrants remain, though Little Italy’s restaurants, delis and bakeries remain as tempting as ever. East of Little Italy, the Lower East Side has traditionally been New York’s Jewish area, owing to a flow of Jewish immigrants to the area in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The recently revamped Museum of Jewish Heritage is located here. In addition to its other two Manhattan venues, the Guggenheim Foundation is adding a new waterfront museum on the East River. The area is also known for its Orchard Street Market, an open-air bazaar, and its numerous delis. To the northwest, Greenwich Village has been a melting pot for art, literature and music for decades, though its legendary bohemian feel has partly been replaced by upmarket beatnik chic. South of Greenwich Village is SoHo (South of Houston), which has become synonymous with art since the 1960s, and retains its arty, avant-garde character, with plenty of galleries, cafes, boutiques and loft spaces fronted by interesting cast-iron façades. Still further south is TriBeCa (Triangle Below Canal Street), once a deserted warehouse district, and now a growing residential area. Midtown Manhattan: The heart of the city is located between 34th Street south and 59th Street north and contains several of New York’s landmark buildings, including the 102-story Empire State Building (completed in 1931). Worth visiting here are Bryant Park and the beautiful New York Public Library nearby; the 1930s art-deco Chrysler Building (New York’s first skyscraper); the United Nations Building (the organization’s world headquarters); Grand Central Station, which has been completely restored, with special attention paid to its magnificent constellation ceiling; Fifth Avenue, the city’s most glamorous thoroughfare, filled with luxury shops and department stores; the Chelsea neighborhood, home of the landmark Chelsea Hotel and also center for New York’s gay community as well as a new magnet for art galleries and commercial developers; the Rockefeller Center, famous for its (winter-only) ice skating rink and also the home of NBC Studios, which can be visited (the Center reopened its observation deck in 2005, website: www.www.rockefellercenter.com) and the new American Folk Art Museum. A few blocks away, the highly celebrated Museum of Modern Art underwent a massive US$650 million expansion, which was completed in spring 2004. The Carnegie Hall now also includes the Judy and Arthur Zankel Hall. At the heart of Midtown is the Broadway theater district near the recently revamped, once seedy but now ‘family-friendly’ Times Square, with its recently reopened Biltmore Theater, and the world’s largest toy store, home to a 60ft Ferris wheel and life-size Barbie house. Uptown Manhattan: Uptown Manhattan covers the area north of 59th Street and is split roughly in the middle by Central Park (see below). To the northwest of the park is Columbia University and the Cathedral of St John the Divine, the world’s largest Gothic cathedral, which is still under construction (begun in 1812); the cathedral was recently designated a landmark by the New York City Landmark Preservation Commission. The new US$115 million Jazz at Lincoln Center opened in autumn 2004; the venue is part of the new AOL Time Warner Center, which contains luxury retail outlets, restaurants, office space, condominiums and a 249-room hotel. The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater also opened its new facility in autumn 2004. The Joan Weill Center for Dance will be the largest facility dedicated exclusively to dance in the USA. Further north, Harlem is noted for its rich African-American community. Good examples of classic New York brownstones can be seen in Harlem’s Sugar Hill. Several decayed and crime-ridden areas in Harlem are now being redeveloped.
Brooklyn Brooklyn is best reached via Brooklyn Bridge, which is particularly striking at night, and usually bustling with people during the day. Having crossed the bridge, visitors arrive in Brooklyn Heights, a good area to walk around. The Jewish Children’s Museum is a new attraction to the area. Further southeast lie Prospect Park and the adjacent Brooklyn Botanic Gardens; the Brooklyn Academy of Music, home to the interesting Next Wave Festival; and the historic Park Slope district, notable for its old brownstones. Downtown Brooklyn is home to the recently renovated New York Transit Museum, located in a decommissioned subway station, with over 200 trolleys on display. Coney Island and Brighton Beach, the latter full of Russian shops and restaurants, are at the south/southeastern end of the borough.
The Bronx Major attractions include the world-famous Bronx Zoo and New York Botanical Garden; Yankee Stadium, home to the Yankees baseball team; Poe Cottage, former home of the writer Edgar Allan Poe; and Woodlawn Cemetery, where several famous musicians, including Miles Davis, are buried. This area of New York is currently good at breaking records. The 19,200-seat Randall’s Island Pavilion opened in May 2003 and was the first major new live stage venue to be built in the city in 30 years, while the Ferry Point Park Golf Course, designed by Jack Nicklaus, will open later this year as the first golf course to be built in the city for 35 years.
Queens Major attractions in the borough include the Astoria Movie Studios with the (attached) American Museum of the Moving Image, close to La Guardia airport; and Shea Stadium (home to the New York Mets Major League Baseball team), with the nearby Flushing Meadows-Corona Park. The southern half of Queens includes a portion of the Gateway National Recreation Area which, despite its location next to JFK International Airport, provides a refuge to hundreds of bird species.
Staten Island Visitors to the island often do so mainly to enjoy the view of the classic New York skyline from the Staten Island Ferry, which operates from Battery Park (downtown) past the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island to Staten Island. The Verrazano-Narrows Bridge connects Staten Island with Brooklyn.
Parks & Beaches New York’s most famous park, Central Park, was created in 1856, when officials set aside 341 hectares (843 acres) of land between Fifth and Eighth Avenues and 59th and 110th Streets. John Lennon fans may pay their respects at Strawberry Fields, the area of the park dedicated to his memory. Also within the park is the Central Park Wildlife Center, a small but interesting zoo. During summer, the park hosts afternoon and evening concerts. Additions to the park include the Dana Discovery Center and fishing pond (with free poles and bait). Visitors should note that it is not advisable to visit Central Park after dark. The recently restored Bryant Park, behind the New York Public Library, has been a great success with businesspeople and visitors on lunch, especially as it offers free outdoor concerts and comedy shows. Reminiscent of Paris, with gravel pathways, green folding chairs and a manicured lawn, it’s a great place for sunbathing, reading or enjoying a sandwich or salad bought from kiosks in the park. The fountain at the western end is a good place for a romantic rendez-vous. Other parks include the world-famous New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx, which has 100 hectares (250 acres) of woods, waterways and gardens and whose centerpiece is the newly restored Enid A Haupt Conservatory. Riverside Park, running alongside the Hudson River; Battery and Washington Square parks in Lower Manhattan; the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, Marine Park and Prospect Park in Brooklyn; and Cunningham, Flushing Meadows/Corona, Jacob Riis and Kissina parks in Queens. Clove Lake Park and Fort Wadsworth on Staten Island boast impressive views of New York harbor. There are several fine beaches to the east of New York City. Nearest to Manhattan are Brighton Beach, Coney Island and Manhattan Beach. Other beaches include Orchard Beach in Pelham Bay Park, South Beach and Wolfe’s Pond Park on Staten Island.
