Ski or splash? Fun places to spend spring break in New York

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

Exotic locales may sound enticing for spring break, but if finances prohibit, think a little closer to home. You and your friends can still have a blast a mere few hours’ drive from Central New York. You’ll save money on travel expenses and have more time to relax: a win-win!

If you want to break out your swimsuit after months of frigid temperatures, you don’t have to go south. Visit any of the several indoor water parks in Upstate New York. These include Cascade Indoor Waterpark at the Hope Lake Lodge at Greek Peak Mountain Resort in Cortland (https://greekpeak.net); and Palm Island Indoor Waterpark in Batavia (www.palmislandindoorwaterpark.com.

Or perhaps you love winter and want to get in some skiing while you still can. A few resorts in New York provide notable skiing and use snowmaking equipment to lengthen the season, including several venues in the Adirondacks (http://visitadirondacks.com/recreation/downhill-skiing), like Whiteface Mountain, Wilmington; Gore Mountain, North Creek; and Belleayre Mountain, Highmount. If we get the temps, they’ve got snow. While in the Lake Placid area, visit the Olympic sites for activities like the luge.

Also check The Catskills (www.greatnortherncatskills.com/outdoors/downhill-ski-resorts), as snow making equipment is also available at Hunter Mountain and Windham Mountain. The Catskills region offers a wealth of  visual and performing arts opportunities for the artistically minded.

Bristol Mountain in Canandaigua (www.bristolmountain.com) also has snowmaking equipment and is located near the Finger Lakes. As a smaller resort in Sodus, Brantling (www.brantling.com) can also fake the flakes, but is a smaller venue. If you can’t get enough skiing, it’s worth swinging up to Sodus for a day while visiting Bristol. The two resorts are also located near Canandaigua Wine Trail and other Finger Lakes wine trails.

If you and your friends can’t decide between skiing and water play — or you simply want to do both — Greek Peak provides both, and isn’t far from Toggenburg Mountain (www.skitog.com).

Whether you decide to ski or splash, also check out other local attractions and special events listed on the resort’s events calendar and links page. Don’t forget to ask about student discounts and bring your student ID, often required to claim discounts.

Ask your lodging host about good places to eat and visit. What’s so adventuresome if you simply frequent the chain restaurants you have at home or college?

Also consider scheduling some quiet time. Massage therapy, for example, should knead out all your stress. Or hike some nature trails instead of screaming down a slope.

Whatever you decide, enjoy the time off from studies.