Looking for things to do and places to stay in upstate New York? You won’t have to look far! Read our picks for the best of upstate New York for 2015.
BEST ATTRACTIONS IN UPSTATE NEW YORK
Best Sports Shrine
Baseball Hall of Fame, Cooperstown
With multimedia installations and artifacts galore, the Baseball Hall pays moving tribute to celebrated and unsung heroes of a game deeply entwined with American culture. Visit Cooperstown July 25–26 this year and instead of seeing their plaques on a wall, you can wave to more than 50 Hall of Famers during Saturday’s Parade of Legends. Pedro Martinez, Randy Johnson, John Smoltz, and Craig Biggio join their ranks during Sunday’s induction ceremony, open free to fans at Clark Sports Center.
25 Main St. 607-547-7200;
baseballhall.org
Best Natural Wonder
Howe Caverns, Howes Cave
Lester Howe’s cows tipped him off that something cool was hiding beneath his farm in 1842, and his amazement is now duplicated 363 days a year. Descend 16 stories to walk and boat through a wonderworld of glistening, evocative rock formations. If you haven’t visited this six-million-year- old attraction recently, much is new: family flashlight and other themed tours, gemstone mining, an outdoor adventure park, even cave-aged cheese.
255 Discovery Drive. 518-296-8900;
howecaverns.com
Best Brewery Tour
Brewery Ommegang, Cooperstown
Ommegang’s Belgian-style ales have exploded in popularity, but this farmstead brewery in North America’s former hops-growing epicenter retains its mystique. The addition of Café
Ommegang solidifies its status as a place of pilgrimage. After a free tour and sampling of six beers for $5, including a souvenir glass, pair chicken and waffles or moules et frites with brewmaster Phil Leinhart’s latest limited-edition releases.
656 County Highway 33. 607-544-1800;
ommegang.com
BEST PLACES TO STAY IN UPSTATE NEW YORK
Best Family Resort
Whiteface Lodge, Lake Placid
It’s been 35 years since medals were handed out in Lake Placid, but Whiteface Lodge deserves gold. Built in 2005 by Olympic luger Joe Barile, this 85-suite resort, crafted of hand-milled timber and fieldstone, reimagines backwoods opulence for a new era. Every conceivable amenity makes a family vacation fun and weatherproof. Rates: from $277.
7 Whiteface Inn Lane. 518-523-0500;
thewhitefacelodge.com
Best Nostalgic Stay
Great Camp Sagamore National Historic Landmark, Raquette Lake
The Adirondack “camps” built for America’s wealthiest vacationers at the turn of the 20th century were architectural masterpieces of wood and stone, their rustic appearance merely an illusion. Stay at the Vanderbilts’ 27-building wilderness retreat, and time slows to the pace of a paddled canoe. With no TVs, phones, or cell service, guests spend languid days porch sitting, exploring, waiting for the dinner bell, and watching the stars burn holes in a pitch-dark sky. Rates: $175 per person, including meals.
Sagamore Road. 315-354-5311;
greatcampsagamore.org
BEST DINING IN UPSTATE NEW YORK
Best All-Day Breakfast
Noon Mark Diner, Keene Valley
The locals’ go-to place for pies is equal parts bakery and diner—so when you have a sudden hankering for breakfast after a vigorous day outdoors, you’ll find fruit-loaded pancakes, freshly baked cinnamon buns, and eggs with homemade toast at this roadside stop. Jars of the strawberry jam are the Adirondacks’ most addictive souvenir.
Breakfast: from $1.85.
1770 Route 73. 518-576-4499;
noonmarkdiner.com
Best Soft-Serve
Donnelly’s Ic e Cream, Saranac Lake
Peter Donnelly remembers sampling the second or third ice cream that swirled from the machine that his dad and aunts acquired in 1953. Today, fans drive from as far away as Burlington and Montreal to taste the f lavor of the day. Made with an original recipe that’s been tweaked over the years, the secret is the still-cranking 1953 equipment: “What you’re tasting is ice cream instead of air.”
1564 State Route 86.
BEST OUTDOOR ACTIVITY IN UPSTATE NEW YORK
Best Cruises
Lake George Steamboat Company, Lake George
Collecting iconic New York experiences? Steamboating on crystal-clear Lake George is a must. Launched in 1817 to provide commercial service, Lake George Steamboat Company still
operates three graceful ships. The sternwheeler Minne-Ha-Ha is the lake’s only remaining steam-propelled vessel, and tunes tooted out on her calliope enchant passengers. The 107-yearold Mohican and replica Lac Du Saint Sacrement also provide themed, sightseeing, and dining cruises.
57 Beach Road. 518-668-5777;
lakegeorgesteamboat.com
