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 Greetings!
Welcome to our summer issue of "Touring New York" e-zine. This time we
have increased the number of stories for your reading pleasure. In
addition, please note that we have special BRAND NEW tour packages that
can be accessed by clicking on the Tour Packages
link. In conjunction with the Everson Museum of Art and the Syracuse
Convention & Visitors Bureau we have produced three excellent tour
packages for your perusal. These packages, which include the Turner to
Cezanne exhibit, also include several exciting attractions in Syracuse
& Onondaga County as well as four outstanding hotels from which to
choose. Please take a moment to review - reservations are as simple as
an email and at the moment there is still plenty of space available. Thanks again for your continuing support, we look forward to hearing from you after visiting either website: www.herziggroup.com or www.touringny.com. Best regards, Spike L.B. Herzig President |
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| "Get Away" With the Arts |
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by Carol Youngs
"All great beauty has about it a simplicity which we find alike in the finest types of human character, and in the greatest works of art, and indeed is it not art which reveals such beauty to us?"
From The Reality of Beauty, written by Woodstock Arts Colony founder Ralph Radcliffe Whitehead, 1907
Always wanted to try your hand at painting, or indulge in the smooth, creamy feel of raw clay just before it's thrown on a potter's wheel? Indulge your love of art in two special artist conclaves, Woodstock (Greene County) and New Berlin (Chenango County). Hang your hat at a lovely bed and breakfast, take a few classes on a weekend and stroll through these storybook villages to visit museums, or tour the history of one man's quest for a special artist's paint.
Downtown Woodstock is a veritable haven for those interested in the Arts. Galleries and shops, including SweetheartGallery.com, offer a plethora of one-of-a-kind art from glass to jewelry to paintings and photography. Sunday afternoon drumming sessions on the commons in today's Woodstock are reminiscent of that long-ago event in a farmer's field; that event still reverberates in this beautiful valley.
 Consider attending classes in jewelry making. Try your hand at a ceramic studio program set in a vintage dairy barn, take part in an Artist, Writer or Musician residency or retreat at any number of arts and crafts cottages in Byrdcliffe Arts Colony. America's oldest continuing arts and crafts colony is listed on the national register of historic places and set amidst open fields, manicured lawns and dense forest. You can also tour the colony's main house, White Pines, the heart of the Colony; guests such as naturalist John Burroughs, actress Helen Hayes, and dancer Isadora Duncan regularly visited at the turn of the century. Designed by founder Ralph Whitehead and Bolton Brown, it served as the home of the Whitehead Family; and offers a quintessential example of the Byrdcliffe Arts and Crafts style, based on the value of hand craftsmanship and living in harmony with nature. Examples of Byrdcliffe craftsmanship in furniture making can be seen at the colony and in the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. While visiting you'll want to be sure and take in the self-guided walking tour of the complex.
You might also check out Opus 40, a fabulous little place between Saugerties and Woodstock and "One of the largest and most beguiling works of art on the entire continent,"(Brendan Gill, Architectural Digest). The work is an immense composition of finely fitted stone, rising in ramps and swirling terraces around pools and trees and fountains from the rock bed of an abandoned bluestone quarry. It took Harvey Fite 37 years to finish the job - working solo.
In September and October the Woodstock film festival offers an added dimension to this burgeoning arts community.
Heading west into the hills of Central New York and nestled deep in the Unadilla valley 31 miles south of Utica, is the sleepy little village of New Berlin. Tree-lined streets abound with wedding cake Victorians and at least one Vintage B&B steeped in the history of the Underground Rail Road.
 Today we can stay in any number of charming New Berlin area inns, dine on Hungarian Mushroom soup at Remember When, (a main street café and guest house), or visit the pillared library with a fun display of vintage textiles, trunks and teacups.
If you're looking to dabble at painting, Golden Artist Colors lets you indulge a love of color at their play paint bar in a newly renovated a factory complex that includes an art gallery and paint store. The factory and visitor complex is nestled on a hillside down the road from New Berlin in the tiny hamlet of Columbus; just call ahead and set it up at 607-847-6154.
