NYup.com Travel Guide 2023

Q View from Whiteface Mountain, Adirondacks.

PHOTO BY @STEFFOPHOTOGRAPHY

DEAR READERS

WE are thrilled to present to you our latest travel guide, focusing on the beautiful and diverse region of Upstate New York. From the majestic Adirondack Mountains to the picturesque Finger Lakes, Upstate NY offers something for everyone, whether you’re seeking outdoor adventure or a peaceful retreat.

OUR guide features a variety of must-see destinations, including breathtaking waterfalls, flower festivals and four-season towns. We also showcase hidden gems such as Donnelly’s Ice Cream in Saranac Lake and an underground speakeasy in Central New York. IN addition to our comprehensive destination coverage, we provide practical tips and recommendations to help you make the most of your Upstate NY experience. Whether you’re looking for the tastiest local cuisine or adventures for adrenaline junkies, our guide has got you covered.

SO, whether you’re a longtime resident of the region or a first-time visitor, we invite you to explore Upstate NY with us. We hope this guide inspires you to discover all the natural beauty, rich history and vibrant culture that Upstate NY has to offer.

Cover illustration and illustrations throughout the guide by Sean McKeown-Young, Advance Local

RIDE THE WAVES ON UPSTATE NEW YORK’S MOST SCENIC BOAT CRUISES

COME ABOARD

By EMMA VALLELUNGA

NEW YORK STATE IS HOME TO HUNDREDS OF BEAUTIFUL WATERWAYS FOR BOTH LOCALS

AND TOURISTS TO ENJOY, SO IF YOU’RE LOOKING TO

SIGHTSEE ON THE WATER, THERE’S NO BETTER WAY TO CELEBRATE THE RETURN OF WARM WEATHER THAN A SCENIC TOUR ON A LOCAL LAKE, RIVER OR CANAL.HERE ARE 11 SCENIC BOAT TOURS AND CRUISES IN UPSTATE NEW YORK THAT YOU CAN EXPERIENCE THIS SUMMER.

SAILS ON THE SPIRIT OF BUFFALO, left

FOR the parents whose kids love heroes like Jack Sparrow or villains like Captain Hook, the Pirate Sail cruise aboard a 73-foot topsail schooner with the Spirit of Buffalo on Lake Erie will make any birthday a swash-buckling adventure they’ll remember forever. Or, for those who prefer to sail and unwind, the sailboat company offers not only a dinner sail from the Pearl Street Grill in Buffalo but also craft beer and wine cruises in both the day and evening, so there’s something for the whole family to enjoy.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SPIRIT OF BUFFALO

CRUISES ON THE DUTCH APPLE

IF you’re looking for a luxurious ride down the Hudson River in the state’s capital region, look no further than Dutch Apple Cruises. This three-deck touring boat was built in 1986 but designed after early Hudson River day-liners, when millions of passengers would travel from Albany to New York City by boat from the 1860s to the 1940s. The cruise line offers public and private tours for special occasions and holidays.

FINE DINING AND FUN ON THE W.W. DURANT

RAQUETTE Lake is tucked away in the town of Long Lake in Hamilton County, but Raquette Lake Navigation has been riding the waves and giving thousands of bout tours as a family-owned business since 1974. The W.W. Durant is known for its special dinner cruises. You can have a traditional lunch or dinner, or if you’re feeling adventurous, book a Sunday brunch, pizza or prime rib dinner cruise with occasional live music and special events throughout the season.

FAMOUS STEAMBOATS WITH LAKE GEORGE STEAMBOAT COMPANY

DO you need multiple steamboat cruise options in your life? How about three, all on one lake? The Lake George Steamboat Company can offer passengers multiple different tour options on three different historic steamboats — the Minnie Ha-Ha, one of the last remaining paddle wheel steamboats in America, the Mohican, the oldest operating tour boat in America, and the 190-foot-long Lac du Saint Sacrement, the largest cruise ship on the inland waters of New York State. Whether it’s dinner with a loved one on the water or a pirate adventure cruise for the kids, there’s a cruise for everyone on Lake George.

THE SAM PATCH ON THE ERIE CANAL

LOOKING to learn more about one of New York’s most iconic waterways? Climb aboard The Sam Patch, a true replica of an 1800s covered packet boat, to take a ride down the Erie Canal as it was meant to be traveled. Starting in the village of Pittsford near Rochester, this 90-minute journey runs from late May to the end of October and is perfect for families, students or history buffs ready to go back in time.

PONTOONS ON LAKE PLACID

WHEN you’re visiting the Adirondacks, sometimes it’s about enjoying the simple things in life, like a boat on the water. Lake Placid Marina and Boat Tours will give passengers just that — a simple, hour-long ride via pontoon boat 16 miles down Lake Placid with scenic views of Adirondack wildlife, beautiful alpine manors and the very base of Whiteface Mountain.

THE MAID OF THE MIST, right

WHEN you ride the Maid of the Mist for the first time, you’ll never forget the feeling of cold wind on your face and freezing water all over your clothes, even with your plastic parka. A trip to western New York isn’t complete without a visit to Niagara Falls, and you won’t get any closer than on this iconic boat ride.

HISTORIC TOUR WITH UNCLE SAM BOAT TOURS

THROUGH the heart of the Thousand Islands lies the St. Lawrence River, and there’s no better way to get a glimpse of this historic seaway than by cruise ship. Uncle Sam Boat Tours has been providing scenic cruises through Alexandria Bay for more than 85 years. One of their most popular tours will take you on a 22-mile trip through the St. Lawrence Seaway with an optional stop at Boldt Castle on Heart Island for a self-guided tour.

CAPTAIN BILL’S CRUISES ON SENECA LAKE

THE Seneca Harbor Station is a popular tourist destination along the lake in Watkins Glen for a classic waterfront restaurant meal or beautiful wedding venue, but a cruise with Captain Bill’s might be hard to pass up. Rich in history and family-owned and operated, passengers can choose between boarding the Seneca Legacy, a 270-passenger dining boat, or the Stroller IV, a 50foot mahogany vessel, for scenic and educational tours of Seneca Lake.

THE CANANDAIGUA LADY

ANOTHER blast from the past you might see on Canandaigua Lake this summer is The Canandaigua Lady, a 19th-century steamboat replica with an authentic double-decker paddle wheel. This Americana-themed vessel with heating and air conditioning can give passengers incredible views of the Canandaigua shoreline from its upper and lower decks while enjoying lunch or dinner.

CRUISES WITH MID-LAKES NAVIGATION

EXPLORE one of the Finger Lakes by boat in the village of Skaneateles, where Mid-Lakes Navigation has been in the tour boat industry for more than 50 years. It harbors three main vessels — the Judge Ben Wiles for sightseeing, cocktail and moonlight dinner cruises for every special occasion, the Stephanie, a smaller 27-foot 1946 mahogany boat, for private tours and featured in the annual Skaneateles Antique Boat Show and the Barbara S. Wiles, one of the last remaining U.S. mail boats still in operation in the country.

THE ULTIMATE ADRENALINE JUNKIE’S GUIDE TO UPSTATE NEW YORK

GET YOUR THRILLS

By JESSICA KELLY

IF YOU’RE AN ADRENALINE JUNKIE, THERE ARE PLENTY OF PLACES TO FIND THAT RUSH IN UPSTATE NEW YORK. THROUGHOUT THE REGION, YOU CAN FIND ALL KINDS OF THRILL-SEEKING ADVENTURES TO GET YOUR BLOOD PUMPING. WHETHER YOU’RE LOOKING FOR GROUND ADVENTURES, WATER FUN OR WANT TO CHALLENGE

YOUR FEAR OF HEIGHTS, UPSTATE NY HAS YOU COVERED.

