5 Itineraries for a Fun Fall Escape
From New York to North Carolina to Puerto Rico.
Taughannock Falls in Ithaca has an impressive 215-foot-drop. Photo courtesy of Paul Massie Photography.
Whether you hit the road for a wine weekend or nature-filled excursion or crave a little Southern comfort or a Caribbean escape, there’s a fall getaway to suit everyone.
Index
Ithaca, New York | Niagara Falls, Canada | New Hampshire Wine Trail | San Juan, Puerto Rico | Wilmington, North Carolina
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For the Waterfalls Chaser: Ithaca, New York
by Dana Laverty
We came, like most do, for the waterfalls.
After all, Ithaca’s abundant natural beauty has drawn visitors for centuries. (See any “Ithaca is Gorges” bumper sticker or T-shirt for proof.)
But we found so much more in the city established at the southern tip of Cayuga Lake in New York: vibrant restaurants, college town vibes — the city is home to Cornell University and Ithaca College — interesting architecture, independent shops and artistic sensibilities woven through with a hefty streak of grungy counterculture.
The renovated Hotel Ithaca (thehotelithaca.com) was the ideal setting for our explorations. Our comfy room came with a king bed and outdoor balcony and was steps away from Ithaca Commons, a downtown pedestrian area filled with quaint eateries, shops and cultural sites, like the Cinemapolis independent movie theater and the History Center in Tompkins County. One afternoon we even saw Cornell students practicing their juggling and hula-hooping skills; it’s a chill spot to stroll, grab a morning cup of coffee and plan the day ahead.
Of course, waterfalls were at the top of the list. There are more than 150 of them in Ithaca proper, and since we were only in town for three days, we headed right for the tallest: Taughannock Falls. The 215-foot-tall falls sluice through layers of shale and limestone, landing placidly in a pool below. We visited on Easter Sunday, and while I no longer subscribe to any one religion, I can’t help but think that Emerson was onto something when he said, “In the woods, we return to reason and faith.”
Ithaca Falls is close to the downtown area. Photo courtesy of Visit Ithaca
Just along the Cornell campus you’ll find Ithaca Falls, one of the city’s “secret” waterfalls with an impressive 150-foot-tall plunge. Bring a picnic lunch or a book and relax in the gorgeous scenery as the soothing roars provide the perfect amount of white noise.
Follow Fall Creek northward for a little bit and you’ll happen upon Stewart Park. It’s a peaceful spot where willows ring Cayuga Lake and you can swing on benches overlooking the water. It was a little too chilly for us to do so, but you can rent kayaks (paddlenmore.com) or bikes (ithacabikerental.com) and paddle or pedal your way around the scenic lake area. If you choose a bike, refuel with a stop at the Ithaca Farmers Market, which runs on weekends from May–November.
It’s fitting that the city named for the ancient Greek island of Ithaca, home to Odysseus in Homer’s Odyssey, has several excellent bookstores. If you like your literature with a side of anarchy, head to Autumn Leaves Books (autumnleavesithaautumnleavesithaca.com) for a wide selection of new and used books, including the state’s largest selection of Buddhist literature and plenty of “rebellious” titles. (The store’s owner, PM Press, calls itself a “radical publisher of critically necessary books for our tumultuous times.”)
Tucked into a historic building just off the Commons, Odyssey Bookstore (odysseybookstore.com) winks at Ithaca’s heritage with hand-curated titles inside a cute-as-a-button shop. Its personalized book subscriptions make a charming gift for bookworms (hint hint!): You tell Odyssey your favorite titles and genres, and the booksellers will deliver you a book based on your preferences every month.
Moosewood Restaurant is a vegetarian’s delight. Photo by Robyn Wishna
When I first became vegetarian years ago, my brother gifted me a Moosewood cookbook. So we had to visit the namesake restaurant (moosewoodrestaurant.com) just blocks away from our hotel. We shared a bread basket with local sourdough and herb-infused olive oil, smoky patatas bravas, the Moosewood salad with native greens, sprouts and rainbow carrots, and local burrata with zucchini ribbons, blistered tomatoes and micro basil. My zero-proof pomegranate punch (house rooibos syrup, pomegranate, orange, lemon and Ithaca ginger beer) provided a refreshing complement to all the vegetal goodness.
A flight of cider at the Finger Lakes Cider House. Photo courtesy of Visit Ithaca
The Finger Lakes area is known for its many wineries, but cideries have been making gains as well. So much so that it now boasts a Finger Lakes Cider Trail (fingerlakescidertrail.com) with several sweet outposts. We rounded out our visit with a visit to the Finger Lakes Cider House (fingerlakesciderhouse.com) and the finest glass I’ve ever sampled: the semi-sweet Honeoye, redolent and juicy with just a hint of sparkle. Of course, we had to leave with a few bottles in our trunk to bring home, sweet memories of a visit that, while short, left us with memories to savor.
Three Can’t-Miss Museums
The Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Bird nerds, unite! You can watch our feathered friends indoors and out at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, which has miles of trails in its Sapsucker Woods sanctuary. (We spied a regal great blue heron wading in the pond during our trip.) Powerful scopes inside the visitor center will help you get a better view, while you can listen to hours of birdsong, see tiny bones and feathers, and learn all about flight and birds’ habitats in the discovery lab. birds.cornell.edu
Bird-viewing areas, nature trails and a sound lab can be found at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Photo courtesy of Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
The History Center in Tompkins County
This jewel box of a museum is just off the Commons. You’ll learn all about the region’s storied past — Ithaca was home to Wharton Studio, a successful silent film production company, in the early twentieth century, for example — with permanent and rotating exhibits. “Planes, Trains and Automobiles: Buses, Boats and Bikes” looks at transportation in Tompkins County throughout the years, from horse-drawn carriages to trains and planes. The exhibit runs through December. thehistorycenter.net
Johnson Museum of Art
Browse 40,000 works in the I.M. Pei-
designed Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art on the Cornell campus while taking in gorgeous views of Cayuga Lake. Through Dec. 7, you can view “Free as they want to be: Artists Committed to Memory,” contemporary art inspired by historic events that examines powerful themes of racism, segregation and slavery. museum.cornell.edu
Nuts & Bolts
Travel Time: A five-hour-and-twenty-minute drive from Providence.
Getting There: I-90 West to I-88 West to Route 206 West to Route 79 West.
Bucket List for Next Time: One of the many hiking trails or a visit to Watkins Glen State Park to take in its nineteen (!!) waterfalls.
Worth a Detour: Only an hour away, the Corning Museum of Glass (home.cmog.org) houses the world’s largest collection of glass — everything from ancient Egyptian portraits to colorful stemware and contemporary sculpture.
