Friday 14 April 2017

The Lesser Known New York

We've decided that we're not going to visit Manhattan as part of this trip. Having been to this part of New York state for a number of work and personal trips, we needed to see a different side of New York from the high rise buildings, yellow taxis and all night partying.

That being said, there were a few famous areas from the Northern part of this state that we couldn't avoid:

Niagara Falls - I have only see the Falls from the Canadian side and even then, it was on a frozen February morning when we were more focused on not getting speared by an icicle hanging off the lampposts than the frozen waterfall. The up side was that we were the only tourists around but I can't wait to compare the memories I have of that trip to Niagara in the summer. 




Lake Placid - We both love skiing but unfortunately the time of year we're planning on doing this trip is outside the ski season so we're not going to be able to try out some of the best ski resorts in the world. But, that's not going to stop us visiting them anyway! Lake Placid held the Olympic Games in 1980 after winning the selection process by being the only entry. There is still a lot left over from the Olympic Games that you can visit and use, including the Ski Jumps. I don't think I'm going to be brave enough to ever try them out (the smaller ones are in use in the summer but for tubing into a swimming pool) but I am looking forward to riding up the 26-story elevator to the top of the 120K tower and taking in the view of the beautiful Adirondack High Peaks and other Olympic Venues in Lake Placid.







State:New York
Towns of Interest: Lake Placid
Niagara Falls
National Parks:N/A
State Parks of Interest:Adirondack State Park
Letchworth State Park
Watkins Glenn State Park
Niagara Falls State Park
Devil's Hole State Park
Places of Interest:
(N) = Night Stay
Niagra Falls (Nx2)
Niagara Falls State Park
Boutiques on Linwood Avenue between 11th street and 13th street
Bridal Veil Falls (A smaller falls on Goat Island)
Maid of the Mist
Cave of the Winds
Niagara Gorge
Niagara Falls Aquarium
Skylon Tower Observation Deck (Great way to see the falls and the Canadian side)
Devil's Hole State Park
Fashion Outlets of Niagara Falls
Purchase adventure pass at the visitor center and this will give you admission to; Maid of the Mist, Cave of the Winds, Niagara Gorge Discovery Center, Niagara Falls Aquarium and all day use of the trolley to get around the park

Letchworth State Park (renowned as the "Grand Canyon of the East")
Letchworth State Park Visitors Center
Inspiration Point (Superb view of the highlights of the park from here)
Upper Falls (the 70-foot high horseshoe-shaped Upper Falls starts out the cascading fun along the Genesee River. Trails lead to nice vantage points of the falls and the towering rail bridge high above)
Middle Falls (This is the main waterfall of the park. Trails take you right to the rim of the falls)
Lower Falls (A trail leads to an overlook of the canyon with eroded hoodoos jutting out of the river just above the small falls. Overlooks allow the car-bound to get out and gaze at the vertical wall of Big Bend, a horseshoe turn of the Genesee River)

Watkins Glen (N)
Watkins Glen State Park is the most famous of the Finger Lakes State Parks, with a reputation for leaving visitors spellbound. Within two miles, the glen's stream descends 400 feet past 200-foot cliffs, generating 19 waterfalls along its course. The gorge path winds over and under waterfalls and through the spray of Cavern Cascade. Rim trails overlook the gorge. Campers and day-visitors can enjoy the Olympic-size pool, scheduled summer tours through the gorge, tent and trailer campsites, picnic facilities and excellent fishing in nearby Seneca Lake or Catherine Creek, which is renowned for its annual spring run of rainbow trout.

Adirondack
Blue Mountain Lake (Prettiest of all the lakes)
Lake Placid (N)
Whiteface Mountain (drive 8 miles up the Veterans Memorial Highway to 500 ft below the summit then get an elevator to an observation deck at the top)
High Peaks Area (Adirondack Mountains)
Paradox Lake
Fort Ticonderoga (Historical building with great views and museum)
Boulton Landing (village with shops and views of the lake)
Lake George Village (Tourist hub for the region, learn about the history) (N)
Prospect Mountain (drive up the mountain for lots of overlooks and good views)

Lake Placid
Olympic Museum
Downtown Area
Luge and Bobsled Runs at Mt Van Hoevenburg
Ski Jumps
Olympic Sports Complex
Routes of Interest: Route 9N
Route 93
Where to Stay:Niagara Falls
Comfort Inn The Pointe ($90)
Passport Inn ($51)
Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino ($188)
Days Inn Niagara At The Falls ($77)
Holiday Inn Niagara Falls ($75)

Watkins Glen
Camping in Watkins Glen State Park - book 7 days ahead or just walk in ($15)

Lake Placid
Lake Placid Summit Hotel Resort & Suites ($51)
Golden Arrow Lakeside Resort ($73)
Best Western Adirondack Inn ($87)

Lake George
Fort William Henry Hotel & Conference Center ($90)
Lake Motel ($70)
Lake George Battleground State Campground - must book 2 days ahead of arrival ($15)
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