Special Events The following is a selection of special events occurring in New York City in 2005; for further events, contact NYC & Company CVB (see General Info section): Mar 17 St Patrick’s Day Parade, Manhattan. Jun-Aug Celebrate Brooklyn Performing Arts Festival, Brooklyn. Jul 4 Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks, near East River. Aug Harlem Week, citywide. Aug 29-Sep 11 US Open Tennis Tournament, Flushing. Nov 6 New York City Marathon. Nov 24 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, Manhattan. Dec 31 New Year’s Eve at Times Square.
Greater Niagara
Located in western New York State between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, Niagara Falls is one of the most outstanding spectacles on the North American continent. There are three main waterfalls, American, Bridal Veil and Canadian (Horseshoe) Falls, each in a different stream of the Niagara River. Other attractions in the region include Letchworth State Park, Buffalo, Lake Erie and Lewiston.
Niagara Falls 10 million tourists visit Niagara Falls each year, making it one of the most popular tourist destinations in America. The Niagara River rapids, just above the Falls, and the Niagara Gorge, below the Falls, offer beautiful scenery and many opportunities for sightseeing. The price of most merchandise is lower in Niagara Falls than in most other parts of the USA and Canada. Within the city of Niagara there are two large factory outlet malls, a large shopping mall and several retail districts. The region offers good antique shopping. Niagara’s hotels are near to the Falls, attractions and shopping. Many of them are only a short walk from the edge of the Falls themselves. The New York State Park that surrounds the Falls is the oldest State Park in the nation and has been restored to its original 19th-century design. Created by Frederick Olmstead to provide a natural setting for the Falls, it became a model for the uniquely American style of park. It includes many woodland islands in the rapids just above the Falls and a new visitor center. The Viewmobile is a coach that tours the park. The Great Lakes Gardens outside the center use grass, flowers and shrubs to depict the Great Lakes. Visitors can take the Maid of the Mist Boat Tour that travels into the spray of the Falls, or explore the Cave of the Winds, on Goat Island, in the middle of the river above the Falls. The Niagara Whirlpool, on the river beneath the Falls, can be visited by jet boat. North of the Falls is Old Fort Niagara – a restored fortress and park containing military buildings, including the 1726 French Castle, one of the oldest European-designed buildings on the continent. Other attractions in the area include the Daredevils Hall of Fame with photographs, contraptions and memorabilia of the swimmers, tightrope walkers and others who braved the Falls (sometimes fatally); the Aquarium of Niagara, with more than 1500 aquatic animals including sharks, piranhas and sea lions; the Niagara Aerospace Museum, and the Amherst Museum at Amherst, which recreates life on the 19th-century Niagara Frontier.
Travel The Buffalo/Niagara Falls International Airport is only a 25-minute drive from the Falls and is served by many airlines, domestic and international. Shuttles to all major hotels are available. The Niagara Falls International Airport is just seven minutes away by coach or taxi. It can accommodate the largest jumbo jets and is available for charter flights. For people arriving by coach, Niagara Falls is located on a major Interstate Highway, less than one day’s drive from New York City and the eastern USA. The Falls are also accessible by rail. Amtrak offers two trains per day, which arrive from New York City bound for Toronto; the station is 3km (2 miles) south of downtown Niagara Falls. Greyhound (tel: (800) 229 9424 (toll-free); website: www.greyhound.com) provides a direct service from New York to Niagara, with a conveniently central bus terminal at Fourth Street and Niagara Street.
Buffalo & Area Standing at the eastern extremity of Lake Erie on the border with Canada, Buffalo is the State’s second-largest city, the gateway to Niagara Falls and the Finger Lakes, and within easy reach of Lake Ontario and Toronto. It is home to the State’s most important museum outside New York City, the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, which contains works by Picasso, Renoir, Van Gogh and Monet, among others. The Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society displays the inventions of Niagara Frontier residents, including Cheerios, cold remedies and pacemakers. Allentown Association is among the largest historic preservation sites in the USA. The area includes arts and crafts, Victorian-style homes, international food and galleries. The graves of President Millard Fillmore and Seneca Indian Chief Red Jacket can be found at the Forest Lawn Cemetery. Other attractions include the Burchfield Arts Center, with the largest collection of watercolors by American artist Charles F Burchfield; the Buffalo Museum of Science with a children’s discovery room; CEPA Gallery, devoted to photographic art; and the Naval and Military Park, where the World War II destroyer, USS Sullivans, is docked. Buffalo Zoo in Delaware Park has large enclosures with natural features and is home to Siberian tigers, gorillas and elephants. The Six Flags Darien Lake is a popular waterpark, with new attractions in the pipeline.
Excursions Artpark, in the historic village of Lewiston, is the only State Park in the nation dedicated to the visual and performing arts. The 80 hectare (200 acre) park includes a 2300-seat theater, nature trails, free outdoor performances and workshops. Letchworth State Park is known as the ‘Grand Canyon of the East’ and offers visitors magnificent views of the Genesee River Gorge. Outdoor activities on offer include camping, hiking and picnicking. The only socialised wolf pack in the eastern USA lives at the Institute for Environmental Learning in Lyndonville, which also houses bald eagles and cougars. Full of houses and shops from the 1820s, Lockport is known for its five enormous locks on the Erie Canal. The Lockport Cave Tour takes visitors along the locks, through a tunnel blasted out of rock in the 19th century, and ends in an underground boat ride.
Travel There are limousine services from Greater Buffalo Airport (BUF) to the city, 14.5km (9 miles) away, or direct to Niagara Falls. Taxis are also available. There are Amtrak rail links from Buffalo to Niagara Falls, on the Toronto-Niagara Falls line; trains to Chicago stop at the Depew station, some 13km (8 miles) from downtown Buffalo. Empire Trailways, Greyhound and long-distance bus services both stop at the downtown bus terminal at Ellicott Street and Church Street (the hub for Metro Bus and Metro Rail city services); bus route 40 runs hourly to the Niagara Falls.
Special Events The following is a selection of special events occurring in Greater Niagara in 2005: Mar 13 St Patrick’s Day Celebrations, Buffalo. Aug 3-7 Niagara County Fair, Lockport. Aug 13-14 Annual Lewiston Outdoor Fine Arts Festival, Lewiston. Sep 17-25 Greater Niagara Fish Odyssey (angling competition), public waterways of Niagara and Erie. Sep 25-Oct 31 Pumpkin Farm Fall Festival, Clarence. Nov 20 Light Up the Night Parade and Tree Lighting Ceremony, Niagara Falls. Each spring, the Festival of Gold celebrates the blooming of daffodils all over Niagara County. The flowers can be seen at Artpark, New York Power Authority and Old Fort Niagara, as well as in extensive areas along the Robert Moses Parkway from Rainbow Boulevard North to Lewiston. The Festival of Gold began in 1992, when volunteers planted 405,000 daffodil bulbs across the county. From Nov 23-Jan 3 2006, the 23rd Annual Winter Festival of Lights in Niagara Falls attracts more than 8.5 million visitors. Billed as ‘Niagara’s Holiday Gift to the World’, the festival is one of the nation’s premier winter attractions, combining hundreds of thousands of colorful lights, animated displays, professional and community entertainment and almost two months of events.
