Ten Square (Sunny) Miles
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Local Yarns
September 4, 2008 - 11:00pmWelcome again, one and all, to the illustrious Local Yarns. For our first week back in action, I’ve put together something a little different for you — instead of a mini-bio of a super awesome Ithacan, we’re having a lesson on the culture of the super awesome Ithaca itself. Get excited. This is “10 things to do/reasons why you absolutely must spend a summer in this place you normally call home only when stressing over prelim after prelim.”
I love Ithaca. I really do. More and more every year, I think. I know I should go elsewhere since I’ve lived here all my life, and I do plan to, but I wouldn’t mind ending up back in Ithaca eventually. Call me a homebody — I’m ok with it. I especially love Ithaca in the summer. What y’all don’t realize while you’re freezing on the way to and from Olin every day is that Ithaca really is gorges.
So, number one. The gorges themselves. There are lots. They are pretty. They are good for jumping off of, though I must confess that as a 20-year Ithacan I have never actually jumped off a gorge. I have climbed up behind Taughannock Falls, the famous 215-foot one, and looked over the edge. Don’t tell the cops.
Two: Ithaca Fest/Muse Fest. There are many festivals to enjoy during the summer here. Ithaca Fest, held on the Commons, is an awesome one. There’s music and dancing, tons of food and lots of happy people. Sadly, I missed it this year as I wallowed in bed lamenting the loss of four impacted wisdom teeth. Muse Fest, held in a field in the middle of nowhere, is slightly skeezier but still lots of fun, with lots of great music.
Number three is the parks. Take a picnic lunch/dinner, hike the trails, or go swimming. The parks are also a great part of local history. I was hiking Treman Park this summer and found the name of a woman (Joan) carved into the rock from 1905. Pretty cool.
Number four is a favorite of frats during rush week but infinitely better in the summer: the wineries. Yes, they serve delicious local wine, but in the summer they also serve delicious (sometimes local) food that’s often accompanied by local music.
Number five: the Hangar Theatre. The Hangar Theatre is a small theatre built in a renovated airplane hangar on Route 89 by the lake. Every summer they offer several ‘mainstage’ performances (musicals, dramas, comedies, etc.), ‘Kiddstuff’ shows, and a series of free after-hours performances (known as ‘The Wedge’) of more cutting-edge plays. Performers, musicians and producers are a motley mix of locals and professionals.
Number six is playing outdoors. One of my favorite things to do in Ithaca is rent a canoe or two from the Cornell boathouse and head out on the lake. Cornell can hook you up with many other activities as well — rock climbing (inside and out), kayaking, hiking, biking and sailing. Personally, I lived at the climbing wall this summer. Of course, I was working there, but it’s worth it all the same.
Number seven: local food. I’m sure you all love the Farmer’s Market as I do, but Ithaca has more to offer as well. Head to one of many farms and orchards to pick something for yourself. You can pick strawberries, blueberries, peaches, etc. all over Ithaca and the surrounding area.
Numero eight is about as close to home as it gets for me: Taughannock Park, approximately three minutes from my house. Besides featuring the tallest waterfall around, the park has two great trails for hiking, a swimming hole and is the site of many a cook-out for my friends and me. Taughannock also puts on a Saturday night music-in-the-park series during the summer featuring local favorites such as Sim Redmond Band.
Nine. Okay, okay. The Grassroots Festival of Music and Dance, in Trumansburg. Home sweet home. Yes, it is as good as its reputation. Everyone is a hippie, happy and high. The food is great, the music is better and the atmosphere is unlike anywhere else. It’s four days of absolute insanity that most of my hometown starts counting down to from the moment it ends the previous year.
And finally, number 10. I already mentioned it up top, but Ithaca really is gorges. It is beautiful here, and the weather is great in the summer, I swear. Cross my heart. You have to experience it, so you know that the snow does melt eventually. It’s a great place to live but it’s an even better place to call home, if you’ll excuse the cheese.