Discover the Best of Ithaca: Waterfalls, Nature, and Artisanal Flair

2023-02-07 17:31:52

Perching on Cayuga Lake, one of the Finger Lakes in upstate New York, Ithaca offers all the vibrancy of a college town along with access to natural spaces. Within 10 miles of the city, there are more than 150 waterfalls. You don’t have to travel far to find flowing water—Ithaca Falls on Fall Creek is near the center of town—but three state parks are worth getting to, including the Taughannock State Park (in English), where the 215-foot-high waterfall of the same name is located (access costs $9 per vehicle). Cornell University in Ithaca is home to the famed Cornell Lab of Ornithology, which maintains the Sapsucker Woods Sanctuary, a 230-acre sanctuary and nature preserve with 4 miles of trails for bird lovers to enjoy ( on Saturday mornings, there are guided birding tours). Spend Saturday afternoon exploring the Greater Ithaca Art Trail, a trail that leads to 47 artist studios in neighboring Tompkins County. The Hotel Ithaca is within walking distance of the Ithaca Commons independent shops and restaurants.

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Key Largo, Florida

Driving from Miami through the Florida Keys is an experience many consider not to be missed, but if you stop early in the drive you’ll find the best opportunities on Key Largo, the northernmost island. There, two state parks and a national park preserve tropical forests and pristine waters. In it Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammock Botanical State Park (in English), a state botanical park, grows and expands more than 80 protected species of plants and animals. The park, with more than six miles of trails, most of them paved, offers birding opportunities where you’ll find colorful species such as the whiskered vireo (or well-see-you) and the mangrove cuckoo (admission is $2.50). Appreciate marine wonders from a snorkel or glass-bottom boat at John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, the nation’s first underwater park (2.5-hour boat tours are $32, or $38.95 with snorkeling ). The park adjoins the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, and the two together protect approximately 178 square nautical miles of ocean. With all the basics but no frills, the Key Largo Inn includes a free breakfast station.

Las Vegas

Giant metal praying mantis in Las Vegas Nevada

Las Vegas can spend a lot of money, but the “entertainment capital of the world” is a bargain if you can avoid the gambling. Dancing fountains (at the Bellagio), an erupting volcano (at the Mirage) and gardens with flamingos (at the Flamingo) are some of the free attractions that casinos offer to keep the flow of visitors to their gambling halls. There are several attractions in downtown Las Vegas that offer free entertainment, including Downtown Container Park, an open-air shopping center made up of former shipping containers that hosts free concerts, and the Fremont Street Experience, where video screens form a roof over five pedestrian blocks on Fremont Street that project sound and light shows into the night. Take the double-decker Deuce bus between downtown and the Strip for a very affordable scenic ride (24-hour pass is $8; riders 60 and older are $4). Spend the night at the El Cortez Hotel & Casino, an iconic 1941 establishment located in downtown Las Vegas.