5 Reasons You’ll Love Summer in the Enchanted Mountains

Have an Adventure of a Lifetime in Cattaraugus County!

Balance your summer vacation with a visit to the “other” side of New York!

Drive along peaceful country roads, challenge yourself mountain biking on the steeps, ride your horse as far as the eye can see, put your kayak in for a little paddle and golf at every course you can find.

Million-dollar views, amazing art, national sporting events, gigantic metal and wooden sculptures, Native American culture, alpaca farms, chuck wagon dinners, sky high adventures and historic experiences – you can see and do it all in the Enchanted Mountains of Cattaraugus County.

Take a Trip Back in Time

Watch for buggy drivers as you ramble along the Amish Trail. Discover the oldest and largest Amish settlement in New York. Get an intimate peek at a simpler lifestyle without running water, electricity and cars. Visit shops to buy handmade quilts, furniture, baked goods and more crafted by expert Amish artisans. No Sunday sales or photographs please.

Join avid geocachers and follow the Amish GeoTrail. Collect 10 caches and receive a special NY Amish GeoCoin. Continue your scavenger hunt along the Enchanted Mountain GeoTrail with caches tucked away in towns throughout Cattaraugus County. Collect all 32 wooden nickels and receive a special EMGT GeoCoin free.

Test Your Skills

Summer is the perfect time to show off your skill at 9 exceptional golf courses with a variety of challenge levels and unbeatable views, like Holiday Valley’s Double Black Diamond course. Challenge yourself in the trees at one of eight treetop courses at the resort’s new Sky High Aerial Adventure Park. Kids and adults alike will love the thrilling twists and turns of the Mountain Coaster as it careens through the woods.

Explore Nature’s Outdoor Playground

Bring the entire family for a fun-filled weekend camping trip. Take in the soothing sounds of nature and enjoy quality family time over crackling campfire cookouts. Camp at Pope Haven in the midst of Amish country. Tame the summer heat at Allegany State Park’s Red House and Quaker lakes complete with sandy beaches and breathtaking scenery, perfect for swimming, kayaking and fishing. Explore the park’s 65,000 acres with your mountain bike, rollerblades, hiking shoes and horses. Take advantage of miles of paved and rustic, multiuse trails leading you to unforgettable views.

From late May to late summer, launch your boat or rent one from Bayview Mini-Mart & Ice Cream Parlor across the street from Onoville Marina on the pristine waters of the Allegheny Reservoir. Escape to 91 miles of natural shoreline with quiet, secluded bays. Make it a weekend and camp along the soothing water or in the cozy shade.

Check Out Our Parks and Trails

Miles of multi-use trails crisscrossing the county are waiting to be explored. The Allegheny River Valley Trail offers over 7 miles of paved trails hugging the Allegheny River shoreline. Embark on an eco-adventure as you pass through 9 unique ecosystems and a continental divide on the Pat McGee Trail, stretching 12.1 miles from Salamanca to Cattaraugus. Soak in the warm summer sun and cool wooded paths at Pfeiffer Nature Center in Portville, Nannen Arboretum in Ellicottville and Gooseneck Hill Waterfowl Sanctuary in Delevan. Challenge yourself on Holiday Valley’s mountain bike trails.

Check out the 1,000-square-mile view and see 8-story-tall prehistoric rock formations at Rock City Park or discover intriguing passages and unusual geological formations at Little Rock City Park in Little Valley and Thunder Rocks in Allegany State Park. Interact with more than 250 mammoth sculptures at the 400-acre Griffis Sculpture Park in East Otto. Pretend you’re an early settler at The Crosspatch horse ranch, offering guided trail rides and an authentic, cowboy-style Chuck Wagon Supper Show.

Festivals and Family Fun

Throughout the summer, you’ll find a myriad of festivals celebrating everything from motorcycles to women to art. There’s never a dull moment around here!

The 4^th of July weekend is always jamming in Ellicottville with its three-day Summer Music Festival featuring outdoor concerts and bands in local establishments. For a change of pace, imagine the Wild West coming to life at the annual Ellicottville Championship Rodeo, complete with barrel racing, bull riding and stick horse racing for the young’uns. The Cattaraugus County Fair, one of the oldest in the country, is a guaranteed delight. Savor funnel cakes, ride carnival amusements, cuddle farm animals and cheer at the Demolition Derby.

Make a rainy day fun with a visit to one of the area’s many interesting museums like the Regina A. Quick Center where admission is free. If games of chance are your passion, try your hand at poker and the slots at the Seneca Allegany Casino in Salamanca. While you’re there, tour the Seneca-Iroquois Museum and shop for unique finds at Salamanca Mall Antiques. Feel the pride of over 1,000 years of tradition at the annual Seneca Allegany Veteran’s Pow Wow in July and watch dancers dressed in vibrant costumes as they perform traditional dances to a native beat.

