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Erie
Canal Region
The fertile farming country stretching from Albany at the head of
the Hudson to Buffalo on Lake Erie, along the route of the Erie
Canal , comprises the agricultural heartland of New York State.
The eastern parts - also known as Central Leatherstocking , after
the protective leggings worn by the area's first settlers - are
well off the conventional tourist trails. Unless you want to check
out one of the specialist sports museums, like the Baseball Hall
of Fame at Cooperstown , this is not a high-priority destination.
With the captivating
exception of Niagara Falls , one of the continent's biggest crowd
pullers, there's little to see in the northwest reaches of New York
State. Standing out from the mostly flat farmland, the industrial
giants of Rochester, Syracuse and Buffalo each possess a couple
of worthy museums, but are best approached as bases for seeing the
surrounding area (Buffalo, for example, is a good base for Niagara
Falls).
Finger
Lakes
At the heart of the state, southwest of Syracuse on the far side
of the Catskills from New York City, are the eleven Finger Lakes
, narrow channels gouged out by glaciers that have left tell-tale
signs in the form of drumlins, steep gorges and any number of waterfalls.
With the exception of well-to-do Ithaca and tiny Skaneatles , few
towns compete with the lakeshore scenery, but the area as a whole
is a relaxing place to spend some time, particularly if you enjoy
sampling wine : it comes as a surprise to many people, but the Finger
Lakes region - and much of upstate New York - produces a number
of good vintages.
Hudson
Valley and the Catskills
To the average commuter, the Hudson River is just an inconvenient
barrier en route to New Jersey. However, you only need to travel
a few miles north of Manhattan before the valley takes on a Rhine-like
charm, with prodigious historic homes, such as those of the Roosevelt,
Vanderbilt and van Cortland families, rising from its steep and
thickly wooded banks. A little further on come the forests of the
Catskill Mountains , whose brilliant fall colors rival anything
to be seen in New England. Few of the cities along the Hudson, including
the large but lackluster state capital of Albany , hold much to
attract the visitor, but some of the small towns are worth checking
out, most notably the New Agey village of Woodstock , nestled among
the Catskills.
Long
Island
Just east of New York City, Long Island unfurls for 125 miles of
lush farmland and broad sandy beaches, and is perhaps best explored
as an excursion of a few days from the metropolis. Its western end
abuts the urban boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens, and for a while
continues as a suburban sprawl of shopping malls and fast-food outlets;
but further east, the settlements begin to thin out and the countryside
can get surprisingly remote. The north and south shores differ greatly
- the former more immediately beautiful, its cliffs topped with
luxurious mansions and estates, while the South Shore is fringed
by almost continuous sand, interspersed with holiday resorts such
as Jones Beach and Fire Island . At its far end Long Island splits
in two, the North Fork retaining a marked rural aspect while the
South Fork , much of which is known as The Hamptons , sets itself
apart as an enclave of New York's richest and most famous.
The quickest
way to reach Long Island is via the reliable if rather worn Long
Island Railroad from Penn Station (tel 718/217-LIRR, ) though numerous
bus services (operated by major companies and the Hampton Jitney
tel 1-800/936-0440) cover most destinations. Parking permits for
most of Long Island's beaches are issued only to local residents,
so on the whole it works out to be less expensive to head to the
beach on public transport. There's plenty of accommodation , listed
in the text; A Reasonable Alternative (117 Spring St, Port Jefferson,
NY 11777; tel 631/928-4034) offers a good range of B&B lodging
throughout Long Island.
Niagara
Falls
Every second, almost three quarters of a million gallons of water
explode over the knife-edge NIAGARA FALLS , right on the border
with Canada some twenty miles north of Buffalo on I-190. This awesome
spectacle is made even more so by the variety of methods laid on
to help you get closer to it: boats, catwalks, observation towers
and helicopters all push as near to the curtain of gushing water
as they dare. At night the falls are lit up, and the colored waters
tumble dramatically into blackness, while in winter the whole scene
changes as the falls freeze to form gigantic razor-tipped icicles.
