Allegany State Park - Creekside cabins featured in our "60 Seconds or Less" travel series videos.

Enjoy culture, diversity, and spectacular views in ITHACA, NY!
 
As a child, I can recall camping trips to Ithaca, visiting Buttermilk Falls and Robert H. Treman State Park.  Riding bikes and swimming during the day, then eating smores while laying flat on the picnic table staring at the blanket of stars that glisten in the clear night sky.  It wasn’t until much later in life when I was able to appreciate the fascinating culture and delectable diversity offered in a community as gorgeous as Ithaca.

It is no surprise to me that Ithaca made the list as “Most Liberal Places in America” by www.epodunk.com, or that The Utne Reader named the city “America’s most enlightened Town.”  Home to the prestigious Ivy League Cornell University, it would not be unusual to see a local walking through the infamous Ithaca Commons with dreadlocks, a backpack, and no shoes in this college town.

Ithaca may not be a place where ’everybody knows your name’… but the LGBT community certainly feels welcomed, rather than just accepted.  Partners walking hand-in-hand don’t get the‘double take’ from passers by.   

Statistics from city-data.com show lesbian couples account for 0.8% of all households and gay men account for 0.5% of all households.  This may seem like a small percentage but compared to a larger city such as Rochester, NY, where the population difference is over 203,000 more residents, their statistics show only 0.4% for lesbian households and 0.5% for gay men.

You ask:  "What is there to do in Ithaca?"  I say: "What ISN’T there to do in Ithaca? 

Set on the southern shore of Cayuga Lake, sailboats, fishing, and tours on the water are pristine when weather permits.   Imagine a 220 acre wildlife sanctuary with more than four miles of walking trails, found at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology/Sapsucker Woods Sanctuary.   Take a scenic hike through a one mile long gorge at Fall Creek with waterfalls, cascades and rapids!  When seeking shelter from the temperamental weather in Central New York, visit several art galleries, find plenty of unique gifts in ‘the commons’ shopping strip, or maybe a wine tour is just up your alley!  For a great history lesson, the Museum of the Earth at the Paleontological Research Institution, as well as the Earth Science Center are great ways to practice reverse psychology on the kids!

Did you know?
- The Tompkins County Public Library in Ithaca hosts a used book sale twice a year and it is claimed to be the 3rd largest used book sale in the United States.

- In June of 2008, 6,000 Ithaca residents set the unofficial world record for the largest human peace sign at Stewart Park.

- In 2006, VegNews Magazine listed this unique town as one of the “12 Hippest Hometowns for Vegetarians.”

- According to a poll taken by www.city-data.com, East Ithaca is #49 on the list of “Top 101 zip codes with the most full service restaurants in 2005.”

So whether a camping trip with the young ones is on the agenda, or a romantic getaway at a quaint B&B would better suit your needs, consider the breath-taking views, liberal attitudes, and unique atmosphere in Ithaca, for your next trip.  As the locals would say, “Ithaca is gorges!”

The cascade of colors cover the mountain side like a fine made quilt, as though each color carefully chosen and placed precisely in the perfect spot. Deer graze in a picturesque setting that one could only dare to imagine and only hope to see at least once in a lifetime.

Fresh water travels down the creek, kissing the rocks as it passes by, serenading the forest with a lulaby of relaxation and calm.

Going to Allegany State Park for the first time was like stepping into an Ansel Adams photograph and leaving the technological insanity of everyday life behind for moments of peace. 

Small cabins tucked away amongst the trees in little communities gives you the opportunity to ground yourself back to what life truly is about – living, breathing, nature and beauty. Without this annual “outing,” I would not be able to respectfully appreciate myself for what I am.  What we all are. We are living creatures amongst this planet, just as the trees, the lakes and the animals that inhabit them.  We get so caught up in the mainstream of today’s society and “keeping up with the Jones’,” that we have forgotten how to just stop. “Stop and smell the roses.” Take a little time for ourselves, for our family, for our friends without the persistant robotics of today, keeping us wired to devices that, guess what… we CAN live without.

You will be amazed, mesmerized and pleasantly surprised by how much enjoyment you and a group of loves ones will have.  Whether hiking, biking, fishing, boating, exploring, or cooking in the cabin… the list goes on, or just sitting by a fire conversating, there surely is no disappointment to be found here. But don’t shake your head if you are not the tent pitching, camping type. These cabins come in all different styles. Some even with electricity! There are options for your accommodations at Allegany State Park to help ease your mind. And if you ‘must’ pick up your communication device at some point, a short ride to town will once again get you “connected.”

Once you take the small step into this breathe-taking landscape of living, you will be saddened to have to leave and will absolutely count down the days until you can return.  In 2010, Allegany was one of several State Parks in New York to be closed due to funding, but thankfully they survived. Gather your friends for an annual inexpensive memory making trip… doing so also keeps our parks alive and gives your family memories that last a lifetime!

For a complete itinerary, cost breakdown and camping list, click here:  

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