things to do in and around Ithaca: live like a local
There’s so much to see and do in and around Ithaca. Not sure where to begin? Here are some suggestions to get you started.
Ithaca is gorges, as they say, known for its over 150 waterfalls, lakes and streams. Use the Ithaca trails app to navigate your way around them, like the one pictured here at a more off-the-beaten-path part of Taughannock Creek.
Another main attractions to the area is Finger Lakes wine country. Download a map (or grab one at the local visitor center located at the Tompkins Center for History & Culture on the Ithaca Commons) and do a self-guided tour - or hire tour company Experience the Finger Lakes to take you by van or with their affiliate boat cruise company. The Finger Lakes Cider House at Good Life Farm in Ovid is now hosting Friday night live music nights with pizzas, sandwiches and other locally sourced treats to enjoy while you taste cider and enjoy the stunning view.
You could meander around Cornell University - a beautiful landscaped, tree-filled campus surrounded by waterfalls, including the one at Beebe Lake, which has a nice lakeside walking path. The Cornell Botanical Gardens are excellent places to walk, and the botanical garden center has a lovely gift shop. From campus, it is a short walk to College Ave for food at one of the many Collegetown eateries and for fun people watching.
If exploring on dry land isn’t the adventure you’re after, you could always take in the town from a hot air balloon by Southern Tier Balloon Tours.
a frequent sight floating around Ithaca on warm summer evenings
What more wholesome fun could you have than picking your own fruits, veggies or flowers at one of the many farms in the area - Indian Creek Farm, “Ithaca’s orchard park” is an idyllic option, or try Silver Queen for strawberries, Glen Haven for blueberries, and Little Tree for apples, to name a few.
enjoy a delicious pastry as you wander around the wildflower fields at Blue Moon Flower Farm in Trumansburg, NY
Looking for something a bit more low key? How about beer, wine or cider tasting.
Six Mile Creek Vineyard is Ithaca’s local winery, and Ithaca Beer is an excellent choice - especially after a hike at Treman Glen or Buttermilk Falls - enjoy your Flower Power IPA on their outdoor patio with beautiful meadow views, or wander a bit out of town to Hopshire Brewery in Dryden - an excellent choice after hiking or skiing Hammond Hill State Forest. Liquid State makes excellent beer, and on certain nights you can order dinner from the Silo fried chicken truck parked out back. YUM.
Salt Point Brewing in Lansing just opened a shiny new tasting room and restaurant, and is a great place to chill after an afternoon of swimming or kayaking at Salt Point Natural Area - or after a walk at the neighboring Lansing recreation trail. You could always do a tasting and then pop down the street to Rogues Harbor Tavern for a casual supper on the porch. Also, South Hill Cider has an airy tasting room and patio overlooking the apple orchards and often has live music, usually of the old-thyme, bluegrass or rootsy acoustic variety, and nearby, Stone Bend Farm is a bucolic spot to meet friends over the weekend with craft beers by Buried Acorn Brewing in Syracuse and an outdoor pizza oven.
For rainy days…
…how about a movie at our local art-house theatre Cinemapolis, or perhaps you’d like to treat yourself to a spa day with a massage or facial at Rasa Spa or August Moon Spa at La Tourelle.
For gleaners like myself, there is an abundance of re-use, salvage and thrift stores in the area - Found in Ithaca is a large space filled with many vendors, and the Re-use Center is always taking in new stuff to peruse. Significant Elements specializes in salvaged materials from buildings, and if you’re looking for used furniture, Hub’s Place is an excellent resource - it’s only open on the weekends but is a furniture hoarder’s dream, and Mimi’s attic is a local favorite for used furniture and home goods of all sorts. For used clothing, there’s the Salvation Army on route 13, and the Thrifty Shopper across the Street, Trader K’s on the Ithaca Commons, and Mama Goose — a must-stop for ‘gently used’ children’s clothing, toys and gear. Old Goat Gear Exchange in downtown Ithaca is an awesome place to find used sporting equipment, clothing and gear.
Love to read? See if the Ithaca Friends of the Library Book Sale is on while your’e in town - and if not, there’s Buffalo Street Books, a cooperatively owned independent book store, or Autumn Leaves Used Books on the Ithaca Commons.
You might also consider driving around Cayuga Lake, stopping at various vineyards along the way, or perhaps following the Finger Lakes Cheese Trail, and depending which side you start on, stopping for lunch at either the Fargo in Aurora - or across the street on the stunning lakeside patio at the 1833 Kitchen at the luxurious Aurora Inn, or try the more low-key Brats and Brews at Autumn Hill in Trumansburg, or Wolffy’s Gill in Seneca Falls, another good option.
You might want to stop in King Ferry at the Aurora Shoe Company, or Mackenzie-Childs in Aurora, or stop for a dip at Cayuga Lake State Park, Long Point State Park. At the north end of the lake you’ll find the Montezuma National Wild Life Refuge, a great place for spotting bald eagles flocks of migrating geese and other species.
VisitIthaca.com is another resource for discovering what’s happening around town.