Tag Archives: I Love NY

*A bluebird day to ski Windham Mountain, Catskills, NY © Dave E. Leiberman/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

By Karen Rubin, Laini Miranda and Dave E. Leiberman, Travel Features Syndicate, goingplacesfarandnear.com

New York State has an embarrassment of riches when it comes to skiing. Besides the world-class Olympic Regional Development Authority ski areas of Whiteface (and all the Olympic sports facilities in Lake Placid), Gore Mountain in the Adirondacks and Belleayre Mountain in the Catskills, there are some 50 other areas throughout the state – more ski areas, in fact, than any other state.

“New York is blessed with having more ski areas than any state in the nation, so residents and visitors are never more than a couple hours away from great skiing,” Empire State Development Vice President and Executive Director of Tourism Ross D. Levi said. “Whether swooshing down world class mountains in the Catskills and Adirondacks operated by Olympic Authority or any of the private ski slopes across the state, guests can conveniently enjoy some of the country’s best skiing in a magical winter wonderland. When paired with other fun experiences from invigorating snow shoeing to family ice skating, relaxing spas, friendly main streets and cozy inns, visitors can come see for themselves how easy it is to love New York in Winter.”

There are ski destinations that are big, incredibly popular and iconic like Hunter Mountain (now part of Vail Resorts and the Epic Pass) and Windham Mountain Club (which offers a membership-style experience), to areas that provide a very intimate, classic experience with great affordability, ideal for families and beginners.

Hunter Mountain Adds Two Lifts

Hunter Mountain, an iconic Catskills ski resort which opened 65 years ago and is now part of Vail Resorts (so one of the Epic Pass resorts), celebrated a major milestone with two new lifts: Broadway Express: a new high-speed, 6-person chair replaced the existing 4-person fixed-grip Broadway Lift and reduces wait times at one of the mountain’s most popular lifts while increasing uphill capacity by 55%; Otis Quad: the existing 4-person fixed-grip Broadway Lift replaced the 2-person fixed-grip E lift, increasing uphill capacity giving more time to learn new skills and explore terrain.

Vail Resorts’ investment also added new state-of-the-art automated snowmaking systems on three classic and beloved trails, Belt Parkway, Clair’s Way, and Way Out, accelerating the resort’s ability to open terrain earlier in the season, disperse skier traffic, provide greater efficiency to rebuild snow bases later in the season and allow for better connection of Hunter North and Hunter West more directly and earlier in the season.

Since opening 65 years ago on January 9, 1960 with the original “B” Lift in operation, Hunter Mountain proved to be an innovator and leader in the ski industry, from being the first ski resort in New York to install snowmaking, to being the first in the world to feature both top-to-bottom, 100 percent snowmaking coverage; and to being the first in the nation to install an automated snowmaking system. As the resort has grown from a family-owned area and evolved over the decades with new lifts and new peaks, and on-mountain lodging, it has emerged as a major ski destination.

Hunter’s has a vertical of 1,600 feet, from a base at 1,600 ft to its summit at 3,200 ft. It offers 320 skiable acres and four terrain parks – 67 trails of which 25% are beginner, 30% are intermediate and 45% are advanced – accessed by 13 lifts. There is also tubing.

Hunter has a commitment to zero net operating footprint by 2030. From snowmaking upgrades to new waste sorting, Hunter is further reducing emissions with energy-efficiency projects. In 2023, the resort reached 100% renewable electricity and decreased waste to landfill by nearly 6.1 million and this season is continuing to better manage waste streams.

Save up to 15% when you bundle lift tickets & lodging.Lodging spans the old-age charm of the Kaatskill Mountain Club & Spa to family-friendly slopeside condos (huntermtn.com, 518-263-4223)

Windham Mountain Club

Windham Mountain Club has reorganized as a membership club (actually returning to its roots) but is still open to the public – all skiers benefiting from minimal lift lines and uncrowded slopes because of the capacity limits on daily lift tickets and season passes. (The reorganized Windham Mountain Club is also continuing its longstanding partnership with the Adaptive Sports Foundation.)

*Ski Windham Mountain, Catskills, NY © Dave E. Leiberman/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Set amid 1,200 pristine alpine acres (so plenty of room to roam), Windham Mountain Club has continued to add improvements for the 24/25 season following last year’s transformative rebranding and investments, continuing to reimagine the mountain as a world-class, year-round destination and New York’s premier public-private mountain resort and membership club.

This season there are more enhancements to snowmaking including automating two of their trails, “Why Not?” and “What’s Next?” with 47 new snow guns on the “Why Not?” trail and 18 rebuilt and refurbished fan guns on “Warmup”. The resort also upgraded their groomers with SNOWsat LiDAR technology.

Windham has a vertical rise of 1,600 to its summit at 3,100 ft. Its 54 trails and six terrain parks on 285 skiable acres range from 300 to 12,500 feet long, accessed by 11 lifts including a high-speed six-passenger, 3 high-speed quads, 1 triple, 1 double, 5 surface (97% snowmaking). But the best thing about Windham is that you really feel like it is a private club (which is how Windham began).

Windham Mountain Club members-only benefits include: use of a state-of-the-art fitness center and a Spa and Wellness facility; a dedicated adventure concierge for personalized outdoor experiences, including year-round guided hikes and memorable summer activities such as guided horseback riding, fly fishing, and a clay shooting range are available for members; and members-only dining options such as “Cin Cin!” which is an Italian Alps-inspired mid-mountain restaurant, and the Windham Grill.

Book a two-night stay at the Winwood Inn and receive a complimentary third night. Accommodations at the Winwood Inn and Condos also include access to reduced ticket rates, every day of the season (www.windhammountainclub.com/ski-and-stay-package, windhammountainclub.com)

More Catskills Gems

Thunder Ridge Ski Area, Patterson, is really geared for families – from the ease of access, ease of reserving lift tickets, rentals, lessons (book online, since walk-ins are only accommodated if the mountain has not reached capacity), serious snowmaking and night skiing. ThunderRidge offers private lessons from age 4, family private lessons, group lessons, Mommy/Daddy & Me, and race teams. Open Monday-Friday, 10 am -9 pm, Saturday, 9-9 pm, Sunday 9 am to 5 pm. just 60 minutes from NYC, you can even take Metro North (so hop on after work) and take advantage of free shuttle service to and from the Patterson train station, (137 Birch Hill Rd & Rte 22, Patterson, 845-878-4100, ThunderRidgeski.com)

*Riding the lift at West Mountain © Dave E. Leiberman/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

West Mountain, Queensbury: An ski and outdoor activities year-round community with a family-friendly atmosphere (“True to our roots since 1961!”), West Mountain offers an authentic upstate experience on the mountain. Nestled at the foot of the Adirondack , it is conveniently located off I-87. Family-owned and operated, West Mountain continues to evolve to meet the needs of families as well as skiing and riding loyalists and year-round outdoor enthusiasts. (westmountain.com)

*Greek Peak Mountain Resort, Cortland, celebrating its 65^th anniversary in 2024, has invested $1 million in ski area improvements (photo: Greek Peak)*

Greek Peak Mountain Resort, Cortland, celebrating its 65^th anniversary in 2024, has invested $1 million in ski area improvements including new snowmaking equipment that enables the resort to cover the equivalent of 16.5 football fields with a foot of snow in a 24-hour period. They also upgraded the Chair 1 lift, trail lighting, and purchased new rental equipment. This season, Greek Peak made lift improvements and widened the Castor Connection trail for safer merging. The ski area installed new hand ticket scanners to complement its online purchasing portal (it is now cashless resort), so you can just head straight to the lift when arriving (greekpeak.net)

Holiday Mountain, Monticello. New owners have invested millions of dollars in renovations and upgrades including expanding snowmaking to trails that had not had snowmaking before, re-opening dormant trails, renovating and upgrading their chairlifts as well as updating the base lodge. This year, Holiday Mountain is benefitting from $5MM in improvements and upgrades: 3 new trails (one, Hackledam, is now the steepest in the Catskills) and a new race trail with Giant Slalom races and timing; updated learning center for “terrain-based learning;” and a newly rebuilt quad chair 2,700 feet long. They installed lights on the three new trails and replaced other lights to expand night skiing. They have also greatly enhanced the snow experience with improved snowmaking and grooming. They also installed thrree miles of fiberoptic cable, electrical upgrades and improved parking areas. (skiholidaymtn.com)

Plattekill Mountain opened a new intermediate new trail, “Whiskeys Way,” for a total of 41 ski trails. Snowmaking and grooming are improved with 13 new snowguns, 3,500 feet of new snowmaking pipe and a new winch cat for snow grooming. Plattekill has partnered with 37 mountains for free and discounted tickets with the purchase of Plattekill Mountain season pass which also includes “Platty Perks” for discounts at local businesses. Their season pass includes new “Buddy Passes” for passholders to bring a friend on non-holiday Friday and Sunday for 50% off the friend’s ticket. Plattekill also installed new electric vehicle charging stations. (plattekill.com)

Adirondacks’ Uncrowded, Affordable Hidden Gems

One of the best-kept secrets in upstate New York is that the Adirondack Mountains have a handful of hidden gem ski resorts ideal for novice to expert skiers, including two ski areas that offer free skiing.

*Oak Mountain ski area in New York State’s Adirondacks has been delighting skiers since 1948 © Laini Miranda/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Oak Mountain, Speculator: This quaint ski area – popular with families since 1948 though a new discovery for us – offers 22 trails (snowmaking on 40%; longest run is 7,920 ft.), a 650-foot vertical from base (1,750 feet) to summit (2,400 feet), and four lifts (quad, two T-bars and a surface lift). Lift tickets to Oak Mountain are very reasonable. Full-day tickets are $44, four-hour tickets are $37, and two-hour tickets are only $30. (Capacity is limited, and lift tickets, rentals and lessons must be booked in advance online.) In addition to downhill skiing and snowboarding, Oak features four lanes of snow tubing and miles of snowshoeing trails that take you through a majestic forest. Oak Mountain is a three-season resort (518-548-3606, www.oakmountainski.com)

Among the nearby lodges is Lorca ADK, recently renovated from a historic motel to accommodate stays year-round. Lorca ADK is a classic drive-in lodge, reimagined as a self-check property for the contemporary traveler. It’s surrounded by forests, across the road from Indian Lake (a marina is right there) with gorgeous islands. The eight units provide coffee, tea, mini-fridges, s’mores and firewood. The property offers grills, fire pits, lawn games, and nature walk. Lorca ADK is about 20 minutes from Oak Mountain, and about 30 minutes from Gore Mountain Resort. (Lorca ADK, Sabael, NY, 518-300-3916, [email protected], thelorca.com/adk)

McCauley Mountain, Old Forge: A charming resort near the Adirondack wilderness. Get a great night’s sleep at the Adirondack Lodge Old Forge, stop by Keyes’ Pancake House for breakfast and Tony Harper’s Pizza and Clam Shack for lunch/dinner. (mccauleyny.com)

Mt. Pisgah Recreation Center. Saranac Lake: A welcoming community ski hill with night skiing and tubing, with half-day weekend ski passes available for $15. Kick off your boots at Traverse Lodge or Hotel Saranac, and enjoy dinner at nearby Bitters & Bones. (https://www.saranaclakeny.gov/)

Titus Mountain (Malone): A family-friendly ski gem a short drive from Plattsburgh, Lake Placid, Watertown and Northern Vermont, with terrain for all levels. Check out the rustic cabins at Deer Valley Trails (and stay for dinner) and stop by The Pines Tap & Table for evening revelry. (www.titusmountain.com)

McCauley Mountain, Oak Mountain and Titus Mountain participate in the “SKI NY Passport Program”, which offers free skiing for third and fourth graders (from any state or country) with an adult purchase.

*The enchanting Lapland Lake Cross-Country Ski Area has just installed snowmaking © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

And for Nordic skiing, there is the incomparable Lapland Lake Cross Country and Vacation Center, which has installed snowmaking on its magnificent cross-country trails through a forest of tall pine trees to a lake. It offers a cozy lodge and cabins for four-season outdoors adventure. (139 Lapland Lake Road Northville, NY 12134-3962, 518- 863.4974, www.laplandlake.com)

Ski Free at Two Bonus Ski Areas

In addition to the large and medium-sized ski resorts in the Adirondacks, there are two additional ski areas that offer free skiing – a rare treat for newbie and experienced skiers, alike.

Newcomb Ski Slope is an ultra-local and community-owned ski hill that offers free skiing. For the last 50 years, the Town of Newcomb has owned and operated this two-run ski slope, where generations have learned to ski. The hill also boasts a trail through the adjacent woods along its 200 vertical feet. At this low-elevation summit, skiers are treated to a view of the snowy High Peaks. (www.newcomb7.bar-z.com)

*The Lorca Adirondacks on Indian Lake © Dave E. Leiberman/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Indian Lake Ski Hill (https://indianlakeadk.com/) also offers free skiing, with the local feel and charm of a community-owned establishment. The recreation area comprises a small hill, two ski trails, a t-bar lift and even ice skating. It is just down the road from Lorca Adirondacks at Indian Lake (Lorca ADK, Sabael, NY, 518-300-3916, [email protected], thelorca.com/adk).

The SKI NY Free for Kids Passport Program for 3,^,4, and 5th graders enables kids to ski free up to 2 times at each of the 25 participating ski areas when an adult purchases a lift ticket. ($45 application fee.) Details and application at iskiny.com.

New York State’s mountain destinations generate $1.3 billion and support 13,000 full and part-time jobs, generating $432 million in labor income, according to the Ski Areas of New York Economic Impact Analysis. The ski industry is a significant part of New York’s $137 billion winter tourism industry, driving economic growth in their communities.

Ski Areas of New York, Inc. is dedicated to the New York snow sports industry. ISKINY online at www.iskiny.com is a hub for snow reports, openings, news and program information for ski mountains throughout New York State, including a map.

Best thing about skiing in New York State: you can decide on the spur and be on the slopes within three hours.

WHAT A DISCOVERY! SKIING OAK MOUNTAIN IN NEW YORK’S ADIRONDACKS

LAKE PLACID, WHERE YOU CAN BE IMMERSED IN OLYMPIC SPORT, SPIRIT YEAR-ROUND

NEW YORK STATE’S OLYMPIC AUTHORITY SKI MOUNTAINS OPEN FOR SEASON

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New York State travel, Outdoors Adventures, Skiing/Riding/Snow Destinations

New York State’s Olympic Authority Ski Mountains Open for Season

December 23, 2024 krubin723

*Skiing Gore Mountain, one of three New York State Olympic Authority ski destinations, with Whiteface and Belleayre, that have opened for the season © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

By Karen Rubin, Laini Miranda and Dave E. Leiberman, Travel Features Syndicate, goingplacesfarandnear.com

Governor Kathy Hochul celebrated the official start of the 2024-25 winter season with the daily opening of New York State Olympic Regional Development Authority (Olympic Authority) ski mountains, Gore, Whiteface and Belleayre Mountains.

These are the three largest of New York State’s 52 operating ski areas (the most of any state!). With ski areas located across the state, nearly every major New York metro area is within 90 minutes of top-tier winter recreation and makes skiing and riding an important contributor to employment and quality of life for residents throughout the state.

Our three-generation family rides the new Skyride Gondola to begin our visit at the top of the highest ski jump tower at Mt. Van Hoevenberg, one of four venues included in the Olympics Legacy Site Passport © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

“We are proud to welcome New Yorkers and visitors of our great State to our world-class ski resorts this winter season,” Governor Hochul said. “Our investments in these facilities have strengthened the state’s winter tourism industry, creating jobs, driving economic growth and enhancing the quality of life for residents. These resorts offer unparalleled opportunities for recreation, ensuring that New York remains a top destination for winter sports enthusiasts.”

Gore, Whiteface and Belleayre, as well as many of the ski mountains in New York State, offer programs for all ages and abilities. Adaptive snowsports programs offer individuals with cognitive and physical disabilities the opportunity to learn with certified instructors. There are also numerous opportunities for beginners up to masters. These include the 2024-25 SKI NY Free for Kids Passport Program granting third, fourth and fifth grade students to obtain a complimentary one-day lift ticket at participating New York State ski resorts and the College Club Program at Gore, Whiteface and Belleayre, open to any full-time college or university student to apply.