Hudson Valley
The Hudson River Valley spans 225km (140 miles) from the Battery in Manhattan to New York’s State Capitol in Albany, encompassing New York City and a 10-county region to the north (Westchester, Rockland, Orange, Putnam, Duchess, Ulster, Columbia, Greene, Albany and Rensselaer counties). As the Hudson River flows northwards, its landscape becomes more subdued and turns from rugged shorelines to gentle, rolling hills. The Catskill Mountains, located to the west, provide a stunning backdrop. Away from the river itself, the Valley contains rich, fertile lands that were originally farmed by the many Native American Algonquin tribes and the early Dutch settlers. Although some of it is being converted to non-agricultural uses, these lands remain the largest agricultural area in the State. The Hudson River Valley was originally inhabited by Native Americans over 3000 years ago, before being settled by the Dutch in the early 17th century. Important decisions involving the early development of the USA were made throughout the region and it was the center of the Revolutionary War. Today, approximately 3 million people live in the Hudson Valley. The Hudson River Valley corridor serves as a major transport and commercial link between the ports of New York City and Albany. The Erie Canal, constructed in 1852, linked New York City to Chicago before the development of the railway in the late-1880s made barges obsolete. The scenery of the Hudson Valley inspired the works of early US writers, artists and designers and contributed to an appreciation of the natural environment. The Valley was the birthplace in the mid-19th century of the Hudson River School of painting – the largest, longest and most influential movement in American art history. James Fenimore Cooper (The Leatherstocking Tales) and Washington Irving (The Legend of Sleepy Hollow) used the unique landscape and folklore of the Hudson Valley as the backdrop to their literary works. The Hudson Valley is also scattered with the works of famous landscape architects: Andrew Jackson Downing, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, as well as a wide array of historic and archaeological sites and museums associated with Native Americans, the Dutch and English settlements, the Revolutionary War and the Hudson River School. The Hudson Valley has a long tradition as a holiday destination. In the mid- to late-19th century, it served as a retreat for wealthy industrialists from New York City such as the Vanderbilts and Rockefellers, who built the elaborate estates along the shores of the Hudson known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’. City dwellers have also sought refuge at the many resorts located in the western mid-to-upper Hudson Valley region. Today, the area continues to offer year-round opportunities for many outdoor activities such as boating, camping, hiking, hunting, skiing, bicycling, rock climbing and canoeing. Tourism is the Valley’s largest employer.
Westchester County Known as the ‘Golden Apple of New York State’, Westchester is located just 24km (15 miles) north of Manhattan and is the gateway to the Hudson Valley. With ties to both areas, Westchester benefits from the two different worlds. The county is bordered on the west by the Hudson River and on the east by the Long Island Sound, offering plenty of opportunities for boating, sailing and watersports. The county is home to 40 private and public golf courses and top-name department stores, discount malls and exclusive boutiques. The city’s historic roots go deep and are reflected in the many museums, historic sites and other attractions. These include the Hudson River Museum in Yonkers, where paintings by the famous Hudson River School of artists are on display. At Tarrytown is the restored home of writer Washington Irving, and nearby is Lyndhurst, the estate and Gothic-style mansion formerly owned by the 19th-century tycoon, Jay Gould. Visitors can also tour the Rockefeller estate, Kykuit, or spend some time at the historic Playland Park, built in 1928 as a family amusement park and a National Historic Landmark, with new attractions for 2004.
Orange County This is the only county in the State located between two rivers, the Delaware River on the west and the Hudson on the east. Founded in 1683, Orange County was named after England’s House of Orange, and the county has played a major role in US history. George Washington lived and had his headquarters here until the Revolutionary War ended. Today, Orange County has the greatest number and the most diverse assortment of attractions in New York outside Manhattan: West Point, where visitors can observe impressive military parades by cadets at the United States Military Academy; Storm King Art Center (the largest sculpture park in the USA); Woodbury Common (the largest discount designer outlet in the world); West Point Museum Village (the largest living history museum in New York); Sugar Loaf Art and Craft Village, with working craftspeople and more than 60 shops, and the New York Renaissance Faire. At Washingtonville is the Brotherhood Winery. The country’s oldest winery, it also boasts the largest wine cellars in the USA. Orange County is also known for the beauty of its rolling farmland, and features apple orchards and picking farms that have farm stores, hay rides and seasonal events throughout the year. With 56km (35 miles) of the Appalachian Trail and several large State Parks, hiking is popular in Orange County, as is canoeing or rafting the Delaware River, one of the 10 most ecologically healthy rivers in the USA.
Duchess County Named for Mary, Duchess of York and later Queen of England, this county was home to Franklin D Roosevelt, who is buried with his wife, Eleanor, at Hyde Park. Here, on the Hudson River, is the Vanderbilt Mansion, a striking 54-room Italian Renaissance structure, furnished elegantly in marble and mahogany. The Culinary Institute of America, 3 miles north of Poughkeepise, is one of the world’s great cookery schools. Visitors can sample the cuisine at one of the three restaurants on its campus, the American Bounty Restaurant, Caterina de Medici or Escoffier Room, as well as two cafes. At Rhinebeck, the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome houses an extensive museum of native warplanes, including several World War I models.
Special Events The following is a selection of special events occurring in Hudson Valley in 2005: Jan 1-Mar 6 Open Air Ice Rink, Bear Mountain State Park. Feb 19-21 George Washington’s Birthday Celebrations, Newburgh. Mar 13 St Patrick’s Parade, Tarrytown. May Native American Pow Wow, Bear Mountain State Park; Blessing of the Animals, North Salem. Jun 5 25th Annual Times Herald Orange Classic 10K, Middletown. Jul 20-31 Orange County Fair, Middletown. Aug 23-28 Duchess County Fair, Rhinebeck. Sep Cheese Festival, Monroe. Sep 8-11 Yorktown Grange Fair, Yorktown Heights. Sep 24-25 Hudson Valley Garlic Festival, Saugerties. Oct Oktoberfest, Bear Mountain State Park; Applefest, Warwick. Oct 2 Support Connection 11th Annual Support-A-Walk, Yorktown Heights. Dec Holiday Festival, Bear Mountain State Park. Dec 31 First Night, Middletown.