HOT AIR BALLOON RIDE OVER LETCHWORTH

While going on a hot air balloon ride will certainly test your fear of heights, it’s honestly one of the most serene and relaxing experiences. You’re not strapped in, and extremely high up in the air with nothing but a basket, so you’re probably wondering why it’s relaxing. It’s quiet and peaceful while you take in views of the Grand Canyon of the East. Having this experience anywhere is unique, but being able to fly over Letchworth State Park makes it a one-of-a-kind activity.

Letchworth State Park, 1, Castile; Wyoming County balloonsoverletchworth.com

BUFFALO RIVERWORKS ZIPLINING

There are plenty of places to zipline, with some of the more popular ones being Greek Peak. But in Buffalo’s historic silos, you can zipline over a brewery at Buffalo RiverWorks. Whether you want nature, or a rustic beer garden awaiting you at the end of your zipline experience, there’s plenty of places in Upstate New York to do it. At RiverWorks, you’ll encounter an Indiana Jones style rope bridge and multiple ziplines, all viable from the ground, while Greek Peak involves a more time consuming excursion immersed in nature, involving hiking.

359 Ganson St, Buffalo; Erie County buffaloriverworks.com

SKYDIVING AT WESTERN NEW YORK SKYDIVING

Western New York Skydiving really makes you feel comfortable and safe. Followed by a safety lesson, you make your way into the small plane. Once you’re about 10,000 feet in the air, you and the instructor you’re attached to hang out of the plane and tumble out. A small parachute will pop up to keep you from spinning and you will free fall. A lot of people think it’ll feel like an elevator dropping, that pit you get in your stomach, but the extreme rush of fresh air is just exhilarating. When the parachute opens, your ride down feels like a rollercoaster. With each pull of the parachute ropes, you’ll dip down quickly like a drop on a ride until you reach the ground, lift your legs up, and slide into a landing. 4906 Pine Hill Rd, Albion; Oswego County wnyskydiving.com

7:47 AVIATION

Did you ever think you could fly a plane? At 7:47 Aviation, the pilot guides you through takeoff, air motions and landing all in the Finger Lakes, adding gorgeous views from the sky to the experience. Passengers can fly from Cortland, over the beautiful Finger Lakes Region and land in Skaneateles. The experience is truly one of a kind. 922 NY-222, Cortland; Cortland County 747aviation.com

THE WHIRLPOOL JET BOAT TOUR

The Whirlpool Jet Boat Tours in Lewiston are extreme. Do not sit in the front row unless you’re fine with basically being submerged in water. If you are an adrenaline junkie, we highly recommend fighting for one of those front row spots. That’s how to fully experience the open-air jet boat tour that splashes through class five rapids in the Niagara River. Afterwards, you’re right near Lewiston and can grab a bite at the Silo or some ice cream before you head home.

115 S Water St, Lewiston; Niagara County whirlpooljet.com

AN UNDERGROUND WATERFALL AT SECRET CAVERNS

You can actually go spelunking in underground caves in Upstate NY at Secret Caverns. This roadside attraction is located near Howes Caverns. The underground caves are unique on their own, but they actually lead to a 100-foot underground waterfall.

671 Caverns Rd, Howes Cave; Schoharie County howecaverns.com

PHOTO BY SCOTT SCHILD

A TASTE OF UPSTATE

12 ICONIC RESTAURANTS WORTH ALL THE CALORIES

By CHUCK D’IMPERIO

WE ALL HAVE OUR FAVORITE HOT DOG STAND, ICE CREAM PARLOR OR CHICKEN SHACK. WITH THOUSANDS OF RESTAURANTS SPREAD ALL OVER UPSTATE NEW YORK, TASKED WITH COMING UP WITH A LIST OF THOSE CONSIDERED TO BE ICONIC WAS A BIT TRICKY. BUT, WE DARE SAY THAT WHILE THERE MAY BE OTHERS THAT COULD BE CLASSIFIED AS SUCH, NOBODY WOULD ARGUE THAT THE FOLLOWING DESERVE ANYTHING LESS THAN BEING CALLED ICONS.

1. ANCHOR BAR (BUFFALO)

Hot wings are certainly an iconic American food now. But it wasn’t always the case. At least not until that fateful Friday night in 1964 when bar owner Teressa Bellissimo threw some soon-to-be-tossed-away chicken wings into a deep fryer and then drenched them in a secret hot sauce. The rest, as they say, is history. Maybe not the best hot wings in Western New York (fans of Duff’s will fight you on that) but as the birthplace of America’s favorite Super Bowl snack, there is no question that the Anchor Bar deserves its spot on a list of Upstate’s iconic restaurants.

2. BROOKS HOUSE OF BBQ (ONEONTA)

This is arguably the most famous chicken joint in Upstate NY. The Brooks family started out selling their barbecue chicken underneath the giant screen of Del-Se-Go Drive-in theater in the 1950s. Today, with a new generation of the Brooks family at the helm, the restaurant serves tens of thousands of customers each year. Winner of the prestigious James Beard Award, it also boasts the largest indoor charcoal grill in the East. Iconic in every way!

3. THE GLENWOOD PINES (ITHACA)

The walls of this comfortable restaurant are papered with “Best Hamburger” awards from over the years. Located just a few miles up the west side of Cayuga Lake, this has been a burger haven for travelers, residents and thousands of Ithaca college students since 1962. Famed for their “Original World Famous Pinesburger,” which is basically a meal in itself: a six-ounce cheeseburger served on toasted French bread and served with lettuce, tomato, onion and Thousand Island dressing.

4. CLARE AND CARL’S (PLATTSBURGH)

Ever heard of a Michigan hot dog? Not many have. But in a 20-mile radius of the city of Plattsburgh this food oddity has reached mythical status. Many believe they were created at the small, rustic and slant-roofed Clare and Carl’s roadhouse in Plattsburgh. They started making them back in the 1940s. Michigan’s are a steamed hot dog slathered in a meat sauce and topped with chopped raw onions, adorned with a stripe of yellow mustard and served on a special-made soft hot dog bun. By the way, nobody really knows how they got their far-away moniker!

5. NICK TAHOU HOTS (ROCHESTER)

Home of the famous “Garbage Plate,” the restaurant has been in the Tahou family for over a century. Their signature dish is just like it sounds, everything on a plate: hamburger patties with macaroni and cheese, potato salad, baked beans, French fries, maybe a hot dog over there, maybe some cole slaw over here - all piled up on a single plate. Despite the trashy name, they are great!

6. SCHNEIDER’S BAKERY (COOPERSTOWN)

Anchoring a corner of the two-block downtown of Cooperstown for 130 years, Schneider’s is the bakery you have always dreamed of. Fresh bread and rolls, sweet treats, donuts, pies and cakes, moon pies and a hundred more items. Sure, there are dozens of little bakeries like this across Upstate, but for pure nostalgia and charm, plus history and location (a home run’s distance from the National Baseball Hall of Fame) we are pleased to deem Schneider’s Bakery as iconic.

