Ithaca, New York is a 5 1/2 hour drive from Cleveland and a perfect place to take your family. Ithaca's tag line is "Ithaca is Gorges." Surrounded by gorges and waterfalls, you can immerse yourself in nature and see the beautiful sites of Upstate New York.
Where to stay:
La Tourelle Hotel is a close drive from downtown Ithaca, and it set in the beautiful countryside. It is the perfect place to wake up and get your day started.
What to do:
Sciencenter is perfect for kids of all ages but especially preschool and elementary aged children. My favorite part is a huge, interactive and education playground for all ages and also a smaller playground that is especially for little tykes. With hands-on activities, a craft center using recycled objects, a room full of fish and reptiles to visit, manning a Mars rover, special traveling exhibits and so much more, you cannot go wrong with this stop for your family.
Go swimming and hiking at Robert H. Treman State Park. Ithaca is known for being the home of over 150 waterfalls, and this state park boasts some of them. At the bottom of the lower falls, there is a large swimming hole, complete with lifeguards. I love swimming in natural water, and this is one not to miss. Be sure to check out the hike by the upper falls as well. Walking through the gorges of Ithaca is one of the main reason to go there.
Visit Taughannock Falls State Park. Taughannock Falls is three stories taller than the Niagara Falls and not-to-be-missed. A short drive north of Ithaca, there is an overlook above the falls where you can take in the scenery of the entire area. I highly recommend hiking below to the falls. A smooth and level hike, you end up close enough to the falls that you can feel the mist. Along the way, you can stop and walk in the creek. Many people had on swimsuits and were enjoying the clear water on the warm day we were there.
Where to eat:
You will have no trouble finding a place to eat the whole family will enjoy. Ithaca knows how to feed people!
Viva Taqueria is a family-friendly Mexican restaurant. For mom and dad, there is an excellent selection of food, as well as margaritas. For the little ones, there is a full kids menu. Dine inside or out and enjoy the friendly and quick service.
I am a big fan of farmer's markets. I have seen my fair share of them, and nothing has compared to the Ithaca Farmer's Market. A permanent covered structure with stalls and vendors that are easy to access, I could have spent all day here. Not only is there a lot of local produce and products, but you can eat ethnic food from over a dozen different countries. The atmosphere, fun lighting, music and view of the water makes this market a must-see for anyone visiting Ithaca.
There is nothing like handmade chocolate and Life's So Sweet Chocolates has it all for you. We sampled some of the amazing truffle flavors. My favorite is the CinFul truffle which is cinnamon, cardamon and dark chocolate. It's the beautiful purple one pictured here. I regret not getting two!
Ithaca truly is "gorges." I can't wait to go back with my family and explore more!
*Visit Ithaca hosted us for an overnight press trip. Accommodations and some meals and activities were complimentary. No other compensation was received in consideration of this article, and all opinions are my own.