The long-established Golden Working Artists program offers opportunities to professional artists for product experimentation with a one-on-one real-life arts experience.
Sam & Adele Golden Foundation for the Arts at Golden Artist Colors, New Berlin, NY. Call 607-847-8158 for more information.
Chenango Arts Festival in Norwich, Sept.12 & 13
Woodstock Chamber of Commerce
Museum & Gallery Guide
Quality Inns of New York State
Check Out the Arts' Scene in nearby Kingston, NY
The Center for Photography at Woodstock and photography weekend workshops
Woodstock Byrdcliffe Guild (845) 679-2079
Woodstock Film Festival
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| From Shop to Shop to Shop
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by Kirk W. House
"Something
there is that does not love a mall," Upstater Daniel Pinkwater
observes, riffing on Robert Frost. Opinions vary, of course.
But if YOU want something besides the mall, the Armory District of downtown Syracuse is a delightful old-fashioned urban shopping experience, with narrow streets, crowded sidewalks, personal attention in the shops, open air all around, and... if you pay attention... little surprises tucked into the corners.
One store we explored pretty closely was Eureka Crafts on Walton Street. When we approached Eureka, "The Wall" grabbed our attention. Ginger Dunlap-Dietz created this bright energetic abstract back in 1999, using shards from potters that Eureka had represented in the previous twenty years. She surrounded it with her own tiles, and the whole thing is accented by such items as glaze tests, handles, turned lids, and other potters' castoffs.
Eureka represents over 200 artisans in wood (exquisitely-formed boxes), metal (jewelry), ceramics (tea sets), prints (color paintings of wildlife), fiber (bags), and more.
 Wait -- ceramics? I was half-way through the store when Joyce called me back for a closer look at a funky tea set. When I breezed right through that section, I missed the tiny photo and the proud boast -- Jean-Luc Picard uses a Peter Saenger tea set. That tickled me no end, but as usual Joyce was several steps ahead: "That would make a perfect gift for your sister." Well, make it so! Jean-Luc vastly amuses her, and a mug (not, alas, the entire set) was indeed a popular gift.
We also did a close inspection (and picked up another gift) down the street at The Sound Garden. Here the atmosphere was rather different than it is at Eureka Crafts... the space is bigger, the crowd is younger, and there are far more piercings in view.
In the Sound Garden you're flooded with CD's (and even LP's) with music and audio (new and used) of just about every type, from pop standards such as Barbra Steisand to classical to George Carlin and stuff more exotic, esoteric, and obscure. We couldn't find any Flanders and Swann, which is what my goal had been, or even The Buttoned-Down Mind of Bob Newhart (my second choice), but Joyce came up with the perfect gift solution -- Doctor Demento.
Elsewhere in the store the focus is on video -- new and used, DVD and VHS. Once again, the selection is wide, from old movies and Baby Boom kid shows to far-out avant-garde modernity. This store focused on sound also has a rich visual environment, being liberally plastered with period posters. Neither the video selection nor the audio stock are tied to any sort of Top 40 limitation. While there's plenty of cutting-edge stuff, you've also got a good shot at finding that performer who's been long-forgotten (by everyone but you)... and as far as I could see, the clerks never bat an eye, no matter what you're asking for.
"We've got to go down there!" Joyce said a few moments later. She'd spotted a sign for Way Off the Beaten Path, and sure enough, down the courtyard and around the corner in a quiet nook we met Angelique Mango.
Angelique carries hand-made jewelry, but her main thrust is textiles of the finest natural materials, including cotton and silk. It's not traditional, and we liked it that way. Much of the tapestry, blankets, curtains and clothing are crafted to her own design. She regularly visits her textile producers in India and Thailand, working with them on developing skills so that those women can develop sustainable incomes.
There are plenty of eating places around Armory Square, and theaters as well. And, of course, plenty of places to shop. There are clothing stores here. Sweet on Chocolate is a quiet happy place offering gourmet specialty chocolates, including the shop favorite, chocolate-dipped potato chips. "I like it," says Joyce. "Lots of unique shops." Everything from elegant chocolates to kindly Doctor D.