Whiteface Mountain

Whiteface continues to build on its legacy of excellence with several key enhancements. A new heated patio at the Bear Den Learning Center provides expanded space for dining, gathering and watching ski lessons. Snowmaking infrastructure has been upgraded with new pipes and high-efficiency snow guns on popular trails, along with a Snowmax injection system to ensure high-quality snow, even during warm conditions. The Cloudsplitter Gondola received a new haul rope to ensure reliable operations, while the addition of a winch-ready PistonBully 600 Snow Cat will help maintain optimal trail conditions. These improvements reinforce Whiteface’s status as a top destination for skiers and snowboarders of all abilities (whiteface.com).

What makes Whiteface Mountain so absolutely special (and worldclass) is that it is part of a Olympics complex where you not only can see training facilities and historic sites, but you can participate in many of them, including ice skating, bobsled, Nordic skiing and biathalon. And with the multi-million dollar investments in facilities, you may well see World Cup competition or training going on.

Mt. Van Hoevenberg: Building on the momentum of hosting the successful WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series event in September, the Nordic ski area at Mt. Van Hoevenberg is gearing up for another full season of events taking place alongside daily recreational opportunities for cross-country skiers. This season’s event schedule includes local, regional, and national Nordic races, culminating with the SuperTour races March 29-30. Drawing on a 7.5 million gallon reservoir, the ski area at Mt. Van Hoevenberg is the home of the world’s largest snowmaking system dedicated to Nordic skiing.

*Olympic Jumping Complex is visited with a new Skyride Gondola, then an elevator to the top of the highest ski jump © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

The best way to experience Lake Placid, we discover, is with the Olympics Legacy Sites Passport, which provides access to the four Olympic venues and experiences – so even if you don’t ski, you can take the Cloudsplitter Gondola up to the summit of Little Whiteface to enjoy the spectacular view of the Adirondacks high peaks; go to the top of the highest ski jumping tower at the Olympic Jumping Complex to see what the ski jumpers see (terrifying); tour Mt. Van Hoevenberg where the sliding sports (bobsled, skeleton and luge), Nordic skiing, and Biathalon are held; and tour the Olympic Center, where you visit the museum that houses one of the best collections of Olympics memorabilia in the world, as well as the skating arenas. (The passport includes one admission to the four venues plus 10% off shopping and dining at all the Legacy Sites. (The Olympic Legacy Passport can be purchased at any of the venues (https://lakeplacidlegacysites.com/legacysitespassport/) Lake Placid Legacy Sites, 518-523-1655, https://lakeplacidlegacysites.com/

*During our visit to Mt. Van Hoevenberg, we get to watch practice runs for the two-person bobsled World Cup competition © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

When the Mt. Van Hoevenberg track isn’t being used for practice or competition, you can take the Bobsled Experience, where you are driven down the track with real bobsledders. You get to go through that famous Turn 10 but from Start 4, so it comes soon into the ride before you get going too fast, but you still reach speeds up to 50 mph on the lower half-mile of the track. (Be sure to reserve in advance; in summer, the bobsled uses wheels on concrete; $125/9+; $100/military, https://mtvanhoevenberg.com/todo/bobsled-experience/).

Also at Mt Van Hoevenberg you not only get to see the Olympic bobsled track but you can ride alongside on the Cliffside Coaster, the longest coaster in North America, which opened in 2020. As you ride up to the top, you hear the Olympic history of the track but once at the peak, you are in the driver’s seat and control the speed, navigating sharp corners, cliffside banks and long winding stretches (open daily in season but weather dependent; make reservations in advance; 31 Van Hoevenberg Way, Lake Placid, NY 12946, https://mtvanhoevenberg.com/todo/cliffside-coaster/).

At the Olympic Jumping Complex, you can also ride the new Sky Flyer Zipline adjacent to the ski jumps – and if the ski jumpers are practicing, you can seemingly fly alongside. ($20 off ticket price with the Legacy Passport).

Whiteface Mountain has no lodging of its own, but the Lake Placid/Adirondacks region has scores of truly fabulous accommodations, special in their own right:

High Peaks Resort is offering a Ski Adirondacks Package that includes a welcome beverage upon arrival, a $25 nightly property credit to use at Dancing Bears Restaurant, complimentary snowshoe rentals, complimentary admission to Whiteface Club & Resort Nordic Center for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, 10% off rentals at Cunningham’s Ski Barn, and a guaranteed 2:00 pm checkout. Après ski, visit the newly reimagined Lake House at High Peaks Resort for drinks, snacks and entertainment. Rates start at $249 per night, excluding taxes and fees.

Mirror Lake Inn in Lake Placid offers guests three unique opportunities this winter to learn from some of the ski world’s most successful athletes: Ski with Olympic Medalist Andrew Weibrecht, Nordic Ski with Olympic Medalist Andrea Henkel Burke, and the Your Turn Women’s Ski Clinic with Andrew and Lisa Densmore Ballard.

*Settling in to my lushna at East Wind Lake Placid Hotel © Dave E. Leiberman/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

On our last visit, we really enjoyed our stay at Eastwind Lake Placid, which offers a variety of lodging options including cabins and lushnas (6048 Sentinel Road, Lake Placid, 518-837-1882, https://www.eastwindhotels.com/lake-placid-overview). Also, the Golden Arrow Lakeside Resort, right on Mirror Lake, walking distance to attractions, shopping, dining, 2559 Main Street, Lake Placid www.golden-arrow.com, 844-209-8080.

Gore Mountain

Gore Mountain’s improvements align with its vision of becoming a premier year-round destination. Construction is underway on a new 18,300-square-foot lodge at the North Creek Ski Bowl, featuring a restaurant and two levels of outdoor patios due for completion in 2025. Ahead of the 2024-25 season, the old Hudson chairlift was replaced with a new detachable quad, providing access to trails for all skill levels. Additionally, the Northwoods Gondola cabins are being upgraded to accommodate modern skis and snowboards, ensuring greater comfort for guests. These upgrades position Gore as a hub for all-season recreation, strengthening the local economy.

Gore Mountain is New York State’s largest ski and ride resort with 439 skiable acres spanning four mountains (Gore, Bear Mountain, Burnt Ridge Mountain and Little Gore Mountain), a vertical drop of 2,537 feet from the summit at 3,600 ft, 108 trails (longest is 4.4 miles), accessed by 14 lifts. As a perennial blue-trail/intermediate skier, Gore Mountain is one of my favorite places to ski. Nestled in the Adirondacks, it offers expansive views of a real wilderness. You actually feel as if you were in the Rockies.

Gore Mountain has no on-mountain lodging but there are plenty of charming places throughout the Adirondacks, and marvelous dining in North Creek. Among them, Lorca Adirondacks at Indian Lake, about 40 minutes away, a historic motel that has been refurbished to year-round rustic luxury (Lorca ADK, Sabael, NY, 518-300-3916, [email protected], thelorca.com/adk). For a luxurious stay, choose The Sagamore, a historic, grand resort in Bolton Landing on Lake George, 45 minutes away (www.thesagamore.com).

Gore Mountain, 793 Peaceful Valley Road, North Creek, NY 12853, Snow Phone: 518-251-5026, info 518-251-2411, [email protected], goremountain.com.

Belleayre Mountain

Celebrating its 75th anniversary, Belleayre continues to enhance its facilities with several key improvements. Early season will have limited lodge and services in anticipation of a grand re-opening of Discovery Lodge to include a new rental center and tuning services. Snowmaking capabilities were upgraded with the installation of 20 new PoleCat fan guns and 30,000 feet of new piping, increasing efficiency even in warmer temperatures. A new learning area at the summit, complete with a carpet lift and easy-graded trail, offers beginners better snow conditions and inspiring views. Guests can also access the summit via the Catskill Thunder Gondola for a seamless learning experience.

Belleayre Mountain is especially popular with families because of its proximity (just about 2 ½ hours drive) and perfect size, with marvelous beginner trails and learn to ski programs, and a natural separation between beginner and advanced skiers.

There is no on-mountain lodging, but quaint inns and lodges nearby in Fleischmann’s, Pine Hill, Big Indian, Phoenicia, Margaretville and Shandaken – among them, the Lorca Catskills offering several cabin/cottage-style accommodations (Gooding Rd & Rt 42, Shandaken, NY 12480 [email protected], thelorca.com, 518-300-3916).

See more at www.belleayre.com/plan-your-visit/lodging/)

(Belleayre, Highmount, NY 12441, 800-942-6904, 845-254-5600, www.belleayre.com).

World Championship and World Cup Events at Olympic Venues

The New York State Olympic Regional Development Authority (Olympic Authority) 2024-2025 events calendar is highlighted by World Cup events in three different sports and the International Bobsled & Skeleton Federation (IBSF) World Championships set for March 2025.

“With recent state investments to renovate the sports infrastructure in Lake Placid, we’re building on our commitment to the enduring legacy of athletic prestige in the North Country,” Governor Hochul said.“By welcoming a host of exciting events over the coming months, we are tapping into the region’s history and invigorating the infrastructure and possibility it carries.”

Among the highlights: the return of International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) Aerials World Cup on January 18-19, and the FIS Ski Jumping World Cup, which will now include both men’s and women’s competitions, on February 7-9. The IBSF World Championships will take place over two weeks, from March 6 through March 16.

Other notable major events on the upcoming schedule are the FIS World Junior Championships for ski jumping and Nordic combined on February 11-16, the SuperTour Nordic Finals from March 27-30, and two major collegiate hockey tournaments – the Adirondack Invitational (November 29-30) and the ECAC Hockey men’s championships (March 21-22) – at the Olympic Center.

The FIS Freestyle Aerials World Cup competition returns to the Olympic Jumping Complex, Lake Placid, on January 18-19, 2025 © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

FIS Freestyle Aerials World Cup, January 18-19 – Olympic Jumping Complex: Men’s and women’s FIS Freestyle Aerials World Cup competition returns to the Olympic Jumping Complex for the first time since 2019 on January 18-19, 2025. An Olympic sport since the 1994 Lillehammer Games, aerials is a spectator-friendly discipline that showcases athletes performing acrobatic flips, spins and twists in the air for scores based on total air, form, and landing success.

Lake Placid is one of eight FIS Aerials World Cups on the 2024-25 calendar and will feature men’s and women’s individual events and a mixed team event. The season begins November 24, 2024, in Ruka, Finland, and concludes with the World Championships starting March 30, 2025. Lake Placid, a regular stop on the FIS Aerials World Cup tour between 1985 and 2019, is the second Aerials World Cup of the 2024-2025 season.

FIS Ski Jumping World Cup, February 7-9 – Olympic Jumping Complex: After successfully hosting FIS Ski Jumping World Cups for men over the last two years, the Olympic Authority announced the addition of individual women’s ski jumping events and a mixed team competition from February 7-9 on the large hill at the Olympic Jumping Complex.

Practicing for the 2024 Bobsled World Championships at Van Hoevenberg. This year’s event is taking place Mar. 6-16, 2025 © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

IBSF Bobsled and Skeleton World Championships, March 6-16 – Mt Van Hoevenberg: The IBSF World Championships is the season’s premier bobsled and skeleton event, providing the best sliding athletes in the world an opportunity to achieve career-defining moments. Mt Van Hoevenberg has hosted the Bobsled World Championships nine times since 1949, including the combined IBSF Bobsled & Skeleton World Championships in 2009 and 2012. The 2025 IBSF World Championships was originally scheduled to take place in 2021 but was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

World Champions will be crowned in Lake Placid across seven different disciplines: 4-Man Bobsleigh, 2-Woman Bobsleigh, 2-Man Bobsleigh, Women’s Monobob, Men’s Skeleton, Women’s Skeleton, and Skeleton Mixed Team. Winners will be determined by cumulative times over four heats, providing athletes a momentum boost as they continue preparation for the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympic Games.

The IBSF World Championships were last held at Mt Van Hoevenberg in 2012 when Steven Holcomb piloted the USA sleds to victories in 2-man, 4-man, and the team competition. Holcomb, who famously ended a 62-year Olympic gold medal 4-man drought for Americans at the 2010 Vancouver Games, went on to win two silver medals in the 2014 Sochi Games.

State Support for Tourism Industry

Governor Hochul has maintained a strong commitment to supporting New York’s tourism industry – one of the State’s key economic drivers. New York State welcomed 291.5 million visitors in 2022, the largest number of visitors in its history, generating more than $78.6 billion in direct spending and $123 billion in total economic impact, which followed historic investments in tourism, economic development, outdoor recreation, transportation and other key sectors.

As part of that commitment, the Governor has supported significant investments of more than $600 million in the Olympic Authority facilities to help reposition the State of New York as a global winter sport destination. These investments have supported major sporting events like the 2023 FISU Winter World University Games held in Lake Placid last year. The major transformations and modernizations were executed with a focus on sustainability and financial responsibility. In tandem, event promoter and organizer WBD Sports recently achieved the ISO20121 certification for its commitment to sustainable event management. This certification approves the structured framework that integrates sustainability into their event management practices.

While in Lake Placid, be sure to visit the Olympic Museum, where you can see medals going back decades. New York State’s investment in year-round tourism has resulted in record numbers of visits and expenditures © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

Since the Olympic Authority venue modernization projects began, overall visits to Olympic Authority facilities have been increasing markedly. Guest visits at all venues combined broke the one million mark for the first time in 2022-2023, hitting 1,014,292 total visits.

Though the Olympic Authority’s impact as a major driver of tourism and regional economies has traditionally occurred in winter, the investments made in these venues in recent years have greatly expanded that impact to one that’s year-round. From scenic gondola rides at all three mountains to the Whiteface Veterans’ Memorial Highway to the longest mountain coaster in North America at Mt. Van Hoevenberg to a new rail and zipline attraction being installed at Gore Mountain’s North Creek Ski Bowl, and many other non-winter activities and attractions, Olympic Authority venues are offering a wellspring of adventure throughout the year for all ages and all abilities.

More information at the Olympic Regional Development Authority, orda.org.

TOPNOTCH SKIING AT NEW YORK’S GORE MOUNTAIN IN THE ADIRONDACKS

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Driveable destinations, Family Travel, Museums and Exhibits, Places of History, See America, Skiing/Riding/Snow Destinations

Lake Placid, Where You Can Be Immersed in Olympic Sport, Spirit Year-Round

August 6, 2024 krubin723

By Karen Rubin, Travel Features Syndicate, goingplacesfarandnear.com

The Olympic spirit is everywhere in Lake Placid. You can almost hear the fanfare playing. It is infectious, and fun – and what is even better, you get to participate, to see and experience it for yourself.

While so many other Olympic venues shut down after the event, Lake Placid, which hosted one of the first winter Olympics, in 1932, and then again in 1980, the facilities have not just been upgraded, enhanced and once again entice World Cup and international sports events. Lake Placid is very much a four-season destination, an outdoors paradise where you can actually experience the same Olympic venues, attractions and activities year-round, along with the athletes who live and train here, and the world-class athletes who compete here.

It offers an ideal mix of activities to appeal to the most athletic and active, to those who prefer to spectate rather than participate – perfect for our three-generation family – skiers and nonskiers and infant.

*The venues of Lake Placid’s Olympics Legacy sites © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

The best way to experience Lake Placid, we discover, is with the Olympics Legacy Sites Passport, which provides access to the four Olympic venues and experiences – so even if you don’t ski, you can take the Cloudsplitter Gondola up to the summit of Little Whiteface to enjoy the spectacular view of the Adirondacks high peaks; go to the top of the highest ski jumping tower at the Olympic Jumping Complex to see what the ski jumpers see (terrifying); tour Mt. Van Hoevenberg where the sliding sports (bobsled, skeleton and luge), Nordic skiing, and Biathalon are held; and tour the Olympic Center, where you visit the museum that houses one of the best collections of Olympics memorabilia in the world, as well as the skating arenas. (The passport includes one admission to the four venues plus 10% off shopping and dining at all the Legacy Sites, https://olympicjumpingcomplex.com/legacysitespassport/)

But if you haven’t visited Lake Placid in the last few years, you wouldn’t know about any of these experiences. So much has changed. So much is new. So much is so special.

The New York State Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA, now more familiarly known as the Olympic Authority), which owns and manages the facilities here in Lake Placid (as well as Gore Mountain and Belleayre ski areas), since 2018 has not only upgraded and massively improved the facilities in order to continue to host major international competitions (providing opportunities to watch the competition, training and even meet athletes), but has added attractions and activities so that we can experience much the same thrill and excitement as the athletes, year round. We even get to see their sport through their eyes.

