New York State ...natural, historical, cultural

New York State is a compact wonderland of natural, historical, and cultural riches. From the dynamism and world-class galleries, museums, and theaters of New York City to the dynamo of raw, natural power that is Niagara Falls. All across the state wine touring is available from Long Island to the Finger Lakes to the Niagara Frontier, and historic sites such as Fort Ticonderoga on the Hudson and Old Fort Niagara on Lake Ontario tell the story of the nation’s struggles for independence. The mountains of the huge Adirondacks wilderness offer Olympic-quality skiing, as do those in the Catskills and the Enchanted Mountain area of Cattaragus. Wondrous waterways spreading from the Atlantic to the Hudson, from Lake Champlain to the Finger Lakes, from the St. Lawrence to the Ontario and Erie Great Lakes provide opportunities for peaceful reflection and recreation as well as exciting water sports. The state abounds in bicycle trails, foremost among them being the 380-mile Erie Canalway Trail that follows both active and historic sections of the Erie Canal, which opened the American frontier to settlement and commerce. Much wonderful early architecture dots the state’s entire landscape. Buffalo NY is known for its rich architectural heritage of the 19th and 20th century American masters. Each of the state’s eleven regions offers its own distinctive attractions that make New York a vacationer’s paradise.