More Than a Mill Pond
Anchoring the Armory Square District is, of course, the 1907 armory in its oval space, now the Milton J. Rubenstein Museum of Science and Technology (MOST). The gift shop here offers unique purchases, of course, but MOST also features interactive hands-on exhibits, a planetarium, and an IMAX theater.
Long ago the district was Walton's Millpond, but the Erie Canal stimulated city growth here on what were then the outskirts. As you wander the streets in this district (which is on the National Register of Historic Places), lift your eyes upward. Check out the architectural fabric, which nearly all dates from 1900 and earlier, a time in which hotels and industrial buildings predominated. Once an industrial and warehouse district, Armory Square is now a vibrant shopping and entertainment district... and all the excitement here is also bringing residents back to the neighborhood.
Diners can find fast food, upscale, exotic, and everything in between. All About Beer magazine named Blue Tusk one of the "top 125 places to have a beer before you die." Sakana-ya serves its sushi dishes on a conveyor belt, while Kitty Hoynes is an Irish pub. Lemon Grass serves Pacific Rim and Thai food, Pastabilities creates artisan breads, and Syracuse also has a rich heritage of Italian and Mediterranean cuisine.
All around the city there are several parking lots in addition to on-street parking. In some lots you can use a credit/debit card, or else just bring a pocketful of quarters. Otherwise you might try OnTrack. Syracuse is the smallest city in the country to have its own regional rail transit. On Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays there are repeated stops and pickups at the station in Armory Square.
 Armory Square
Museum of Science and Technology
(315) 425-9068
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| Off to the Races
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by Kevin Cole
From April to October, and in some cases even during the winter months, you would be hard pressed to travel throughout New York State without coming across a local speedway with competition on any given night.
From the top stars of major national and international racing series like the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series, to youngsters learning the tricks of the trade in tiny go-karts, motor racing is a part of New York's culture, history, economy and entertainment.
Overall, there are over 70 race tracks within the Empire State. From clay ovals hosting multiple types of dirt races to road courses with various types of sports car events, New York enjoys one of the widest selections of racing styles anywhere in the country.
Along with the various types of races, there is a rich history of racing within the state, most notably the road course in the heart of the Finger Lakes -- Watkins Glen International.
 Watkins Glen annually hosts New York's largest spectator event, the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series event which will take place in August. Since 1986, NASCAR's premier division has tackled the historic 2.45 mile course. Over the years, some of NASCAR's most successful drivers such as Jeff Gordon, Rusty Wallace, Mark Martin and Tony Stewart, have scored victories at Watkins Glen.
Watkins Glen also hosts the Indy Racing league, the leading open wheel series in North America. Although still a relatively new event (two previous runnings), the race has drawn great interest from within the state.
Other events that take place at the historic upstate track include Six Hours of the Glen (which features the Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series), and the annual September Historic Vintage Grand Prix (which gathers cars that competed in races over the past half century). That same weekend, historic cars gather in downtown Watkins Glen for the wildly popular U.S. Vintage Grand Prix Festival, a celebration of the re-birth of American Road Racing which happened in the small village in 1948. The festival includes a re-enactment of the races run between 1948 and 1952 on a 6.6 mile course through the village and surrounding hillsides.
The course, which starts in front of the Schuyler County Courthouse and winds up hill to go through the top of the Watkins Glen State Park before returning along a sweeping dramatic downhill stretch, has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places and can be traveled anytime with passenger cars. Visitors to Watkins Glen who want to learn more about racing can easily spend some time at the International Motor Racing Research Center.
But back to racing on pavement, where the Oswego Speedway may be the most notable track within New York. Oswego Speedway, which hosts the annual Race of Champions is one of the largest short track events in the country. In September, the 59th annual Race of Champions will take place. In what has become a very historic New York event, drivers such as Brett and Geoff Bodine, Jimmy Spencer, George Kent, Reggie Ruggiero and Mike Stefanik have all claimed the top prize.
A pair of other significant pavement tracks within the state of New York includes the Chemung Speedrome in Chemung, and the Holland Speedway in Holland.
Both Chemung and Holland are sanctioned by NASCAR as weekly racing tracks. Chemung's premier events include the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series, while Holland hosts the NASCAR Busch East division (a subdivision of the Busch Series), as well as the Sunoco Late Model Division.