New SkyRide, Zipline at Olympic Jumping Complex

*The Olympic Jumping Complex is visited with a new Skyride Gondola, then an elevator to the top of the highest ski jump © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

At the Olympic Jumping Complex, we ride a new, scenic Skyride Gondola to the base of the towers (athletes used to have to take a chairlift), then walk a short distance to the glass-windowed elevator that takes us up to the top of the highest ski jump tower for the view that the jumpers get (terrifying), and the setting amid the High Peaks Region (open daily but subject to weather conditions).

*New attractions and experiences put you in the Lake Placid Olympics © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Today, this facility is the only sanctioned ski jumping facility in North America for winter and summer competition and training. For warm-weather practices, there is a kind of plastic grass that is sprayed with water, that apparently athletes like even better because it is more consistent than snow.

That is a really good thing because climate change will make Lake Placid one of only four premier winter facilities that will be able to host a winter Olympics by 2050, my ORDA guide, Jaime Collins, tells us.

The World Cup will be held here again in February 2025.

*It’s awesome to get to see and be in the places of the Olympic athletes, like riding up the elevator to the highest ski jump © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Here at the Olympic Jumping Complex, you can also ride the new Sky Flyer Zipline adjacent to the ski jumps – and if the ski jumpers are practicing, you can seemingly fly alongside. ($20 off ticket price with the Legacy Passport).

New Coaster Ride, Bobsled Experience at Mt Van Hoevenberg

At Mt Van Hoevenberg, home to the three sliding sports – bobsled, skeleton and luge – the Legacy Passport provides a tour that starts in the newly built Mountain Pass Lodge and the push track where you learn about elite athlete development, then taken by bus up the track for a guided walk inside the sliding track.

*A view of just a portion of Mt. Van Hoevenberg famous track © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Be sure to take in the view from the start area which offers the only place where you can get a view of all the Olympic venues at once: the Ski Jump complex, Whiteface Mountain, the track and Nordic center, and the Olympic Center in downtown Lake Placid. (Open daily; check daily updates page for current conditions and trail offerings.The pass also provides 10% off at Mt Van Hoevenberg’s 81-18 Café, Mountain Pass Mercantile and Swix Store.)

As it happens, our visit coincides with preparations for the final International Bobsled & Skeleton Federation (IBSF) World Cup competition of the 2023-2024 season and we get to watch some of the two-man bobsled practice and meet some of the athletes.

We learn that this track – with 17 curves and a vertical drop of 365 feet – is considered one of the most difficult and has one of the most famous and challenging turns in the world. Turn 10 winds 180 degrees into a 20 foot-high wall that, if hit right, can slingshot the sled for a gain 6 mph. “The G forces are so severe, that they can only practice 4-5 times a day,” our ORDA guide, Jaime Collins tells us.

When the track isn’t being used for practice or competition, you can take the Bobsled Experience, where you are driven down the track with real bobsledders. You get to go through that famous Turn 10 but from Start 4, so it comes soon into the ride before you get going too fast, but you still reach speeds up to 50 mph on the lower half-mile of the track. (Be sure to reserve in advance; in summer, the bobsled uses wheels on concrete; $125/9+; $100/military, https://mtvanhoevenberg.com/todo/bobsled-experience/).

The track is set up so spectators get a real close-up view (pro tip: the best place is where the track is shaped as a heart).

Mt. Van Hoevenberg is also the Olympic Nordic ski area and we just miss watching practices for the Junior National Nordic races at the Nordic stadium on the side of the lodge.

But non-Olympians can do cross-country skiing here, as well as actually experience the Biathlon, an Olympic event which combines shooting and cross-country skiing.

In summer, Mt. Van Hoevenberg becomes a mountain biking center – you can rent bikes and take lessons.

In fact, Lake Placid was selected as the only U.S. venue to host the World Cup mountain bike competition, which will be held September 27 – 29.

*A portion of the Cliffside Coaster track at Mt. Van Hoevenberg, the longest in North America © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Here at Mt Van Hoevenberg you not only get to see the Olympic bobsled track but you can ride alongside on the Cliffside Coaster, the longest coaster in North America, which opened in 2020. As you ride up to the top, you hear the Olympic history of the track but once at the peak, you are in the driver’s seat and control the speed, navigating sharp corners, cliffside banks and long winding stretches (open daily in season but weather dependent; make reservations in advance; 31 Van Hoevenberg Way, Lake Placid, NY 12946, https://mtvanhoevenberg.com/todo/cliffside-coaster/).

Skiers, NonSkiers Treated to View at Whiteface Mountain

At Whiteface Mountain, the Legacy Passport enables even nonskiers to experience the 15 minute ride on the scenic, eight-passenger Cloudsplitter Gondola from the Main Base Lodge to the top of Little Whiteface to enjoy the gorgeous view of the Adirondacks that the skiers get. (Open daily. The Legacy Passport gets you 10% off at these locations: 10% off at Whiteface: 4610’ Grille, Castle Gift Shop, Legends Café, and Brookside Apparel.)

You don’t have to be a skier to ride the Cloudsplitter Gondola to the summit of Little Whiteface for the view, included on the Olympic Legacy Sites Passport competition © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

Another activity included on the Legacy Sites Passport is to drive (or bike) the Veterans’ Memorial Highway that rises over 2,300 feet in five miles, with scenic stops along the way. An elevator or 15-minute hike takes you to the summit of New York’s fifth highest peak. (Open daily, but subject to daily weather conditions, visit Whiteface Conditions).

Immersive New Museum at Olympic Center

The Olympic Center, in downtown Lake Placid, is really special. The Legacy Passport gives you admission to the Lake Placid Olympic Museum, which has one of the world’s largest collections of Winter Olympic memorabilia, and brilliantly tells the story of Lake Placid’s role in the development of winter sports and the Olympics.

*Lake Placid’s museum immerses you in its Olympics history and legacy © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

The state-of-the-art museum, which only has been opened two years, features interactive and engaging displays, 3D visualizations, experiential learning exhibits, marvelous videos, and interesting and intriguing artifacts. It is especially inspiring to see the names of local Olympians, some who are multi-generational.

*Speed down the Mt. Van Hoevenberg track in a bobsled in this virtual ride in Lake Placid’s Olympics Museum © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

The 3D and interactive displays are really superb. In one, you sit in a real bobsled and virtually speed down the actual bobsled track (thrilling); you can see exactly what the ski jumper sees flying off the jump.

The climax is sitting in a screening room to watch a 12-minute video of the highlights of the 1980 “Miracle on Ice” when the USA hockey team beat the Soviet Union. (Each year, there is a1980 Miracle on Ice fantasy camp – where participants get to play with the actual members of the team.)

In the museum, you get to really immerse into the personal stories of the Olympians, especially those with connections to Lake Placid.

*Lake Placid’s Olympics Museum has one of the largest collections of memorabilia, including medals, uniforms, torches, buttons © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

You learn that it wasn’t just good fortune why Lake Placid hosted one of the first winter Olympics, in 1932. Lake Placid really began America’s love affair with winter sports.

The first “modern” Olympics was held in 1896, and by the early 1900s, a Norwegian man known as “Jack Rabbit” introduced alpine and Nordic skiing to the Lake Placid area. The Lake Placid Club was formed by the strongest advocates of winter sports.

The high jumping venue, originally known as Intervales, hosted the first international ski jump competition here in 1921, drawing 3000 spectators – more than the local population.

The first winter Olympics was held in 1924, and the first gold medal was actually awarded to Charles Jewtraw, a speed skater, from Lake Placid .

The first gold medal won at the Lake Placid games was won by Lake Placid local, Jack Shea for speed skating (he won two gold in 1932,and was instrumental in the games returning to Lake Placid in 1980). His son, Jim Shea was a 1964 Olympian cross country skier, and his grandson, Jim Shea, Jr., was the men’s skeleton champion aat Salt lake City in 2002 (Jack Shea was killed by a drunk driver just two weeks before).

*The Herb Brooks arena is where the 1980 “Miracle on Ice” wowed the nation and the world, as the USA defeated the Soviet Union © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

You get to tour the famous ice arena, named for Herb Brooks, and the 1932 skating rink (really tiny seating area), and even go down to the locker room.

These historic skating rinks are open to the public for skating year-round, and we see some adorable kids starting their long journey to gold (open Tuesday – Saturday).

*Little ones start their journey to gold on the skating arena built for the 1932 Olympics Union © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

(The Olympic Center is open daily. The pass also provides 10% off at Olympic Center Roamers Café and Miracle Moments Store.)

Just across from the center is the Olympic speed skating oval, where Eric Heyden made history in 1980 for winning all five speed skating events. (He only agreed to one commercial endorsement, for Crest Toothpaste, to finance medical school and became an orthopedic surgeon.). In season, you, too, can skate on the Olympic oval well into the night (weather permitting.)

The Olympic Legacy Passport is $69/adult, $59 ages 19+, military and seniors and can be purchased at any of the venues (, https://lakeplacidlegacysites.com/legacysitespassport/). Lake Placid Legacy Sites, 518-523-1655, https://lakeplacidlegacysites.com/

Ski Whiteface

It’s March – spring skiing – and David, Laini and Karen get the ultimate Olympic experience of skiing Whiteface Mountain – even if you are stuck on the green and blue trails. David and Laini, though, were able to tour much of the mountain, tackling the advanced trails, and loved the long runs and sweeping mountain views. With the spring melt already underway, the alpine creek rushed beneath our chairlift rides and the Ausable River at the base had a Galway-esque feel. The lookout atop the Cloudsplitter Gondola was a gorgeous rest stop for us skiers as well as Laini’s non-skiing parents, who were able to enjoy the view and then easily take the gondola down. We discovered the beautiful mid-mountain lodge on our last run – a great lunch spot with high vaulted ceilings and huge pictures windows.

*Even skiing the intermediate trails, you feel the Olympic spirit on Whiteface Mountain© Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

March, when we visit, is often one of snowiest and most spectacular months for outdoor winter recreation, but this year, snow was lacking and it also was the warmest since 1905, so we aren’t able to do several of the winter activities, like riding the toboggan chute onto Mirror Lake, cross-country skiing, skating on the Olympic oval, and snowshoeing the Mt Van Hoevenberg East Trail (a hiking trail in summer).

In summer, Whiteface Mountain offers disk golf, hiking, the scenic gondola, and plans to resume mountain biking.

Food & Lodging

After our visit to the Olympic Center, we stroll Lake Placid’s charming main street and enjoy the shops, cafes, bistros.

*Lunching in a gondola at the Cottage at Mirror Lake Inn © Dave E. Leiberman/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

We stop for lunch at The Cottage at Mirror Lake Inn, (17 Mirror Lake Dr.) enjoying the meal in one of the actual ski gondolas overlooking Mirror Lake with spectacular views out to the Great Range of the Adirondack High Peaks (17 Mirror Lake Dr., 518-302-3045, mirrorlakeinn.com/dining/the-cottage)

Each night of our stay in Lake Placid, we had a marvelous cocktail/dining experience (so many to choose from and return to Lake Placid for):

Big Slide Brewery, where you eat beside the giant barrels of the brewery in a comfortable dining room and semi-open kitchen. Not your typical pub grub, its menu has pizaazz – snacks like marcona almonds in hop oil and thyme, Cake Placid pretzel nuggets with beer cheese, and tater tot poutine; sandwiches like a shaved steak sandwich with thinly-sliced ribeye, Sugarhouse Creamery Dutch Knuckle cheese, sautéed onions and Mushrooms and Horseradish Aioli; Tomahawk Pork Chop or chicken fried chicken over smoked ham grits; and pizzas cooked in a 700 degree brick oven. Tomahawk Pork Chop or chicken fried chicken over smoked ham grits (5686 Cascade Road, just over a mile from downtown, bigslidebrewery.com, 518) 523-7844.

*The view over Mirror Lake to the Great Range of the Adirondack High Peaks from The Cottage at Mirror Lake Inn at sundown © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Smoke Signals, also overlooking Mirror Lake (a gorgeous dining room and there is a patio overlooking the lake for outside dining), offering classic BBQ with some innovative twists, (2489 Main St., 518-523-2271, www.smokesignalsq.com).

We loved our culinary experience at Cafe Rustica, a quaint, old-fashioned (traditional) Italian restaurant (even the music was a throw-back) serving fabulous Northern Italian cuisine, like the Ravioli Carbonara (fresh wild mushroom ravioli, black pepper, organic egg, pancetta, baby peas, parmesan); Cavatelli Bolognese (rustica Bolognese sauce, cavatelli pasta, parmesan, rosemary oil); chicken Mediterraneo (kalamata olive, heart of plan, tomato, lemon, whitewine, capers, pepperoncini, linguini) (1936 Saranac Ave, Lake Placid, NY 12946, 518-523-7511, www.rusticalp.com)

East Wind Lake Placid Hotel

The East Wind Lake Placid Hotel, just a short distance off of Main Street, Lake Placid, proved perfect for our multi-generational getaway – like a small community of lodges and lushnas for a total of 29 units, each homey with dashes of luxury and high-style. My lushna (like a tiny house) was just the width of the (extremely comfortable) queen bed, and had all the comforts of home – refrigerator, coffee maker, bathroom, remote-controlled A/C. David and Laini and baby were comfortable in a spacious room in the house; grandparents Diane and Barry in the lodge.

*East Wind Lake Placid Hotel offers a variety of accommodations and lovely gathering places © Dave E. Leiberman/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

There are gathering areas – fire pits ringed with Adirondack chairs, a gorgeous reception room (open 24 hours, where coffee, tea and fruit are laid out, you can order breakfast, and there are cocktails and drinks at the bar); a lovely library/salon in one of the buildings (great for taking a conference call).

*East Wind Lake Placid Hotel offers a variety of accommodations and lovely gathering places © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Eastwind Lake Placid, 6048 Sentinel Road, Lake Placid,518-837-1882, https://www.eastwindhotels.com/lake-placid-overview.

For a luxury, resort-style experience: the historic Mirror Lake Inn Resort & Spa (77 Mirror Lake Dr, Lake Placid, NY 12946, 518-523-2544, mirrorlakeinn.com; and High Peaks Resort (2384 Saranac Avenue, Lake Placid, NY 12946, 800-755-5598, highpeaksresort.com).

*Mirror Lake Inn Resort & Spa, Lake Placid © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

High Falls Gorge

Definitely make time to visit High Falls Gorge, a 22-acre nature park, just a short drive beyond the entrance to Whiteface ski area. It is a 30-minute walk – about a mile – hugging the rockface, where you can go out onto overlooks and bridges and be very close to the series of cascading waterfalls formed by the Ausable River as it drops 115 feet. There is also a trail accessible for strollers or wheelchairs.

Some of the oldest rocks in the world are here – you can touch an Anorthosite boulder 1.5 billion years old (Anorthosite, the base rock for the Adirondacks, is the same rock found on the moon). In season, High Falls Gorge also offers rock climbing, tubing and white water rafting, as well as trails through the forest. (4761 NYS Route 86, Wilmington, NY 12997 518-946-2278, https://highfallsgorge.com/)

More travel planning information:

Lake Placid 800-44PLACID, www.lakeplacid.com

Whiteface Mountain Region Visitors Bureau, 518-523-1655, whitefaceregion.com

Visit Adirondacks.com, https://visitadirondacks.com/regions/lake-placid

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© 2024 Travel Features Syndicate, a division of Workstyles, Inc. All rights reserved. Visit goingplacesfarandnear.com and travelwritersmagazine.com/TravelFeaturesSyndicate/. Blogging at goingplacesnearandfar.wordpress.com and moralcompasstravel.info. Visit instagram.com/going_places_far_and_near and instagram.com/bigbackpacktraveler/ Send comments or questions to [email protected]. Tweet @TravelFeatures. ‘Like’ us at facebook.com/NewsPhotoFeatures

Ecotourism, New York State travel, Outdoors Adventures, Star Gazing

Photo Highlights: Total Solar Eclipse Above Long Lake, in New York’s Adirondacks is Stellar

April 12, 2024 krubin723

In the path of totality of the Solar Eclipse, April 8, 2024, at Long Lake, in New York State’s Adirondacks © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com.

By Karen Rubin, Travel Features Syndicate, goingplacesfarandnear.com

With a huge swath of New York State in the path of totality for the April 8, 2024 Solar Eclipse, we headed to the Adirondacks, cleverly basing ourselves at The Lorca on Indian Lake, which was scheduled to have totality for two minutes, with a plan to drive 30 minutes further to Long Lake, which was scheduled for totality to last a full minute longer, 3 minutes, 1 second, beginning at 3:24 pm, where we based out of the historic (140 years!) Adirondack Hotel, right on the lake.

