What makes Ithaca unique?

Is it the towering waterfalls, lush ice-age gorges, endless panoramic views?

Is it the hiking, the biking, the boating?

Is it the beauty of Cayuga Lake, the longest of the Finger Lakes?

Perhaps.

But perhaps it's something more. Maybe it's the buzz from Cornell University and Ithaca College. You feel it everywhere-in our museums, our galleries, our many restaurants. You hear it in our theaters, our nightclubs, our festivals. You see it downtown on our pedestrian mall, the Ithaca Commons, where PhDs cross paths with street musicians, and families stroll the solar system on an interactive planet walk.You can't put your finger on it, but there's something special going on here. The bumper stickers say Ithaca is Gorges, but it's more than that. Ithaca is beautiful and smart and always unexpected. It's intense and laid-back and disdainful of convention. Ithaca is Ithaca. There's a vibe here unlike anywhere else in America.

And experiencing it is the only way to discover it.

While days may be whiled away visiting the many Finger Lakes wineries, strolling through the Cornell Campus, the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art designed by I.M. Pei, or hiking the State Parks, the evenings can be spent enjoying a lakeside concert at Taughannock Falls State Park, sipping Finger Lakes wine, or dining alfresco on the Downtown Ithaca Commons while listening to live music. You can then take in professional theatre at the intimate 73 seat Kitchen Theatre or at the Hangar Theatre located in a historic airplane hangar.

Weekends in Ithaca offer a glimpse of the local flair at the Ithaca Farmer's Market on the Cayuga Inlet. There, one can enjoy Cambodian dishes, organic dishes brimming with colorful edible flowers, locally made pottery, jewelry, and of course fresh produce and flowers. Tiohero Tours offer sightseeing tours of the lake Dinner cruises, sunset cruises and brunches are offered by Cayuga Lakes Cruises.

When you are preparing to visit Ithaca, just remember to pack enough for a few days because there is so much to do and see in this eclectic college-town that you'll be compelled to return again and again!

Phone: 800-284-8422

Website: www.VisitIthaca.com

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