 New York is also host to one of the biggest events on dirt, known as Super Dirt Week. Super Dirt Week began in 1972 and takes place at the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse in October. The race gathers the finest drivers from the D.I.R.T. Series and is the largest gathering for the series, which annually puts on over 60 events over the summer months.
The D.I.R.T. organization sanctions 13 New York State tracks from as far east as the Lebanon Valley Speedway in West Lebanon to the Genesee Speedway in Batavia. Not only does New York host a multitude of events, it is the host of two premier Sprint Car organizations, the Empire Super Sprints and the Patriot Sprint Group. Each group has in excess of 30 races from late spring through early fall.
The Empire Super Sprint Series has been in existence since 1983 and is the top series within the state, hosting 18 events; the Patriot Sprint Group has been in existence for less than five years and hosts up to nine events, mostly in the western part of the state. Both offer great racing and several combined events including the Bully Hill Fall Nationals which take place at the Black Rock Speedway in September.
For more information about all the events, organizations and tracks visit the following websites.
 Dirt Motorsports
Empire Super Sprints
Patriot Sprint Group
Watkins Glen International
Chemung Speedrome
Holland Speedway
Oswego Speedway
International Motor Racing Research Center
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Biking in Spafford Forest - A Pleasant Surprise |
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by Sue Freeman
We pulled off the road onto a grassy parking area before a sign reading "Spafford Forest" and gazed at the tree-covered hillside before us.
With trepidation, I helped Rich unload our bikes from the back of the van. I was a reluctant unloader. My bike was ready for the challenge. As a hybrid, it has wide, knobby tires and shocks in the front forks to absorb the bumps and bruises of a rough trail ride. It's my body that isn't a hybrid. My body is built for hiking. I can power up the steepest and longest mountain. But, place me on a bike and I turn into a wimp on wheels.
It doesn't matter if the surface below me is paved, hard-packed stone dust, or rough dirt. I don't do uphills well on a bike. Now, in front of me loomed a wooded hillside with a rutted dirt road leading uphill. I wasn't in the mood for a tough mountain bike ride, especially one that started with a hill climb.
But, my husband had other ideas. To him, hills are part of the allure of biking. I watched bleakly as Rich pumped his pedals up the steep hill, exuding an aura of joy. I walked my bike uphill, with a load of gloom on my shoulders, hoping the entire ride wouldn't be hilly.
 The information we had been able to gather on this trail system was minimal. We had an old sketch map that showed trails forming a misshapen T with an elongated top bar. We had read an article about mountain biking in the Finger Lakes region that mentioned Spafford Forest as a fun place to ride. Otherwise, we didn't know what to expect. For all we knew it could have been a relatively flat valley trail. But, from first glance I knew this obviously wasn't so.
Fortunately, my gloomy mood was to be short-lived. After a short push, I reached the top of a plateau and a junction of trails - nice hard-packed old dirt roads that were mostly flat. Yippee! Rich waited for me to catch up, then we headed right and glided down the trail. I was enveloped by shady woods, with old trees that had stood here a long while, arching gracefully over the trail. A breeze of shade-cooled air tickled my body. These woods belonged to us and the woods critters today. I slipped away from civilization, out of my funky mood and pedaled easily through the green tunnel. A woodpecker called cadence as he pecked away at a trail-side tree.
The old road took a sharp left turn then a series of trails headed off to the right, leading to private property. There was evidence of ATV use in this section, marked by wide, knobby tire marks and some deep ruts. We kept left at each junction and eventually hit the edge of a steep cliff. A left again put us on a hard-packed woods trail covered in leaf litter, parallel to the cliff. We had turned a full 180 degrees with our series of left turns and were now heading back toward our starting point. Surprise number one was finding the plateau. Surprise number two was finding this loop at the far end of the T. When the woods path met the old road we turned right to continue heading back.