7. SCHWABL’S (BUFFALO)

Like chicken wings, you will also get into a tussle when trying to argue who serves the best Beef on Weck in Buffalo. Dozens of restaurants have it on their menu, and almost all are awesome. The sandwich consists of a thinly sliced pile of rare beef stacked high on a German kimmelweck roll. This roll has a crusted top dotted with salt and caraway seeds. It is thought that the original creators served these at bars with the belief that the salty roll would keep the bar patrons thirsty. Schwabl’s is one of Buffalo’s oldest restaurants (1837) and, in this writer’s opinion, makes the best Beef on Weck in the city

PHOTOS BY CHUCK D’IMPERIO, GRACE CARLIC, SCOTT SCHILD, JOED VIERA AND COURTESY OF SCHNEIDER’S BAKERY

8. DONNELLY’S ICE CREAM (SARANAC LAKE)

Like tulips in May, roadside ice cream stands pop up all over the state in mid-May beckoning winter veterans to “come out, come out wherever you are.” All are good, many are very good, lots are excellent and just a handful are iconic. Donnelly’s in Saranac Lake falls into that latter category. For seven decades this family has been churning out delicious ice cream cones in the heart of the Adirondacks. It’s a tiny place that holds only 3-4 customers at a time, The cones all come with vanilla ice cream twisted in. Long lines snake across the parking lot in front of the white dairy barn, so take your time. And when you do snare an ice cream cone, sit out front and enjoy both the cone and the gorgeous view of the mountains in front of you. It’s a perfect place.

9. ROSCOE DINER (ROSCOE)

Some have called this place the most famous diner in New York state. Situated along the busy NYS Rt. 17, this diner has been a magnet to travelers since it first opened its doors more than a half-century ago. Millions of meals have been served to its customers ever since. Many drivers stop every time they pass by. Very popular with the hordes of college students who go to school in Upstate NY but live in New York City (the walls are festooned with college pennants). This is their “half-way pit stop.” Also popular with the swarm of fishermen who descend on tiny Roscoe every year for their angling adventures. Roscoe is known as “Trout Town U.S.A.”

10.

O’SCUGNIZZO PIZZERIA (UTICA)

A Utica legend. Opened in 1914, serving tomato pie, upside-down pizza, or whatever you wish to call it. Pizza is served with toppings applied first, then the sauce topped with sprinkles of Romano cheese. First slices were sold for a nickel a piece in its early years. This is a food landmark in a city with a surprising number of excellent food landmarks, such as halfmoon cookies and Utica Greens. Like they say up here, “Hey, it’s a Utica thing!”

11.DOUG’S FISH FRY (SKANEATELES)

Here is a no-frills fish fry in picture-postcard perfect Skaneateles. Fish is awesome, prepare for a wait. Doug Clark, the colorful founder of this restaurant, passed away in 2019, but his legend (and restaurant) live on. In 2002, Saveur magazine named Doug’s as “one of the Top 100 food destinations in the world.”

12. HEID’S OF LIVERPOOL (LIVERPOOL)

For over 100 years, this “Happy Days-style” hot dog restaurant has been a Central New York favorite. Located just 15 minutes from downtown Syracuse, the Coneys are unforgettable. Try the Hoffman’s Snappy made with pork and veal. Fantastic. Heid’s also serve hamburgers, onion rings, milk shakes and a healthy dose of “yesteryear.”

BOTANIC FANATIC

SOOTHE YOUR SENSES AT THESE 10 MAGNIFICENT GARDENS

By CHUCK D’IMPERIO

ABEAUTIFUL GARDEN STIRS THE SENSES. HERE ARE 10 OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PUBLIC GARDEN SPACES OUR UPSTATE NEW YORK REGION HAS TO OFFER. SOME ARE SMALL, AS LITTLE AS TWO ACRES AND SOME ARE BIG, HUNDREDS OF ACRES, BUT THEY ARE ALL A SIGHT TO BEHOLD.

DR. E.M MILLS ROSE GARDEN, left (SYRACUSE)

LOCATED near the campus of Syracuse University this nearly century old 2-acre garden is filled with an astonishing 3,800 rose bushes in nearly 400 varieties. The historic garden was established with an effort to meet three requirements: “harmony of color; the hardiness required by the Syracuse climate; and such wide variety of types and kinds as to be educational to the rose-lovers.” The garden is cared for by the Syracuse Rose Society. syracuserosesociety.org

BUFFALO AND ERIE COUNTY BOTANICAL GARDENS (BUFFALO)

THIS is one of the Buffalo’s premier attractions. Since 1900, visitors from all over the world have made the trip here to spend time at the Victorian-styled public grounds and buildings of this garden. The average attendance is 150,000 a year.

The South Park Conservatory is one of Upstate NY’s most recognizable structures. It was one of Buffalo’s grandest venues during the city’s 1901 Pan-American Exposition. Trolley cars brought masses of people from the fair to the botanical garden every day. When finished it was the ninth largest public greenhouse in the world. Plan on making a day of it when visiting this historic and beautiful place. buffalogardens.com

KING’S GARDEN (FORT TICONDEROGA)

THE magnificent 6-acre King’s Garden is yet another reason to visit this most historic corner of the Adirondack region. You can explore centuries of garden history, savor the fragrant heritage flowers, and discover how Fort Ticonderoga cultivates its gardens today to feature its incredible history and create curated culinary experiences and sustainable agricultural practices. It’s a photographer’s dream to be at these gardens in full bloom. The gardens and fort have been called “the first historic preservation and reconstruction effort in America.” Historic in so many ways, including being the oldest and largest private garden in the Adirondack/Lake Champlain area. Do not miss this! An admission ticket to Fort Ticonderoga allows you to stroll these famous gardens. fortticonderoga.org

INNISFREE GARDEN (MILLBROOK)

BEAUTIFUL garden space designed by the legendary Lester Collins, who once was the Dean of the Harvard University School of Landscape Architecture. Of his many famous works around the world, he considered Innisfree to be his masterpiece. Known formally as a “stroll garden,” Innisfree is a stunning quilt of meadows, waterfalls, retaining walls, flowers, ponds, streams and terraces. It has been called one of the most important public gardens in the world and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2019. innisfreegarden.org

LINWOOD GARDENS (LINWOOD)

LINWOOD Gardens, a private garden, is located in Linwood, 35 miles southwest of Rochester. The original garden landscape was designed with an arts and crafts style summerhouse, walled gardens with pools and fountains, ornamental trees and a view of the valley beyond. The highlight of the gardens is an extensive and rare collection of Japanese and America tree peonies. Not really a tree, these flowers are a bush or a shrub that can grow up to 8-feet tall and explode in vibrant, pillowy blossoms when at peak. Linwood Gardens hosts a popular annual Tree Peony Festival of Flowers. The garden has been in existence for over 125 years. It is a popular place for private guided tours, weddings, events, painting and photography workshops and open garden days. linwoodgardens.org

MOUNTAIN TOP ARBORETUM (TANNERSVILLE)

MOUNTAIN Top Arboretum was founded by Peter and Bonnie Ahrens as a public garden in 1977. Over time, the Arboretum has grown to 178 acres, an area which includes ecologically important and visually stunning meadows, wetlands and forests. One of the few places like this to be found in the high Catskills. It’s definitely a place for young and old alike. Beautiful array of flowers, old growth trees and meadows and fields which blossom in spring and summer. There is an Educational Center that offers exhibits, public events and lectures. The center was built using the 21 types of timber found on the arboretum’s property. mtarboretum.org

