Close-by and On the Cheap

Great Spring Break Family Escapes in Western New York

Have just a day or a few dollars to escape this Spring Break? No problem. Check out these cheap and close to home getaways, and then get on the road to family fun.

Experience: Dig for Diamonds

Where: Herkimer and Montgomery County, NY
One-way travel time: 2-and-a-half to 3 hours

The deal: Mine for around $35 for a family of four, overnight for $100 or less. In Herkimer County, get down and dirty with your kids when you dig for Herkimer diamonds – quartz crystals which are mined by pros and amateurs alike. Three private mines offer day prospecting and overnight camping.

Ace of Diamonds Mine
Route 28, Middleville, NY
315-891-3855
Open daily 9 am – 5 pm April 1-October 31
Mining fee: $7.50 ages 8 and up, $3 ages 7 and under
Campground: tent sites- $15-25/night; opens mid-April- call for details

Herkimer Diamond Mines
4601 State Route 28, Herkimer
315-717-0175
Open daily 9 am – 5 pm April 15-October 31
Mining fee: $10 ages 13 and up, $8 ages 5-12
KOA Campground –cottages, cabins, RV and tent sites - $20-$135/night
http://www.herkimerdiamond.com/Kamping08.htm

Crystal Grove Diamond Mine
161 County Highway 114, St. Johnsville
518- 568-2914 or-800-KRY-DIAM
Open daily April 15-October 15, call for hours
Mining fee: $10 ages 15 and up, $8 ages 5-14
Campground- cabins, RV and tent sites - $25-$85/night, includes tax

Experience: Soak up Science and Nature

Where: Ithaca, NY
One-way travel time: 2 hours
The deal: $42 per family for three attractions
In Eco-friendly Ithaca, science and nature are a natural. Explore an indoor tree house and talk with turtles at the Sciencenter, celebrate Earth Day at the Museum of the Earth and get the word on birds at Sapsucker Words.

Museum of the Earth at PRI
1259 Trumansburg Rd (Rt 96), Ithaca
607-273-6623
Admission: $8 adults, $5 seniors and college students, $3 ages 4-17, 3 and under free
Winter Hours: Monday, Wednesday - Saturday 10

Sapsucker Woods/Cornell Lab of Ornithology
159 Sapsucker Woods Rd, Ithaca
607-254-2473
Admission: free
Hours: Monday- Thursday: 8am - 5pm, Friday: 8am - 4pm, Saturday 9:30am - 4pm, Sunday 11am - 4pm

Sciencenter
601 First St., Ithaca
607-272-0600
Admission: $6 adults, $5 seniors, $4 ages 3-17, under 3 free
Hours: Tuesday- Saturday: 10am - 5pm, Sunday 12pm - 5pm; open Monday, April 14. Special School Break Week Program April 14-18, 2008: daily at 2 pm: Sowing Seeds! Dissect a seed to find its parts, make a special bean seed book and plant flower and vegetable seeds.

Experience: Get in touch with history in the Birthplace of Women’s Rights

Where: Seneca Falls, NY
One-way travel time: 1 hour
The deal: $7 per family

As the birthplace of women’s rights, Seneca Falls is a monumental site. Yet its significance is often overlooked by locals. Make the short trek and experience history with your school-aged kids.

National Women’s Hall of Fame
76 Fall Street, Seneca Falls
315-568-8060
Hours: October-April: Wednesday-Saturday 11am-5pm
Admission: $3 adults, $1.50 students and seniors, $7 family, under 5 free

Women’s Rights National Historic Park Visitor Center
136 Fall Street, Seneca Falls
315-568-0024
Admission: free
Hours: Daily 9am-5pm

Elizabeth Cady Stanton House
32 Washington Street, Seneca Falls
Tours: 11:15 am and 2:15 pm daily

Experience: Discover the Joy of Toys

Where: East Aurora, NY
One-way travel time: 1-1/2 hours

The deal: All-day entertainment for as little as $20 per family

Vidlers 5 & 10
676-694 Main Street, East Aurora
716-652-0481 or 1-877-VIDLERS
Hours: Monday-Saturday 9 am-5:30 pm, Friday 9 am-9 pm, Sunday 12-5 pm

Toy Town Museum
636 Girard Avenue, East Aurora
716-687-5151
Winter hours: Monday & Tuesday 12-5 pm, Wednesday-Saturday 10 am-5 pm, Sunday 12-4 pm
Admission: free, donations appreciated

Explore & More Children’s Museum
300 Gleed Avenue, East Aurora
716-655-5131
Hours: Wednesday-Saturday 10 am-5 pm, Sunday 12-5 pm
Admission: $5 ages 1 and up

Experience: Let your kids roll in the mud and bump around

Where: Marcellus and Skaneateles
One way driving time: 1-1/2 hours
The deal: $35 per day/$150 per week per child, plus membership fee for Baltimore Woods Camp. Runs 9 am-4 pm April 14-18, 2008. Before (8-9 am) and After (4-5 pm) care available for additional fee.

Go ahead and give your kids permission to get deliriously dirty – at “Muddy Mud Week Spring Break Adventure Camp” at Baltimore Woods. The top-notch nature center, operated by the Centers for Nature Education, is 80 miles east of Rochester. While the young 'uns are deep in muck, spend some time in Skaneateles, a charming lakeside village with storefronts made for browsing. Before heading home, stop at The Chocolate Pizza Company for a sweet treat or check out the fab facilities at the Skaneateles Community Center.

Centers for Nature Education at Baltimore Woods
4007 Bishop Hill Road, Marcellus
315-673-135

The Chocolate Pizza Company
60 East Main Street, Marcellus
315-673-4098 or 800-280-9381
Hours: Monday-Saturday 10 am-5:30 pm

Village of Skaneateles
315-685-0552
Visit www.skaneateles.com for a directory of area shops, restaurants and lodgings.

Skaneateles Community Center
97 State Street, Skaneateles
315-685-2266
Admission: $15 Value Day pass for family of five, includes skate and swim
Call for hours. Aquatics facility includes a leisure pool, zero entry pool and two story twist slide with plunge pool, as well as bumper boats (call for hours). Ice arena offers open skate, skate and helmet rental and bumper cars on ice (call for hours). Food Court features breakfast and lunch offerings.

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© 2008, Jackie Perrin

Jackie Perrin (a.k.a. Moms on the Move!) is a freelance journalist residing with her family in upstate New York's apple country. She contributes regularly to travel and parenting media.