Basketball lovers, get ready for the Gus Macker 3-on-3 Tournament in Olean. Anyone can play – no experience necessary! Motorcycle enthusiasts will surely be impressed by Olean’s Rally in the Valley and Gowanda’s Hollywood Happening, when bikers roll into town for dice runs and merriment. In August, check out the Cattaraugus County Sportsmen’s Rendezvous for hunting displays and gear.

Stay and Play

Turn a day trip into a romantic getaway and spoil yourself at one of our relaxing spas, stay in a four-star hotel and enjoy a fine gourmet meal. Stay in one of our charming B & B’s and meet welcoming, knowledgeable innkeepers who will give you the local inside scoop.

Start planning your visit now, because one trip won’t satisfy your craving for our kind of adventure. With surprises around every bend, visit us and we’ll make your summertime an experience to remember.

Check our website for a list of accommodations, restaurants and spas. For a detailed list of things to do and see, pick up a FREE 2012 Visitors Guide, visit www.EnchantedMountains.com or call 800-331-0543.

All Aboard for a Visit to the Medina Railroad Museum

Medina Railroad Museum

Located in the old New York Central freight depot in Medina, NY, the Medina Railroad Museum is the largest railroad and toy train museum in NY State. The depot was built in 1905-06 and is the largest wood-frame freight house ever built by the NY Central Railroad Company.

The museum features the world’s largest collection of railroad artifacts and memorabilia known to exist under one roof. See the longest HO-Scale model train layout and diorama all on one floor, an immense 204 ft. by 14 ft.

Enjoy our several family-friendly special events throughout the year. In May our Day Out with Thomas and in the Fall our Winery Trains, our Fall Foliage Trains and the magic of the Polar Express. Kids of all ages love the experience of this museum all year round.

Medina Railroad Museum
530 West Avenue, PO Box 136
Medina, NY 14103 USA

585-798-6106

www.railroadmuseum.net  

How to Feel like Royalty: Visit Dutchess County New York

Feel like Royalty in Dutchess County New York

Enjoy adventures in history, culture and arts, and the culinary arts! An abundance of historic landmarks, exceptional restaurants and natural scenic beauty makes Dutchess ideal for day trips or longer getaways.

Stroll the Walkway Over the Hudson, 200 feet above the Hudson River. Dine at five Culinary Institute of America restaurants. Golf at 16 championship courses. Tour Gilded Age mansions and historic homesteads at riverfront estates of FDR, Vanderbilt and Samuel Morse, lavishly decorated for the holidays. Explore the arts at Dia:Beacon, Vassar’s Loeb Center and Bard’s Fisher Center.

Bring together family and friends to visit a farm and cut your own Christmas tree. Browse in Rhinebeck, Millbrook and Beacon antique shops and art galleries. Rekindle the romance at a B&B. Drink it all in! Tour and taste at wineries and farm markets. Dutchess County – 90 minutes from NYC.

Simple and Sophisticated. You Deserve Dutchess. www.DutchessTourism.com

Discover New York’s Amish Trail and Amish Craftsmanship

New York's Amish Trail

Well-known for their work ethic, Amish artisans are also famous for their products’ exceptional quality and craftsmanship. As you travel along the Amish Trail, you can expect to find colorful handmade quilts and rugs, detailed indoor and outdoor furniture, fun wooden toys, leather harnesses, as well as fresh baked goods, candies, jams and cheese. However, leave your debit and credit cards at home – they only accept cash. Shops are closed on Sundays, some Wednesdays, certain holidays, for barn raisings, weddings and funerals.

Please remember to respect their privacy and personal property, and don’t photograph them, as it is against their beliefs. As you tour the enchanted countryside, drive cautiously and watch for black, slow-moving, horse-drawn buggies.

New York’s Amish Trail
1-800-331-0543
WNYAmishTrail.com 

How to Getaway and Play in Columbia County, New York

Unwind with a Visit to Columbia County New York.

If you are looking for a perfect weekend getaway or vacation destination, Columbia County, NY is an ideal place to visit. Nestled between the banks of the Hudson River and the foothills of the Berkshire Mountains, the county offers breathtaking vistas and unsurpassed rural beauty. Pick a country road and see where it takes you. You are sure to pass country stores and farm markets brimming with local produce and baked goods. Stop and pick your own apples, berries, peaches and have a taste of what “fresh picked” truly means. Or follow the Berkshire Hudson Beverage Trail and sample local vintners and brew masters’ finest wines and spirits.

Easily accessible by car or Amtrak train, Columbia County is packed with events, attractions and activities to keep everyone entertained.