PARKER F SCRIPTURE BOTANICAL GARDENS AND NATURE TRAIL (ORISKANY)

HERE’S a must see - beautiful, 15-acre site with a Butterfly House, beehives and a woodland nature trail. Wildflowers in abundance and all lovingly cared for by more than 50 Master Gardener volunteers. Their extensive day lily garden is very popular. Public garden viewing is free. cceoneida.com

SONNENBERG GARDENS (CANANDAIGUA)

THESE gardens should be on any Upstate NY visitor’s bucket list. Stunning and much-awarded, theses gardens splay out about and around a historic 1800s Victorian mansion situated in the Finger Lakes region. The 50-acre estate is a jewel in the region and thousands visit each year. Once the home of Frederick Thompson and his wife Mary Clark, (she was the daughter of a New York State governor) the estate is nothing less than a showplace. Mrs. Thompson became a widow and dedicated the preserving and nurturing of the gardens and home as a tribute to her late husband. She traveled extensively around the world and visited many of the global historic gardens she had read about. Their inspiration and her passion have given Upstate a truly remarkable public garden to see and behold. Today, Sonnenberg Gardens is one of only two public gardens under the auspices of the New York State Parks system. sonnenberg.org

WETHERSFIELD GARDENS (AMENIA)

GARDENS available for tours, including three acres of formal gardens, and seven acres of wilderness gardens. The gardens are pristine, and each offers a stunning view of the surrounding Dutchess County landscape. This garden and surrounding 1,000-acre estate are magnificent in every way. The Carriage Museum on the estate’s property is interesting and contains many vintage carriages. wethersfield.org

YADDO GARDENS (SARATOGA SPRINGS)

Located on the grounds of the famed writer/artist retreat, it’s one of the top non-racing draws in Saratoga. Gorgeous twin-tiered gardens are open to the public (free) from dawn to dusk. Lush gardens have a European flavor with tiers that include rose gardens, ponds with statuary, woodland trails and fountains. It first opened in 1899. yaddo.org

PHOTO BY SCANNERELLI

See what lies beneath at these 10 cool underground places in Upstate New York

DOWN UNDER

By CHUCK D’IMPERIO

WHEN THE AIR GETS TOO HOT AND STUFFY ON A TYPICAL UPSTATE

NEW YORK SUMMER DAY...GO UNDERGROUND! HERE IS AN ECLECTIC LIST OF 10 COOL PLACES THAT ARE BELOW GROUND. FROM CAVES TO TUNNELS TO WINERIES, TO WATERFALLS AND EVEN TO A VINTAGE UNDERGROUND SPEAKEASY, THESE PLACES ARE ALL SO COOL.

10. SECRET CAVERNS (HOWES CAVE, SCHOHARIE COUNTY)

LOCATED just down the road from its far-more famous neighbor, Howe Caverns, the Secret Caverns have nonetheless been drawing in large numbers of visitors for nearly a century. Calling themselves the “Speleological Center of the Universe,” these caverns have to be reached by walking down a set of 103 stairs - sorry no elevator here. Tours are between 45 minutes to an hour. The underground temperature here is a constant 50 degrees. Although these smaller caverns do not have all the bells and whistles of the granddaddy of them all at the top of the hill, they do have something that no other New York cavern has - a 100-foot drop underground waterfall! And keep an eye out for their signature hippy-dippy psychedelic murals and paintings. They are, how shall we say, far out.

9. BROTHERHOOD WINERY (WASHINGTONVILLE, ORANGE COUNTY)

LOCATED in Orange County, Brotherhood is the oldest winery in the U.S. The multi-building campus, shops, dining venues, the mansion and gift store are all beautiful, but your visit here really pops a cork when you visit the largest underground wine cellar in the United States. The cellars, which are dark, romantic and just a little bit spooky, hold over 200 oak barrels of wine and are in of themselves a thing of wonder to behold (the cellars were dug by hand in the 1800s)

8. CAVE OF THE WINDS (NIAGARA FALLS, NIAGARA COUNTY)

WHILE this attraction is not entirely underground, the fact that you descend 175-feet into the earth to begin your adventure certainly qualifies it as an underground locale. After emerging from your elevator ride deep into the rock gorge along the New York shore of Niagara Falls, you come out and start slowly walking up a series of wooden stairs and decks to the top. The journey is exhilarating because your constant travel companion on the way up is the crashing torrent of water that spills over the Bridal Veil Falls from above. A selfie of you and your group at the Hurricane Deck is about a unique of an experience as you can find in New York.

7. NYS EMPIRE PLAZA CONCOURSE (ALBANY, ALBANY COUNTY)

CREATING an underground passageway between the buildings of the Empire Plaza in Albany, the Concourse is a weather-free pedestrian labyrinth of passageways and walking tunnels that can seem quite deserted on a weekend, and busy as a bee on a weekday (particularly a rainy one). Besides being a conduit to shops and dining places, the Concourse is also a remarkable art gallery. Then-governor Nelson Rockefeller appointed a commission in 1965 to gather an impressive array of 92 large-scale paintings, sculptures, murals and tapestries making it one of the largest free art galleries in Upstate NY. The director of the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, Glenn Lowry, called this gallery “the most important State collection of modern art in the nation.”

6. LOCKPORT CAVES (LOCKPORT, NIAGARA COUNTY)

THE history of the Erie Canal is writ large in this city of 20,000 people in Niagara County. The story of the canal is told in museums, boat rides, historical markers and plaques, guided tours and more. It is still a thrill to watch pleasure craft enter a canal lock and then rise up several hundred feet before continuing on its watery way. The Lockport Caves are a man-made (1858-1900) set of caves that were dug to act as a water spillway which ran next to the Erie Canal and the famous “Flight of Five” locks here. Guided tours are given, there is an underground boat ride, and much can be learned “from the inside out” by walking the dark and dank caves and imagining the poor working conditions of the thousands of miners who hand-trenched “the greatest engineering marvel of its day.” A tour of the caves is always a high point of a visit to this historic city.

5. ABANDONED SUBWAY (ROCHESTER, MONROE COUNTY)

RESIDENTS crisscrossed subterranean Rochester up until as late as 1956. Subway and rail service was offered along a two-mile downtown route. After it was abandoned, a significant salvage operation was undertaken. Switches, lights, rails and other remnants were salvaged for historical purposes. The lone surviving subway car, Car #60, is now at a historical museum. Although officially “off limits,” the underground areas of this subway system remain an enticing lure for adventure-seekers and history lovers. There are many rail beds, overhead passes and stone staircases that lead nowhere, abandoned structures and more. One of the most popular is the Broad Street Aqueduct. Here one can see an amazing history of colorful, creative works of graffiti that have adorned the arched stone walls for decades.

4. NATURAL STONE BRIDGE AND CAVES (POTTERSVILLE, WARREN COUNTY)

ANOTHER one of Upstate’s great cave adventures. Named for a graceful natural stone bridge seen along the Indian River. For over 200 years, visitors have explored this phenomenon both above ground and deep underground. The fact that makes this place so unusual is that it is open all four seasons (so bring your snowshoes). This is a family favorite destination near Lake George, and the kids will love spelunking around this still-active marble mine and will thrill at getting soaked while on a “cave float.” And if you are interested, this mine has the largest cave entrance of any marble caves east of the Mississippi. Tours available.