That proved fortuitous, because though totality spanned a 124-mile wide path stretching from Chautauqua-Allegheny to the majestic Niagara Falls in Greater Niagara, over the pristine Finger Lakes, mighty Adirondacks, and magical Thousand Islands-Seaway, and while Niagara Falls and Buffalo were scheduled to have totality for as much as four minutes, the weather clouded up for most of it. New York State won’t be in the path of totality again for 400 years.

Meanwhile, we had a magical three minutes of totality on Long Lake, starting exactly at 3:24 pm, experiencing the thrill of night-in-the-daytime where you could see stars, then the Diamond Ring, and hearing a dog howl along with everyone’s collective gasps. Then, only a few minutes after, the sun’s crescent started to reappear, but was hazy behind a thin cloud cover, making us appreciate the experience we had all the more.

Here are highlights of the stellar show:

Day turns to night, stars can be seen, and the moon is a tiny dot in the crown of the sun’s corona, during totality of the Solar Eclipse, April 8, 2024, at Long Lake, in New York State’s Adirondacks © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com.

The Diamond Ring formation lasts mere seconds during totality of the Solar Eclipse, April 8, 2024, at Long Lake, in New York State’s Adirondacks © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com.

The moon is a tiny dot in the crown of the sun’s corona, during totality of the Solar Eclipse, April 8, 2024, at Long Lake, in New York State’s Adirondacks © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com.

The sun begins to reemerge as a crescent after totality, but soon, clouds make it hazy © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com.

Our family enjoys this once-in-a-lifetime experience of a Total Solar Eclipse in New York’s Adirondacks, on April 8, 2024

The Long Lake community gets set for the Total Solar Eclipse © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

Long Lake was a setting for Hudson River School painter Thomas Cole © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com.

The Adirondack Hotel was a fabulous base for watching the Total Eclipse © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com.

Staying over before and after the Total Solar Eclipse at The Lorca on Indian Lake avoided the traffic coming and going to the Adirondacks © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com.

The next time you go:

It may be 400 years before a total solar eclipse returns to New York State, and this may have been a once-in-a-lifetime experience for millions, but there will be total solar eclipses coming up around the world. If you are now hooked on pursuing totality or if you regret missing out:

Prepare well in advance – even a year in advance. Research ideal locations based on path of totality and duration of totality (in North America, ranged from two to four minutes, so significant difference). Scout out locations and book hotel accommodations, travel to the extent possible even a year in advance for the best locations. (See: Fjords, Pharaohs or Koalas? Time to Plan for Your Next Eclipse).

Make sure you have solar glasses and necessary camera gear (solar filters, long-focus lens, ie 300 mm. Have TAPE to attach a paper solar filter to camera, as I used, if you don’t have the glass filter, check www.bhphotovideo.com). Practice in advance (the hardest part is switching from partial to total eclipse – you have to remove the solar filter and reset the manual settings). Review videos of techniques and get a list of suggested camera settings.

Go to the location at least the day before. Scout where you will be standing. Take sample photo of where sun will be at the time of the eclipse (usually one hour before and one hour after totality). Fill up gas tank, get supplies (food, water for next day).

Day of: download maps/directions (cell service may not be available). Get to the site EARLY to get parking and a position (set up your chair, so you can roam around, use restroom). Plan for extra traffic/time to get to site. Bring chair, camera, lenses, extra memory cards, SOLAR GLASSES, SOLAR FILTER, tripod, hat, sunglasses, jacket, book, charged cell phone, food, water.

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Camping/Hiking/Outdoors, New York State travel, Outdoors Adventures, Star Gazing

Best Viewing Spots in New York State for Total Solar Eclipse April 8 – Plan Now

January 21, 2024 krubin723

A gigantic swath of New York State will be in the path of totality of the April 8, 2024 Solar Eclipse. Miss this once-in-a-lifetime experience when the moon completely covers the sun, turning day into night and sparking all sorts of eerie reactions and you’ll have to wait 400 years for the next total solar eclipse in New York State. (Map: I LOVE NY/NYS Dept. of Economic Development)

Edited by Karen Rubin, Travel Features Syndicate, goingplacesfarandnear.com

A gigantic swath of New York State will be in the path of totality of the April 8, 2024 Solar Eclipse. The total solar eclipse will begin around 3:20 pm (the time will differ depending what part of the state you are in), and last up to 3 minutes and 38 seconds depending on your vantage point, with about an hour before and after totality when you see the moon begin to cover and then recede.

The regions, cities, towns and villages where the viewing is most ideal – a 124-mile wide path stretching from Chautauqua-Allegheny to the majestic Niagara Falls in Greater Niagara, over the pristine Finger Lakes, mighty Adirondacks, and magical Thousand Islands-Seaway are taking on a festival atmosphere, and attractions, from the Adirondack Sky Center & Observatory to the Rochester Museum & Science Center are hosting events even days before.

(See Part1: NYS WILL BE IN PATH OF TOTALITY: BEST PLACES TO VIEW SOLAR ECLIPSE ON APRIL 8)

Grab your eclipse glasses and head to upstate New York State for the best viewing of the Total Solar Eclipse on April 8, 2024. Many places are hosting three-day festivals. Plan early and book now. © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

Best Eclipse Viewing Spots in Greater Niagara

Curated by Emma Frisbie, Digital Content Coordinator for ILOVENY.com

Imagine viewing the total solar eclipse while overlooking the roaring waters of Niagara Falls, surrounded by the 14,000-acre “Grand Canyon of the East,” or enjoying all kinds of festivities leading up to lively celebrations on the big day. At most of these sites, trained staff will be on site with proper equipment for safe viewing including telescopes with specialized filters and eclipse glasses.

Niagara Falls: Elevate your total solar eclipse viewing experience from one of the world’s greatest natural wonders, Niagara Falls State Park. The park itselfhas 400 acres of stunning landscapes, so you’re sure to find a prime location for this once-in-a-lifetime event. Prospect Point and Goat Island offer waterfall vistas with unobstructed skies. Not only will Niagara Falls prove to be an exceptional vantage point, but whenthe eclipse is viewed through the perpetual rainbow that lingers just above the falls, the color of the light will change from rainbow to monochromatic pink. About a 10-minute drive north is Whirlpool State Park where you can watch the event alongside the roaring Niagara River Rapids. On the days leading up to the eclipse, NASA will be providing free public programming and exhibits throughout the area, including Niagara Falls Public Libraries, the Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center, the Aquarium of Niagara, the Niagara Power Vista, the Niagara Falls Culinary Institute, and Niagara Falls State Park.

Beaver Meadow Nature Center: Watch the eclipse surrounded by the natural beauty of the Beaver Meadow Nature Center with 324 acres of meadows, ponds formed by glaciers, boardwalk trails and wooded forests. Significantly, this spot is known for its breathtaking clear skies, ideal for viewing our galaxy at night throughout the year so is sure to be an amazing spot for the bigday-turned-to-night event. The center will also be hosting a family-friendly viewing event so everyone can safely admire this celestial phenomenon. Book a stay at the rustic and cozy Beaver Meadow Cabin on-site for a more secluded experience. For the days leading up to theevent, check out the Buffalo Astronomical Association Observatory’s schedule for monthly public nights where you can learn more about the eclipse, take a tour of the solar system, and pick up solar eclipse viewing glasses for a $2 donation.

Fort Niagara State Park offers unobstructed skies combined with waterside views of the Lower Niagara River and Lake Ontario. The 504-acre park is home to gorgeous scenery, woodland hiking trails, year-round living-history programs and the historic Old Fort Niagara, which controlled access to the Great Lakes during monumental wars. Check out the museum and 18th-century military architecture including the oldest building in the Great Lakes area: the French Castle. (Parking: $8/car.)

Buffalo Harbor State Park, 10 minutes from Downtown Buffalo, offers gorgeous viewing spots from sandy beachside vistas of Lake Erie to the outdoor patio at Charlie’s Boatyard restaurant. Also, the 264-acre Tifft Nature Preserve is next door with five miles of hiking trails, boardwalks, and hands-on exhibits.

Genesee County, with its sprawling rural landscapes and low light pollution, makes for an ideal eclipse viewing experience, plunging the county into a deep twilight revealing stars, planets, and a level of darkness larger metropolises won’t be able to rival. Plan to spend the weekend for four days of eclipse festivities throughout the county. The Batavia Downs Gaming & Hotel is planning an eclipse-themed party complete with on-site hotel packages, themed menus, live music, gaming promotions and giveaways and viewing glasses to watch the eclipse from the infield race track. The Genesee County Park, Forest, & Interpretive Center will be presenting informational videos, self-guided activities, crafts and activities for the kids, and a telescope with a solar filter special for eclipse viewing.

Whitworth Ferguson Planetarium at Buffalo State College, which has been holding public programs focusing on the eclipse’s main players – the sun, moon, and earth, and the mythology, history, and safety behind it all – is hosting a watch party complete with special viewing glasses.

At the 14,000-acre Letchworth State Park, known as the “Grand Canyon of the East, you can revel at totality alongside one of the three magnificent waterfalls, named Upper, Middle, and Lower Falls. Scenic views are accessible by bike or car throughout the park and on 66 miles of hiking trails.Make it an eclipse weekend and stay at one of Letchworth’s 19 cabins and cottages, which can be booked now at ReserveAmerica.com. The Glen Iris Inn is also within the park and provides a special viewing experience next to Middle Falls where it might even get a little misty. (NOTE: While Letchworth State Park will be open for public viewing, space will be limited. For public health and safety, no new visitors will be admitted once capacity is reached.)

You can also view the Eclipse at: Batavia Downs Gaming & Hotel, Genesee County Park, Forest & Interpretive Center, Lakeside State Park, Orleans County Marine Park

Campgrounds such as Four Mile Creek State Park with 50 campsites and Golden Hill State Park with 25 campsites make for great eclipse stays that can be booked now on ReserveAmerica.com.

See the full blogpost: https://www.iloveny.com/blog/post/best-2024-total-solar-eclipse-viewing-spots-in-greater-niagara/

Best Eclipse Viewing Spots in Chautauqua-Allegheny

Curated by Marta Zielinska, Managing Editor of ILOVENY.com

Chautauqua-Allegheny region offers the chance to experience solar eclipse totality amid enchanting mountains, tranquil lakes and bountiful vineyards.

Many of the best solar eclipse viewing sites are in New York State parks which have campgrounds, like Letchworth State Park, adding to adventure to the experience © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

Allegany State Park Red House and Quaker areas: Allegany State Park offers 65,000 acres of primitive forested valleys, two sandy beaches, pristine lakes, miles of hiking trails, and picnic spots under the open sky for viewing the celestial spectacle. With 165 campsites, cabins and cottages open for booking, you can turn your eclipse adventure into an extraordinary eclipse getaway, giving you more time to experience the park’s natural beauty and its two museums and restaurant.

Griffis Sculpture Park, one of America’s oldest and largest sculpture parks, features 250 enormous structures of steel and other materials that set in the woods, fields, and even ponds of this sprawling 450-acre art wonderland, creating a spellbinding setting to witness the cosmic dance of the sun and moon. Typically open from May through October, the park will welcome visitors for this rare celestial spectacle.

The 360-acre Long Point State Park, a moraine left long ago by a retreating glacier, juts peninsula-like into Chautauqua Lake and is popular for fishing, hiking, and picnics. Head over to the marina or beach on April 8, 2024 for the park’s best views of the total solar eclipse over Chautauqua Lake. After the main event, explore the quaint shops, restaurants, and charm of the lakefront village of Bemus Point.

Jamestown Riverwalk: Jamestown, the hometown of the iconic comedienne Lucille Ball, is the first city in New York State to achieve totality on April 8, 2024, happening justseconds shy of 3:18 pm. Experience the cosmic phenomenon from a bridge or bench on the Jamestown Riverwalk, a five-mile urban trail system that winds its way through downtown along the Chadakoin River. The trail connects to the National Comedy Center and is an easy walk to the Lucy Desi Museum.

Views from Lake Erie: The 355-acre Lake Erie State Park in Brocton is located on a high bluff that offers breathtaking views of the sky and water. Evangola State Park’s beautiful arc-shaped shoreline and natural sand beach lined with low cliffs of Angola shale makes for another great spot for eclipse and Lake Erie views; the park has 25 campsites that can be reserved for eclipse weekend. The historic Dunkirk Lighthouse has some of the most stunning views of Lake Erie. Pick up lunch from the Boardwalk Market in Dunkirk Harbor and settle in for an eclipse watching picnic in the park grounds surrounding the 60-foot tower.

Scenic Vineyards in Lake Erie Wine Country: The oldest and largest Concord-grape-growing region in the world, is where you can raise your glass as you raise your gaze to the skies at any of the more than 20 wineries nestled along the southern shore of beautiful Lake Erie. Toast to the total solar eclipse at any of these fine choices including Johnson Estate Winery, Sparkling Ponds, and Noble Winery, which delivers stunning panoramic views of Lake Erie from its expansive porch.

Audubon Community Nature Center, a 600-acre wildlife sanctuary, has five miles of easy hiking trails that wind through fields, woods, and wetlands with observation towers and an accessible overlook offering ideal views of the natural landscape and spectacular celestial show.

You can also view the eclipse at: Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History, Chautauqua Lake Rest Area, Dunkirk Harbor, Point Gratiot Park and Lighthouse, Barcelona Lighthouse State Park

See the full blogpost: https://www.iloveny.com/blog/post/best-2024-total-solar-eclipse-viewing-spots-in-chautauqua-allegheny/

Best Eclipse Viewing Spots in the Thousand Islands-Seaway

Curated by Emma Frisbie, Digital Content Coordinator for ILOVENY.com

That spot on the right is the International Space Station passing by the sun as the moon finishes its eclipse, during the Great American Eclipse, August 21, 2017 © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

Thousand Islands-Seaway offers awe-inspiring lighthouses, historic battlegrounds, and celebratory atmosphere in which to experience this once-in-a-lifetime cosmic phenomenon on April 8, 2024. Here are some of the best places to view the total solar eclipse from the Thousand Islands-Seaway.

Historic Thompson Park in Watertown. has a Total Eclipse of the Park weekend of festivities starting April 5 with the grand finale viewing event on April 8. The park is 574 acres and sits atop a hill that overlooks the city of Watertown which means you’ll be able to look up and look out across the city (www.watertownnewyorkeclipse.com).

Tibbetts Point Lighthouse: Frame your eclipse experience at the point where the sparkling St. Lawrence River meets the powerful Lake Ontario at the Tibbetts Point lighthouse in Cape Vincent. Get a closer look at the lake and river through the telescope or explore the historic lighthouse which was built in 1827 and features the only working fresnel lens on Lake Ontario.

Witness this star-studded celestial occasion from the star-shaped fort dating back to the 1840s at Fort Ontario State Historic Site. This clear sky viewing spot is right on Lake Ontario and offers 36-acres of open air and waterside views. The fort was the site of many monumental battles from the French and Indian War and War of 1812, as well as a WWII US Army base. Take a guided tour where you’ll get to see officer quarters, the Enlisted Men’s Barracks, and the Storehouse. (Admission: $4/adults, $3/seniors 62+ and students, free for children under 12 and active military.)

Sackets Harbor Battlefield State Historic Site, 70 acres of open fields and lookouts of Lake Ontario makes for excellent eclipse viewing. Afterward, follow the Battlefield Historic Trail through Centennial Grove and the Navy Yard, with sweeping views of Black River Bay. For more history, follow the trail to the village’s War of 1812 Bicentennial Trail connection for a six-mile circuit.

Robert G. Wehle State Park offers 17,000-feet of Lake Ontario shoreline from which to view the eclipse. The 1,100-acre parkfeatures unobstructed skies and waterfront views, some visible from 80-foot limestone cliffs overlooking the lake. Once the estate of Robert G. Wehle, who was an avid conservationist, sculptor, and lover of English pointers (hence the canine sculptures you’ll find throughout the park), you can explore the Wehle residential compound and even make a reservation for up to eight people to stay at the cottage overnight for the ultimate secluded eclipse weekend.

Peer up at this cosmic event while you peer out at the sparkling waters of the St. Lawrence River at Wellesley Island State Park, with 2,600 acres boasting sandy beaches, miles of scenic hiking trails, and breathtaking Thousand Islands views. Plan an eclipse weekend at the campground with 21 cabins and cottages (book your reservation now at R eserveAmerica.com). Stop by the Minna Anthony Common Nature Center, one of the largest nature centers in the NYS park system.

You can also view the eclipse at Fort de La Présentation/AbbéPicquet Trail.

