Upstate NY loop - suggestions?

Parent Cafe
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<p>Am heading upstate later this week to visit a few schools with S2. Our current list is: SUNY New Paltz, Skidmore, Syracuse, and SUNY Binghamton. </p>

<p>I considered trying to cram it into two days and one overnight, but wonder if that might be a bit much, traveling from L.I. Any thoughts?</p>

<p>Also, since we’ll be spending a night (or two) - any suggestions for nice towns to stay in? Saratoga sounds promising, but also need ideas for points west. Younger sisters (11 and 14) will be along for the trip, so any neat stops along the way would also be welcome. Thanks</p>

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<p>No specific hints, but a general one. I like to wake up as close as possible to the first tour of the day.</p>

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<p>Good one - esp. since we are not morning people…!</p>

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<p>That’s a lot to see with just one overnight. You could make it to New Paltz for the first tour and then possibly get to Skidmore for the last tour. Saratoga Springs is a lovely (but not inexpensive) place to stay - lots of nice shops and places to eat. I would take two more days to do Syracuse and Binghamton.</p>

<p>The alternative would be to do New Paltz and then head to Binghamton. Next do Syracuse and hit Skidmore on the way back home.</p>

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<p>I think two nights is the way to go. Plus, I love upstate NY, and we don’t get to travel much. Hope it warms up a bit as the week goes on. Still chilly, even down here.</p>

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<p>Upstate New York is just so s p r e a d o u t. I think I would get up to Bing the night before. Stay at one of the chain hotels on Front Street – not terribly near the Bing campus – but easy to find. After Bing, zoom up 81 to Syracuse. Don’t zoom too fast – the cops are <em>out</em> on 81. It should take you about an hour. </p>

<p>I would then head to Skidmore – maybe a 2 hour drive. Stay in Saratoga overnight, and then catch New Paltz on the way home.</p>

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<p>When we were doing college visits, I always found it ideal to allow a day for each school. If you’re not able to do that, then I would allow a half day at each, at minimum. cnp’s route sounds like a good one as these schools are spread out over a large area. The one comment I will make is to allow more than two hours for the Syracuse to Saratoga drive. It’s over 140 miles and the last 30-35 miles are when you exit the thruway so if you’re making that in two hours, you’re going too fast. :)</p>

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<p>I agree that you need two nights to accomplish this. You I always like to drive to my furthest location, stay overnight and go to the earliest tour the next morning and then drive to the next location. If you try to cram too much in, you won’t find out enough informtion about each school and the trip won’t be productive.</p>

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<p>My son is at New Paltz and I went to Syracuse so if you have any questions about those 2 schools I may be able to help. I agree that spreading out your visits will make the trip much more enjoyable and make it easier to remember things about each school. I found that when we saw too many schools at once it got confusing what we saw at which location. We also took a younger sister along. In New Paltz we stopped at The Groovy Blueberry to pick up some cute tie dye clothing and jewelry that is perfect for the ages of your girls. There are a lot of great restaurants there and it’s fun to walk around the town. They have a yummy bakery called The Bakery and a vegan takeout place called Karma Road. If it’s a really nice day you can sit outside and eat at the Harvest Cafe in the Water Street Market at 10 Main Street. We also like the Guilded Otter at 3 Main Street.</p>

<p>Enjoy your visit!</p>

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<p>Thanks! It sounds like New Paltz would be a good choice as a spot to spend the night, but maybe a little too close to home? Maybe not, though, as we have almost three days to work with… From your description, D1 (a HS freshman) will probably NOT want to leave…<br>
Since Syracuse is our farthest stop, we could spend one night there, or somewhere in-between Binghamton/Syracuse or Skidmore/Syracuse. Is Syracuse a nice city for a visit, walking, etc?</p>

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<p>I don’t believe Syracuse is a city you would want to visit. When I went to school there was nothing much around and we didn’t leave the campus all that much. I believe a mall has since been built but I have never visited it. You may want to post on the Syracuse forum to see if the same conditions still exist. </p>

<p>As far as staying in New Paltz…there are a few motels, Mohonk Mountain house or some bed and breakfasts. We have visited Mohonk but never stayed there. We have stayed at the Super 8 motel and Rodeway Inn and Suites.</p>

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<p>Ah - Mohonk-- I’d forgotten it was right there in New Paltz!
We spent one night there when the kids were much younger. Was so excited about the beautiful surroundings and hiking possibilities. Of course it poured the whole day and night. They also had some sort of mixup where they gave our room to someone else, so ended up putting us on six cots in a room where brides and bridesmaids get dressed before weddings. Was determined to get a hike in before leaving the next day. H was in a hurry to leave, so except for the kids I skipped my usual meticulous tick check. Ended up with a deer tick, big round rash on hip, and a couple months worth of antibiotics for lyme… Think we’ll stick to the SUNY campus this time!</p>