3. HANFORD MILLS (EAST MEREDITH, DELAWARE COUNTY)

THE Hanford Mills Museum is one of the state’s top working-mill museums. The biggest thrill of a visit to the museum is the 1926 Fitz Overshot waterwheel. You enter the mill barn, go down a set of stairs and here, in a dark, damp stonewalled room you first see the waterwheel. It is a silent, giant behemoth staring back at you from its spot in the underground room. On the other side is the rushing water from the Kortright Creek. The underground room, already cool, seems to get a lot cooler when the mill docent hollers “start the wheel.” The giant wheel, peppered with trough-like buckets, slowly begins churning as it awakens from the ages. Faster and faster it goes with tons of ice cold water now cascading down its front (and maybe an errant fish or two). As the wheel turns, the room comes alive as the belts and gears and cogs that power the upstairs mill start moving. The room really seems to come alive. Kids love it here!

2. THE FITZ (SYRACUSE, ONONDAGA COUNTY)

SEVERAL nights a week, a dark basement on South Salina Street in Syracuse transforms into a jaunty portal back in time. Named after the Queen of Jazz, Ella Fitzgerald, The Fitz recreates the Jazz Age for downtown Syracuse patrons, complete with live music performers, strong cocktails and suspenders-wearing bartenders. Thanks to its central location under the Whitney Lofts and restaurant Oh My Darling, it’s now one of downtown’s buzziest hotspots. The Fitz collects crowds spilling out of the neighboring Landmark Theatre and it’s one of the few nightlife atmospheres where piano music and conversations fill the room, rather than blaring TVs.

1. HOWE CAVERNS (HOWES CAVE, SCHOHARIE COUNTY)

THOUSANDS visit here each year to thrill at the underground marvels of the second most visited natural site in New York state (Niagara Falls is number one). An elevator plunges you deep into the bowels of Schoharie County where you will be dazzled by rock formations and carved out special “rock rooms,” such as the Bridal Altar where more than 700 weddings have been conducted since the first tours were give over 175 years ago. If you are a youngster, the underground boat ride can be a memory that will last forever. Especially when your tour guide shuts off the light and you sit for a spell in the river in the absence of any light.

Katrina Tulloch contributed to this report.

Q Natural Stone Bridge & Caves, Submitted Photo

PHOTO COURTESY OF NEW YORK STATE PARKS

FANTASTIC FOUR

TAKE ‘EM ALL IN AT 10 OF UPSTATE NEW YORK’S BEST FOUR-SEASON TOWNS

By CHUCK D’IMPERIO

SOME TOWNS AND VILLAGES ACROSS OUR UPSTATE NY REGION

ARE PERFECT IN A PARTICULAR SEASON. WITH FLOWERS IN THE SPRING OR A WINTER CARNIVAL OR FIREWORKS ON THE 4TH, MANY PLACES SEEM JUST ABOUT PERFECT NO MATTER WHAT SEASON YOU VISIT. HERE ARE 10 OF THE BEST FOUR-SEASON COMMUNITIES IN THE REGION.

WOODSTOCK

THERE is no prettier community in the spring than the Catskill destination of Woodstock. The mountains come alive with leaves and the grass and fields along the rivers and streams are lush green. The village has many weekend events during this season to “lure you back” after a long winter. In the summertime little Woodstock, population about 6,000, doubles in size (or even more). Parking spots are few and far between as fun seekers come for outdoor concerts, shopping, dining and other adventures, including swimming holes. Woodstock boasts several great coffee and beverage shops. Book lovers will enjoy wandering the little book stores, many which schedule readings by local authors (not a hard thing to do since Woodstock is a writer’s colony). The Golden Notebook on Tinker Street has been a staple here since 1978.

Many use Woodstock as a base for their fall exploring during the Catskill’s legendary autumn, and the village is well placed in the heart of Catskill ski territory. No matter what the season, Woodstock lives up to its nickname: “The Most Famous Small Town in the World.”

PHOTO BY N. SCOTT TRIMBLE

Q The Museum at Bethel Woods

PHOTO BY STEFANI REYNOLDS

COOPERSTOWN

THIS tiny Otsego County village transforms from a summer “baseball season” only destination to one that offers something to visitors all year long. In winter, it hosts two of Upstate’s great winter events, the Farmers Museum Candlelight Evening and the Cooperstown Winter Carnival. Both have been around for many years and continue to grow. The winter festival even features events held right on Otsego Lake, which is almost always frozen several feet thick in the winter. In spring, once the laziest of seasons, the village is bustling with families hoping to beat the summer crowds. This has created a specialty season of its own. Summer belongs to the millions of baseball fans who have been coming here since the Baseball Hall of Fame opened over 75 years ago. Cooperstown Dreams Park, just south of the village, is one of the largest private baseball camps in America and welcomes thousands of families from across the country. The Glimmerglass Opera is a cultural jewel of Cooperstown that brings visitors to this stunning venue on the shores of Otsego Lake. In the fall, watch out for the leaf peepers. They clog the roads, fill the sidewalks and jam the little stores and farm markets that dot the village limits. And don’t forget, just five miles away is the Fly Creek Cider Mill, one of Upstate’s most popular autumn destinations. The dining options are plentiful in Cooperstown. For extremes, make sure you visit the historic Otesaga Hotel and Resort. Just three blocks off Main Street, this stunning hotel, built in 1909, occupies 700 feet of pristine frontage on beautiful Otsego Lake. It has nearly 150 sumptuous rooms and several award-winning restaurants. A long “back porch” is lined up with old-fashioned rocking chairs just waiting for you to sit and have a bite to eat or a relaxing cocktail. There is also a huge fire pit that is one of the busiest places at the resort on a chilly night. At the other extreme is the Cooperstown Diner located on the opposite end of Main Street from the Baseball Hall of Fame. This diner is one of the smallest in Upstate New York, seating just a handful of people at its tables and counter stools at once. This is the unofficial center of socializing for year-round residents and a place known for its fresh hot coffee, homemade desserts and oversized hand- pressed hamburgers.

CORNING

THE famed “Glass Capital of the World” has plenty to see for all ages and in all seasons. From urban art crawls to farmers markets to live music festivals and to Christmas parades and festivals, the Gaffer District (named for the actual art of blowing glass) stays busy on weekends all year long. There are several points of interest in this district. The Palace Theatre has been located here for over 150 years. With its beginnings in live performances through the advent of silent and talking movies, the theatre has entertained generations of Corning residents. Located right in the middle of the business district, its iconic old-fashioned hanging marquee with its sparkling “Broadway-style” lighting adds a wonderful touch of nostalgia to Corning. The Rockwell Museum is located one block off busy Market Street. Housed in the historic 19th century Old City Hall, this museum has one of the best American West collections of paintings and fine art in New York State. Some of the artists showcased here include Frederic Remington, Thomas Hart Benton, George Catlin and Thomas Moran. Modern artists include Andy Warhol and others. The Rockwell is the only Smithsonian Affiliate museum in the state outside of New York City. The Corning Museum of Glass is always busy, no matter what season. Of special interest is the live glass blowing demonstrations given daily. Also, this museum has perhaps the most beautiful gift shop of any in the state. More than three dozen restaurants, coffee shops and bars line Market Street offering up many options for meals and fun during a visit to this historic Upstate community.

