Griffis Sculpture Park - This 400-acre park, located 45 miles south of Buffalo, was founded in 1966 by the late artist, Larry Griffis Jr. The park, which was the first outdoor sculpture park in the country, as well as the largest, has more than 250 sculptures created by over 100 local, regional, and national artists, including a large number created by Griffis. Enjoy ten miles of hiking trails while you explore meadows, forests, fields, and ponds that are dotted with unique creations made of wood, aluminum, welded steel, and bronze cast. Guided tours are available for groups. The park is open May-October.

Address: 6902 Mill Valley Road, East Otto, NY 14729

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Cobblestone Museum Complex - Between 1825 and 1860, over 1,000 buildings made of smooth round cobblestones were built in North America. About 800 are still in existence, with about 90-percent still in the western New York area. Along route 104 is the Cobblestone Museum Complex, located in the hamlet of Childs, about 30 miles west of Rochester. This museum complex has seven historic buildings, including three of cobblestone construction, which have been designated National Historic Landmarks. The museum is open late June – Labor Day.

Address: NY 104 and NY 98

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Village of Findley Lake - This quaint Chautauqua County village, with its lake of the same name is often overlooked by visitors heading to Chautauqua Lake 15 miles away, but a visit to Findley Lake is well worth the stop. Located just one mile from the Pennsylvania border and conveniently just off the I-86 expressway, the village, referred to by some people as the “Best Kept Secret in New York State,” offers recreational activities, shopping, and dining. There are a dozen shops located along Main Street and the lake is a fisherman’s paradise stocked with bass, walleye, muskie, and panfish. Nearby, Peek ‘n Peak Resort has golf in the spring, summer, and fall and snow sports in the winter.

Address: Findlay Lake, New York

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Village of Angelica - The Village of Angelica in Allegany County is so quaint that it was chosen by Readers Digest as the setting of its 1997 holiday video: "An Old Fashioned Christmas." This tiny village, population about 1,000, is a great place to shop for antiques and gifts, enjoy fine dining, or stay overnight in a romantic B&B inn. Many of the buildings in the community, which has been dubbed the “town where history lives,” are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In fact there has been little new construction in the town since the 1900’s, so most homes are Greek Revival or Victorian style.

Address: Angelica, New York

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Abbey of the Genesee - Nestled in the tiny hamlet of Piffard, about 35 miles south of Rochester, NY, the Abbey of the Genesee is a community of contemplative monks belonging to the order of Cistercians of Strict Observance, commonly known as Trappist. The brothers, who speak only when necessary, have dedicated themselves to a cloistered life of prayer and manual labor. When the abbey was first established in 1951, Brother Sylvester, one of the abbey’s founders, began baking bread for the monks and visitors, using his own recipe. Soon guests started asking to purchase the bread to take home. The monks began making "Monks' bread" and started a small bakery. The operation grew and soon the monks were operating a large modern bakery, which supports the abbey financially to this day. The bread is sold at the abbey’s bread store, as well as in major supermarkets in Buffalo, Rochester, and Syracuse, NY.

Address: 3258 River Road, Piffard, NY 14533.

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Springdale Farm - Springdale Farm is a 200 acre working demonstration farm that is located within Northampton Park, part of the Monroe County park system. The farm, which was established as a private farm in the early 1800’s, features historic buildings which house farm animals, like horses, chickens, sheep, and goats. One of the more unique features of the farm is the Riedman robotic milking parlor, which opened in 2004, where cows are milked without the farmer’s assistance. It is the first robotic milking parlor in the Northeast to be open to the public. For a nominal fee, guests can tour the parlor at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. from Monday through Saturday.

Address: 700 Colby Street, Spencerport, NY

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Rock City Park - Rock City Park, a 23-acre rock park hidden in the woods about six miles south of Olean, is the largest formation of quartz conglomerate, known as “pudding stone,” in the world. You'll be amazed at some of the huge rock formations, which were once used by Native American’s as a fortress. One formation includes a 1,000 ton boulder precariously perched on another. However, be warned, visiting Rock City Park is no walk in the park, so wear comfortable clothing and sturdy shoes and be prepared to do a lot of climbing and walking. Rock City has actually been open to the public since 1890.

Address: 505 Rt. 16 South, Olean, NY

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Country Barn Quilt Trail - Take a drive through rural Orleans County and experience country charm when you follow the Country Barn Quilt Trail, which features large painted wooden quilt squares displayed on barns and other structures. This project was the brainchild of Laura Partyka, who operates a farm market in Kendall. There are over 40 barns and other buildings throughout the county that have painted wooded quilt blocks on them. Maps are available at Partyka Farms and they even have an audio cell phone tour available that describes each quilt block along the way.

Address: 1420 County Line Road, NY 272, Kendall, NY

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National Soaring Museum - The National Soaring Museum is located in Elmira, which has been dubbed the “Soaring Capital of America.” The National Soaring Museum is the only U.S. museum that focuses on motorless flight and is home to the largest collection of gliders and sailplanes in the world. Visitors can experience flight in a soaring simulator and design and land a sailplane using the museum’s interactive computers. The museum offers fun and education programs for children of all ages, including overnight programs and a week-long summer camp. If you’d like to experience motorless flight first-hand, sailplane rides are offered at the Harris Hill Soaring Corporation, located adjacent to the museum.

Address: 51 Soaring Hill Drive, Elmira, NY

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Vineyard Express - The Vineyard Express is a train ride that departs from Lockport at 10 a.m., with stops at the Medina Railroad Museum and Spring Lake Winery, before it makes its return trip to Lockport at 3 p.m. Two vintage New York Central E-8 diesel locomotives pull the five passenger coaches on and riders get to tour the railroad museum for an hour, then stop for lunch, a wine tasting and live music at the winery. The Vineyard Express runs the first and last Sunday of the month, June through October.

Address: 7373 Rochester Road (NY 31), Lockport, NY

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