Finger Lakes
Located midway between New York City and Niagara Falls in west central New York State, the Finger Lakes represent one of the truly unspoiled vacation areas in the USA. Well known for its picturesque lakes, wineries and lush forests, the region offers many opportunities for recreational activity. It is home to 25 State Parks and a variety of museums and historic homes. The Native Americans believed the Finger Lakes were formed when the Great Spirit reached out to bless the region and left behind the imprint of his hand. Geologists report instead that the unique features of the area – the 11 long narrow lakes lying side by side, the wide valleys and the deep gorges with rushing waterfalls – were formed by the grinding action of Ice Age glaciers. These geographical features are found nowhere else in the world. Jesuit missionaries, the first Europeans to arrive in the region, found it controlled by the Cayuga, Onondaga and Seneca Native Americans, part of the powerful Iroquois Confederacy. The area’s Native American heritage is still apparent today in the names of communities and landmarks throughout the region. Although the Finger Lakes area is known primarily for its natural beauty and abundant recreational opportunities, it has also played a significant role in US social, economic and political history and is the home of famous statesmen, inventors and businesspeople. From west to east, the six largest lakes are: Canandaigua, Keuka, Seneca, Cayuga, Owasco, and Skaneateles. There are many fine lodges and small resorts on the lakes’ shores, where visitors can take in the outstanding scenery and make the most of recreational opportunities, especially boating and fishing.
Syracuse The city flourished after the opening of the Erie Canal in 1825, and the Erie Canal Museum, a restored 1850s canal-boat-weighing station set along the canal, celebrates the waterway’s importance to the region. Other attractions include the Milton J Rubenstein Museum of Science and Technology, which has a planetarium and a terrarium with live lakeshore creatures, and Rosamond Gifford Zoo in Burnet Park, with 14.5 hectares (36 acres) and more than 1000 animals in their natural habitat. The Everson Museum of Art features the nation’s largest display of US ceramics. Life in the 17th century is recreated at the Sainte Marie Among the Iroquois Living History Museum; the Sainte Marie mission was built by the French in 1657 at the invitation of the Iroquois people. The Canal Center has a canoe launch and facilities for biking, hiking and picnicking, while visitors to the Cedarvale Maple Syrup Company can see how maple syrup is made.
Rochester The third-largest urban area in New York State, Rochester has more sites on the National Register of Historic Places than any other city its size. Known for its beautiful parks and gardens, the city hosts the celebrated Lilac Festival each May. The Raging Rivers Waterpark, Seabreeze Amusement Park and Seneca Park Zoo are all popular entertainment spots. George Eastman, inventor in 1892 of roll film and the Kodak camera, lived here. The George Eastman House is a national historical landmark and its outstanding International Museum of Photography details the development of the art from the time of Daguerre to the satellite photos of the space age. At the Rochester Museum and Science Center, visitors can learn about the Seneca Native Americans through exhibits and artifacts that date from 1550 to 1820. The Laser, Light & Fireworks Spectacular in the High Falls District includes interactive 3-D exhibits, including a model flour mill. At nearby Victor, the ‘capital’ of the Seneca people from 1650 to 1687 is preserved at the State Historic Site of Ganondagan.
Wine region Viticulture has flourished in the Finger Lakes region for more than a century, and today it is one of the world’s leading wine districts. Many wineries offer free guided tours and tasting. All of the area’s vineyards and wineries lie on the Cayuga Wine Trail, located between Seneca Falls and Trumansburg, centered around the Cayuga, Keuka and Seneca lakes. The Greyton H Taylor Wine Museum in Hammondsport details the history and the process of winemaking, while dinner cruises are offered on the Keuka Maid and sunny afternoons can be enjoyed at the nearby Keuka Lake State Park.
Elsewhere The Finger Lakes region was renowned for the quality of its glass, and the newly renovated Corning Museum of Glass in Corning has exhibits spanning 3500 years of glass-making. Visitors can still observe craftspeople shaping exquisite glass objects. Ithaca is home to the Sciencenter, a hands-on science museum and outdoor science playground, the Herbert F Johnson Museum of Art, which houses a collection spanning 40 centuries and six continents, and the Sapsucker Woods Bird Sanctuary. North of Ithaca, the Taughannock Falls State Park features a waterfall higher than Niagara. At Watkins Glen, visitors will find the Hall of Fame and the National Motor Racing Museum. At the north end of Cayuga Lake is the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge, a resting and feeding area for more than 235 species of migratory birds.
Special Events The following is a selection of special events occurring in Finger Lakes in 2005: Feb 18-27 Winterfest 2005, Syracuse. Mar 12 23rd Annual St Patrick’s Parade, Syracuse. May 13-22 Lilac Festival, Rochester. Jun 4-5 Fairport Canal Days, Fairport. Jul 2-Aug 14 Sterling Renaissance Festival. Jul 15-17 Finger Lakes Wine Festival, Watkins Glen. Jul 16-17 Rochester MusicFest. Aug 14-21 Seneca Lake Whale Watch Festival, Geneva. Aug 25-Sep 5 New York State Fair, Syracuse. Sep 2-4 New York State Festival of Balloons, Dansville. Nov Annual Art Mart, Syracuse.
The Adirondacks
The Adirondacks region is full of natural attractions – dense forests, craggy mountains, streams, rivers and spring-fed lakes – and historic sites. The region saw many critical skirmishes during the American Revolution and French and Indian Wars. Visitors may choose to tour these battlegrounds, walk in the footsteps of Hawkeye from The Last of the Mohicans or meditate in the solitude of a remote Adirondack lake as Ralph Waldo Emerson and Albert Einstein did. The area has long been home to artisans, and local products, known as Adirondackana, include the famous Adirondack chair, birch bark picture frames, authentic North Country maple syrup and hand-woven pack baskets.
Adirondack Park The Park is the USA’s largest wilderness reserve outside Alaska and one of the most successful conservation efforts in history. Created in 1882 to preserve the Great North Woods of New York State, the 2.5 million hectare (6 million acre) natural sanctuary is protected under the State Constitution. Roughly the size of Vermont and bigger than the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone national parks combined, the park stretches over nearly one-third of New York State. This rugged land, which looks today very much like it did more than 10,000 years ago, is less than one day’s drive from northeastern USA and eastern Canada. It is the abundance of water – nearly 2500 lakes and ponds and more than 48,000km (30,000 miles) of rivers and streams – that makes the Adirondacks so distinct among the world’s great wilderness areas. As recently as the late-19th century, these waters were virtually the only mode of transport in the Adirondacks. Today they are a source of recreation, attracting canoeists, kayakers and whitewater rafters. There are miles of sandy beaches and thousands of secluded swimming holes, broad lakes for windsurfing and boating, and nearly every species of freshwater fish to challenge fishing enthusiasts.
