of the Libe Slope, or Library Slope, we visited the Olin Library book stacks, where we found an outstand- ing view of the lake and city from the 7th floor. Across the promenade, we entered the noteworthy Uris Li- brary. Attached to the library, but unfortunately temporarily closed for repairs, is the McGraw Tower, Cor- nell’s iconic bell tower. Once in the Uris Library, we entered the A.D. White Reading Room, “the library within a library.” A cherished study space for generations of students and booklover’s dream, this cozy space is embellished with scrolled metal bal- conies and catwalks, spiral staircas- es, ruby red carpet, and focused light pouring in from the arched windows. The Uris Library was a memorable stop on our holiday! We meandered through the campus, enjoying the mix of old and new architecture, and ended with a stroll through Cornell’s Botanical Gardens. Between wedding events in near- by Trumansburg, we visited the bustling Ithaca Farmers Market. Fortunately, it was possible to walk to the market from our rental be- cause finding a parking space was a competitive sport at this all-weath- er market, which boasted more than 85 vendors, whose wares were strict- ly produced within a 30-mile ra- dius. With the incredible array of artisan goods, we couldn’t help but make some Christmas gift purchas- es to take home! That evening, while walking home from grabbing Thai takeaway, we were dazzled by a Northern Lights display, which was a special treat! The wedding celebration and events came to a close on Monday morning, and I bid the family good- bye. My daughter and I stayed one extra day to have a playday in Itha - ca chasing waterfalls. After several days of sun, the leaves seemed more
Taughannock Falls State Park
brilliant with each day of our trip. Alas, rain came on our day of water- fall chasing, but that didn’t stop us! While Bend, Ore., has an Ale Trail microbrewery challenge, the Itha- ca, New York, Visitor Center offers a Waterfall Challenge and app to nav- igate the many local waterfalls and gorges. We laid out a practical itiner- ary and couldn’t wait to hit the road. The coffee hour lingered as we wait- ed for the rain to subside. Instead, the steady rain turned into a deluge, so we headed out despite the rain, conscious of the fact this was our last day in town and only mom and daughter day. First on our hand-scribbled itiner- ary was a stop at Ithaca’s Cascadilla
Gorge, an urban trail along Cascadil- la Creek with wooden bridges and a small waterfall. Thanks to our rain- coats, we managed to stay dry as we hiked the gorge, chatting and laugh- ing, happy that the day was all ours. The rain subsided as we drove north along the west shore of Cayuga Lake to the Cayuga Nature Reserve. We had the reserve all to ourselves on this drizzling afternoon as we ex - plored the wooded paths that led to Dennison Falls. At the Falls, we came across a six-story treehouse, the result of a successful local high school project that no self-respect- ing young-at-heart person could re- sist climbing! The next destination, and just a few
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