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Beekman Arms- Rhinebeck, NY
Beekman Arms is certainly historic. Perhaps the country’s oldest continuously operating inn, it has been welcoming travelers for over 250 years. Incredibly colonial and charming, it just looks like a hotel fit for a founding father. Naturally, it hosted a few. George Washington himself stayed at the inn, as did Alexander Hamilton, and Arron Burr. In fact, the two traded insults at the hotel, which led to their famous duel. I imagine it happened over a few drinks in the tap room, but I could be wrong. Rhinebeck itself dates to 1686, when a group of Dutch colonists purchased 2200 acres from area Native Americans, although at the time it…
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Skaneateles, NY
The town of Skaneateles is impossibly quaint. It is also almost impossible to pronounce if you are not from New York, or a frequent Finger Lake visitor. I am neither. For the record, it is close to skinny-atlas, although this is debated by the camp who prefer something closer to skan-e-at-las. Either way, perched on the shores of a impossibly clear glacier carved lake, it is a town you should visit. The almost impossible name is Iroquois for “long lake,” which perfectly describes the 16 mile body of water which is frequent less than a mile wide. It very much looks like a scratch in the landscape, or I suppose…
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Sonnenberg Mansion- Canandaigua, NY
One of the last remaining grand country estates of the Gilded Age, Sonnenberg is a stunner. Although arguably overshadowed by its elaborate gardens, it is a fantastic Queen Anne mansion, chock full of elaborate, costly details. For those who love Victorian architecture, it is not to be missed. Built between 1885 and 1887 by Boston architect Francis Allen, Sonnenberg was the summer home of Frederick Ferris Thompson and Mary Clark Thompson, a wildly wealthy New York City couple. Frederick founded a series of banks with is father, including Chase National Bank in 1873, while Mary was the daughter of the governor of New York, Myron Holley Clark. As such, they…
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Sonnenberg Gardens- Canandaigua, NY
The gardens at Sonnenberg State Historic Park are without a doubt the most stunning and impressive I have ever visited. It is impossible not to be transfixed and awestruck by the sprawling property, which is home to a collection of breathtaking Gilded Age gardens. A work of true genius, you may never want to leave. Built in stages by various landscape architects working for Mary Clark Thompson, the gardens were a living memorial to her husband, Frederick, who died in 1899. Mrs. Thompson, herself an avid gardener, sought to recreate the famous gardens of the world at her New York Estate. Any one of these gardens would be spectacular on…
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Niagara Falls- NY,CAN
I absolutely love waterfalls. I have risked life and limb to access remote cascades, with no regrets. In theory I should have loved Niagara Falls; after all, three massive waterfalls straddling an international border sounds downright heavenly. And it should be, but it’s not. I cannot argue the falls aren’t impressive, because they absolutely are. They are downright beautiful, and awe inspiring. Too bad about everything else. The American side is downright sketchy; while safer, the Canadian side is a collection of tacky boardwalk attractions. What a absolute shame. It is still worth a trip, just make it a short one. A product of ice age glaciation, the falls have…