Adirondack Mountains The Adirondacks region is home to some of the tallest and most dramatic mountains in the eastern USA. With names like Giant, Skylight and Upper Wolfjaw, the 46 highest Adirondack mountains, known as ‘the High Peaks’, are situated in the northeastern part of the park. Here, on the summit of the majestic Mount Marcy, is the highest point in New York State. Traversing the mountains and surrounding wilderness are more than 3200km (2000 miles) of marked trails for hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding, and extreme pitches off the beaten path to challenge rock climbers. The Adirondacks are a winter playground, with more than nine different ski areas and thousands of trails for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. Opportunities for winter camping attract the robust of spirit and there are bob-sleigh rides for those wishing to experience the ‘champagne of thrills’. Snowmobilers consistently put the Adirondacks high on their list for its extensive network of trails and great pit stops. There are also dog-sleigh rides and hundreds of frozen lakes on which to skate or go ice-fishing, and several Olympic venues to visit in Lake Placid. Other attractions in Lake Placid include the Adirondack Craft Center and the Lake Placid Center for the Arts. Boat cruises are available from the Marina, while the Adirondack Scenic Railroad takes passengers on a 32km- (20 mile-) round trip between Lake Placid and Saranac Lake. Scenic flights over the Adirondack High Peaks are also available. At the base of the mountains lies Lake Champlain, considered the most historic body of water in North America.
Special Events The following is a selection of special events occurring in the Adirondacks in 2005: Feb 4-13 Winter Carnival, Saranac Lake. Feb 25-27 Empire State Winter Games, Lake Placid. Apr 24 Spring Blossom Fiddle Jamboree, Long Lake. Jun 23-26 Lake Placid Film Festival. Jun 28-Jul 10 Lake Placid Horse Shows. Jul 4 Independence Day Celebrations, Tupper Lake. Jul HSBC Ironman USA, Lake Placid. Aug 12-14 Lake Placid Art and Craft Festival. Sep 9-11 Canoe Classic, Old Forge to Saranac Lake. Sep Battle of Plattsburgh Celebration. Sep 22-25 33rd Annual Adirondack Hot Air Balloon Festival, Queensbury. Oct 1-2 ‘The World’s Largest Garage Sale’, Warrensburg. All year round, the towns and villages of the Adirondacks are bustling with activity. Throughout the region there are art and craft exhibitions, music festivals, and theatrical performances. There are also good old country fairs, holiday celebrations and sports events of all kinds, including international athletic competitions. Full details can be obtained from the Adirondack Regional Tourism Council (see General Info section).
The Catskills
From the lush greenery of the southern Catskills to the dramatic, unspoiled peaks of the north, there is plenty to occupy visitors, whether they are seeking excitement or the perfect spot for a tranquil stay. The four-county region offers opportunities for a wide range of outdoor activities, from ballooning to rafting and from fishing to skiing. The region lies just 145km (90 miles) north of New York City, and around 30 minutes from Stewart International Airport, which is served by five major airlines.
Greene County The home of Washington Irving’s legendary Rip Van Winkle, picturesque Greene County is popular with families and offers top-quality skiing in the winter. The Catskill Game Farm, open from May to October, is home to more than 2000 animals, including endangered species. It has a petting zoo where visitors can feed animals, and hosts the only chimpanzee act in the USA. Giant waterslides, rafting and swimming pools will keep children entertained at the Zoom Flume, the Catskills’ largest water park. Just two hours from New York City, the Hunter Mountain ski resort is known as ‘the snowmaking capital of the world’, ensuring plenty of snow throughout the winter. With 53 trails on three mountains, the resort caters for everyone from beginners to experienced skiers. In the summer months, a 1.5km (1 mile) chairlift takes visitors up to a summit lodge. Night skiing is one of the attractions at the resort of Ski Windham. Other resorts include Bobcat, Ski Cortina and Ski Plattekill.
Sullivan County In the south of the region, Sullivan County, along with Ulster County, hosts most of the Catskills’ famous resort hotels, where Broadway entertainment and sumptuous dining are staples. Sullivan is noteworthy as the site of the most famous rock concert in history – the 1969 Woodstock Music and Arts Festival, commemorated at the Bethel Woodstock Museum at Kauneonga Lake. Today, Woodstock is a haven of art and craft galleries and shops. The Onteora Trail, part of Highway 28 which skirts the Ashokan Reservoir, makes a good scenic drive to the town. The county is the cradle of modern fly fishing, and the Catskill Fly Fishing Center and Museum at Livingston Manor is dedicated to preserving the USA’s fly-fishing heritage and protecting its environment. The scenic Delaware River is also home to the largest wintering population of bald eagles in the northeastern USA.
Ulster County Located where the Catskill Mountains meet the Hudson River, Ulster County is home to a hefty slice of US history. It boasts the largest collection of old stone houses in the USA, built by Dutch and French Huguenot settlers three centuries ago. Kingston, New York State’s first capital and third-oldest city, features buildings that in 1777 hosted the first State Senate, Assembly and Constitutional Convention. The 1676 Senate House is the oldest public building in the USA. The maritime heritage of the Hudson River is preserved at the Hudson River Maritime Museum, which runs boat rides to the nearby historic Rondout Lighthouse. At Phoenicia, in the 1899 Ulster and Delaware Station, the Empire State Railway Museum houses an exhibit relating to the history of the railway in the region. Esopus Creek is noted for its fine trout fishing. The ski resort of Belleayre operates a summer chairlift to picnic areas over 1000m (3285ft) high. In the winter, it offers good cross-country skiing and is close enough to New York City for a weekend or even day ski trip.
Delaware County The Catskills are bordered to the west by Delaware County, which offers excellent antique shopping and is dotted with 19th-century covered bridges. Hanford Mills Museum, a vintage water-powered mill, is on the National Register of Historic Places. The Delaware-Ulster Rail Ride at Arkville takes a scenic route through the Catskill Mountains and allows passengers to experience the thrills of the days when rail was the chief means of cross-country transport and train robberies were not unusual. In Delhi, the Gideon Frisbee Homestead, built in the 1790s for a local judge, is an outstanding example of early federal architecture.
Special Events The following is a selection of special events occurring in the Catskills in 2005: Apr 1 Opening of the Trout Season, Catskill Region. Apr 23-14 Annual Hudson Valley Beer and Food Festival, Hunter Mountain. Aug 2 Ulster County Fair, New Paltz. Aug 13-14 German Alps Festival, Hunter. Aug 15-20 Delaware County Fair, Walton. Aug 20-21 International Celtic Festival, Hunter. Sep Microbrew and Wine Festival, Hunter. Oct 2-3 Oktoberfest, Hunter.
