You have a week. One full week. Of nothing to do.
No school. No work. No plans.
Why are you still sitting there? It’s time to get crackin’.
Start something. Anything.
Start it in the Central New York Region.
Whether you’re a teacher, a student, or a student teacher… a college kid, a college professor, or a student who’s old enough to be a college professor, the Central New York Region is brimming with activity or inactivity possibilities, whichever you prefer, sure to fill your winter break with nothing but pure, unadulterated, for lack of a better word, FUN.
Teachers: kick back and take it easy. Students: kick it into high gear and get out there to enjoy the snowfall!
Greater Binghamton
TEACHERS: Traditions at the Glen Resort & Spa is your place to breathe a deep sigh of relief – you can drop your piece of chalk or dry-erase marker now. It’s time to relax with an array of spa treatments for your body and mind. Allow the beauty of the surrounding 400 wooded acres of nature combined with an elegant facility create the perfect retreat for restoring harmony to your life.
Voted No. 1 by the Readers’ Choice Awards five years in a row, how could we not recommend visiting the White Rose Day Spa while you’re out spa-hopping for your “ultimate journey of rejuvenation”? Let your mind wander while you luxuriate in aromatherapy, a body wrap, a facial, any number of extraordinary treatments.
STUDENTS: You’re too old for that fluorescent green one-piece snowsuit with the cheetah pattern on the back, but you’re going to need to bundle up somehow for a day out in the blizzard. Get ready for some recreational “snowpportunities”!
Sledding, snowshoeing and tobogganing are all on your Fun To-Do List this week at Chenango Valley State Park and Greenwood Park, with miles of groomed trails for beginner through expert skiers.
Grab your crush’s mitten-covered hand for a whirl around the Broome Community College Ice Rink or the Chenango Ice Rink. When is that dance you wanted to ask her to, again? Ask on the ice. There’s no greater aphrodisiac. Plus, if she says no, you can cut your losses and speed skate to the skate return.
Chenango County
TEACHERS: I’ll take a mani, pedi and massagey – sorry, massage. Altering Looks and Body Works Day Spa is a full services day spa featuring hair and nail services, massage therapy, facials, ear candling, full-body waxing, makeup application, teeth whitening, eyelash extensions, tanning and the list goes on. It’s your week off – do something for you.
STUDENTS: Gear up for everything snowy and sporty: cross-country skiing, hiking, and snowmobiling in Chenango County state parks.
Check out the outstanding scenery at Bowman Lake State Park, as you ski, hike, bike, or hop on a snowmobile to travel the eight miles of trails. Watch out for wildlife at Brookfield State Forest while skiing, hiking or snowmobiling – you may just witness a special moment between a mother squirrel and a baby squirrel as you’re passing by. Isn’t that cute?
Whaupaunaucau State Forest offers 1,200 acres of state land for skiing and hiking and another awesome place for both of those activities is Finger Lakes Trail, with the main trail extending 562.9 miles. Pharsalia Wildlife Management Area is ideal for hiking, bird-watching, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and hunting. You can also ski and hike at Rogers Environmental Education Center or join them for their Winter Trail Walk Series using snowshoes if there are at least eight inches of snow.
Cooperstown
TEACHERS: Winter Break means it’s your time to live a little. On that note, why not grab a group of friends and tour the Brewery Ommegang in Cooperstown, “where brewing is an art and partaking is a passion.” Catch up with friends over award-winning Belgian-style ales, light-bodied lagers and pilsners in a quaint locale, as “Ommegang” means a celebration of culture.
STUDENTS: Batters up! Winter Break would not be complete without a little sports action. Spend a day at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum and soak in the brilliant career stories of some of the world’s best baseball players. One of the country’s most popular destinations and the best-known sports shrine in the world, the Hall of Fame holds the game’s treasures and is a symbol of the most profound individual honor bestowed upon an athlete. It stands as every fan’s “Field of Dreams” with its stories, legends and magic to be passed on from generation to generation.
Cazenovia
TEACHERS: Work out those awful kinks in your neck and knots in your back from the irritatingly cute kids in your class during a massage at The Brewster Inn in Madison County. Make a weekend of it and capitalize on all that the inn has to offer, including elegant, gourmet dining in candlelit rooms coupled with an award-winning wine list, luxurious overnight accommodations with a Jacuzzi bath or fireplace, and an extensive shoreline to cross-country ski along. Remember, this is your vacation from school – you deserve it.
STUDENTS: Listen up, teens. Here are 3 C’s to kick off your Winter Break from school: Call your buds; Climb into the warmest boots you own; and Crawl to your parents’ feet, begging them to drive you to Stoney Pond State Forest in Madison County. It’s time to get your ski on … and literally get your skis on.
Check out the 13-mile-long Stoney Pond Nordic Ski Trail. There are awesome trails through woodsy wonderlands just waiting for your slaloming. Feel free to bring your friend who has never skied before also – the trails are mainly designed for skiers with a beginner or intermediate skill level.
The Central New York Region is Winter Breakers’ Utopia. For those seeking repose to those seeking adventure, anyone can create their ideal itinerary in this region.
And remember, students and teachers, only three months left ‘til Summer Break! The Central New York Region is a marvelous destination for summer too …