See the full blogpost: https://www.iloveny.com/blog/post/best-2024-total-solar-eclipse-viewing-spots-in-the-thousand-islands-seaway/

More information at iloveny.com

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New York State travel, Outdoors Adventures, Skiing/Riding/Snow Destinations

New York State Ski Areas Welcome Beginners to Olympians to Slopes

January 8, 2024 krubin723

By Karen Rubin, Travel Features Syndicate, www.goingplacesfarandnear.com

It always is a surprise to realize New York State has more ski areas (50+) than any other state, and they range from the world-class Whiteface and Olympic venues at Lake Placid, to a small, family-friendly, learn-to-ski area, ThunderRidge, reachable on Metro North, where families can ski into the night.

New York State’s Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA) actually owns and operates three of our favorite ski destinations: Whiteface and Gore Mountain in the magnificent Adirondacks, and Belleayre, so easy to reach in the Catskills (orda.org).

Whiteface Mountain, Wilmington

*Feel like an Olympian! Ski Whiteface Mountain, site for the 1932 and 1980 Olympics © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com.*

Top of the list for ski areas with a world-class reputation is Whiteface, site of the 1932 and 1980 Olympics, where in addition to skiing, you can visit Olympic venues and even participate (biathalon, anyone? skate on the Olympic Oval, drive a coaster down the bobsled track).

Whiteface offers the greatest vertical (3430 ft. from the summit at 4867 ft.) of any lift-serviced mountain in the Northeast. This is a serious mountain – actually three mountains, Whiteface summit is a 4,867 ft.; Lookout Mountain tops at 4,000 ft.; Little Whiteface at 3,676 ft. – with more expert terrain, more long, rolling groomers (including one of the longest single intermediate runs in the Northeast, the 2.1 mile-long Wilmington Trail) in the East.

This season, Whiteface has a new detachable quad lift, “The Notch,” from the Bear Den learning center to just beyond the Legacy Lodge (the only one of its kind in the East that is two lifts in one operating seamlessly) which will significantly improve the experience for beginners.

Whiteface Mountain also has made snowmaking upgrades including adding150 high efficiency snow guns, and two snow cats, as well as improvements to the Cloudsplitter Gondola.

Mt. Van Hoevenberg, the cross-country and biathlon venue, has upgrades to snowmaking system as well as grooming and trail improvements (mtvanhoevenberg.com).

At Mt. Van Hoevenberg, experience the thrill of what it was like to be an Olympic Bobsledder during the 1980 Winter Games on the Cliffside Mountain Coaster, which boasts one of the longest year-round mountain coasters in the USA.

Other attractions include the Sky Flyer Zipline at the Lake Placid Olympic Jumping Complex, the SkyRide Experience, an 8-person gondola that brings you from the Olympic Jumping Complex’s base lodge to the 90-meter and 120-meter ski jump towers, a glass-enclosed elevator ride to the top of the ski jumps for a panoramic vista of the Adirondack High Peaks (and to experience what the jumpers see as they start to accelerate towards the end of the ramp!), Nordic trails at Mt. Van Hovenberg (where you can try your hand at the biathalon).

The Lake Placid Legacy Sites Passport includes a one-time admission to the Whiteface Cloudsplitter Gondola, The Olympic Jumping Complex Skyride, Skating on the James C. Sheffield Speed Skating Oval, entry to the Lake Placid Olympic Museum at the Olympic Center, 20% off a cross country trail pass, and admission to both the FIL World Cup Luge and the IBSF World Cup Bobsled & Skeleton at Mt Van Hoevenberg. The pass comes with Legacy Sites branded lanyard, sticker set at each venue, 10% discount on retail and food and beverage purchases at the venues (https://whiteface.com/legacysitespassport/).

There is no lodging on the mountain (it’s a wilderness area, after all), but many lovely inns, bnbs, hotels and resorts nearby, including the Whiteface Lodge Resort & Spa and Mirror Lake Inn Resort & Spa; The Lake Placid Inn and the Saranac Waterfront Lodge, an eco-luxe independent boutique hotel; and Golden Arrow Lakeside Resort (www.golden-arrow.com).

Also, High Peaks Resort overlooking Mirror Lake and the Adirondacks offers a traditional hotel with 105 guest rooms and suites; Lake House with 44 guest rooms; and the private and serene Waterfront Collection, with 28 guest rooms including 10 suites on the Lake. (High Peaks Resort, 2384 Saranac Avenue, Lake Placid, NY 12946, 518-523-4411, 800-755-5598, www.highpeaksresort.com)

Whiteface Mountain, 5021 Rte 86, Wilmington, NY 12997, 800-462-6236, 518-946-2223, 877) SKI-FACE (snow report). Olympic Center, 518-523-1655; vacation planning assistance at whitefacenewyork.com, lakeplacid.com, whiteface.com.

Gore Mountain, North Creek

*Enjoy long, gorgeous blue trails at Gore Mountain with stunning views of New York’s Adirondack Mountains © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

As a perennial blue-trail/intermediate skier, Gore Mountain is one of my favorite places to ski. Nestled in the Adirondacks, it offers expansive views of a real wilderness. You actually feel as if you were in the Rockies.

Gore Mountain is New York State’s largest ski and ride resort with 439 skiable acres spanning four mountains, including Gore, Bear Mountain, Burnt Ridge Mountain and Little Gore Mountain, a vertical drop of 2,537 feet from the summit at 3,600 ft, 108 trails (longest is 4.4 miles), accessed by 14 lifts.

The big news this year is that Gore opened The Bear Cub Quad, replacing its beginner skier lift. This lift is double the length and unloads at an easiest trail for beginners, significantly enhancing the learning experience at Gore. At their beginner run they added two new conveyor surface lifts to make it easier for newer skiers to learn.

Gore Mountain they have expanded snowmaking at the North Creek Ski Bowl, added snowmaking to the Moxham trail and upgraded to more energy efficient snowguns on 46er as well.

Gore’s North Creek Ski Bowl has a marvelous cross-country ski center, and offers Twilight Nordic Wednesday through Friday (2 pm-6 pm and Day & Twilight Nordic on weekends (9 am -6 pm) where you can do cross-country skiing or snowshoeing after dark. (A valid lift ticket or season pass gives you free access to the Nordic Center.) Check online for the most up-to-date information on Nordic hours and the snow report. (Ski Bowl Road, North Creek, NY 12853, 518-251-0899.)

Exciting news: for 2024-25 Gore plans to construct a new ski bowl lodge, chairlift, zipline and mountain coaster.

Gore Mountain has no on-mountain lodging but there are plenty of charming places throughout the Adirondacks, and marvelous dining in North Creek. Among them, Lorca Adirondacks at Indian Lake, about 40 minutes away, which is owned by a Great Neck native (thelorca.com, 518-300-3916). For a luxurious stay, choose The Sagamore, a historic, grand resort in Bolton Landing on Lake George, 45 minutes away (www.thesagamore.com).

Gore Mountain, 793 Peaceful Valley Road, North Creek, NY 12853, Snow Phone: 518-251-5026, info 518-251-2411, [email protected], goremountain.com.

Belleayre Mountain, Highmount

*Belleayre has natural separation of beginners (from the mid-mountain to the base, with long beginner trails) and more advanced skiers © Laini Miranda/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Belleayre has made improvements this season including replacing an older triple chair ski lift from the Overlook Lodge to the summit, changing a few trails to expand intermediate terrain high on the mountain, modified the Upper Cathedral Brook trail so it returns to forest, added a hybrid groomer with a winch for better grooming on steeper terrain.

What I love best about Belleayre is its natural separation of beginners (from the mid-mountain to the base, with long beginner trails) and more advanced skiers. It affords a 1404 ft vertical drop from a 3429 ft summit, 63 trails, terrain parks, glades and an X-course. Intermediates will enjoy Deer Run, which meanders through a beautiful part of the mountain. Cross-country skiers can enjoy 9.2 kilometers of ungroomed, unpatrolled trails.

See more at www.belleayre.com/plan-your-visit/lodging/)

(Belleayre, Highmount, NY 12441, 800-942-6904, 845-254-5600, www.belleayre.com).

More information at the Olympic Regional Development authority, orda.org.

Windham Mountain Club

Windham Mountain, popular for decades, has been reborn (actually going back to its roots) as the Windham Mountain Club, with a plan for $70 million in enhancements over the next several years to the mountain’s amenities and services.

Though reorganizing as a membership club, the ski resort is still open to the public; daily lift tickets and season passes are available up to capacity limits to ensure minimal lift lines and uncrowded slopes. Also, Windham Mountain Club is continuing its longstanding partnership with the Adaptive Sports Foundation.

Enhancements this season include improved snowmaking and upgraded lifts, a reimagined culinary program, including new food court, Mediterranean restaurant in the base lodge, Italian Alps-style restaurant with wine program at mid-mountain, and The Windham, a private members’ club dining experience.

Windham Mountain Club is a premier multi-generational, four-season resort located in the Great Northern Catskills, 2 1/2 hours north of New York City. Boasting 285 skiable acres across 54 trails and serviced by 11 lifts (four high speed), the mountain offers an award-winning Ski and Ride School, lodging, a tubing park and world-class alpine and freestyle competition teams. Future enhancements to Windham Mountain Club include a new Windham Country Club, an 18-hole golf course designed by award-winning golf course architect Tom Fazio, a luxury spa and fitness center, and expanded lodging (www.windhammountainclub.com).

Hunter Mountain

Hunter Mountain, only a 2 ½-hour drive from New York City through the breathtaking northern Catskill Mountains, has been a winter sports mecca for generations.

And now, Hunter is poised to benefit from Vail Resorts’ Epic Lift Upgrades initiative: Hunter Mountain plans to replace the 4-person fixed-grip Broadway lift with a state-of-the-art 6-person, high-speed lift and relocate the existing Broadway lift to replace the 2-person fixed-grip E lift, to substantially improve uphill capacity and access to key terrain. Both projects, targeted for the 2024/25 season, are subject to approvals. As a Vail Resort, it is included on the Epic Pass, plus offers variations of regional and local seasonal passes. Slope-side accommodation is available at The Kaatskill Mountain Club (huntermtn.com).

More New York Ski Areas

*Greek Peak’s night skiing. The resort has a 6,000 sq. ft. deck off its Trax Pub & Grill for outdoor dining (photo by Drew Broderick, Greek Peak)*

Greek Peak Mountain Resort, Cortland is celebrating its 65^th anniversary in 2024, has invested nearly $1 million in ski area improvements. Now in year three of a five-year plan to upgrade snowmaking, new snowmaking equipment this year means they can put out the equivalent of 16.5 football fields with a foot of snow in a 24-hour period. They also upgraded the Chair 1 lift, trail lighting, and purchased new rental equipment (greekpeak.net).

Holiday Mountain, Monticello: New owners have invested millions of dollars in renovations and upgrades including expanding snowmaking to trails that had not had snowmaking before, re-opening dormant trails, renovating and upgrading their chairlifts as well as updating the base lodge. Tubing operations are also being expanded for 12 lanes of capacity with a conveyor and 100% snowmaking coverage with lighting (skiholidaymountain.com).

Holiday Valley, Ellicottville, NY (50 miles south of Buffalo) is Western New York’s largest year ‘round resort featuring 60 slopes and trails and features a mountain coaster (photo provided by Holiday Valley).

Holiday Valley Resort, Ellicottville has invested nearly $9 million into the resort for the 23-24 season, including the installation of the new High Speed 6-Pack Chairlift that replaced their Mardi Gras Quad, a new PistenBully 600 groomer, and upgraded snowmaking. Also, the Inn at Holiday Valley has refurbished rooms, resurfaced the pool and renovated John Harvard’s restaurant in the Tamarack Club (holidayvalley.com).

Plattekill Mountain, Roxbury widened its “I Think I Can” trail, to expand beginner terrain, added new snowmaking and improved the base lodge. New ski and snowboard demo equipment can be rented for up to two hours per day. Plattekill has partnered with 25 mountains to offer free and discounted tickets for anyone who purchases a Plattekill Seaon Pass. They have also added “Platty Perks” to their season passes too that will get holders discounts to local area businesses and restaurants when the pass is shown (plattekill.com)

West Mountain, Queensbury has made improvements in the base lodge added more lighting for night skiing, two new snow groomers, and made improvements to the base lodge. (westmountain.com).

Thunder Ridge Ski Area, reachable by Metro North, is really geared for families – from the ease of access, ease of reserving lift tickets, rentals, lessons (book online, since walk-ins are only accommodated if the mountain has not reached capacity), serious snowmaking. ThunderRidge offers private lessons from age 4, family private lessons, group lessons, Mommy/Daddy & Me, and race teams. Open Mon-Fri, 10 am -9 pm, Saturday, 9-9 pm, Sunday 9 am to 5 pm. Located 60 minutes from NYC. You can ride Metro-North ski train from NYC and metro areas, and take advantage of free shuttle service to and from the Patterson train station,(137 Birch Hill Rd & Rte 22, Patterson, 845-878-4100, ThunderRidgeski.com.)

Hidden Gems in Adirondacks: Uncrowded, Affordable, even Free Skiing

One of the best-kept ski secrets in upstate New York is that The Adirondack Mountains have a handful of hidden gem ski areas ideal for novice to expert skiers, including two ski areas that offer skiing free of charge. Nestled into historic mountain towns with a distinct Adirondack feel, all of these under-the-radar ski areas offer visitors the opportunity to ski, snowboard or snow tube on uncrowded slopes with the spectacular scenery for which the Adirondacks are renowned. Many of these fun, smaller hills also offer ski schools, snowmobile trails, snowshoeing or Nordic skiing.

Adding to the appeal of these charming community ski areas, many offer extremely affordable ski experiences that make snow sports more approachable for all. Ski passes start as low as $15; a couple even offer free skiing!

Some of the less-explored ski areas, with tips on accommodations and local eats include:

Oak Mountain, a quaint ski area popular with families since 1948, offers 22 trails (snowmaking on 40%), a 650-foot vertical from base at 1,750 feet to the summit at 2,400 feet, and four lifts (quad, two T-bars and a surface lift). The longest run is 7,920 feet. In addition to downhill skiing and snowboarding, Oak features four lanes of snow tubing and miles of snowshoeing trails that take you through a majestic forest. Oak Mountain is a three-season resort in the Southern Adirondacks, an easy drive from Albany and Lake George. Oak Mountain’s website lists nearby accommodations and “Play and Stay” packages. Check out Lake Pleasant Lodge or Cedarhurst Motor Lodge for accommodations. The Lorca Adirondacks is just down the road (thelorca.com, 518-300-3916). Oak Mountain, 141 Novosel Way Speculator, NY 12164 518-548-3606, www.oakmountainski.com

McCauley Mountain (Old Forge): A charming resort near the Adirondack wilderness. Get a great night’s sleep at the Adirondack Lodge Old Forge, stop by Keyes’ Pancake House for breakfast and Tony Harper’s Pizza and Clam Shack for lunch/dinner.

Mt. Pisgah Recreation Center (Saranac Lake): A welcoming community ski hill with night skiing and tubing, with half-day weekend ski passes available for $15. Kick off your boots at Traverse Lodge or Hotel Saranac and enjoy dinner at nearby Bitters & Bones.

Titus Mountain (Malone): A family-friendly ski gem a short drive from Plattsburgh, Lake Placid, Watertown and Northern Vermont, with terrain for all levels. Check out the rustic cabins at Deer Valley Trails (and stay for dinner) and stop by The Pines Tap & Table for evening revelry.

Two community ski areas actually offer free skiing:

Newcomb Ski Slope is an ultra-local and community-owned ski hill which offers free skiing. For the last 50 years, the town of Newcomb has owned and operated this two-run ski slope, where generations of residents have learned to ski. The hill also boasts a trail through the adjacent woods along its 200 vertical feet. At this low-elevation summit, skiers are treated to a view of the snowy High Peaks.

Indian Lake Ski Hill also offers skiing free of charge with the local feel and charm of a community-owned establishment. The recreation area comprises a small hill, two ski trails, a t-bar lift and even ice skating.

SKI NY Passport Program-Kids Ski Free

The SKI NY Passport Program-Kids Ski Free returns this season with more ski areas accepting it during holiday periods. The Passport is valid seven days a week except for holiday periods at certain ski areas.

The program is open to 3rd and 4th graders from any State or country and no reservations at ski areas are required.

The program offers free skiing for your third and fourth graders with an adult purchase, it can be used up to two times per participating ski area. A valid adult ticket purchase is one on the ski area website or at the ticket window and includes season passes as well. ($41 processing fee per application; rentals and lessons arenot included).