Capital – Saratoga
The capital of New York State, Albany’s attractions include museums, art exhibitions and 19th-century architecture. Saratoga Springs is one of the northeast’s more accessible resorts, 30 minutes north of Albany and only three hours from Boston, Montréal and New York City. The region is renowned for top-class horse racing and the Saratoga Race Course draws thousands of visitors from around the world each year.
Albany The city of Albany stands beside the Hudson River north of New York City and makes a good base from which to explore ‘upstate New York’. Albany is dominated by the US$2 billion Rockefeller Empire State Plaza, a striking 10-building complex that includes the 44-story Corning Tower, the venerable State Capitol and the city’s performing arts theater (nicknamed ‘The Egg’ for its unusual shape). The New York State Museum, the country’s oldest and largest State Museum, portrays the urbanization of New York City and has lifelike dioramas among the exhibits on Native Americans, gems and birds. The Albany Institute of History and Art is the oldest museum in the State; its permanent collection of 15,000 objects relate to the art, history and culture of Albany and the Upper Hudson Valley. St Peter’s Church, notable for its stained glass and floor mosaics, is well worth visiting.
Saratoga Springs Saratoga Springs has been a leading spa and horseracing center since the late-19th century and the streets are lined with regal Victorian mansions. Walking tours of the city’s historic districts are available from the Saratoga Urban Cultural Park Visitors Center. Popular attractions include the Saratoga Raceway and the Saratoga Race Course. The raceway is known as the world’s most beautiful harness track and features races nine months a year. The race course hosts the country’s most prestigious thoroughbred racing during late July and August. Spectators are welcome at the polo matches held during the summer. Racing fans will appreciate the National Museum of Racing, which features hands-on exhibits, while the Saratoga Harness Hall of Fame houses a varied collection of harness racing memorabilia. For those in the mood for something other than horses, a drive over to nearby Saratoga Spa State Park, with its 890 hectares (2200 acres) of woods, manicured lawns, Georgian architecture and pavilions, mineral bathhouses and recreational facilities is recommended. The New York City Opera/Ballet and the Philadelphia Orchestra perform here in the summer at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, which is also the venue for the Newport Jazz Festival. In winter, the park offers cross-country skiing and snow shoeing. Also located in the park is the National Museum of Dance, the only one of its kind in the country. The Saratoga National Historic Park is the site of two important battles which proved to be a turning point in the American Revolution. Activities on offer include sunrise and sunset hot-air balloon flights. Disney’s newest venture, the Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa opens with the theme of ‘upstate New York - late 1800s’. The resort is opening in phases and when completed, will be the largest Disney Vacation Resort.
Elsewhere Canoeists will enjoy the Fulton Chain of Lakes. Lake George is the most popular resort region in the southeastern corner of the park. Flower lovers can visit the gardens of Yaddo, a legendary artists’ retreat. Open to the public every day during daylight hours, some 20,000 people visit the gardens annually.
Special Events The following is a selection of special events occurring in Saratoga in 2005: Feb 4-6 Winterfest, Saratoga Springs. Feb 4-6 The Albany American Wine Festival. Feb 6-27 Winter Carnival, Lake George. Mar 18-20 Capital District Garden & Flower Show, Troy. May 6-8 Annual Tulip Festival, Albany. Jun 25-26 Jazz Festival, Saratoga Springs. Jul Fleet Blues Fest, Albany. Jul 4 Independence Day Celebration, Albany. Jul 12-17 Saratoga County Fair, Ballston Spa. Aug 16-21 Altamont Fair (agricultural exhibit and carnival), Altamont. Aug 12-14 Great Northern Catskills Balloon Festival, Greenville. Sep 8-10 Saratoga Global Wine and Food Festival, Springs Spa State Park. Sep Adirondacks National Car Show, Lake George. Sep 10 Riverfront Jazz Festival, Albany. Oct 1-2 Capital District Apple Festival & Craft Fair, Altamont. Oct 9 Columbus Parade and Italian Festival, Albany. Nov-Dec Capital Holiday (over 100 events take place throughout the Capital – Saratoga Region). Dec Victorian Stroll, Troy. Dec 5-9 Northeast Holiday Art & Craft Show, Albany. Dec 31 First Night, Albany.
Long Island
Located just east of New York City, Long Island is the largest island adjoining the continental USA, stretching 190km (118 miles) into the Atlantic Ocean. Long Island has been the chosen vacation resort of savvy New Yorkers for 100 years and is just being discovered by everyone else. The region is famous for the Hamptons, celebrated seaside resorts and fishing villages, and the mansions described in the books of F Scott Fitzgerald. Whale watching and deep-sea fishing, wineries and ‘pick-your-own’ produce stands are guaranteed to keep visitors occupied. Each region of Long Island – the North Shore, South Shore, South Fork, North Fork and Central Suffolk – offers something special. For culture seekers, Long Island has 140 museums and historic sites. Sports enthusiasts can watch horse racing, horse jumping and polo, motor racing, hockey, lacrosse, major league baseball, tennis and golf. Sports participants can play golf and tennis, ride horses, hang glide, sky dive, sail and surf. Long Island offers a variety of ever increasing shopping opportunities – from indoor shopping malls such as Roosevelt Field in Garden City, the East Coast’s largest shopping center, to quaint visitor-oriented shopping villages on historic main streets in places like Huntington, Sea Cliff, Stony Brook and Syosset.
North Shore The North Shore is known as the ‘Heritage Trail’, with areas dating back to colonial times, the Revolutionary War era and the earliest days of the nation. Tycoons like the Vanderbilts, Chryslers and Guggenheims spent their summers here in opulent Great Gatsby-era mansions and gardens, many of which are open to the public today. Port Jefferson offers a historical village, waterside dining and numerous antique shops. Walt Whitman was born on Long Island, and his 19th-century farmhouse, now a State Historic Site, stands in West Hills, Huntington Station. It includes an interpretive center with 130 portraits of the poet, original letters, manuscripts and artifacts. Also on the North Shore are the Museums at Stony Brook. This 9-acre site includes an art museum with 19th- and 20th-century US works; a Carriage Museum, with 90 renowned horse-drawn carriages; and a history museum with changing exhibits on historical themes and 15 miniature period rooms. The Nassau County Museum of Art, located in a mansion on the former Frick estate at Roslyn Harbor has four major art exhibitions annually, while the Heckscher Museum of Art in Huntington has a collection spanning 500 years of European and American art.
South Shore The South Shore is a seaside haven, with 80km (50 miles) of ocean beaches, including the beautiful white sand of the Fire Island National Seashore and Jones Beach. Long Island has an island of its own, the famous Fire Island seaside resort with its restored lighthouse. Cars are forbidden along its 50km- (32 mile-) stretch of communities. This part of the island also features numerous museums, including the Long Island Maritime Museum; the Long Island Children’s Museum with hands-on exhibits and the Long Island Reptile Museum with a huge variety of live reptiles and amphibians. The US$34 million world-class Long Island Aquarium will be opening in 2005, featuring a six-story glacier under a glass skylight.