 At a major trail junction we turned right and followed an old dirt road toward the cliff. The road ended at the cliff - at a precipitous drop off used as a launch point by hang gliders. My eyes swept across the panoramic view of a green valley far below with quaint farm houses and a meandering country road. I sat down to savor the view and enjoy a snack and a drink from my water bottle. The valley before me was one of the many valleys throughout the Finger Lakes region that sits between sharp hills, each dug by a glacier's mighty push. I shut my eyes and imagined a dirty white glacier filling the depression before me to the brim.
I was converted. From a reluctant unloader I had metamorphosed into a joyful biker, enjoying a pleasant ride and savoring a gorgeous view. Now I wanted to return in the fall to ride again and view this valley in flaming colors.
But for now, more trail beckoned. Irregular stone walls, fuzzy with layers of green moss lining the trail and an old foundation both pointed to previous settlement on this plateau. Did the settlers try to farm this high piece of land? We pedaled on and found that the T-shaped trail was actually more of a figure 8 on top of the plateau. No wonder the mountain bikers enjoyed it here. Even I, hater of hills, had to acknowledge its charms.
Editor's note: Spafford Forest, south of Otisco Lake, is one of the many new trails included in the second edition of "Take Your Bike - Family Rides in New York's Finger Lakes Region." (800) 431-1579
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Bob Builds Boats in Fulton
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by Janet Clerkin
 Sometime back in the 1950s, Bob Green read an article in Popular Mechanics about how to build a redwood strip canoe. He was working full-time Fulton and raising his family, but two months later he completed his first craft.
Now 83 years old, Bob has painstakingly built five canoes and an Adirondack guide boat from scratch. Each one is a work of art.
Bob lives near Fulton, where his workspace has taken over the garage, basement and even the yard of the pleasant rural home that he shares with his wife, Sandra.
What's he done lately? A custom reproduction of a 1905 Adirondack Virginia model guideboat. "I worked as I felt like on it," said Bob. "I was kind of intense in getting it done. Each phase was a learning experience."
He's completed most of his projects by himself, often during the Oswego County's long winters. Bob is committed to mastering each phase of the work. No step seems too challenging, and no detail is overlooked.
Inspired by fishing trips to remote Adirondack lakes, visits to the Adirondack Museum in Blue Mountain Lake, and many hours of research, Green began building this guideboat in January 2006. He completed it Oct. 30, 2006.
"I had an interest in making a guideboat for years," he notes.
He often consulted the book "Building an Adirondack Guideboat," which warned that the project was not to be attempted by a novice. "They were so right," he adds wryly.
Original guideboats, which Bob called "the pickup truck of the Adirondacks," were built from spruce stumps. Builders used the natural curve of the root to make the ribs and stems "because that's where the strength of the tree is," said Bob.
He made four spruce ribs at a time (he needed 52 of them) by steaming and clamping the sections of strips to a customized frame. Once the wood was steamed and pliable, he worked quickly to place it onto the mold before it dried and lost its resilience. Four small pieces were laminated together to make one combination rib, then ripped into four individual ribs.
The remaining features of the guideboat, including caned seats made of cherry, took ten months to complete. The yoke, which "was a trick to build," is made of a yellowish basswood. He started with a rectangular chunk of wood, a pattern, and a circular saw. Additional cuts were made with a grinder and hand chisels, taking care not to go down too deep. The yoke fits perfectly and the 80-pound craft portages easily.
Bob's collection also includes a 16-foot flat-bottomed lake canoe made out of cedar strips. It took him more than 200 hours to build, longer than some, he admits, "because I do a lot of tailoring."
Nearby rests a 1952 bright red Old Towne "Trapper" wood and canvas canoe in perfect condition. But when Bob acquired it, 13 of the ribs were broken and the hull was caved in. In order to get it back to its original length and shape, he had to steam it, cover the sides with canvas and trim it with heavy shears.
Down the line sits a beautiful, completely hand-built, 10-foot 4-inch cedar strip "Wee-vera" canoe. "It's amazing how stable it is in the water," said Bob, who frequently takes his boats to nearby Lake Neahtahwanta as well as to lakes and ponds in the Adirondacks.
Bob Green frequently shares his skills at community events. One summer he conducted a weeklong chair caning project for 13- and 14-year-olds at Oswego County's Camp Hollis.
