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When I was a kid living in CT, we had a family tradition of going to Cape Cod every summer. Sometimes it was for a weekend, sometimes for two weeks, but we rarely missed a year. It was about a 4 hour drive and something the whole family looked forward to.
Some of my other friends used to rent a cabin in VT for their yearly trip. It was the mountains and not Cape Cod, but it had the same vacation feel for them. It was just somewhere they could go year after year and have that as a tradition.
Now we live south of the Rochester area and would like to find somewhere like that to get away with for our own family, but not sure where to start. I want it to be preferably within NY or maybe northern PA - about a 4-5 hour drive at the max. (And really, at least a 2-3 hour drive away, so it feels like we're really "getting away".) Maybe somewhere north of Albany? I've never been up that way.
Is there anywhere like Cape Cod that might fit our needs? I know the Finger Lakes could immediately pop into mind as somewhat similar, but we actually live two miles from Lake Canandaigua. Staycations are great and all that but it'd be nice to have a change of scenery. It doesn't necessarily have to be "beachy" or even on the water. I guess I'm really looking to recapture some of the overall feel that Cape Cod had. I guess my greatest impressions of it were:
- a variety of hotels, motels... some upscale, some not
- more or less a touristy type place
- some shopping (flea markets, antique book stores, kitschy souvenir shops, home made fudge stands, that sort of thing)
- a variety of places to eat - not chain restaurants but not really locals-only diners either. but some casual sandwich shops, not-too-fancy steakhouses, a few nicer inns with upscale food.
- not a "city" - I know, for example, Niagara fits several of the items... but it's way too busy and crowded for what we're looking for.
- not the Finger Lakes. again, I love this area (that's why we moved here!) but we want to get away a bit.
I don't know, I hope someone gets what sort of place we're looking for. Not sure I really described it too well.
Perhaps Saratoga or Lake Placid? They both can get touristy though, so they may not be what you're looking for. I go to Old Forge in the Adirondacks frequently, but that place is mobbed in the summertime... perhaps any of the surrounding towns could work, like Inlet, etc
Perhaps the 1000 Islands too. Places like Alexandria Bay, Clayton and Cape Vincent come to mind. Also, check out nearby Sackets Harbor and maybe Henderson Harbor. Maybe even Chaumont too. 1000 Islands
You may want to check out the Antique Boat Museum, Uncle Sam Boat Tours, Boldt Castle, Singer Castle, the Sackets Harbor Battlefield, Old McDonald's Farm, Rivers Edge Resort, Tin Pan Galley and more.
Ticonderoga may be another place to look into, as it is a town on both Lake George and Lake Champlain. It is located within the Adirondacks too. Ticonderoga Area Chamber of Commerce
Chautauqua lake fits, especially between Mayville & Bemus Point... all small towns, beautiful, a little touristy, next to Lake Erie and its vineyards, features the Chautauqua Institute, can go a little southeast into the Kinzua area where it's more remote, wild, rugged, and densely wooded. The only bad is that Chautauqua lake has become weedy, a problem with many NY lakes.
The 'Daks and the Thousand Islands come immediately to mind. I have friends who do their yearly family vacations in both those general areas (some have old family camps, some rent every year). I would say that whatever your particular interests are would be the deciding factor - boating, larger bodies of water vs hiking, smaller lakes, etc. I'm partial to the Thousand Islands just because I prefer larger bodies of water (we've done the yearly family New England coastal vacay, too. Sometimes Maine, sometimes Mass., etc). There are so many wonderful places in NY, you really can't go wrong.
How about the Long Lake area and you can take a quick trip to Tupper Lake and visit the Wild Center. You could checkout the Adirondack museum. Its pretty interesting. Go for hikes, walks or just swim. Its a nice area to vacation with your family.
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