SARANAC LAKE

WHILE the Adirondacks are known as New York’s famed “Vacationland” in the summer, take a special look at beautiful Saranac Lake for some yearlong activities for everyone in the family. The waterfront activities in the summer, from boating and skiing to tubing and camping, have kept families coming here literally for generations. In the fall there is simply no better place to set camp for your tour of the High Peaks in all their autumnal bliss than right here. Miles of hiking, both recreational and more difficult, criss cross here and are popular during autumn. The winter months definitely see an uptick in the activity around the village. Several ski slopes are within slaloming distance from here, including the granddaddy of them all, Whiteface Mountain, which is just 15 miles away from Lake Placid. The Saranac Lake Winter Carnival began in 1898 and is one of the three oldest such events in America. Thousands attend to witness the remarkable Ice Palace, built from huge chunks of ice pulled from area lakes. The Ice Palace is colorfully lit from within and is the venue for a large fireworks display at the end of the festival.

Spring is the great reawakening of this beautiful region of Upstate and is a perfect time to explore the little village around the region. The famed Hotel Saranac is a perfect place to stay for your spring weekend. This 80-year old landmark, one of the tallest buildings in the Adirondacks, has just reopened after a complete “head to foot” renovation. The hotel still retains all the subdued glamor of the Gilded Age, but now also boasts all the modern amenities that today’s travelers look for. The Hotel Saranac is once again a premier hotel and resort that is very popular for weddings and parties and also as a honeymoon destination for newlyweds. When visiting in the summer, drive a mile north of the village on NY 86 and enjoy an ice cream cone at Donnelly’s. It is one of the oldest roadside ice cream stands in the region (opened in 1953) and serves only twist cones. That’s right, vanilla plus the flavor of the day. Be prepared to stand in line, though. Donnelly’s is so small that only five or six people can squeeze inside at once. The line that wraps around the property attests to the tastiness of this iconic Adirondack stand.

ELLICOTTVILLE

THERE is no question that the tiny village of Ellicottville in Cattaraugus County is a rock star in winter. With major ski resorts at your door step, the peak snow months fill this village with tourists from as far away as Canada. But with so many quaint shops lining its streets, Ellicottville has also become a four season haven tucked away in the far western corner of New York State. With a decidedly European feel to it, the village has many specialty shops, brewpubs, sporting goods stores, restaurants and cafes and entertainment venues to help fill out a full weekend visit. In the fall be sure and check out Pumpkinville, just five miles south of the village in Great Valley. Here you will find a 200-acre farm and cider mill that grows and sells tens of thousands of pumpkins each year. A great place to bring kids as the venue offers games, rides, play areas and kiddie shows for the youngest guests. Certainly, a busy place in October! For gaming fun, the Salamanca Allegany Resort and Casino is just 10 miles south of Ellicottville. It is the only gaming resort within 100 miles. And while you are out traveling, Jamestown, the birthplace of Lucille Ball and home to the Lucy-Desi Museum, is just 40 minutes west of Ellicottville. So, there is plenty to do in this region, using Ellicottville as your “base camp.” Or just stay in town and have a meal and some fine wine and enjoy the top-class people watching from a sidewalk café. A fun hub for the village’s socializing crowd is the Ellicottville Brewing Company, established in 1995. Rated as one of the best bars and brewpubs in New York State, they serve up seasonal beer, delicious food and an exciting ambiance for all ages. For a little more upscale dining experience locals and visitors love Dina’s. With fine foods, a unique Western atmosphere, and one of the best wine lists in this part of New York State.

ITHACA

TO many of us, Ithaca is gorgeous all year long. And yes, the gorges are pretty awesome too! In the winter there is something going on in virtually every corner of this lakeside city. Winter usually finds some of the nation’s top ice carvers GPS’ing their way to Ithaca to compete for substantial cash prizes at the always fun Ithaca Ice Festival. Spring brings the return to lakeside activities after a long Upstate winter. Ithaca’s two large universities, Ithaca College and Cornell, bring a wonderful international buzz to the city all year long. Watch for nearly 1,000 runners from all over the world join in at the annual Skunk Cabbage Classic road race, which has been held each spring for over 35 years. The Fall Creek Gorge on the Cornell campus in Ithaca has several waterfalls. Triphammer Falls is an 80-foot cascading fall. The summer means a return to the water. Watch for many of the several of waterfront restaurants, bistros and pubs to open up their outside decks for partying. The BoatYard Grill is popular with residents, students and vacationers alike. The view from the restaurant, which overlooks the Cayuga Inlet leading out to Cayuga Lake, is one of the best in the city. One of America’s largest outdoor urban pedestrian areas, The Ithaca Commons, is host to stores, cafes, bars, unique shops and great festivals. In the summer be sure and stop at Purity Ice Cream for a cone or shake. The ice cream sundae was invented in Ithaca in 1892 and Purity, which has been open in downtown Ithaca since 1936, serves up one of the best. In the fall, Ithaca Apple Harvest Festival, over three decades old and now one of Upstate’s largest, becomes a magnet for autumn lovers.

LEWISTON

THIS town of 16,000 boasts a variety of different cities in one. It is an artist’s haven, a nature lover’s destination, a college town (University of Niagara), a historic location (the final stop for hundreds of fleeing slaves heading to Canada), a wine destination with nearly a dozen fine NYS wineries close by; a religious mecca (the Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima attracts thousands of visitors each year); a powerful powerhouse (the Robert Moses Niagara Power Plant here is the largest hydropower generator in North America); it’s an important gateway (the Lewiston- Queenston Bridge is the fourth busiest bridge from the United States into Canada), and, well, you get the idea. This is a fascinating little city on the water’s edge just a few miles up from the excitement and tumult of mighty Niagara Falls. Lewiston is home to dozens of fine restaurants, including several serving up international cuisine. One of the most popular eateries is The Silo, which once held coal that powered the river steamships from a hundred years ago. A wrap around deck on the silo affords diners a wonderful panorama of the waterfront. Another great piece of Lewiston trivia: the village is the birthplace of the cocktail. Legend has it that the owner of Hustler’s Tavern here played “both sides of the fence” in the War of 1812. Because of this, her tavern was about the only structure left standing when the village was burned to the ground. When the Americans won the war, they celebrated by bringing the tavern any game fowl they could find to be cooked up and served to the soldiers. The owner, Catherine Hustler, plucked the tail feathers from the cocks and placed them in the stiff drinks she served up to the victorious army. She called the drinks “cocktails.”

SARATOGA SPRINGS

ONE of Upstate New York’s most popular and historic “small towns.” In every season. In the winter, the downtown is filled with shoppers, skiers on their way to and from the ski slopes in the Adirondacks, and lots of first-time visitors. One of the great food festivals in the state is held here in February. ChowderFest features dozens of restaurants out in the chilly air selling small cups of homemade chowder to benefit charity. Tens of thousands of visitors pour into town for this fun family festival. In the summer, “Saratoga is the August place to be.” Huge throngs fill the stands and the grounds of the historic Saratoga Race Course for the best racing season in the East. The Saratoga Performing Arts Center attracts national music acts, dance performances and philharmonic orchestras. The fall brings its crazy quilt of blazing colors and the spring brings about thousands of tulips, flowering trees and bushes in the beautiful, landscaped grounds in the city’s several parks.