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<p>Yikes…well you got a souvenir you could have done without! I can understand your wanting to steer clear of that again and thanks for the heads up. I will cross hiking off my list. I guess the campus and the town will be more to your liking.</p>

<p>Have fun and let us know how your trip went!</p>

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<p>You could see Ithaca College, too, if you need an additional college, since it’s between Binghamton and Syracuse (though off the highway a bit). </p>

<p>Skidmore has a lovely, lovely campus, is in a lovely, lovely neighborhood, and Saratoga Springs is a pretty town as well. </p>

<p>Have fun!</p>

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<p>Ah, a college trip I can give advice on! I’m with the Bing, (Ithaca), Syracuse, Saratoga, New Paltz route. </p>

<p>Maybe between Bing and Syracuse, stay in Ithaca and drive through Cornell and Ithaca College (not on your list, but as they say, Ithaca is Gorges…). Head up to Syracuse, and then on to Saratoga. Saratoga isn’t expensive in the off-season (stay away in July and August). Then New Paltz, then home.</p>

<p>So, my advice-
LI to Binghamton: 3-4 hours
Bing to Ithaca: 1 hour
(stay first night, maybe)</p>

<p>Ithaca to Syracuse: 1 hour
Syracuse to Saratoga: 2.5 hours
(stay second night, maybe)</p>

<p>Saratoga to New Paltz: 2 hours
New Paltz to LI: 2 hours</p>

<p>A nice trip, I think.</p>

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<p>Oh, and no, Syracuse isn’t a great city for walking around, except for near the campus. Dinosaur Barbecue is in the city and worth the stop (although is is usually packed). I would say the same about Binghamton (except they don’t have a Dinosaur Barbecue) </p>

<p>Walk around in Ithaca, Saratoga and New Paltz. They are all lovely. Lots of shopping too.</p>

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<p>Thanks again to those who posted here. D1 ended up getting D2’s cold & sore throat bug, so we cut it to one night/two days. Kept the visits brief but covered a lot of ground-- SUNY Binghamton, Bard, SUNY New Paltz and Vassar. Spent the night in Woodstock which was charming. Will try for Skidmore in the fall. Love upstate NY, and if we could cut out that final miserable last hour or two of the trip back into NYC and L.I. traffic we’d def. head up there more often! Saving Syracuse U. for next year if admitted - am hoping they’re big enough that they don’t track visits…</p>

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<p>What was your experience/opinion of the schools you visited?</p>

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<p>Since we didn’t do tours or info sessions, we were only able to get first impressions. We saw enough for S2 to at least get a feel for each campus. Luckily the weather was nice, so there were tons of students (and admitted students) out and about at each school. In fact, the tours we tried for were already full.</p>

<p>We were pleasantly surprised with Binghamton. Physically, it’s the complete opposite of what I like (I’m a snob for old buildings and shady trees), but despite the architecture it was less institutional-looking than expected, with plenty of courtyards and green spaces. While obviously huge, it seemed clean and well-run. The students manning the admissions table were friendly and helpful, and there was a nice/diverse mix of students. The large size is a concern, and it’s a reach, but he’ll definitely apply. The surrounding area is a bit highway/strip-mall-ish, but seems clean, bustling and perfectly fine.</p>

<p>S2 was completely turned off by the funky architecture and small, isolated campus at Bard, though I thought the location was beautiful. It got almost a “don’t bother to get out of the car” reaction from him, so it ended up being more of a drive-by. Another to look at in a couple years for D1…</p>

<p>Poughkeepsie looked even worse for wear than last time we visited. Lots of abandoned buildings, and not a place I’d imagine students spending much time. Vassar was beautiful, though. S1 had found it too quirky for his tastes when we visited a couple years ago. S2 didn’t get that impression quite so much. It’s a big reach, though. Campus was hopping - probably an admitted student’s day there too. D1 is only 14, but loved it. Think she enjoyed the visits even more than her brother.</p>

<p>I was a bit disappointed in his reaction to New Paltz. He definitely preferred the bigger feeling of Binghamton, though I’d be more apt to worry about student/teacher ratio, the ability to get classes you want, etc. We arrived too late for tours, but many NP students were out enjoying the sun, sitting on towels around the pond, playing volleyball, etc. Am also worried that S may not realize just how tough SUNY admissions are going to be for the next few years. New Paltz was the first choice of several HS seniors we know, including my godson, and NONE of them got in. Anyway, am glad we made the trip. Wish we could have seen a few more schools, but we were absolutely exhausted by the time we got home. Maybe next fall-- I’d still like to try pageturner’s itinerary!</p>

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<p>I agree - the town of Poughkeepsie is not a place students would want to spend time. My son goes there from NP for the malls and the chain stores - like Bed, Bath and Beyond, Verizon, Barnes and Noble, etc. but they are on route 9 and not in the town.</p>

<p>I think the New Paltz campus is OK but the real draw of NP is its students. Its known for its down to earth, funky and friendly student body. I think Bing attracts a different kind of crowd. My son knows a lot of kids who go there.</p>