For info, email [email protected]; to apply, https://www.e4stores.online/GoPassSANY_UI.

Connect with SKI NY online at www.iskiny.com, www.facebook.com/ISKINY, and www.instagram.com/i_ski_ny/.

A BLUEBIRD DAY OF SPRING SKIING AT WINDHAM MOUNTAIN

WHAT A DISCOVERY! SKIING OAK MOUNTAIN IN NEW YORK’S ADIRONDACKS

NEW YORK’S ADIRONDACKS: DRIVEABLE WINTER OLYMPIC PLAYGROUND

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Arts & Entertainment, Attractions, Cultural travel, Festivals and Events, New York City travel, Staycation, Summer Vacations

Summer in the City: Festivals! Events! Happenings! Make the City Hot, Hot, Hot and Cool Man, Cool

June 3, 2023 krubin723

The iconic Metropolitan Museum of Art is one of the anchors of the annual Museum Mile Festival, this year, with eight major museums opening their doors for free admission and special programs, June 13 6-9 pm © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

By Karen Rubin, Travel Features Syndicate, goingplacesfarandnear.com

New York City’s summer cultural season kicks off with the 45^th Annual Museum Mile Festival – the Big Apple’s “biggest block party” –on Tuesday, June 13, from 6 to 9 pm, rain or shine. Walk the mile on Fifth Avenue between 82nd Street and 104th Street while visiting eight of New York City’s finest cultural institutions, open free during these extended hours: The Africa Center, El Museo del Barrio, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum, the Jewish Museum, Neue Galerie and the Museum of the City of New York (which is celebrating its 100^th Anniversary this year). It’s an electric, eclectic festive atmosphere, with live music and street performers all along the avenue, plus special exhibitions, works from permanent collections and special family-oriented activities inside.

*The Museum Mile Festival is the Big Apple’s biggest block party, with street entertainment and free admissions to museums © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

It is also an opportunity to see the major exhibits underway throughout the summer:

The Metropolitan Museum of Art: Van Gogh’s Cypresses, thru August 27: Vincent van Gogh’s most famous artworks, Wheat Field with Cypresses and The Starry Night, take center stage at Van Gogh’s Cypresses, the first exhibition to focus on the trees immortalized by one of the most beloved artists of our time. Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty thru July 16, highlighting the designer’s body of work spanning from the 1950s to his final collection in 2019, the show will have approximately 150 pieces on display.

Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum: Sarah Sze: Timelapse thru September 10: For this solo exhibition, Sarah Sze created a series of site-specific installations that weave a trail of discovery through multiple spaces of the Guggenheim’s iconic Frank Lloyd Wright building.

100th Anniversary of The Museum of the City of New York: The museum has amassed a collection of over 750,000 objects including photographs, prints, costumes, paintings and more to celebrate, document and interpret the City’s past, present and soon-to-be-announced future. These major exhibits are on view: This Is New York: 100 Years of the City in Art and Pop Culture exhibit explores how the City has served as a muse for storytelling over the past century; through a variety of mediums such as film, music, literature and visual arts, the exhibit presents a diverse and engaging portrayal of NYC. Food in New York: Bigger Than the Plate, thru September 17, highlights the City’s raucous and diverse food culture all while examining the various challenges of NYC’s food systems. From sustainability to equitable access to food, the exhibition explores the ways artists and designers are creating solutions to address the global and local challenges we face when it comes to the food system.

El Museo del Barrio: Something Beautiful: Reframing La Colección, thru March 10, 2024. One of El Museo del Barrio’s most ambitious presentations to date features a complex and culturally diverse permanent collection of 500 artworks, including artist commissions and acquisitions, focusing on the contributions of Amerindian, African and European cultures, through rotating displays over the course of a year.

The Museum Mile Festival is just the first of a whole series of festivals, special events, cultural happenings that make the city hot, hot, hot, or cool man, really cool. Here’s a roundup:

*New York Philharmonic Concerts in the Parks: priceless music for free © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

The New York Philharmonic Concerts in the Parks, presented by Didi and Oscar Schafer, have become an iconic New York summer experience since they began in 1965, transforming parks throughout the city into a patchwork of picnickers enjoying friends, family, and music under the stars, for free! This summer Music Director Jaap van Zweden conducts two iconic masterpieces — Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony and Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man — plus a potpourri of overtures by Rossini and J. Strauss II, and works by NY Phil Very Young Composers. June 13, Van Cortlandt Park, Bronx; June 14, Central Park, Manhattan; June 15, Cunningham Park, Queens; June 16, Prospect Park, Brooklyn; – these concerts begin at 8 pm followed by fireworks. Also, June 18, Staten Island at 4 pm. For weather and updates, call Concert Info Hotline at 212-875-5709, https://nyphil.org/

*Picnicking in Central Park, a tradition before the start of the New York Philharmonic concert © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Shakespeare in the Park presents: Hamlet by The Public Theater, Delacorte Theater, Central Park, Manhattan, June 8–August 6, 2023 directed by Tony Award–winner Kenny Leon and featuring Tony Award–nominee Ato Blankson-Wood in the title role. Same-day tickets can be obtained by lining up (early) at The Delacorte or at a borough distribution site (2 tix pp), or by an in-person lottery in the lobby of The Public Theater at 425 Lafayette Street, or through a digital lottery via the TodayTix mobile app or website. A limited number of advance reservation tickets can be had by making a contribution in support of Free Shakespeare in the Park. Info at 212-967-7555 or visit publictheater.org.

More free Shakespeare! New York Classical theater company is performing Shakespeare’s Richard III, Tuesday through Sunday, 7-9 pm (Central Park West & 103 St., June 13-25); Brooklyn Commons (Myrtle Avenue & Bridge Streets, June 27-July 2) and Carl Schurz Park (East 87^th St., July 4-9). You can also watch the rehearsals taking place in Central Park, 10 am-3:30 pm Tuesdays through Sundays until June 9. (You can also watch the rehearsals taking place in Central Park, 10 am-3:30 pm Tuesdays through Sundays until June 9.) Make a FREE reservation and receive pre-show notice of weather cancellations at https://nyclassical.org/richardiii.

*Jazz Age Lawn Party on Governors Island, NYC with Michael Arenella and his Dreamland Orchestra © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Jazz Age Lawn Party, now celebrating its 18th year, is one of the world’s most authentic Prohibition-era-inspired gathering, taking place this year June 10-11 and August 12-13, on Governor’s Island. Hosted by Michael Arenella and His Dreamland Orchestra, one of the world’s premier Jazz Age dance orchestras, specializing in the Hot Jazz of the 1920s. Featuring Dreamland Follies, a ten-lady Art Deco dance spectacle evoking the great Ziegfeld; Queen Esther; Peter Mintun; Gelber & Manning band; Roddy Caravella and The Canarsie Wobblers, with their scandalous Charleston numbers and rebellious and exuberant spirit of Roaring ‘20s youth. Plus dance lessons, bathing beauty contest. Purchase tickets in advance. Governor’s Island (a getaway destination in itself), reached by ferry from Lower Manhattan (Battery Maritime Building located at 10 South Street, adjacent to the Staten Island Ferry)and Brooklyn. (https://jazzagelawnparty.com/)

Free Summer Programming at Little Island, Chelsea, Manhattan, June 7–September 3: The award-winning public park on the Hudson River Greenway, hosts an array of free programming including performances from Tony-, Grammy-, and Emmy Award–winners and nominees; drag bingo; DJs; dance parties; Teen Night; Broadway performances.

*Free concerts and programs are underway at Little Island, the award-winning oasis off the Hudson River Greenway © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn!, Brooklyn, June 7–August 24, celebrates its 45th anniversary, with a lineup of artists from around the world honoring the diversity of Brooklyn and the broader BRIC community. This year’s lineup includes Corinne Bailey Rae, Kelela, Liv.e, Robert Glasper, NxWorries (Anderson .Paak & Knxwledge).

Bargemusic free concerts, Saturdays, 4 pm through August, Music in Motion” Series — a one hour performance (no intermission), including a Q & A session with the musicians. Brooklyn Bridge Park, Pier 1; close to the base of the Brooklyn Bridge, Brooklyn (https://www.bargemusic.org/admission-free-concerts/).

Forest Hills Stadium’s 100th Anniversary Concert Lineup, Forest Hills, Queens, thru September 30: music and comedy performances from some of the biggest names in music and entertainment, including The Strokes, Fall Out Boy, Kevin Hart, Steve Lacy, LL Cool J’s Rock The Bells Festival, Duran Duran, Maggie Rogers, Toro y Moi, Weezer, Arctic Monkeys, LCD Soundsystem, Dave Matthews Band.

Carnegie Hall Citywide, Citywide, June 9–August 4: Celebrating its 50th anniversary, the beloved free concert series highlights renowned local artists from an array of musical genres.

SummerStage 2023, Citywide, June 3–September 30: now in its 37th season, hosting free and benefit live performances in 13 parks across the five boroughs from a range of musical genres including salsa, jazz, country, opera, Afrobeats, hip hop. The annual concert series will also celebrate the 50th anniversary of hip-hop with concerts featuring artists from NYC.

Blockbuster Exhibitions

*“Invisible Worlds” at the American Museum of Natural History’s new Gilder Center for Science, Education and Innovation puts you inside the body’s nerve system* *© Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation at the American Museum of Natural History: The newly opened $465 million addition to the museum has been hailed internationally as a soaring architectural achievement, and houses world-class research facilities and scientific collections and innovative exhibitions. Admission by timed entry, reserved online. Open daily, 10 am–5:30 pm. American Museum of Natural History,200 Central Park West, 212-769-5606, amnh.org. (See: AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY’S NEW GILDER CENTER IS LIGHTYEARS FORWARD IN IMMERSING, ENGAGING UNDERSTANDING OF THE SECRETS OF LIFE )

*The imaginative architecture of the new Gilder Center at the American Museum of Natural History sets the tone for the experience that awaits within © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Harry Potter: The Exhibition, Herald Square, Manhattan, opened May 2023 for a limited time: Fans can celebrate Harry Potter and the entire Wizarding World with the most comprehensive touring exhibit in world. Featuring favorite moments, props, costumes, characters, and locations, the exhibition delights visitors with powerful storytelling married with interactive technology to explore iconic film scenes, creatures and characters from the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts films as well as the Tony Award–winning Broadway production Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Harry Potter™: Tickets (for timed entry, but you can stay as long as you want) start at $29 for adults. 50 W. 34^th Street (34^th Street and Broadway). www.harrypotterexhibition.com. (See: IMMERSIVE WORLD OF HARRY POTTER EXHIBITION ENCHANTS NEW YORK BUT ONLY FOR LIMITED TIME)

*Fans and superfans alike will be ecstatic to be immersed in the newly opened* ***Harry Potter: The Exhibition***, the most comprehensive touring exhibition ever presented on Harry Potter and the entire Wizarding World, is on view in Herald Square in midtown Manhattan but only for a limited time © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

Africa Fashion at Brooklyn Museum, Prospect Heights, Brooklyn, June 23–October 22 180 works celebrating the global impact of African fashions from the 1950s to present day; 180 works are presented.

Gardens & Works by Ebony G. Patterson at New York Botanical Garden, The Bronx, thru September 17: known for her lavishly detailed mixed media installations, this major site-specific exhibition showcases her breathtaking and provocative displays of art and nature.

Shelley Niro: 500 Year Itch at National Museum of the American Indian, Lower Manhattan, through January 1, 2024, examines and celebrate more than 50 years of Shelley Niro’s paintings, photographs, films and more. Filled with humor and references to pop culture, the exhibition offers a glimpse into the artist’s timeless cultural knowledge and generational history of her Six Nations Kanyen’kehá:ka (Mohawk) community.

New Photography 2023: Kelani Abass, Akinbode Akinbiyi, Yagazie Emezi, Amanda Iheme, Abraham Oghobase, Karl Ohiri, Logo Oluwamuyiw at Museum of Modern Art, Midtown Manhattan, through September 16. The return of its beloved series, New Photography for the first time since 2018, the new exhibition will explore the photographic work of seven artists united by their critical use of photography and their ties to the artistic scene in Lagos, Nigeria. This is also the museum’s first group exhibition in its history engaging in the work of living West African photographers.

Hispanic Society of America,Washington Heights, Manhattan, reopens its Main Building June 2023 after six years of renovations and improvements. Since 1904, the museum has been the home to over 750,000 objects including rare books and masterpieces from Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking countries.

Armstrong Corona Campus (formerly the Louis Armstrong House),Corona, Queens, Summer 2023, after undergoing a physical and programmatic expansion debuts a new cultural center with an interactive exhibit, archival collections, a 75-seat performance venue and store, all dedicated to celebrating and preserving the life and legacy of the legendary jazz musician Louis Armstrong.

Ukrainian Institute of America, Upper East Side, Manhattan, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the art, music and literature of Ukraine and the Ukrainian diaspora, celebrates its 75th anniversary in 2023.

Malibu Barbie Café New York, The Seaport, Manhattan, thru September 15: Barbie fans will be transported to a 1970s Malibu California café filled with the beloved doll’s signature colors and casual, family-friendly fare including Pacific Paradise Pancakes, West Coast Wedge Salad and a California Dreamin’ Club Sandwich, all made by Master Chef finalist Chef Becky Brown. The pop-up will also be complete with photo ops inspired by Malibu Barbie including a life-size doll box, exclusive merchandise and more.

New York City is the epicenter of the art world and not just the famous, prominent, important museums but a plethora of galleries tucked into neighborhoods like The Lower East Side (who would have expected such magnificent art around the corner from the Bowery Mission, where you will also find the New Museum of Contemporary Art), Tribeca, Chelsea and the Meat Packing district under the High Line, and East and West Village. You get to experience the works of artists who should be displayed in the major museums, and perhaps will be. David Barnett’s “Collectomania” is on view at Ivy Brown Gallery through June 6 (artist talk on June 6, 6-8 pm) © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

Under Cover: J.C. Leyendecker and American Masculinity at New-York Historical Society Museum & Library, Upper West Side, Manhattan, thru August 13 explores the work of J.C. Leyendecker, a prominent American illustrator, and his influence on shaping ideals of masculinity in the early 20th century. Through a collection of his iconic magazine covers, the exhibit examines Leyendecker’s depictions of stylish, confident and athletic men, highlighting their impact on shaping cultural perceptions of masculinity during that time.

Craft Front & Center: Exploring the Permanent Collection at Museum of Arts and Design, Columbus Circle, Manhattan, thru January 14, 2024, featuring a collection of over 3,500 objects, as well as a fresh installation of more than 60 historic works and new acquisitions dating from the golden age of the American Craft movement to the present day.

Yayoi Kusama: I Spend Each Day Embracing Flowers at David Zwirner Gallery, Chelsea, Manhattan, thru July 21: In one of her largest gallery exhibitions to date, celebrated contemporary artist Yayoi Kusama features new paintings, sculptures, flowers, and an Infinity Mirrored Room.

Collections of Culture: 50 Years of Hip Hop Inside Libraries, Museums and Archives at Queens Public Library, Flushing, Queens, thru August 21, a celebration hosting an array of in-person and lived-streamed programs.

Oceanic, Portal at Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art, Soho, Manhattan, thru August 13, through various mediums and perspectives, the exhibit invites viewers to contemplate the fluidity, liberation and transformative power represented by the vastness of the ocean and its connection to LGBTQ+ identities.

Vulnerable Landscapes at Staten Island Museum, Randall Manor, Staten Island, thru December 30, highlights the Staten Island shorelines at the forefront of climate change in NYC, examining the past while navigating the route forward.

Darrel Ellis: Regeneration at The Bronx Museum of the Arts, South Bronx, thru September 10, the first comprehensive, scholarly survey of pioneering artist Darrel Ellis, the exhibition highlights Ellis’s body of work that combines painting, printmaking, photography and drawing before his untimely passing in 1992, co-organized by The Baltimore Museum of Art,

Uniquely NYC Tours

Brooklyn Chocolate Tour – A Slice of Brooklyn Bus Tours, Brooklyn: Enjoy chocolates from some of the finest traditional and artisanal chocolates out of Brooklyn on this recently resumed tour. Guests can learn more about the history of chocolate and watch demonstrations as they explore many of the borough’s most beloved chocolate shops, including the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory, The Chocolate Room, Raaka Chocolate and Li-Lac Chocolates.