ROCHESTER

ALTHOUGH this is Upstate New York’s third largest city (behind New York City and Buffalo), it is not hard to catch a small-town vibe here in the winter. Evening ice skating in Manhattan Square Park in downtown is a lovely way to spend a frosty night. Start your afternoon with a visit to the Strong National Museum of Play and its Toy Hall of Fame located right on the square. The city routinely gets “kissed” by the notorious lake effect snowstorms off the Great Lakes so winter sports are popular here -both Brantling and Bristol Mountain ski resorts are only an hour from Downtown. In spring, the Rochester Lilac Festival brings thousands of visitors to one of the largest floral fests in the country. Summertime hosts the Corn Hill Arts Festival, now 50 years old. Corn Hill is Rochester’s oldest neighborhood and the streets come alive with hundreds of works of art and a rainbow of live musicians and singers. You can sit and enjoy the festival at a comfortable beer and wine garden in the neighborhood too. Autumn might be the busiest of all seasons in “The Flower City.” With everything from the Great Lakes to the Finger Lakes nearby, the fall foliage tours here are among the best in the state. Don’t forget to take a ride on the Colonial Belle, a 149-passenger boat that goes through downtown Rochester for regularly scheduled foliage tours. Book early—these canal boat dinner cruises are very popular. For beer lovers, don’t miss the Genesee Brew House. Home to one of Upstate’s iconic beers, Genny Founded in 1878, the brew house is located in a 100-year old Genesee packaging plant at the original brewery. The building holds several floors of museum space, gift shops, a classic brew pub with great food and a rooftop viewing area that overlooks the iconic “high falls” of the Genesee River (the falls are colorfully lit at night)

SKANEATELES

IT is almost impossible to pick the prettiest of the many Finger Lakes towns. But, if such a poll was taken, Skaneateles would surely either win or be near the top. The village has a busy main street lined with specialty shops, high end brand name stores, restaurants, cafes and more. The business district has a magical backdrop to this quaint setting, the clear blue waters of Skaneateles Lake. The lake has mansions on each shore, an active boating scene, a pretty park with benches and a band gazebo and a long pier. The western end of the three block Main Street is anchored by the historic Sherwood Inn, now over 225 years old. The majestic inn has some of the best dining facilities in town, the rooms are gorgeous, the service superb and the food is fabulous. At a different end of the scale, try Doug’s Fish Fry, which opened in 1982. Expect long wait times during the summer tourist season. At Christmas time, the village hosts what may be the best Charles Dickens Victorian Stroll in the state. Dozens of actors in period garb stroll the sidewalks, engage holiday shoppers and gather under the lakeside gazebo to sing carols. Be careful, though, because if you should run into Ebenezer Scrooge (and you will) you will be asked to “pay your rent, sonny!”

Q Our Lady of Fatima Shrine in Lewiston

PHOTO BY JOED VIERA

Q Skaneateles Lake

PHOTO BY N. SCOTT TRIMBLE

UPSTATE’S MOST HAUNTED (COLD) SPOTS

CHILLING ADVENTURES

By SUNNY HERNANDEZ

THERE ARE PLENTY OF HAUNTED HAYRIDES AND TRAILS OF TERROR FULL OF JUMP SCARES DURING HALLOWEEN

SEASON. HOWEVER, IF YOU PREFER TO HUNT SPIRITS WITH A SIDE OF HISTORY, THESE GHOST TOURS WILL TAKE YOU ON A JOURNEY TO MEET SOME OF UPSTATE NEW YORK’S SPOOKIEST RESIDENTS.

HAUNTED OSWEGO TOUR

These 90-minute tours introduce you to the many specters that call the Port City home. Your guide will focus on the places where spirits from the distant past and more present day have made their presence known.

WHERE: The tour starts in the parking lot on the corner of West 1st and Cayuga St., Oswego

WHEN: Every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday from May to early November.

MORE INFO: hauntedoswego.com

ROCHESTER CANDLELIGHT GHOST WALKS

This tour offers a myriad of spooky offerings, including options to dine with spirits, go bowling with them, drink on a haunted pub crawl and meet the city’s infamous “Lady in White.”

WHERE: Locations around Rochester

WHEN: Throughout the month of October

MORE INFO: rochesterghosts.com

GHOST TOURS AT HYDE HALL

This historic home in Cooperstown has been filled with ghostly sightings for over 150 years. It was featured in 2013 on the Syfy channel’s “Ghost Hunters.”

WHERE: 267 Glimmerglass State Park Rd., Cooperstown

WHEN: Dates through the month of October.

MORE INFO: hydehall.org

HISTORIC PALMYRA CEMETERY WALK AND GHOST HUNT

The five museums of Historic Palmyra are home to paranormal happenings where visitors have experienced strange noises and apparitions. Palmyra was named one of the seven most haunted places in New York.

WHERE: 132 Market St., Palmyra

WHEN: Ghost hunts can be scheduled yearround, special October events available

MORE INFO: historicpalmyrany.com

IRON ISLAND MUSEUM

Once a church-turned-funeral home and now, museum, this historic building has been visited by Syfy’s “Ghost Hunters.” Guided and self-guided tours and museum ghost hunts are by reservation only.

WHERE: 998 Lovejoy Street Buffalo

WHEN: Year-round

MORE INFO: facebook.com

HAUNTED HISTORY GHOST WALKS OF WESTERN NY

Haunted History Ghost Walks leads walking and vehicle tours, conferences, pub crawls and performances. With walking tours available in East Aurora, Allentown and the Roycroft Inn, tours take guests through folklore and history.

WHERE: Locations throughout Western NY

WHEN: The month of October

MORE INFO: masonwinfield.com

HAUNTED HISTORY GHOST WALK CANANDAIGUA

Tour this Finger Lakes village full of native legends, historic ghosts, occult conspiracy and paranormal mysteries.

WHERE: The Commons, corner of Coach St. and S. Main St, NY-332, Canandaigua

WHEN: Saturdays in October

MORE INFO: eventbrite.com/cc/haunted-history-ghost-walk-canandaigua-1157149

ROLLING HILLS ASYLUM

Nearly 200 years old, Rolling Hills was originally “The Genesee County Poor Farm.” Your hosts will give you an outline of the asylum, before turning you loose with a flashlight, to tour its dark halls.

WHERE: 11001 Bethany Center Rd. East

Bethany

WHEN: Ghost hunts run almost year-round MORE INFO: rollinghillsasylum.com

GHOST TOURS OF YADDO

Tour Saratoga’s beautiful Yaddo gardens and hear stories of its history as well as tales of otherworldly visitors who’ve been seen there.

WHERE: 312 Union Ave, Saratoga Springs

WHEN: Fridays and Sundays, from September through October

MORE INFO: yaddo.org

HAUNTED SARATOGA GHOST TOURS

Discover Saratoga’s infamous ghosts and haunted locations via a 90-minute walking tour, re-enactments and storytelling.

WHERE: Specific meeting instructions sent when tours are booked

WHEN: Every Friday and Saturday from May to mid-November, with some Sundays added in October

MORE INFO: hauntedsaratogatours.com

5 Upstate NY winter carnivals worth bundling up for

BRRING IT!

By SUNNY HERNANDEZ

WINTER IN UPSTATE NEW YORK OFFERS ITS OWN UNIQUE AND SPARKLING BEAUTY. THESE WINTER CARNIVALS ALL AROUND THE STATE OFFER ICE CASTLES, FIREWORKS, CURLING, HUMAN DOGSLED RACES AND MUCH MORE. HERE ARE FIVE WAYS TO WONDER AT WINTER.