"Bob is a great role model for teens," said Jim Farfaglia of the Oswego City-County Youth Bureau. "He shares his own life experience in a meaningful way. He's a great inspiration. He definitely promotes good health and well-being."
Bob Green's advice for those who are thinking of building a guideboat? "Start first with a cedar strip canoe. The process is not as difficult."
Green can be reached at 315-592-4980. He's a member of Oswego County's Tourism Advisory Council, the Fulton YMCA, and several other local organizations.
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| How I Joined the Bucket Brigade
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 by Kirk W. House
When Lucy kissed me
Her whiskers were bristly
Her ice-pick teeth would scare you.
Her breath was hot
And extremely wet
But not as wet as her hair-do.
It's quite a deal
Getting kissed by a seal.
I'm starting my behind-the-scenes adventure at a sink, where frozen smelts and other fish finally limber up as we run cold water over them and work them with our own cold fingers. "Now they're getting good and slimy, just like live fish," says Jennifer. So we poke through the gill membranes with our little fingers, and start shoving in pills. This is tricky with the smooth little football-shaped ones... my fingers are slimy, too... but we get the job done, and it's time to feed the seals!
The scene behind closed doors at the Aquarium of Niagara is just as busy as it is out front, with workers bustling through corridors and cubicles, cheerfully greeting each other and sharing fish stories. Our group threads its way in a little single-file parade, cold shiny buckets in hand. Everybody squishes each foot into a plastic basin where an artificial-turf welcome mat lies soaked in disinfectant, then climbs the steps to the outdoor seal enclosure. Parents and kids hanging over the railing break into smiles: they're going to feed the seals!
And so we do, squatting or kneeling by the pool to call each of the three harbor seals. They're happy to come, of course, and I dangle a fish for Lucy, who thrusts herself straight upward from the water, seizes the fish in fierce ice-pick teeth, and subsides back to the pool, gulping it down before she returns, looking hopefully for a second helping, which she promptly gets.
 Each Pacific harbor seal has her own bucket of fish, and the pills are each animal's daily prescription. The seals also get attention and activity. Trainers have them spiral, vocalize, fetch toys, target on a clenched fist. Lucy even gives me several wet kisses, scraping me with her bristles and bathing my face in warm wet seal breath. Back in the office, we record each seal's diet, meds, and activities on the computer, then it's on to the next task. An aquarium is a mighty busy place.
I'm fulfilling a lifelong dream, working directly with the animals and finding out first-hand something about how the aquarium works. What the visitor sees is only the tip of a giant iceberg. Below the surface is a secret, exciting world.
Now it's time for the sea lions. Each sea lion (what a surprise) is delighted to see us... and our buckets.
While the three seals are routinely outside, the three sea lions are insiders with their own private pool behind the huge central tank and stage. We call them one by one out of the pool onto a platform where we feed them, give them eye drops, and visit. Just like dogs, cats, and us, seals and sea lions thrive on individual attention.
Kelly DiPasquale takes our friends into the main tank, where they put on a show for the visitors. Refraction doubles my pleasure as I watch from behind the tank's glass panels; as each sea lion races through the water, she occasionally becomes two sea lions, even moving in different directions. It's a little dizzying, but lots of fun.
 After another visit to the seals, we give the sea lions more training and interaction, as delighted visitors look on. From under the backstage platform we haul out "Gary's Pool," created by teen volunteer Gary Siddall. Gary affixed the lid of a plastic storage box to the underside of a plastic wading pool. We dump fish into the box, snap the box to its lid, toss the pool into the tank, and call out Squirt.
Trainers vary the activities as much as possible, so it's a couple of months since Squirt has seen Gary's Pool. She circles several times before it dawns on her that the fish she smells are in the box. The it only takes her a few seconds of nosing to unsnap the box from its lid on the floating pool, gloriously spilling its contents... after which it takes only a few seconds more to snap them all up.
Next I lean over the second-floor rail with a long pole for the sea lion to target on, churning through the tank and rocketing straight up, walloping back to the surface with a crash and a splash. She doesn't quite make it, so I lower the target a little for another attempt. While we want to challenge them and make them stretch, we've got to let them finish with success.