Sustainable Harlem – Like a Local Tours, Harlem, Manhattan: support hyper-local and community-based organizations in the historic neighborhood of Harlem with this socially impactful tour. Guests will learn about many of the sustainable movements within Harlem and the people behind them such as the New York Fair Trade Coalition at the Sustainable Fashion Community Center, Simone from Green and Blue Eco Care and more.

Culinary Tour in Washington Heights – MAD Tours & Events, Washington Heights, Manhattan: Explore this culturally rich neighborhood (featured in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “In the Heights”) on a special food tour. Known as one of Manhattan’s Latino hubs, Washington Heights is home to some of the City’s best Dominican, Mexican, and Cuban food.

Food Cart Tour: Jackson Heights – Turnstile Tours, Jackson Heights, Queens: Explore many of the local flavors in one of the City’s most diverse neighborhoods right in the heart of Queens on a two-hour walking and tasting tour. Sample delicious favorites from around the world while learning more about the people and organizations helping the City’s street vendors continue to thrive.

Retail Store Tours, Brooklyn & Manhattan: Explore the driving forces changing the retail landscape and the best of retail innovation in this two-hour tour led by industry professionals.

*The Alice Austen House,Staten Island © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

New York City Borough Pass, Citywide: a new sightseeing pass designed to showcase the beauty of the neighborhoods and cultures across all five boroughs. The pass features a diverse roster of popular attractions, museums, performing arts venues, including the Alice Austen House Museum, MoMA PS1, New York Botanical Garden, Van Cortlandt House Museum, Staten Island Children’s Museum.

The Go City Pass for New York City offers 100 different options in all five boroughs. For example, the two-day all inclusive pass, giving access to as much as you want/can do from among 105 attractions is $134 – regardless of how much the actual attractions charge (GoCity.com, 800 887 9103).

During US Open Fan Week, which takes lace the week before the US Open Tennis starts, you get to watch the qualifiers, as well as a front-row seat to watch tennis stars, like Nadel, working out © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

The grand finale to New York’s summer sensations: US Open Tennis Championships, Corona, Queens, August 28–September 10: It begins with US Open Fan Week, August 23-28, when the grounds are open to the public with free admission, so you can watch the (thrilling) US Open Qualifying Tournament, watch open practices of the tennis stars, and additional scheduled exhibitions. This year, there is the first ever US Open Food Event Thursday August 25, 2022, 7pm-9pm; special appearances by athletes like former Top 5 ATP Player James Blake, and entertainment. (https://www.usopen.org/)

For more New York City visitor information, visit https://www.nycgo.com/

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© 2023 Travel Features Syndicate, a division of Workstyles, Inc. All rights reserved. Visit goingplacesfarandnear.com, www.huffingtonpost.com/author/karen-rubin, and travelwritersmagazine.com/TravelFeaturesSyndicate/. Blogging at goingplacesnearandfar.wordpress.com and moralcompasstravel.info. Visit instagram.com/going_places_far_and_near and instagram.com/bigbackpacktraveler/ Send comments or questions to [email protected]. Tweet @TravelFeatures. ‘Like’ us at facebook.com/KarenBRubin

Fall Foliage Getaways, Festivals and Events, Getaways, Travel in a Time of Pandemic

Fall Festivals, Hayrides, Corn-Mazes, Pumpkin Picking & Leaf Peeping Underway Throughout New York State

September 21, 2020 krubin723

*While in North Creek (Gore Mountain ski area) for an Adirondacks getaway, Marty takes a class with artist-in-residence glassblower Greg Tomb.* In cooperation with North Creek’s Tannery Pond Center, Tomb has made hundreds of colorful, glass-blown pumpkins that will be sold at the “Glass Pumpkin Patch” weekend, September 25-27 © Laurie Millman/goingplacesfarandnear.com

by Karen Rubin
Travel Features Syndicate, goingplacesfarandnear.com

This fall, you can enjoy your favorite corn mazes, pick-your-own-fruit and vegetable activities, hayrides and haunted houses, plus farmers’ markets and craft beverage trails in New York State, albeit under special health protocols for low-risk outdoor outdoor arts and entertainment. You can also visit the state’s farmers’ markets and craft beverage trails, which have remained open under New York’s NY Forward guidance, supporting agriculture and tourism in the state.

Sleepy Hollow’s Iconic 16^th Annual Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze Comes to Long Island for the First Time

The extraordinarily popular Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze event that takes place each extended Halloween season at historic Hudson Valley is coming to Long Island for the first time, as Nassau County’s Old Bethpage Village Restoration (OBVR) hosts the iconic fall event in conjunction with the original Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze® Hudson Valley, kicking off this week, running for a record 53 select evenings from September 18 through November 21. The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze® Long Island will run for 23 nights from October 2 through November 1. Both locations feature outdoor self-guided, touch-free walk-through experiences through the wooded pathways, orchards, and gardens of historic sites. A small team of local artists hand-carved more than 7,000 Jack O’Lanterns and elaborate pumpkin sculptures at each site. Nassau’s location will feature pumpkin sculptures that celebrate icons of Long Island culture – from the Apollo Lunar Module to the Montauk Lighthouse to the windmills of the East End.

Bringing the event to Nassau County is part of County Executive Laura Curran’s efforts to expand on the variety of extraordinary, cultural and memorable activities available to residents close to home – making the County a spectacular place to live, work, and play. OBVR provides a perfect 19th century backdrop for this magical and spooky event where attendees can safely socially distance across the property’s 209 acres. Advance purchase tickets are required; prices start at $32/adult, $24/child, purchase online (https://pumpkinblaze.org/blaze-long-island.html). (Old Bethpage Village Restoration, 1303 Round Swamp Rd., Old Bethpage, NY 11804)

The Headless Horseman in jack o’lanterns during Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze at Historic Hudson Valley’s Van Cortlandt Manor in Croton-on-Hudson. This year, for the first time, a second Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze is taking place at Old Bethpage Village Restoration on Long Island © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

To see the original, come to Van Cortlandt Manor. Meander through an 18th-century landscape and discover a breathtaking display of more than 7,000 illuminated jack o’ lanterns—all designed and hand-carved on site by HHV’s team of artisans. New for 2020, a fire truck—making a special rescue—and witches stirring up a spell. Tour the Museum of Pumpkin Art, where classic paintings get the gourd treatment, see who let the (pumpkin) dogs out, listen for the Headless Horseman—and watch out for swooping jack o’lantern bats. See the Pumpkin Carousel twirl and the Pumpkin Windmill whirl and step inside the Pumpkin Planetarium for a star show like you’ve never seen. Hold a torch for the 25-foot-tall jack o’lantern Statue of Liberty and get personal with Instagrammable signs of the zodiac. Social distancing and masks required at all times (no food and beverage on site and no outside food or drinks permitted). Tickets must be purchased in advance. (Van Cortlandt Manor, 525 S Riverside, Croton-on-Hudson, NY 10520, https://hudsonvalley.org/events/blaze/).

Historic Hudson Valley is also re-creating its famous “Legend” event for these times. Sunnyside celebrates its connection to Washington Irving’s classic tale, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, at this family friendly daytime event. Home of the ‘Legend’ includes a literary-themed scavenger hunt and a Legend-themed exhibit on the grounds of Washington Irving’s estate. Weekends through Nov. 6-8; tickets $12/adults, $10/seniors and children 3-17. (Sunnyside, West Sunnyside Lane, off Route 9 in Tarrytown, https://hudsonvalley.org/events/home-of-the-legend/).

Buy tickets online at www.hudsonvalley.org or by calling 914-366-6900 ($2 per ticket surcharge for phone orders).

Hudson Valley Bountiful With Farmers Markets, Pick-Your-Own, Biking, Hiking

Hudson Valley is full of farmers markets, pick-your-own, and tastings that show off New York State’s bounty.

After biking the River to Ridge trail in New Paltz, just off a Springtown Road, filled with apple and pumpkin farms and stands, just a few minutes away from the trailhead (and actually located right off the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail), we found Coppersea Distilling, with beautifully laid out bar stands for tasting their wonderful whiskeys and brandies, made with “heritage” methods, and locally source (within 25 miles) all the ingredients. They even use New York State wood for their barrels (which actually shape the taste). They floor-malt grains, ferment in wood tanks, distill in direct-fired copper pot stills to crate spirits with “provenance.” (It’s fascinating to hear James explain these processes.) They also have resurrected a 250-year old process for “green whiskey” – the significant difference in method and taste is that the grain is still alive and has chlorophyll, which gives the whiskey a kind of green-tea flavor. (Coppersea, 239 Springtown Road, New Paltz 12561, coppersea.com, 845-444-1044).

Whiskey tasting at Coppersea Distilling, New Paltz, meeting New York State’s COVID-19 guidelines. The state has made it possible to enjoy the traditional festivals and festivities of fall throughout New York State, with apple and pumpkin picking, farm stands, tastings, leaf-peeping, biking, hiking and more. © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

“New York State’s amazing outdoor attractions and recreational opportunities are a boon for families and communities during the fall season each year, and we want New Yorkers to be able to enjoy this time with their family responsibly and safely,” Governor Cuomo said. “The new guidance will ensure that these businesses can open to the public, allowing families to enjoy their favorite fall activities while providing a boost for our farming communities and local economies.”

New York State will be offering fall festivals that support the state’s agribusiness and agritourism, such as with this “Taste of New York” stand at one of the service centers on the New York Thruway, with COVID-19 precautions in place. (c) Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

“As one of the nation’s top agricultural states, New York traditionally comes together in the fall to celebrate the harvest—from apples to grapes to pumpkins,” State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball said. “This year, while things may not look exactly the same on your favorite farm, I am happy to say we can still celebrate agriculture’s bounty and the many family-friendly activities that go with it. With this new guidance, we hope New Yorkers will be able to enjoy some of the best of New York agriculture in a safe and socially distanced manner.”

The protocols include reduced capacity, face coverings, social distancing between individuals and parties, and frequently touched surfaces, such as handrails, cleaned and sanitized between rides. (See https://agriculture.ny.gov/coronavirus).

Autumn in The Adirondacks

Autumn is always a fabulous time to visit the Adirondacks in upstate NY, but in a year when fresh air and wide open spaces are what we are all craving, the region’s natural landscape is especially nurturing. Travelers will find endless opportunities for adventure, exploration and relaxation, from hiking the High Peaks to scenic drives along the Whiteface Memorial Highway to fireside dining on outdoor patios.

The Adirondack Fall Foliage Meter provides up-to-the-minute fall foliage reports on where the leaves are prettiest and most colorful. In Lake Placid, the new Skyride, an 8-person state-of-the-art gondola, takes guests from the Olympic Jumping Complex’s base lodge to the 90-meter and 120-meter ski jump towers, where a new glass-enclosed elevator brings them to the top to enjoy the panoramic vista of the Adirondack High Peaks (and to experience what the jumpers see as they start to accelerate towards the end of the ramp!). The new Sky Flyer zipline also offers unparalleled views of Lake Placid and the High Peaks. (https://lakeplacidolympicsites.com/todo/skyride/)

Adirondacks ‘Glass Pumpkin Patch’ Weekend, Sept. 25-27

For a COVID getaway, which we just did over Labor Day, enjoy fall foliage colors and no quarantining required (if you live in the Northeast) in New York State’s Adirondacks State Park.

While in North Creek (Gore Mt ski area), visit and/or take a class with artist-in-residence glassblower extraordinaire, Greg Tomb — last day for classes this season is September 23, 2020.

In cooperation with North Creek’s Tannery Pond Center, Tomb has made hundreds of colorful, glass-blown pumpkins that will be sold at the “Glass Pumpkin Patch” weekend, September 25-27, 2020, from 10am – 6pm daily. Each pumpkin has been hand-blown by Tomb, giving them their unique and distinctive sizes and designs (starting price of $35). A sizable percentage of all sales goes towards the arts and operations of North Creek’s Tannery Pond Center, North Creek, NY. For more info, visit https://tannerypondcenter.org/event/fundraiser-glass-pumpkin-patch/). — Laurie Millman and Martin Rubin/Travel Features Syndicate

To keep tabs on the progress of fall foliage in the state, www.iloveny.com/things-to-do/fall/foliage-report.

See more information on where to go, what to do in New York, www.iloveny.com, 800 CALL NYS, [email protected].

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© 2020 Travel Features Syndicate, a division of Workstyles, Inc. All rights reserved. Visit goingplacesfarandnear.com, www.huffingtonpost.com/author/karen-rubin, and travelwritersmagazine.com/TravelFeaturesSyndicate/. Blogging at goingplacesnearandfar.wordpress.com and moralcompasstravel.info. Send comments or questions to [email protected]. Tweet @TravelFeatures. ‘Like’ us at facebook.com/NewsPhotoFeatures

Camping/Hiking/Outdoors, Cultural travel, Driveable adventures, Driveable destinations, Getaways, New York State travel

Driveable Getaways: Hiking the Hudson River School Art Trail in the Great Northern Catskills

August 7, 2020 krubin723

Sunset Rock. Hiking the Hudson River School Art Trail, in the Catskill Mountains, Greene County, New York State *© Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear*.com

by Karen Rubin

Travel Features Syndicate, goingplacesfarandnear.com

My getaway exploring the Hudson River School Art Trail in the Great Northern Catskills of New York starts at the trailhead to Kaaterskill Falls, where you get an amazing view of Kaaterskill Clove (HRSAT Site #4). You gaze out over the gorge where mountain peaks seem to thread together and compare the scene today to the way it is depicted by Hudson River School artist Asher B. Durand’s 1866 painting.

Kaaterskill Clove. Hiking the Hudson River School Art Trail, Great Northern Catskills, NY *© Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear*.com

It’s a short walk along 23A (watch out for cars on the winding narrow road) to the trailhead for one of my favorite hikes, Kaaterskill Falls (HRSAT Site #5), a stunning scene that looks remarkably just as depicted in an 1835 painting by Thomas Cole, known as the father of the Hudson River School. “It is the voice of the landscape for it strikes its own chords, and rocks and mountains re-echo in rich unison,” Cole (who was also a poet and essayist) wrote.

Kaaterskill Falls. Hiking the Hudson River School Art Trail, Great Northern Catskills, NY *© Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear*.com

The Kaaterskill Falls were a favorite subject of many of the Hudson River School painters and for me, is the quintessential combination of stunning scenery plus the physical pleasure of the hike – half-mile up to the base of the double-falls, then another half-mile to the top.

Kaaterskill Falls. Hiking the Hudson River School Art Trail, in the Catskill Mountains, Greene County, New York State *© Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear*.com

The two-tiered Kaaterskill Falls, 175 and 85 feet, is the highest in New York State and was described by James Fenimore Cooper in “The Pioneers” which Thomas Cole, a friend of Cooper’s illustrated.

Hiking the Hudson River School Art Trail, Great Northern Catskills, NY *© Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear*.com

There is a small trail through the woods to the very top of the falls. Signs admonish hikers that climbing the ledges beside Kaaterskill Falls is extremely dangerous, and has resulted in numerous injuries and deaths. But the falls are not flowing when I come, so I get to walk on the ledges, giving me a really nervous view straight down and beyond, to the Valley and letting me look at the carved initials and graffiti from the 1920s and 30s, some even from the 1800s. You feel a sense of kindred spirit with those who have passed through and passed on. You feel the height and the proximity to the drop off, and it makes your heart flutter.

At the top of the Kaaterskill Falls. Hiking the Hudson River School Art Trail, Great Northern Catskills, NY *© Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear*.com

Later, I will recognize the view in Thomas Cole’s paintings and imagine how he must have stood in this precise place where you are standing.

It is a half-mile to the base, and another half- mile to the top of the falls, for a total of 2 miles roundtrip. There are some scrambles and it is uphill almost all the way (walking sticks are really recommended), and is thoroughly fantastic.

Hiking the Hudson River School Art Trail, in the Catskill Mountains, Greene County, New York State
*© Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear*.com

(The parking lot is just west of the trailhead and across 23A, so you park and walk back along the road, being very careful. Haines Falls NY 12436, 518-589-5058, 800-456-2267).

HRSAT Hikes in North-South Campground

For my second day, after an amazing breakfast at the Fairlawn Inn, I head to North-South Campground, where there are several of the Hudson River School of Art Trail hikes (as well as many other hiking trails) – the lake itself depicted in paintings such as Thomas Cole’s “Lake with Dead Trees,” 1825 (HRSAT Site #6).