For outdoor enthusiasts, there are over 25 miles of trails for hiking and bird watching or acres of state parks and campgrounds to pitch a tent or bunk in a cabin. Meandering country roads lead the cyclist through hills and dales and small villages and hamlets loaded with characteristic charm. Bring your kayak and paddle Henry’s namesake, the Hudson River or commune with nature in one of our public conservation areas or public parks. Into adventure? Challenge your climbing skills within the treetops at Catamount Adventure Park in Hillsdale.

Columbia County also has a vibrant cultural scene. With over 24 performing arts groups within our borders, there is an abundance of theater, dance and music options. Twilight movies, waterfront concerts, summer stock theater, even an outdoor performance tent fill the vacation season with non-stop entertainment. If art is what piques your interest, spend a day gallery hopping in Hudson or Chatham, take a tour of famed Hudson River School painter Frederic Church’s Moorish style homestead, Olana or visit one of the county’s most unique art venues, the sculpture garden at The Fields at Omi in Ghent. And, if shopping is your passion, Hudson offers a diverse array of one of a kind boutiques and some of the finest antiquing in the Northeast.

For those interested in history, the county is home to over 50 heritage sites. Monuments, museums, and historic resting places capture Columbia County’s distinctive place in U.S. history.

Clermont, the riverside estate of Robert Livingston, Jr., one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, offers a glimpse of life along the waterfront circa 1728. Further up river sits the one time whaling port of  Hudson, NY where seasonal tours of one of the few remaining Hudson River lighthouses are launched. Columbia County is privileged to be home of the 8^th President of the United States, Martin Van Buren. His post presidential estate, Lindenwald,  in the town of Kinderhook depicts his life and rise to political fame as well as being a prime example of an Italianate architecture. Enjoy a walking tour through historic Kinderhook Village among others and view some of the finest examples of Federal, Georgian, Greek Revival and Gothic architecture in the Hudson Valley.

Perhaps a restful stay is on your mind. Relax at one of the county’s many boutique country inns or cozy bed and breakfasts. Or for something completely different, experience the Farm Stay at Kinderhook and view firsthand what it means to be a working farm.

So come and “stay a spell” or escape for the weekend. Columbia County is just 2 hours from NYC, 30 minutes from Albany and minutes from the Berkshires. Visit www.columbiacountytourism.org for a complete event listing and additional travel information. Explore the heart of the Hudson Valley, this year!

Want to Escape the City? Visit Long Island

Want to escape the hustle & bustle of the city? Visit Long Island.

Just across the bridges of New York City, Long Island’s Suffolk County offers visitors a memorable Island getaway.

Whether you choose a barefoot walk on the beach; an adventuresome climb atop a lighthouse; an afternoon sampling the latest vintages at one of more than 30 wineries; or a visit to a famous historic site, there’s a lot to discover onLong Island.

SuffolkCounty’s ocean beaches are among the best inAmerica. So first and foremost, pack your bathing suit. The world-renownedHamptonsalone occupied two of the top 10 spots in Dr. Beach’s annual listing ofAmerica’s best beaches.

InSuffolkCounty, there’s so much more to enjoy beyond our beaches. Visit the birthplace of Walt Whitman, or exploreLong Island’s Revolutionary War history on the Washington Spy Trail. DiscoverLong Island’s rich maritime history at a maritime museum, or visit a whaling museum. Take in the splendor of mansions and museums hearkening back toLong Island’s Gilded Age, including theVanderbiltMansion.

Explore our country’s rich aviation past at theAmericanAirpowerMuseum. Or view an extensive collection of horse-drawn carriages and other historical items at the Long Island Museum of American Art, History and Carriages

There’s plenty of fun for kids inSuffolkCounty, too. Our Long Island Game Farm, a fish hatchery and Atlantis Aquarium are just some of the attractions waiting to charm them. And our sprawling Splish Splash water park offers cooling excitement on a hot summer’s day.

Call 1-877-386-6654, ext. 272 or visit www.discoverlongisland.com/tg272 for more information or to order a free Travel Guide

All Aboard! Visit Medina Railroad Museum in NY State

Medina Railroad Museum State - The Largest Railroad and Toy Train Museum in NY State

Located in the old New York Central freight depot in Medina, NY, the Medina Railroad Museum is the largest railroad and toy train museum in NY State. The depot was built in 1905-06 and is the largest wood-frame freight house ever built by the NY Central Railroad Company.

The museum features the world’s largest collection of railroad artifacts and memorabilia known to exist under one roof. See the longest HO-Scale model train layout and diorama all on one floor, an immense 204 ft. by 34 ft.

Enjoy our several family-friendly special events throughout the year. In May our Day Out with Thomas and in the Fall our Winery Trains, our Fall Foliage Trains and the magic of the Polar Express. Kids of all ages love the experience of this museum all year round.

Medina Railroad Museum
530 West Avenue, PO Box 136
Medina, NY 14103 USA
585-798-6106
www.railroadmuseum.net