 Making my way back down to the stage, I take fishtails in my fingertips and dangle the fish to feed Julie -- her teeth just as impressive as Lucy's! Close-up in this enclosed space, you get forceful reminders of why they're called sea LIONS -- that echoing roar is unforgettable.
I shake hands with Julie, stroke her sleek, wet fur, and get another bristly, humid kiss. She paints me a picture by gripping a brush in her teeth. Julie recognizes this activity instantly and throws herself right into it... though she frequently throws down her brush, turns to Kerry, and roars for a little reward.
People sometimes ask me how I got my sneakers stained. "That," I tell them, "is gen-u-ine aquarium mud." And I'm proud of it.
The Aquarium of Niagara has three 75-dollar "hands-on" experiences --Sea Lion Encounter, Harbor Seal Encounter, and Penguin Encounter. My experience included aspects of Sea Lion and Harbor Seal Encounters.
The Aquarium, which has free parking, is open daily year-round; it's a five-minute drive from the Falls.
 Aquarium of Niagara
701 Whirlpool Street
Niagara Falls, NY 14301-1094
(800) 500-4609
If you like aquariums, you might also be interested in the Buffalo Zoological Gardens.
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| Leonardo. Michaelangelo. Enzo. |
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By Kirk W. House
Not all the great Italian artists came out of the Renaissance.
Enthusiasts of a very unique art style of art crowd Corning each year, celebrating "rolling works of art" - the art of Ferrari.
Owners, visitors, and local residents alike eagerly await each year's Concours d'Elegance, where dozens of Ferraris of all ages gather to strut their stuff. Corning is a fitting venue, combining the airy elegance of glass art (reflecting that of the vehicles themselves) and the nearby racecourse at Watkins Glen, where Ferraris have so often roared into the winner's circle.
Keep your eyes peeled when you're driving in the southern Finger Lakes - that car in the next lane may be a Ferrari!
 For more photos, and for details and upcoming dates, check Art of Ferrari. Also watch for information on the sister event in Saratoga Springs!
This year's Art of Ferrari gathering takes place in Corning and Watkins Glen, Sept. 3-6.
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Keuka Wine Trail's Barbeque Bash!
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By Nancy Herzig
What better way to spend a crisp Saturday than following Keuka Lake's wine trail, experiencing the combination of various wines and barbeque!
On June 23rd, my husband Lynn, sister Dorene, her husband Ed, and I spent a delightful day touring nine wineries around the lake. All were participating in the weekend's special wine event.
We had our tickets in hand and proceeded down Rte. 54A to our first stop, Hunt Country Vineyard. You immediately notice the rolling hills covered with grape vines. Their extensive gift shop made it easy to purchase several early Christmas gifts. We partook in the barbequed pork served with seasoned fries. The wine tasting was most enjoyable and the wine slushy was particularly refreshing.
Just a short drive from Hunt Country we arrived at our next stop, Dr. Frank's Vinifera Wine Cellars. Barbequed chicken was being served on the veranda, along with your wine of choice. The breathtaking view of Keuka Lake completed the experience. The wine tasting that followed was the most extensive of the day. Dr. Frank's offered several varieties, from their well-known Rieslings to one of their newer offerings, Gewurztraminer. The young lady presenting the wines was very knowledgeable of all the selections. The wine tasting encouraged us to purchase and we left with variety of wine choices.
Heron Hill Winery, sitting high on a hill, reminded us of a Tuscan villa. Not only can you partake of their many wines, but visitors can also enjoy a picnic lunch offered by The Blue Heron Café. Our beef barbeque on a bun was delicious! A unique item for purchase in their gift shop is a set of pottery decorated with blue herons.
Venturing on, our next stop brought us to Bully Hill Winery. Although Bully Hill is not officially part of the Keuka Lake Wine Trail, we nevertheless made a stop and enjoyed a light lunch on the deck café. If the weather is not cooperating, indoor seating is available. The ladies in the group enjoyed visiting the extensive gift shop and we admired their lovely floral baskets which were visible at every turn.