Artists Rock, Escarpment Trail, North-South Lake Campground, on the Hudson River School Art Trail *© Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear*.com

The Escarpment Trail to Sunset Rock (HRSAT Trail Site #7) begins along the well-marked blue trail (you cut off to the yellow trail to Sunset Rock) that mostly wraps around the ledges, with the amazing views that so enthralled the artists of the Hudson River Valley. Close to the beginning is a fairly interesting scramble, then the trail winds through the woods along side fabulous rock formations before coming out again to the ledges. You reach Artists Rock at about a half-mile. Continuing on, you look for the yellow trail marker to Sunset Rock and from there, to Newman’s Point.

*Escarpment Trail, North-South Lake Campground, on the Hudson River School Art Trail © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear*.com

You can either reverse and come back on the Escarpment Trail, or make a loop, coming down the Mary’s Glen trail, passing Ashley’s Falls.

Ashley’s Falls on Mary’s Glen Trail *© Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear*.com

Mary’s Glen trail can also be the entrance to a more challenging hike, to North Point, a distance of 3.2 miles with 840 feet ascent. It is a mostly moderate climb but has some short, steep scrambles over rock, but you come to large open slabs and expansive vistas at North Point, a 3,000 ft. elevation with some of the most distant views.)

North-South Lake. Hiking the Hudson River School Art Trail, in the Catskill Mountains, Greene County, New York State *© Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear*.com

Back at the North-South Lake, you can follow around the shoreline to see the same views that inspired Hudson River School paintings.

You can also take the trail to the site of the Catskill Mountain House (HRSAT Site #8), one of the earliest tourist hotels. The majestic hotel, which was opened in 1823 and accommodated 400 guests a night (Presidents Arthur and Grant were among those who stayed here), burned down in 1963 but the view that attracted visitors still remains as one of the most magnificent panoramas in the region, and can be compared to Frederic Church’s “Above the Clouds at Sunrise” (1849).

Where the Catskill Mountain House used to stand. Hiking the Hudson River School Art Trail, in the Catskill Mountains, Greene County, New York State *© Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear*.com

It is fun to see the initials carved into the stone ledges from more than a century ago. The Mountain House began drawing thousands of guests each season from all over the country as well as from abroad, who came not just for the cooler, healthier climate but for what had already become one of the most renowned natural panoramas in the young nation: the valley 1,600 feet below, stretching east to the Taconic Mountains and the Berkshires, with the silvery thread of the Hudson visible for 60 miles from north to south. On a clear day, you can see five states – Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and New York. The hike is just a half-mile with only an 80-foot ascent.

There is a $10/car day use fee for the NYS DEC’s North-South Lake Campground from early May through late October, however the fee is waived for NYS residents 62 years or older midweek. The campground is open May through October; 518-589-5058 or call DEC Regional Office year-round at 518-357-2234, www.greatnortherncatskills.com/outdoors/north-south-lake-campground.

The Hudson River School Art Trail also features Olana, the magnificent and whimsical mansion home of artist Frederick Edwin Church. At this writing, the entrancing mansion was not yet reopened to visits, but the 250-acre grounds and the first-ever legally protected “viewshed” to the Hudson River are open (5720 Route 9G, Hudson, NY 12534, 518-828-0135, olana.org.)

Frederick Edwin Church’s Olana, Hudson, NY © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

Also, you can walk the grounds Thomas Cole Historic Site (the home has yet to be reopened, but is marvelous to visit, especially Cole’s studio). (218 Spring Street, Catskill, NY 12414, 518-943-7465, www.thomasscole.org)

*Thomas Cole National Historic Site, Catskill, NY, on the Hudson River School Art Trail © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Get maps, directions and background on the Hudson River School Art Trail atwww.hudsonriverschool.org/hudsonriverschoolarttrail.

View from *Thomas Cole National Historic Site, Catskill, NY, on the Hudson River School Art Trail © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Also, walk on the Hudson River Skywalk along the Rip Van Winkle Bridge to find incredible river views.

In Tannersville: Explore the Mountain Top Arboretum, 178 acres of trails, wetlands, gardens, and native plants; go on a mountain biking adventure at the Tannersville Bike Park, part of the Tannersville-Hathaway Trail System.

In Athens:Rent a kayak or paddleboard at Screaming Eagle Outdoor Adventures; explore along the Hudson River at the Athens Riverfront Park and look for the Hudson-Athens Lighthouse.

Places to stay include:

Fairlawn Inn bed-and-breakfast, Hunter, NY, the Catskills *© Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

In Hunter, the Fairlawn Inn where we have stayed, oozes charm; open year-round (7872 Main St. Hunter, NY 12442, 518-263-5025, www.fairlawninn.com).

Just outside of Catskill, A Tiny House Resort offers 10 tiny houses perched over the Catskill Creek; open-year-round (2754 CR 23BSouth Cairo, NY 12484, 518-622-2626,www.atinyhouseresort.com).

In Coxsackie, Gather Greene is a glamping destination offering 17 wooden glamping cabins on 100 acres of rolling hills and fields, each is equipped with air conditioning and heating, full bathrooms, a mini-fridge (176 Levitt RoadCoxsackie, 262-448-3683, www.gathergreene.com).

More information from Greene County Tourism, 800-355 CATS, 518-943-3223, discovergreene.com.

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Camping/Hiking/Outdoors, New York State travel, Outdoors Adventures

New York State Parks, Campgrounds, Beaches Reopen Just in Time to Save Summer

June 16, 2020 krubin723

Hiking the Escarpment Trail in the North-South Lake Campground park in the Catskills Preserve affording spectacular views of the Hudson River Valley. New York State has officially reopened state parks and is taking reservations for campsites © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

By Karen Rubin
Travel Features Syndicate, goingplacesfarandnear.com

Visiting New York State’s parks has been such a respite, a source of revitalization and renewal during this unprecedented public health crisis. Thankfully, they have been officially reopened as New York proceeds with its NY Forward phased plan, as New York has gone (miraculously) from having the highest-rate of COVID-19 infection in the nation to the lowest in just 100 days. That has been managed by methodical, scrupulous implementation of protocols, a “new normal,” that include reducing capacity in parking lots and cleaning restrooms, and requiring people to wear face masks when they cannot keep six-feet apart, even when hiking on a trail.

This weekend, I biked at Jones Beach State Park, where the bike path has been extended 3 miles along Ocean Parkway, then biked along the boardwalk which was surprisingly uncrowded and people were observing healthy practices (and there were plenty of monitors, as well as hand-sanitizing stations, and scrupulously cleaned restrooms), then continued the trail along Wantagh Parkway 5 miles to Cedar Creek Park and return – a 20-mile ride that is absolutely exhilarating.

Jones Beach State Park, Long Island, NY (c) Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com.

Another weekend, I biked the sensational Bethpage State Park trail. The 6.8-mile trail, which is remarkably treed and natural-looking despite going through a narrow corridor between highway and residential neighborhoods has been nearly doubled in length, to 12.5 miles, from Woodbury Road, into and through Bethpage State Park and Massapequa Park (https://www.dot.ny.gov/bethpagebikeway).

Biking the Bethpage State Park trail into Massapequa Park, Long Island (c) Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com.

I can’t wait to bike the newly opened 3.6 mile bike/walking path along the Governor Mario Cuomo Bridge (former Tappan Zee), which affords views of New York City to the South, Hudson Valley to the north (mariomcuomobridge.ny.gov). Already, the Walkway over the Hudson in Poughkeepsie has become one of the most popular attractions in the state (walkway.org), and this new path is expected to be a boon for local tourism as well.

See: New 3.6 Mile Biking/Walking Path Opens on Mario Cuomo Bridge over Hudson River

New York State Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced the opening of the 3.6-mile shared bicycle and pedestrian path on the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge (the rebuilt Tappan Zee Bridge), providing an environmentally friendly new connection for families, runners, cyclists, walkers and commuters to travel between Westchester and Rockland counties over the Hudson River. The path opened with safety protocols in place to limit the potential spread of COVID-19.

I also discovered how easy it is to hike in the Catskills – within 2 ½ hours drive, to be amid sensational scenes immortalized in the Hudson River Art School paintings (and now on the Hudson River School Art Trail), making it a day trip (the rest stops along the New York Thruway are open and observing COVID-19 protocols). (hudsonriverschool.org)

A centerpiece of the art trail is the North-South Lake Campground, 2 ½ hour drive (but you can now book a campsite), where there are a number of hiking trails that bring you to the scenes depicted in paintings by Thomas Cole and Frederic Edwin Church. My favorite is the Escarpment Trail, which goes along the edge for breathtaking views over the Hudson including Artist’s Rock, Sunset Rock, Newman’s Ledge, Boulder Rock and North Point, through wilderness with dramatic rock formations, and down Mary’s Glen trail, passed the beautiful Ashley Falls. (https://cnyhiking.com/North-SouthLakeCampground.htm)

Coming upon Ashley Falls on the Mary’s Glen trail in North-South Lake Campground state park in New York’s Catskills (c) Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com.

Make it into a real adventure, in order to enjoy all the outdoor amenities of North-South Lake Campground, and make it a camping trip. North-South Lake Campground is the largest state campground in the Catskills, with more than 200 campsites.

NYS Parks Campgrounds Reopen

New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (State Parks) has begun accepting new camping reservations for all available sites – including tents, trailers, RVs, cabins, yurts and cottages – for camping stays beginning on June 22. Reservations are expected to fill quickly. Reservations can be made in advance by calling 800-456-CAMP or http://newyorkstateparks.reserveamerica.com. Online reservations are encouraged.

State Park Police and operations staff are patrolling campgrounds to ensure compliance with social distancing and crowd control measures. Anyone who does not adhere to this guidance will be requested to leave the facility, and will not receive a refund.

Upon check-in, campers will be asked a series of screening questions to determine if they may have been in contact with anyone suffering from Covid-19, or if they have any potential symptoms of Covid-19, including fever or respiratory illness. People who may be at risk will not be permitted to camp.

Campground density reduction and social distancing measures will be in effect, including:

No walk-up reservations will be allowed.
Each congregate restroom facility will be opened and cleaned per DOH protocols.
Rest rooms and shower buildings may have reduced capacity and may be closed periodically for cleaning.
Campground gatherings will be limited to immediate household members only.
All campground events and programs are suspended.
Park Social Distancing Ambassadors will monitor campgrounds, picnic areas, beachfronts, lawns, boardwalks and other areas to ensure park guidelines are being met.
COVID related signage has been installed throughout the park system.

For a listing of campgrounds operated by the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, visit https://parks.ny.gov/camping/. Campgrounds in the Adirondack and Catskill Parks overseen by the Department of Environmental Conservation operate on a different schedule.

If you are closed out, you can look to some of the private campgrounds, such as Kampgrounds of America (koa.com).

Beaches and day-use areas

In alignment with NY Forward, State Park beaches, day-use areas and historic sites are charging the normal entrance fee of $6-$10 as regions reach phase 2 of reopening. For information, visit: https://forward.ny.gov/.

The 2020 Season Empire Pass for unlimited day-use entry costing $80, is a wallet-sized card that can be shared within a household and not assigned to a specific vehicle ( https://parks.ny.gov/admission/empire-passport/default.aspx)

For guidance on visiting New York State Parks during the Covid-19 public health crisis, visit: https://parks.ny.gov/covid19/

NY Parks 2020 Plan

New York is spending $2.9 million to improve new or existing trails and playgrounds in state parks across the state in the next phase of the NY Parks 2020 Plan. The plan is a multi-year commitment to leverage a broad range of private and public funding to invest approximately $900 million in State Park improvements. Under the initiative, Governor Andrew Cuomo has set a goal of modernizing 100 playgrounds, replacing outdated equipment with modern, code-compliant facilities, improving access for people with disabilities, and creating specific areas for older and younger age groups.

“We are continuing to invest in every corner of the state to ensure that New Yorkers have access to nearby family-friendly, top-notch facilities, with modern playgrounds and expanded or improved opportunities for hiking and outdoor recreation,” Governor Andrew Cuomo said. “Our State Parks serve as community anchors as well as economic engines for families and business across New York, and this is why we have made their enhancement a top priority.”

*New York State has invested millions to refurbish the Art Deco structures in Jones Beach State Park as well as add amenities © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com.*

Projects funded include:

Capital Region

Saratoga Spa State Park ($50,000) – Rehabilitation of stone dust paths.
Moreau Lake State Park ($20,000) – Design work started for a new gravel parking area at the Sherman Island boat launch.
Materials purchased ($5,000) for creation of new trail signs at the regional sign shop for all parks in the region.

Central New York

Fillmore Glen State Park ($60,000) – Completion of a new 80-foot bridge, rehabilitation of box steps and stone steps, and regrading of a mile of the North Rim Trail.
Chittenango Falls State Park (69,000) – Renovation of existing playground.

Finger Lakes

Chimney Bluffs State Park ($50,000) – Construction starting on a new 400-foot boardwalk and trail relocation, with completion expected in spring 2020.
Genesee Valley Greenway State Park ($50,000) – New drainage culverts are being added to improve the 90-mile former canal towpath and railway bed in Monroe, Livingston, Wyoming, Allegany and Cattaraugus counties. In September, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced $6.4 million in grants from the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation, in addition to $4 million in state funding, to support ongoing improvements to the Genesee Valley Greenway State Park and the Niagara Shoreline Trail in Western New York.

Long Island

Hallock State Park Preserve ($17,000) – A new .75-mile birding trail loop added from the upper parking lot through Harbor Hill moraine and rare clay hoodoos (a type of rock tower formation) along the north shore of Long Island Sound.

Mid-Hudson Region

Taconic State Park ($158,000) – Expansion of playground to include equipment for younger children and a bear theme.
Lake Taghkanic ($245,000) – Expansion of West Beach playground to include new fish theme, along with increased shade structures and an ADA-compliant pedestrian trail to the beach.
Mills Norrie State Park ($405,000) – Bids opened for new woodland-themed playground, with construction to start next spring for summer completion.
Fahnestock State Park ($325,000) – Design work started for a new bird-themed playground at Canopus Lake, with completion estimated in 2020 or 2021.
Trail signage replacement ($75,000) throughout region, with work expected to be done by spring 2020.
Hudson Highlands State Park Preserve – New interpretive panels will be added to the Constitution Marsh Bird Conservation Area, with work expected to be done by spring 2020.

North Country

Wellesley Island State Park ($10,000) – Construction of new boardwalks at the Minna Anthony Common Nature Center.
Robert G. Wehle State Park ($50,000) – Construction of a new playground shaped like a dog’s paw, to underscore Wehle’s history as a breeder of champion bird hunting dogs.
Higley Flow State Park ($50,000) – Construction of a second playground closer to the campgrounds.

New York City

Clay Pit Ponds Park Preserve ($15,000) – Trails have been improved at the 265-acre nature preserve at the southwest shore of Staten Island.

Southern Tier

Buttermilk Falls State Park ($30,000) – Work begun on new 56-foot bridge at Scott’s Dam connecting the main parking lot to the Bear Trail, with completion expected in spring 2020.
Taughhannock Falls State Park ($10,000) – Construction completed of new box steps and stone steps on the South Rim Trail.
Chenango Valley State Park ($282,000) – Playground near beach area improved with upgraded equipment. Clearing work has started on the Chenango Lake Trail, with planning begun for a new ADA-compliant parking area near the trailhead, a new Oak Island bridge and a mountain bikes skills course.
Oquaga Creek State Park ($75,500) – Construction of new play area.

Western New York

Allegany State Park ($130,000) – Rehabilitation complete on the 25-mile Art Roscoe Cross-Country Ski and Mountain Bike Area, with work expected to be complete by October. Work is complete on refurbishing the Lonkto Hollow Trail and culvert replacement. Replace culverts, with work expected to be done by October 2019. Refurbish the Stoney Trail and replace culverts, with work expected to be done in summer 2020.
Midway State Park ($300,000) – Construction this winter for a new train-themed playground reflecting the park’s origination as a 19th century “trolley park,” with work expected to be done for the 2020 operating season.
Letchworth State Park ($300,000) – Design work underway for new Nature Center playground, with construction start anticipated for April 2020.

Statewide

Backcountry Trails Program ($170,000) – Sterling Forest State Park: Repairs to existing trails, and construction of new Doris Duke Trail and seven-mile Red Back multi-use loop; Hudson Highlands State Park Preserve: Restoration and surfacing improvements to highly-used trails.

State Parks oversees more than 250 parks, historic sites, recreational trails, golf courses, boat launches and more, which were visited by a record 74 million people last year. For more information on any of these recreation areas, call 518-474-0456 or visit www.parks.ny.gov.

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Going Places, Far & Near

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