North Fork The North Fork has preserved the tranquility of its 17th-century farming and fishing heritage, and features miles of lush farm land with ‘pick-your-own’ produce stands and acres of vineyards. There are whales to watch far out in the ocean, coastal nature trails to hike and beaches to explore. Shelter Island, reminiscent of a peaceful New England village, is located on the North Fork and is perfect for exploring by bicycle. The Railroad Museum of Long Island at Greenport commemorates the region’s railways.
South Fork Known as The Hamptons, the South Fork offers a mix of culture, restaurants, historic sites, nightlife, shops and recreational activities. Long Island’s Native American heritage can be explored in Southampton, where the Shinnecock Indians maintain a reservation and present a public pow-wow in early September. The region features the seaside resort of Montauk, fishing villages and beaches, one of which, in East Hampton, was rated the second most beautiful in the northeastern USA. At Southampton is the Parrish Art Museum, housing a collection of American and regional art. The Pollock-Krasner House and Study Center, the home and studio of abstract expressionist painters Jackson Pollock and Lee Krasner, is also in East Hampton.
Central Suffolk In the center of Long Island, Central Suffolk is a favorite with outdoor enthusiasts and features the Pine Barrens, 40,470 hectares (100,000 acres) of preserved forest. The area’s rivers flow through wildlife refuges and are ideal for canoeing and kayaking. Other attractions include the new Atlantis Marine World, the SplishSplash Water Park at Riverhead and the Animal Farm Petting Zoo at Manorville.
Special Events The following is a selection of special events occurring in Long Island in 2005: Jan 29 Teen Night, Riverhead. Jun 11 Belmont Stakes (thoroughbred racing), Belmont Park. Jun 16-19 Annual Strawberry Festival, Mattituck. Jul-Aug Northville Long Island Golf Classic, Jericho. Aug Polish Town Festival, Riverhead; Norstar/Hamlet Cup Tennis Tournament, Commack. Aug-Sep Shinnecock Pow Wow, Shinnecock Indian reservation, Southampton. Aug 6-8 Balloon Festival, Long Island. Aug 27 Long Island Scottish Games, Old Westbury Gardens. Aug 28-Sep 4 Hampton Classic Horse Show, Bridgehampton. Sep Bellmore Street Fair. Sep 10 25th Annual Country & Western Day, Riverhead. Oct Long Island Fair, Old Bethpage Restoration Village; Oyster Festival, Oyster Bay. Oct 9 Country Fair, Riverhead. There are more than 300 annual festivals and events, such as the maritime and harvest festivals celebrating Long Island’s nautical and agricultural heritage, throughout the year.
Thousand Islands – Seaway
The lakes, rivers, islands and forests of this scenic corner of New York State offer the visitor four seasons of fun. The Thousand Islands are actually 1870 islands which extend along an 80km- (50 mile-) stretch of the St Lawrence River between New York State and Ontario. Attractions include an Amish community, State Parks and sights such as the Thousand Islands, the Eisenhower Lock and the Erie Canal. Visitors should not miss a trip to romantic Boldt Castle on Heart Island. Begun by the owner of the Waldorf-Astoria as a gift for his wife, work on the castle was abandoned after her untimely death. The historic lighthouses at Oswego, Port Ontario, Sackets Harbor, Cape Vincent and Ogdensburg mark the way along Lake Ontario and the St Lawrence River. Historic battlefields at Fort Ontario, Little Sandy, Ogdensburg and Sackets Harbor commemorate the defense of the frontier of the nation. The Minna Anthony Common Nature Center on Wellesley Island offers bird walks, hiking trails, a butterfly house, canoeing and cross-country ski trails in winter. Visitors can tour the Antique Boat Museum in Clayton and see 150 North American freshwater craft, 250 engines and other nautical memorabilia. Other attractions include the St Lawrence-FDR Power Project Visitors Center in Massena and the Frederick Remington Museum in Ogdensburg. Thousand Islands-Seaway offers a huge choice of accommodation – spectacular resorts, modern hotels and motels, quaint bed & breakfast facilities, cabins and campsites. Visitors can dine, dance and enjoy evenings of nightclub entertainment at the major resorts, complete with luxurious rooms, swimming pools and boat-dockage. There are both public and private campsites, most of which are equipped to serve both tents and recreational vehicles, and many include facilities for swimming, hiking and boating. Tourists can choose from a selection of golf courses or tennis courts, tour the Islands or the Erie Canal on a cruise boat, and watch spectacular sunsets over the St Lawrence River and Lake Ontario. The region is full of opportunities for people who love the outdoors. Sailing, scuba diving and whitewater rafting are popular, as are skiing and snowmobiling in the winter. Some of the best sports fishing in the nation can be found here all-year-round. It’s not unusual to see a professional bass or salmon tournament underway on the Lake Ontario, Oneida Lake or St Lawrence River.
Special Events The following is a selection of special events occurring in Thousand Islands-Seaway in 2005: Mar 8-10 Watertown Home Show. Apr 8-10 1000 Islands Annual Spring Boat Show, Recreation Park Arena Clayton. Jul 1-5 Oswego County Fair, Sandy Creek. Jul 28-31 Harborfest 2005, Oswego. Oct Oktoberfest. Dec 2-3 1000 Islands Christmas Festival; Country Home Christmas Tour. Summers are enlivened by a wide variety of festivals, old-fashioned county fairs, fishing derbies, regattas, and many high-energy events.
Chautauqua-Allegheny
Located in the western corner of the State, Chautauqua-Allegheny’s natural beauty has made it a popular tourist destination for over a century. The region’s many lakes and rivers offer a wide range of outdoor recreational opportunities, complemented by a variety of cultural and historical attractions and the influence of Amish and Native American communities.
Chautauqua Chautauqua County, on the southeastern shore of Lake Erie, is home to the largest and finest grape-growing region in the East, where local wineries conduct tours of their facilities and offer tastings. Fishing, boating, sailing and water-skiing are popular pastimes at the region’s lakes and waterways. From May to September, visitors can enjoy Chautauqua Lake aboard the Chautauqua Belle, an 1890s replica steam-powered paddle-wheel boat. The Chautauqua Institution is a lakeside community occupying 300 hectares (750 acres) in a Victorian setting. Its nine-week summer season, from June to August, offers visitors the best in fine and performing arts, education, recreation and religion. The institution’s covered amphitheater has played host to many outstanding musicians and lecturers including Tony Bennett, Barbara Bush, President Clinton and Anne Murray.