Venturing up the east side of the lake, our next stop was at the McGregor Vineyard, where we were offered a spicy pork barbeque to complement our choice of wines. Scottish runners decorated the inside picnic tables, making our visit a true highland experience.
Keuka Overlook Wine Cellars is housed in a rustic barn. Once again high on a hill, we enjoyed barbeque meatballs on a stick along with a complimentary wine. Spend the night at the nearby Keuka Overlook Bed and Breakfast... a delightful getaway package.
Our next stop was at the Barrington Cellars/Buzzard Crest Vineyards. We sampled their barbeque and enjoyed tasting their ice wines. Both were well worth remembering.
Rooster Hill Vineyards offers a lovely outdoor patio area complete with a baking oven. We ate of their barbeque along with a marinated potato salad and lemon torte. Once again we enjoyed their wine.
Our last stop of the day was at the Keuka Spring Vineyard, again overlooking the lake, complete with a large tasting room and gift shop. We ended our day's outing with ham barbeque and a refreshing slice of juicy watermelon.
All in all, a day well worth remembering, with good food, good wine, and good company. Remember the dates and consider spending time with friends on the Keuka Lake Wine Trail.
Two additional winery gems sparkle in the necklace of Keuka Lake.
 Pleasant Valley Wine Company, just outside Hammondsport, has a European feel to its stone hillside vaults and ornate wooden doors. "PV" has survived since 1859 as the oldest winery in the Finger Lakes, pulling successfully through the Civil War, two world wars, Prohibition, Repeal, changes in ownership, early airplane flights from the grounds by Glenn Curtiss, and radical changes in the world economy. The tour is a true memory-maker, but so is the visitor center, shop, and tasting bar. Exhibits cover the history of regional winemaking, and an orientation film shows at a little theater inside a huge wine cask.
Just down the road from Pleasant Valley lies Chateau Renaissance Wine Cellars. Winemakers here work with a French champagne recipe that goes back to - well, the Renaissance. They are also known and appreciated for their innovative and popular fruit wines. Like Pleasant Valley, Chateau Renaissance lies in the midst of historic vineyards, while hang gliders often soar from the ridge above.
Hunt Country Vineyards · 800-946-3289, Dr. Frank's Vinifera Wine Cellars · 800-320-0735,
Heron Hill Winery · 800-441-4241, Bully Hill Vineyards · 607-868-3610,
Pleasant Valley Wine Company/Great Western Winery · 607-569-6111,
Chateau Renaissance Wine Cellars · 607-569-3609, Ravines Wine Cellars · 607-292-7007,
McGregor Vineyard · 800-272-6929, Keuka Overlook Wine Cellars · 607-292-6877,
Barrington Cellars/Buzzard Crest Vineyards · 315-536-9686, Rooster Hill Vineyards · 315-536-4773,
Keuka Spring Vineyards · 315-536-3147, Keuka Lake Wine Trail · 800-440-4898
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| Everson Museum of Art to Host Major Exhibition |
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By Kirk W. House
The Everson Museum of Art located in downtown Syracuse, NY will play host from October 9 to January 3, 2010 to TURNER TO CEZANNE: MASTERPIECES FROM DAVIES COLLECTION, NATIONAL MUSEUM WALES.
This one -of-a-kind exhibition features over 50 extraordinary works of art - never before seen in the United States! Close to 30 artists are featured in the exhibition including among others, Cezanne, Corot, van Gogh, Monet, Daumier, Manet, Millet, Pissaro, Renoir, and Turner. See Everson Museum of Art.
THG's travel division, Touring New York, has been selected to produce and operate a number of independent tour packages that will feature the Exhibition as well as myriad other Central New York attractions including the Erie Canal Museum, Onondaga Historical Association, Rosamond Gifford Zoo, village of Skaneateles and the Dinosaur Barb-B-Que. Additional tour package information and reservations are available at www.touringny.com
 Pierre-Auguste Renoir
La Parisienne, 1874
Oil on canvas
64 3/8 x 42 5/8 in.
National Museum of Wales;
Miss Gwendoline E. Davies
Bequest, 1951 (NMWA 2495)
Courtesy American Federation of Arts
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