July 18-20, 2008
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 largest 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. July 18-20, 2008 Ithaca NY Rally
Site: home of Tom and Melissa Fowler Ithaca, NY
Semi-boondock facilities: limited electrical service, white water drain OK, well water to fill your tank if desired, country setting 6 miles east of downtown Ithaca, adjacent to a bird preserve and surrounded by forever-wild land.
Some links to check out are: http://www.visitithaca.com/
Cayuga Nature Center (http://www.cayuganaturecenter.org/)
Cornell Lab of Ornithology (http://www.birds.cornell.edu)
Cornell Plantations (http://www.plantations.cornell.edu)
Johnson Museum of Art (http://www.museum.cornell.edu)
The Science Center (http://www.sciencenter.org/)
Museum of the Earth (http://www.museumoftheearth.org/)
The History Center (http://www.thehistorycenter.net/)
DownTown Ithaca Commons (http://www.downtownithaca.com/)

150 waterfalls within a 10-mile radius, and 3 gorge parks which are accessible with no or little hiking.
http://www.gowaterfalling.com/waterfalls/ithaca.shtml
http://www.gowaterfalling.com/waterfalls/buttermilk.shtml
http://www.gowaterfalling.com/waterfalls/taughannock.shtml
http://www.gowaterfalling.com/waterfalls/triphammer.shtml
http://www.gowaterfalling.com/waterfalls/enfieldlower.shtml

As Tom and Melissa both work at the Lab of Ornithology/Cornell University, we might be able to arrange a guided early morning bird walk through the sanctuary if enough people are interested.
Also, if you would like to extend your visit by coming early or staying late, please feel free to plan on that.

More details later.