SARANAC LAKE WINTER CARNIVAL

WHEN: Check website for details at saranaclakewintercarnival.com

WHERE: Saranac Lake

DETAILS: This 10-day festival includes an ice palace, gala parade, icicle contest, innertube races, snow rugby, chocolate festival, frying pan toss, fireworks and lots more. New this year is the Blue Buns Wheel-a-Palooza, a bathing suit-clad round-the-town bike ride and a family night at the ice palace.

LAKE GEORGE WINTER CARNIVAL

WHEN: Check website for details lakegeorgewintercarnival.com

WHERE: Lake George Village

DETAILS: Every weekend in February you can find a bounty of winter activities to do and see including the Ice Castles, parade, keg toss, hot chocolate bar, chili and chowder cook-offs, outhouse races, The Oscar Mayer Wienermobile, polar plunge, snow golf, skillet toss, fireworks, and more.

SYRACUSE WINTERFEST

WHEN: Check website for details syracusewinterfest.com

WHERE: Downtown Syracuse

DETAILS: Explore Syracuse with 10 days of events that include fireworks, human dogsled race, ice skating, bloody mary mix-off and annual Medallion Treasure Hunt sponsored by syracuse. com and The Post-Standard.

COOPERSTOWN WINTER CARNIVAL

WHEN: Check website for details cooperstownwintercarnival.com

WHERE: Main Street, Cooperstown

DETAILS: Plan a winter weekend in historic Cooperstown and enjoy a hot cocoa kick-off, rock climbing contest, baby goat yoga, lipsync battle, snowman contest and more.

FINGER LAKES WINTER CARNIVAL

WHEN: Check fingerlakeswintercarnival.com

WHERE: Canandaigua, NY

DETAILS: This three-day event is the second annual of its kind in the Finger Lakes. The carnival will feature a Taste of the Finger Lakes event, food truck rodeo, ice bars, ice sculptures, live music, lakefront firepits, alpacas, Saturday night fireworks over Canandaigua Lake and more.

PHOTO 2023 NYUP TRAVEL GUIDE | 33

BY

PETAL PUSHING

By SUNNY HERNANDEZ

COME SPRINGTIME, WE LOOK FORWARD TO THE BLOSSOMS THAT BURST ACROSS FIELDS AND COUNTRYSIDES. HERE ARE FESTIVALS AND PARKS THAT SHOWCASE UPSTATE NEW YORK IN ALL ITS BLOOMING GLORY.

BUFFALO CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL

Buffalo’s Japanese Garden in Delaware Park is home to their annual cherry blossom festival. Its setting on Mirror Lake makes for a picturesque stroll or boat ride to see a blizzard of blooms. Not only is it a celebration of springtime, but the Cherry Blossom Festival also celebrates Japanese culture.

WHEN: Typically late April-early May

WHERE: Behind the Buffalo History Museum at 1 Museum Court, Buffalo, NY 14216

INFO: buffalocherryblossomfestival.org

BUFFALO AND ERIE COUNTY BOTANICAL GARDENS SPRING

FLOWER EXHIBIT

A host of many flower-filled events, the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens’ Spring Flower Exhibit features the sights and smells of vividly colorful daffodils and tulips. No matter the weather, the botanical gardens always feel like a tropical paradise.

WHEN: March-April

WHERE: 2655 South Park Ave., Buffalo, NY 14218

INFO: buffalogardens.com

CHERRY BLOSSOMS, TULIPS, LILACS — AN UPSTATE SPRING HAS THEM ALL

Q The Buffalo Cherry Blossom Festival in the Japanese Garden at Delaware Park.

PHOTO BY SYR

ROCHESTER LILAC FESTIVAL

The annual Flower City Lilac Festival typically attracts 500,000 people and is the largest free festival of its kind in North America, according to its website. The Rochester Lilac Festival in Highland Park features food, music, a charity run and lots of fragrant lilacs to enjoy. Make sure to take a wander because you will also be able to find cherry blossoms in this park too.

WHEN: Weekends in May

WHERE: Highland Park, 180 Reservoir Ave, Rochester, NY 14620

INFO: rochesterevents.com/lilac-festival/

ALBANY TULIP FESTIVAL

The 80-plus acre park in downtown Albany is home to more than 140,000 tulips radiating a rainbow of color each spring. This event celebrates Albany’s Dutch heritage with traditional ceremonies and picturesque blooms.

WHEN: Typically in May

WHERE: Washington Park at State and Willet Streets, Albany, NY 12210

INFO: albany.com

SONNENBERG GARDENS & MANSION STATE HISTORIC PARK SPRING WILDFLOWER AND ORCHID SHOW

Celebrate the arrival of spring in the Finger Lakes by strolling through Sonnenberg’s arboretum and gardens full of early spring flowers. The historic greenhouse will also have beautiful orchids on display and for sale.

WHEN: Typically late April

WHERE: 151 Charlotte St., Canandaigua, NY 14424

INFO: sonnenberg.org

MOHONK MOUNTAIN HOUSE TULIP FESTIVAL

Thousands of tulips grace the grounds of Mohonk Mountain House’s Victorian Show Garden. Situated on Mohonk Lake in the Shawangunk Mountains, these gardens are also a part of the resort hotel’s Spring Celebration in May.

WHEN: Typically late April-early May

WHERE: 1000 Mountain Rest Rd., New Paltz, NY 12561

INFO: mohonk.com

INNISFREE GARDEN

According to its website, Innisfree in the Hudson Valley was recognized as one of the “world’s ten best gardens.” In springtime they kick off their garden season with a viewing of their daffodils on this 200-acre garden inspired 8th-century Chinese poet and painter Wang Wei.

WHEN: Gardens open early May

WHERE: 362 Tyrrel Rd, Millbrook, NY 12545

INFO: innisfreegarden.org

CORNELL BOTANIC GARDENS - YOUNG FLOWER GARDEN

The Cornell Botanic Gardens span 3,400 acres, including 12 separate gardens, an arboretum and natural areas which include two gorges. The Young Flower Garden is best seen from spring through fall, but throughout the gardens you will see signs of lush life springing up.

WHEN: Many parts of the garden are open to pedestrians year-round.

WHERE: 124 Comstock Knoll Dr., Ithaca NY, 14850

INFO: cornellbotanicgardens.org

Q The Rochester Lilac Festival.

Q The Albany Tulip Festival

Q Cornell Botanic Gardens

PHOTOS BY TERI WEAVER, DAVID LASSMAN AND COURTESY OF VISIT ROCHESTER

NATURE ALWAYS WEARS THE COLORS OF THE SPIRIT.

PHOTO BY @SUSANCHIPPERO

FIND THE PLACE THAT HAS EVERYTHING YOU’RE LOOKING FOR.

Rochester hits the spot for a range of tastes— from beverage trails to hiking trails; from a stellar festival lineup to farm-totable cuisine. Discover the perfect balance between refined and relaxed, amazing and a ordable, historical and happening, and immerse yourself in experiences you can only find here. Whether you’re traveling for business or leisure, with your family or with friends, Rochester is the place that has everything you’re looking for.

© Jim Montanus, Yellow House Creative/Matt Baldelli and Andy Buscemi.