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Sunday, July 18: Arrive Syracuse, New York; Group Reception
Fly into Syracuse Airport
arriving no later than 4:30pm. The tour begins at 6:00pm at the
hotel where we will meet for a reception to get acquainted and talk about the upcoming week’s activities. (Reception)
Monday, July 19: Taughannock Falls State Park and Robert H. Treman State Park
We begin today with a drive along Cayuga Lake from Syracuse to Ithaca, enjoying the
lovely scenery along the way. Our first stop is Bellwether Hard Cider specializing in the production of hard cider that once reigned as our nation’s most popular drink. We then stop at Taughannock Falls State Park. Taughannock Falls is one of the outstanding natural attractions of the Northeast. It plunges 215 feet past rocky cliffs that tower nearly 400 feet above the gorge. We will stop for lunch and visit the Americana Vineyards and Winery for a tasting. Next stop is Robert H. Treman State Park with the rugged gorge called Enfield Glen as its scenic highlight. We will end the day in Ithaca, home of Cornell University. (B,L)
Tuesday, July 20: Watkins Glen State Park, Corning Museum of Glass
Watkins Glen State Park is in a 400 foot deep narrow gorge cut through rock by a stream that was formed when glaciers of the ice age deepened the Seneca Valley generating 19 waterfalls.
There is a walking path that runs the length of the gorge. Steps are
involved to get in and out of the gorge. Watkins Glen is the most famous of the Finger Lakes State Parks. We continue our journey to Corning, New York where the afternoon will be spent visiting the Corning Museum of Glass. The Museum is home to the world’s most comprehensive collection of glass--more than 45,000 glass objects, spanning 3,500 years of glassmaking history. We will have dinner together and overnight in Corning. (B,D)
Wednesday, July 21: Letchworth State Park, Glen Iris Inn. Niagara Falls, Ontario
On our drive from Corning to Niagara Falls, we will visit Letchworth State Park. It is renowned as the "Grand Canyon of the East," and one of the most scenic areas in the eastern U.S. Our lunch will be at the Glen Iris Inn, formerly the country home of William Letchworth. The Inn overlooks the Middle Falls on the Genessee River. Our drive continues through the countryside to Niagara Falls, Ontario where we will spend the next three nights. (B,L)
Thursday, July 22: Niagara Falls, Ontario
This day is free to enjoy all the sights and sounds of Niagara Falls. Your Niagara Falls and Great Gorge Adventure Pass provides entrance to Maid of the Mist, Journey Behind the Falls, White Water Walk, Butterfly Conservatory, People Mover Bus, and Falls Incline Railway. Walk through Queen Victoria Park with its valuable collection of unique plants and beautifully maintained gardens. There are platforms offering spectacular views of both the American and Horseshoe Falls, and underground walkways leading into observation rooms which yield the illusion of being within the falling waters. The observation deck of the Skylon Tower (admission not included) offers the highest overhead view of the Falls, and in the opposite direction gives views as far as distant Toronto. Illumination of the Falls occurs nightly at 8:30pm. We will overnight in Niagara Falls, Ontario (B)
Friday, July 23: Niagara-on-the-Lake
Enjoy a leisurely morning before departing for Niagara-on-the-Lake. Set by the Niagara River and Lake Ontario, historic Niagara-on-the-Lake has Georgian and Victorian-styled buildings, a waterfront park and surrounding fields of grapevines.
Enjoy your afternoon here by having lunch and then taking a stroll down Queen Street with its colorful storefronts, carved facades and hanging flower baskets. The town is also home to the Shaw Festival, a
rotating series of theatrical productions featuring the works of George Bernard Shaw and his contemporaries.
As an optional activity today, choose between two plays - one a
drama, the other a musical. Both plays begin at 2:00pm and last
about 90 minutes. (Play not included in tour cost):
An Ideal Husband - by Oscar Wilde: When her husband
behaves badly, should a wife always stand by her man? The
quest for power and ambition eventually catch up with a
much-admired politician and a choice must be made between
public scandal and the private shame of his wife. A perfect
mix of Wilde wit and intrigue where virtually every
character is revealed to be not at all what they seem,
making for a puzzle to unravel for actors and audience
alike. Cost: $65
One Touch of Venus: The ancient goddess of love
visits Manhattan in this musical fantasy. A modern art
collector brings a statue of Venus to town and through the
magic of a ring, Venus comes to life, falls for a barber
named Hatch and chases him all over New York. But will this
wild woman allow herself to be tamed? A comic caper from the
pen of the Marx Brothers’ writer S. J. Perelman and New
Yorker poet Ogden Nash, with classic Weill songs like
“Speak Low” and “I’m A Stranger Here Myself.” Cost: $65
Upon our return to Niagara Falls, we will get together for our farewell dinner. Overnight in Niagara Falls, Ontario. (B,D)
Saturday, July 24: Return Home
We will depart Niagara at 8:00am as a group. We will cross the US boarder and clear US customs on our return to Buffalo airport. Schedule your departure flight for no earlier than 11:30am. (B) |