Lily Dale The Lily Dale Assembly, established in 1879 by the ‘Free Thinkers’, is a community dedicated to the science, philosophy and religion of Spiritualism. A short drive from Lily Dale will lead visitors to Amish country. A society within a society, the Amish community is well known for woodwork, leathercraft, carpentry and rug-making. A variety of Amish handmade crafts are available at local shops, and area restaurants offer a taste of Amish foods.
Jamestown Birthplace of the world’s most famous ornithologist, Roger Tory Peterson, Jamestown is home to the Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History, dedicated to informing visitors about the natural world. An art gallery (and its collection of Roger Tory Peterson prints), library, gift shop, butterfly garden and the Institute’s headquarters are situated on 11 hectares (27 acres) of woods and meadows. Fenton Historical Society is also located nearby. Set in a Civil War-period mansion, the museum includes Victorian memorabilia, Swedish and Italian rooms and early Jamestown genealogy. The Lucille Ball – Desi Arnaz Museum, a tribute to the town’s most famous daughter, has two annual festivals in late-May and early-August.
Salamanca Salamanca is the only city in the world situated on a Native American reservation. The Seneca-Iroquois National Museum highlights the cultural and contemporary heritage of the Seneca and five other tribes that make up the Iroquois Confederacy. The Salamanca Rail Museum is a restored passenger depot constructed in 1912 by the Buffalo, Rochester and Pittsburgh Railway. Historic photographs, video representations and artifacts are reminders of a time when rail was the primary means of transport. The largest State Park in New York, Allegheny State Park occupies 26,000 hectares (64,000 acres) and offers excellent facilities for both summer and winter recreation including camping, hiking, fishing and cross-country skiing. The Allegheny Reservoir provides excellent canoeing and watersports.
Elsewhere Other attractions in the region include Griffis Sculpture Park in Ashford Hollow, with 200 pieces of sculpture in a 400-acre woodland setting; Rock City Park in Olean; Dunkirk Historical Lighthouse Veterans Park; Panama Rocks with caves, cliffs and wild flowers; the 1891 Opera House in Fredonia; and Webb’s Candy Factory Tour in Mayville.
Special Events The following is a selection of special events occurring in Chautauqua-Allegheny in 2005: Feb 18 Ice Castle Extravaganza/Winter Fest, Mayville. May Maple Syrup Festival, Gerry. Jun 8-10 Great Blue Heron Music Festival, Sherman. Jun 27-Aug 29 Chautauqua Institution Summer Season 2005. Jul 4 Annual Lights over the Lake, Silver Creek. Aug 10-14 61st Annual Gerry Rodeo; Nature Art Festival (view artists at work in their ‘studios away from home’), Roger Tory Peterson Institute, Jamestown Audubon Nature Center and the Jamestown Armory. Sep Festival of Grapes, Silver Creek. Oct 8-9 Ellicottville Fall Festival (one of the largest autumn festivals in the region), Ellicott. Nov 24 Thanksgiving with the Birds, Jamestown.
Central – Leatherstocking
Once considered to be America’s western frontier, the Central–Leatherstocking region now ranks in the forefront of world-encompassing sports and Native American memorials. The area is famed for hidden caverns such as Howe Caverns, with its massive stone formations and stunning underground lake.
Cooperstown For more than 50 years the name Cooperstown has been synonymous with baseball. Home of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, Doubleday Field and numerous trading card and memorabilia shops, this vibrant village on the shore of Otesgo Lake contains some popular museums. The Farmers’ Museum and Village Crossroads graphically recreates life in the 1880s. Costumed guides work at looms, on the printing press and make brooms on the farm. Meanwhile, ox-carts carry visitors through the complex of buildings. Across the road, two golf courses are laid out along the lake by Fenimore House, headquarters of the New York Historical Association. Each summer, Gallery 53 Artworks mounts a show of ‘baseball as art’ with paintings, sculpture, wood and metal works defining the athleticism and agility of players as well as historic moments and places associated with the game. The Glimmerglass Opera stages productions at the Alice Busch Opera Theater throughout July and August.
Oneonta A few miles from Cooperstown, the city of Oneonta is home to the National Soccer Hall of Fame. Soccer tournaments are held at the Wright Soccer Campus, the State University facility and the fields of Harwick College. The college’s Yager Hall displays changing exhibitions in addition to artifacts, pottery and baskets from the local Susquehanna River Valley archaeological digs.
Howes Cave & Area In the heart of the Leatherstocking region at the town of Howes Cave are the famous Howe Caverns. Visitors to the 10-million-year-old caves, which feature magnificent limestone formations, travel 48m (156 feet) under the earth. Tours of the caverns include a boat ride on the underground Lake of Venus. Other attractions in the area include the Iroquois Indian Museum, which has exhibits of Native American arts, history and archaeology and includes a Children’s Museum and Nature Park, and the living museum at the 1743 Palatine House at Schoharie. The Howe Caverns Animal Farm is a favorite with children.
Oneida Indian Nation Just off the NY State Thruway (1-90) at exit 3, the Oneida Indian Nation operates a 24-hour, seven-days-a-week gaming facility, the only casino in the State. Four elegant restaurants, no-smoking blackjack areas and slotless games are among the amenities on offer. Vernon Downs, a nearby harness (standardbred) racing facility, features a new hotel on its grounds. Traditions with a Future examines the heritage, artifacts and culture of the nation at its white pine log Shakowi Cultural Center. At exit 34 stands the International Boxing Hall of Fame, a storehouse of gloves, robes and other mementos of pugilists from around the world. Each year in early June, new members are initiated into the hall with a weekend of ceremonies, exhibition bouts and public meetings. The Canal Museum depicts how this impressive cross-state waterway was constructed. A side trip to the Chittenango Landing Canal Boat Museum shows where packet boats were dry-docked for repair and upkeep.
Rome The Erie Canal Village in Rome is where construction of the canal actually began, one group of workers heading east, the other west. Some 20 buildings were moved here to create a replica of a canal-side town, complete with church and tavern. On a section of the 1825 waterway, visitors can ride on a packet boat pulled by mules. Travelers can also rent their own packet boats at Troy and Skaneateles for self-steered trips on the canal. Several communities on the route provide tour-boat trips on the enlarged, turn-of-the-century canal. Outside Rome is Delta Lake, a new 2000m- (6500ft-) long rowing course.
Special Events The following is a selection of special events occurring in Central - Leatherstocking in 2005: Mar 6-27 Sugaring Off (Sundays only - traditional maple-sugaring activities), Cooperstown. Jul-Aug Honor America Days Celebration, Rome. Aug Canal Fest, Sylvan Beach. Aug 19-21 Annual New York State Woodsmen’s Field Days, Boonville. Sep Remsen Barn Festival (Welsh village festival), Remsen. Oct 10 Columbus Day Parade, Rome.
