Thanksgiving Getaways in Upstate New York

MYFOXNY.COM - Although Thanksgiving is traditionally a time for families to gather in the home, it can also be a great time for couples or small families to get away and enjoy being pampered and catered to. Here are a few ideas for not-too-far-away jaunts.

+COOPERSTOWN+

The 100-year-old Otesaga Resort Hotel is offering a Thanksgiving Family Weekend package (Wednesday, November 25, through Sunday, November 29) that includes activities and special meals by Executive Chef Michael Gregory. The package starts at $430/single and $575/double and includes:

• Two nights in a traditional guest room
• Two holiday dinners and two breakfasts for each guest in the main dining room Manager's Thanksgiving cocktail reception on Wednesday evening
• Saturday breakfast visit with Santa, "Hay You" the clown for the kids all weekend, and live entertainment and dancing nightly in the Templeton lounge
• Holiday cooking demonstration and cocktail tasting as well as cookie decorating
• Otesaga history tour, holiday movies, family hay rides, family bingo
• A special Black Friday sale in the hotel's gift shop and discount coupon for use in the hotel's gift shop or pro shop

OTESAGA RESORT HOTEL
60 Lake Street
Cooperstown, NY 13326
(800) 348-6222
www.otesaga.com

While in Cooperstown, check out three museums:

NATIONAL BASEBALL HALL OF FAME AND MUSEUM
www.baseballhalloffame.org
The museum just unveiled its World Series 2009 artifacts exhibit. Nearly a dozen artifacts from the both the Yankees and Phillies are on display, including: Hideki Matsui's Game 6 bat, Mariano Rivera's postseason cap, Derek Jeter's Game 6 bat, Andy Pettitte's World Series cap, Johnny Damon's spikes from his Game 4 double steal, and much more.

FARMERS' MUSEUM
www.farmersmuseum.org
The museum is closed on Thanksgiving, but reopens Friday, Nov. 27 and Saturday, Nov. 28. Visit with the crafts people at Todd's General Store, Filer's Corner Schoolhouse, The Blacksmith's Shop, Lippitt Farmhouse and Farmyard, and Bump Tavern.

FENIMORE ART MUSEUM
www.fenimoreartmuseum.org
See the exhibits America's Rome: Artists in the Eternal City, 1800-1900; American Landscapes; and Walker Evans: Carbon and Silver.

+THE CATSKILLS+

The picturesque hamlets of the Catskills have plenty to do and see even in the fall and winter. The Villa Roma Resort in Sullivan County features shopping, restuarants, and nightlife as well as quick access to outdoor activities and nearby attractions.

The resort is offering 3- or 4-night packages for the Thanksgiving holiday with breakfast and dinner daily, including a family-style Thanksgiving meal, dancing in a new cocktail lounge, and nightly entertainment in the Forum Nightclub. The packages start at $145 per adult per night. One child is free on 3- and 4-night stays.

VILLA ROMA
356 Villa Roma Road
Callicoon, NY 12723
(845) 887-4880 / (800) 533-6767
www.villaroma.com

Take a ride around the region for shopping for antiques and crafts, bird-watching, cultural centers, and gaming:

BETHEL WOODS CENTER FOR THE ARTS AND MUSEUM
www.bethelwoodscenter.org
Don't visit Sullivan County without making a pilgrimage to Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, which is built on the site of the original 1969 Woodstock festival. The center hosts a museum that offers a multimedia experience of film, interactive displays, text panels, and artifacts paying tribute to Woodstock and its historical significance and cultural legacy. It is closed on Thanksgiving Day, but is open Friday, Nov. 27 through Sunday, Nov. 29.

MONTICELLO GAMING AND RACEWAY
www.monticellogamingandraceway.com
If gambling is your thing, play slot games, progressive jackpot machines, and video poker. The casino also has a buffet featuring a Thanksgiving Day dinner.

+FINGER LAKES+

Another gem in central New York is the Finger Lakes region, which boasts more than 100 wineries and vineyards. Five wine trails and one wine path are named for the lakes they border -- Canandaigua, Cayuga, Keuka, Ontario, Seneca, Conesus and Hemlock. Many wineries have restaurants with view of the lakes.

The Sherwood Inn in the historic village of Skaneateles is situated on the north shore of the lake of the same name. It has 25 rooms that range in price from $150 to $245 per night. The inn has a special Thanksgiving dinner menu that includes a choice of potato leek soup or harvest salad, then fresh roasted turkey, apple stuffing with sausage and sage, and much more. Adults $25, children ages 5-12 $14 (ages 5 and under free).

SHERWOOD INN
26 West Genesee Street
Skaneateles, NY 13152
(315) 685-3405
www.thesherwoodinn.com

While visiting the region, check out some attractions and vineyards:

CAYUGA LAKE WINE TRAIL
www.cayugawinetrail.com
Take tours and enjoy wine tastings at more than a dozens wineries around Cayuga Lake.

JOHN D. BARROW ART GALLERY
www.johndbarrowgallery.com
This single-artist gallery contains the works of John D. Barrow (1824-1906), a second generation Hudson River School style painter.

SKANEATELES HISTORICAL SOCIETY
www.skaneateleshistoricalsociety.org
An artifact collection featuring hundreds of items related to farming, manufacturing, recreation, transportion, art, architecture, the press, and commerce.