New York State vacation? (Rochester, Syracuse: best place, park, areas)

[wheelingman]

Is it worth it (In Your Opinion) to visit the major cities of Upstate and the Adirondacks in late spring/early summer? Will I be let down. I love urban areas as well as rugged mountains. Thanks

[ckhthankgod]

Originally Posted by wheelingman

Is it worth it (In Your Opinion) to visit the major cities of Upstate and the Adirondacks in late spring/early summer? Will I be let down. I love urban areas as well as rugged mountains. Thanks

Yes, it is worth it. I'll suggest the 1000 Islands area, Niagara Falls, Ithaca, the Finger Lakes, Albany, the Catskills, Lake Champlain and some other towns and cities like Binghamton, Corning, Geneva, Cooperstown, Skaneateles, Canandaigua, Seneca Falls, Penn Yan, Watkins Glen, Sackets Harbor, Alexandria Bay, Saratoga Springs, Lake George, the Tri-Lakes area of the Adirondacks, Oswego and Plattsburgh, among others.

[Finger Laker]

if possible go in the fall and not the spring

in the spring you are apt to find some places flooded out and/or full of mud when you mix the winter thaw with the spring rains

imo, fall is by far the best season - especially since you can get in on a lot of harvest items at that point as well

definitely worth doing though

[ckhthankgod]

Originally Posted by Finger Laker

if possible go in the fall and not the spring

in the spring you are apt to find some places flooded out and/or full of mud when you mix the winter thaw with the spring rains

imo, fall is by far the best season - especially since you can get in on a lot of harvest items at that point as well

definitely worth doing though

You're right. Fall is the best season in NY, as that's when you see the natural beauty across the state.

[Finger Laker]

Plus the drive up from WV would be awesome, going through the foothills with all the foliage

[ckhthankgod]

Originally Posted by Finger Laker

Plus the drive up from WV would be awesome, going through the foothills with all the foliage

Definately and I hope wheelingman can take a nice little ride off the beaten path and you can really see some gorgeous scenery.

[wheelingman]

As of now I am thinking of staying in Syracuse so I can use it as the gateway to Rochester, Adirondacks, Albany, Ithaca etc. Is that a good idea?

[Jeromeville]

That's a good idea. Albany is 2 or 2 1/2 hours drive time from Syracuse; Rochester is somewhat over an hour; Ithaca also a bit over an hour; and you can get to the Adirondack Park in 2 hours and change if you go via Rome.

However, be advised that the NY State Thruway (the major east-west road from Syracuse) was built through rather unimpressive scenic territory. It's just because that was the best place to build the Interstate. When you get off the Thruway the beauty of New York quickly appears. (Scenic drive tip: If you're going east-west through NY State, consider taking Route 20 instead, which is very pretty.)

[wheelingman]

^ Thanks for the info.

[Jeromeville]

oh one more thing, not to insult the Thruway TOO much: the stretch between Utica and Albany is very scenic... Mohawk Valley and glimpses of Adirondack foothills.