Many visitors
will, however, find the whole experience a bit too gimmicky; no
commercial opening has been left unexploited (Oscar Wilde quipped
that he would have been more impressed if the falls ran upwards;
at least no one's tried that yet) and now corporate big-hitters
like the Hard Rock Café have joined in the action, pushing
the place closer to an aquatic Vegas (there's already a casino on
the Canadian side). Don't expect too much; neither the small city
of Niagara Falls , a smelly, shabby industrial eyesore despite recent
efforts to spruce it up, nor the more developed tinsel town of Niagara,
Canada , is a place to savor in any way. Once you've seen the falls,
from as many different angles as you can manage, there's no point
in sticking around, and you'll have a better time heading on to
Buffalo (or Rochester, or anywhere) rather than trying to rustle
up some fun here. However, one of the biggest factory outlet malls
in the country is just north of the city, and seems to be almost
as big a draw as the falls these days.
Niagara Falls comprises three distinct cataracts.
The tallest are the American and Bridal Veil falls on the American
side, separated by tiny Luna Island and plunging over jagged rocks
in a 180ft drop; the broad Horseshoe Falls which curve their way
over to Canada are probably the most impressive. They date back
a mere twelve thousand years, when the retreat of melting glaciers
allowed water trapped in Lake Erie to gush north to Lake Ontario.
Back then the falls were seven miles down river, but constant erosion
has cut them back to their present site. The falls are colorfully
lit up at night, and many say they're most beautiful in winter,
when the grounds are covered in snow and the waters turn to ice.
Getting around
Niagara Falls State Park is easy, thanks to the convenient but tacky
viewmobile trolley ($4.50) which connects all car parks and the
major sightseeing points. The best views on the American side are
from the Prospect Point Observation Tower (daily 10am-5pm; 50¢),
and from the area at its base where the water rushes past; Terrapin
Point on Goat Island in the middle of the river has similar views
of Horseshoe Falls. The nineteenth-century tightrope-walker Blondin
crossed the Niagara repeatedly near here, and even carried passengers
across on his back; other suicidal fools over the years have taken
the plunge in barrels. The reasons such craziness has long been
banned become self-evident when you approach the towering cascade
on the not-to-be-missed Maid of the Mist boat trip from the foot
of the observation tower (April-Oct Mon-Fri 10am-6pm every 30 mins,
Sat & Sun 10am-6pm every 15 mins; $8.50; tel 716/284-4233).
From Goat Island, the Cave of the Winds tour leads down to the base
of the falls by elevator to within almost touching distance of the
water and offers a magical nighttime view as it runs well into the
evening (mid-May to late Oct; $6; tel 716/278-1730). A combination
pass for these and other attractions costs $24. Rainbow helicopter
tours (tel 716/284-2800) are a more expensive proposition at $50
per person for a ten-minute ride. To check the view out from Niagara,
Ontario, it's a twenty-minute walk across the Rainbow Bridge to
the Canadian side (25¢ each way; bring ID and check with the
US Immigration officials before heading across), where you get an
arguably better view, bigger crowds and even more tawdry commercialism.
Driving across is inadvisable: the toll for a car is just 75¢,
but parking on the other side can cost more than $15.
As you look
on in awe, reflect that you're seeing only about half the volume
of water - the rest is diverted to hydroelectric power stations.
The full story of this engineering feat is related at the free Niagara
Power Project Visitors Center in nearby Lewiston (daily 9am-5pm;
free; tel 716/285-3211). With your own transportation it's also
possible to trace the inhospitable Niagara Gorge two miles along
the dramatic Robert Moses Parkway to the Whirlpool Rapids , a violent
maelstrom swollen by broken trees and other flotsam. Ten miles east
of Niagara Falls, the town of LOCKPORT takes its name from the series
of locks that raise and lower boats some 65ft at the western end
of the Erie Canal. You can see the impressive flight of locks from
the Pine Street Bridge, or up close on canal boat tours (May-Oct
daily at 12.30pm & 3pm, also 10am on Sat, June-Aug additional
daily tours at 10am & 7pm; $11.50; tel 716/693-3260).
North
through the Adirondacks
Mountaineers, skiers and dedicated hikers form the majority of visitors
to the vast northern region between Albany and the Canadian border.
Outdoor pursuits are certainly the main attractions in the rugged
wilderness of the Adirondack Mountains , though a few small resorts,
especially the former Winter Olympic venue of Lake Placid , have
a bit of life to offer, and the elegant spa town of Saratoga Springs
nestles invitingly in the delicate countryside of the southern foothills.
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