Travels with Laurie: Summer

A Home Educator's Travel Guide

Only in New York -- a whole summer's worth of fun and culture with Summer Music Festivals and Summer Outdoor Film & Theater. And don't miss Summer Phys Ed. — lots of outdoor fun on the local beaches etc.

Road Trips

Corning — Glass and More

Glass blowing, airplanes, and cowboys & Indians are three great reasons to visit Corning, a 4 1/2 hour drive (255 miles) from NYC. This small town, just south of the Finger Lakes region., makes for a perfect long weekend for the family. And there are waterfalls nearby! Read more about these topics in our list of Related Reading.

Corning is the home of the Corning and Steuben Glass Factories. Today it boasts the largest glass museum in the world. A full day here is not enough time to see and do everything. Explore the history of the world through glass, from ancient Rome, to the middle ages, all the way up to masters of the contemporary studio glass movement. See live demonstrations and wander through exquisite collections of glass by Tiffany and Carder. Family tours include gallery hunts with free downloads of kid-friendly guides. At the admissions desk be sure to sign up for at least one hands-on workshop where you can learn how to make a glass flower, cup, pendant, or even a clock. There is something for every age from 4 up. Showing your AAA card will get adults the discounted price of $11.90, instead of the regular price of $14, and kids and teens (age 19 and under) are FREE! Workshops are extra.

In downtown Corning on Market Street you will find the Rockwell Museum of Western Art. Kids and teens are free with an adult admission at this family-friendly museum. Ask for a kids' art backpack full of creative puzzles and games that will connect the user to a theme in the museum. Follow visual art hunts through the galleries. Kids can also stop in the West Play area to dress up in old western regalia and play at a trading post and teepee. There is an AAA discount ($5.50 admission instead of $6.50) and an alternate discount if you buy a combo ticket to both the Corning and Rockwell museums.

Nearby is the National Warplane Museum, Wings of Eagles Discovery Center, near the Corning-Elmira Regional Airport in Horseheads, NY. If you or your child is an airplane buff, this is an opportunity to see some restored antique aircraft including several military planes.

It's a short trip from Corning to Elmira to see the National Soaring Museum, a museum of motorless flight. There are gliders on display and computerized flight simulators that you can try out. They offer summer aerospace camp programs for boys and girls. You can also take a ride in a sailplane, a bit pricey, but a memorable experience.

Where to stay in Corning: Many places will offer you a better deal, but no location is superior to the Radisson Hotel Corning. It is walking distance from both the Corning Museum and the Rockwell Museum of Western Art, on the main downtown street (Market St.) of this adorable historic restored town. The shops are worth browsing, and many (including the Radisson Hotel) have small museum-quality collections of art glass that are worth a peek. A small modern glass blowing studio, Vitrix Hot Glass Studio, is on Market St. You can watch the artists at work and purchase some of their pieces.

Just north is Watkins Glen State Park. This is located at the southern tip of Seneca Lake, and has a mile-and-a-half long gorge with cliffside trails and 19 waterfalls.

Every road trip is an opportunity to record your own geography, scrapbook your vacation, and diary your thoughts. Save paper souvenirs like admission ticket stubs, museum maps, hotel stationery, cafe menus, road maps, and the like, to illustrate your scrapbook. Include pressed flowers that you pick by the roadside and press flat in a travel guide (or whatever other books you keep in your car). Add drawings and photographs of the people you meet and the places you visit. Write down how you feel about them. Trace your route on a map in brightly colored markers or highlighters. Compute how many miles you have traveled and how long it took. Write a song about where you have been or about where you are going. Travel is a natural course in social studies and geography. In these ways you can add writing, reading, math, art, and music. Discussions of climate, terrain, and geological formations which have changed over time (canyon walls, mountains, bodies of water) add science to the experience.

Local Field Trips

Say Cheese!

Located in Warwick, NY, Bobolink Farm offers farm tours and more — including great home-baked breads and handmade cheeses. Read about the history of cheese.

Historic Hotel

Located at 421 E. 61st St. between First and York, the Mount Vernon Hotel Museum & Garden offers kid-friendly activities with a historic flair. In July they offer a week-long Neighborhood History Camp for ages 9-12. It runs Monday-Friday in mid-July, 8:30 a.m. — 3:00 p.m. and includes 19th-century craft projects, behind-the-scenes tours field trips, and games. Call (212) 838-6878.

Also check out their summer garden evening concerts: $15 Adults, $7 Children (under 12), free for Museum Members and children under 4. Tuesdays from 6-9 p.m., historic music performed on period instruments includes songs from 1820's NY, along with period drinks and light snacks.

Zoo Time

Zoos are fun for the whole family. Central Park is the green heart of Manhattan. There's something here for everyone - from picnics to sports to bird-watching to music to classes and workshops and the Central Park Zoo. Check out their activities list called Youth Programs -- they actively welcome homeschoolers.

The Bronx Zoo has a special program for kids three and under (who get free admission): Toddler Time Tuesdays. Their Educator Resources page has lots of useful information.

• Queens Zoo is a tribute to American animals.
• Prospect Park Zoo offers a load of activities for kids.
• The Staten Island Zoo has plenty for kids - see their Animal Land website.
• The NY Aquarium is celebrating the Year of the Frog.

Use your Environment