Night Family-Friendly Getaway Near Cornell, Ithaca, Upstate NY

(Note upfront) Since we were traveling with kids and didn’t want to rush, this was a very relaxed, vacation-style trip. These sights could easily be covered in a 2-day, 1-night itinerary if planned more tightly. With little ones, everything takes longer than expected — so this guide is especially helpful for families! Also, I noticed many itineraries online are quite brief, so I decided to write a more detailed one. Yes, it’s long and a bit rambly — so long that I’ve split it into three parts! 📅 Trip Overview When: Left NJ Saturday morning, returned Tuesday evening — 4 days, 3 nights total. What we did: Cornell University 🏛️, waterfall parks 💧, wine tastings 🍷 Who: Family with young kids 👶💡 Small Tips: We mostly cooked ourselves or found food on the go 🍳🛒 — so no strong restaurant recs. If you plan to cook in summer, bring a cooler with ice packs so you can shop and keep playing! Pack bug spray and sunscreen 🦟☀️ Unless you’re a wine connoisseur, pick just 1–2 highly rated, scenic wineries on your route. We chose ours via Google Maps 🗺️. If it’s hot, make sure they have indoor seating (key with kids!). One we visited had no real indoor seating — not ideal with little ones. Also, check opening hours! 📍 Day 1 (Saturday) We left around 10 AM from NJ 🚗. Since we’d signed up for a Lowe’s DIY workshop for kids, we first stopped to pick up the craft kit 🛠️👧, then hit the road again. Lunch was at Catskill Brewery 🍺 — my partner said the beer was great! If you’re not into beer, consider stopping in Monticello or Binghamton instead — more fast-food options there. First stop in Ithaca: Cornell Dairy Bar 🍦! After ice cream, we wandered through the Cornell Botanic Gardens 🌸🌿. (Parking tip: Peterson Lot across from Dairy Bar is free on weekends/paid on weekdays. The garden also has its own public lot.) We even stumbled upon a lady playing the harp in the gardens 🎵, with her husband beside her — so peaceful! Headed to our Airbnb around 4:30 PM 🏡. Since it was 30 mins from Ithaca and we wanted to BBQ that night, we called it an early day. If you’re staying closer or eating out, you could easily visit Beebe Lake or Triphammer Falls 🌊 on campus — both beautiful and kid-friendly! To be continued… Day 2 & 3 coming in next part! Let me know if you’d like me to translate the rest as well 😊 #FamilyTravel #Ithaca #Cornell #UpstateNY #TravelWithKids #Waterfalls #WineTasting