History

• At Fort Ticonderoga, the American Revolution comes to life through costumed re-enactments, musket demonstrations, docent-led tours, fife and drum corps presentations and museum artifacts that offer a glimpse of how colonial settlers cooked, worked and played. For more information, visit fort-ticonderoga.org.
  
  At Saratoga Springs, you'll find one of the most extensive collections of military records, weaponry, flags and vintage photographs during a visit to the New York State Military Museum and Veterans Research Center. Visit dmna.state.ny.us/historic/mil-hist.htm to learn more.
  
  Descendants of Irish immigrants will take pride in how their cultural traditions and contributions have been preserved at Albany's Irish American Heritage Museum. In addition, its Celtic Hall in East Greenbush celebrates the high number of American presidents with Irish ancestry. See irishamericanheritagemuseum.org for calendar and exhibit information.
  
  

Nature

• In addition to a bounty of scenic drives, river cruises and hiking trails, venues such as the Natural History Museum of the Adirondacks (wildcenter.org), the rim walks and raft rides of Ausable Chasm (ausablechasm.com), Elmira's Tanglewood Nature Center (tanglewoodnaturecenter.com) and the Rosamond Gifford Zoo in Syracuse (rosamondgiffordzoo.org) will enhance your appreciation of Planet Earth.
  
  Nor do you want to miss out on a noisy and very wet trip to Niagara Falls, a ride on the Maid of the Mist and a stroll through the Niagara Gorge Discovery Center. If you haven't had enough water for one day, check out the numerous tours by the New York State Canal System. Tourist information on these watery venues can be found at niagara-usa.com and nycanal.com.
  
  

Resorts and Entertainment

• The Catskills and Hudson Valley have long been associated with romantic getaways and relaxation. Whether you've come for leisurely walks with your honey, skiing holidays, golfing or making the rounds of shops, restaurants and performing arts centers, your dance card is going to fill up pretty fast.
  
  Accommodations range from cabins, lodges and dude ranches to quaint bed and breakfasts and luxury hotel spas. The Bethel Woods Center for the Arts (bethelwoodscenter.org) offers a year-round calendar of theatrical productions, concerts, film series, guest lectures and arts festivals featuring local talents. Also worth a look are companies such as the Mac-Hayden Theatre (machaydntheatre.org) and the Catskill Choral Society (catskillchoralsociety.org).