#FlyWashington Magazine Fall 2018 | Page 53

Scranton Fireworks Credit: Visit Lackawanna County BEAUTIFUL ITHACA The beauty of Upstate New York is apparent in Ithaca. A quaint town at the base of the Finger Lakes, Ithaca provides residents and visitors an abundance of places to visit. Home to Cornell University, Ithaca is loved by college students and retirees alike, being ranked 13th among America’s Best College Towns by Travel + Leisure in 2013 and #1 Best College Town by the American Institute for Economic Research in 2013-2014. Ithaca was also named one of the 10 best places to retire in the U.S. by U.S. News in 2012. BUTTERMILK FALLS STATE PARK Buttermilk Falls State Park features ten waterfalls through the park, with Buttermilk Falls being the main attraction. The park is a nature lover’s dream, featuring a beach, cabins, nature trails, playground and fields, camping, hiking, and pavilions. Waterfalls are plentiful within the park and hiking trails include the Gorge Trail, Rim Trail, Bear Trail, Larch Trail and Finger Lakes Trail. The park totals 811 acres, which 164 were gifted to New York State by Robert and Laura Treman in 1924. www.parks.ny.gov TAUGHANNOCK FALLS STATE PARK Located ten miles northwest of Ithaca, Taughannock Falls State Park should be on your list of places to see when visiting Ithaca. The namesake waterfall is one of the outstanding natural attractions of the Northeast. Plunging 215 feet past rocky cliffs that tower almost 400 feet above the gorge, Taughannock Falls offers spectacular views from all around. Campsites and cabins are available as well as a marina, boat launch and beach close by. Taughannock Falls State Park offers plenty of outdoor activities including hiking and cross-country skiing. www.parks.ny.gov GETTING THERE Ithaca’s airport of choice is Ithaca Tompkins Regional Airport, located just three miles northeast of the city center. United Airlines recently announced nonstop service from Dulles International Airport (IAD) to Ithaca Tompkins Regional Airport (ITH). HISTORIC SCRANTON SCRANTON WAS AN INDUSTRIAL LEADER IN THE MID-19TH CENTURY AND NOW OFFERS CHARMING MEMORIES OF A BYGONE ERA. History buffs will enjoy a visit to Steamtown National Historic Site, a railroad museum located in downtown Scranton.Also on site is a beautifully restored 19th-century mill, the Electric City Trolley Museum. The whole family will delight in interactive exhibits and vintage trolleys. Nearby are the Scranton Iron Furnaces, four Steamtown National Historic Site massive stone blast furnace stacks Credit: Kenny Ganz built between 1848 and 1857, recall the titan Lackawanna Iron and Steel Company. The Lackawanna Coal Mine offers visitors a chance to go 300-feet beneath the surface of the earth in a once abandoned, but now restored, hard coal mine. GETTING THERE United Airlines offers two daily nonstop flights from Dulles International Airport (IAD) to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport (AVP). AUTUMN 2018 51 FLYWASHINGTON.COM