It’s funny how you can live in a place your whole life and not truly realize what the area has to offer you. Yesterday, I had the pleasure of taking a familiarization tour of through parts of Finger Lakes Wine Country. Dave, from the Steuben County Conference and Visitors Bureau, picked ten places that he thought were “must see” parts of Steuben County. The tour was made up of a dozen people from all different businesses and organizations. We had a fantastic time…enjoying each other’s company and discovering unique things to do in the area.
Finally with the official start of summer and this blessing of good weather these past few days, I was excited to learn about new things to do outside. When I am feeling ambitious in my quest for summer fitness, I take to the trails.
Spencer Crest Nature Center is a beautiful place to take a nature walk led by a biologist or stay inside the Center and learn about their new terrarium. The trails are easy to hike but there are more difficult trails if you’re looking for a challenge. If you’re lucky, the staff said that you may find a geocache site. Geocaching is a treasure hunting game played by hikers all over the world. If you find one of these hidden treasures on your hike, you share your experience online and leave it for the next hiker. Dogs and their owners are free to roam the 7 miles of trails that stretch out over the 250 acres of trails. The Center is nestled up on Spencer Hill Road in Corning and open Monday through Saturday from 9 to 3. For more information, call Bridgett at (607) 962-9012.
Tanglewood Nature Center is also a place to get in on geocaching. Nine miles of scenic trails welcome hikers and explorers. The staff suggests taking the 3 mile hike out to the bluffs…promising an amazing view and a new bench for a group of five to rest on. If you come during sunset, it’s truly a breathtaking experience. Every Saturday, Tanglewood does fun and educational lessons that are interactive and interesting. This Saturday is “Raptor Day” from 2:30-4 pm. This summer is booked with events ranging from walks for awareness, 5k runs and night hikes. Tanglewood Nature Center is located at 443 Coleman Ave. in Elmira.
If weather doesn’t permit you to be outside, stop by the Sandlot Sports Academy. Just off of LPGA Dr., the Academy is a lot bigger than it looks. With 15,000 sq. ft. of space, the Academy is the only indoor sports training facility in the Elmira Corning area and has everything for sports fans. Although they close for July and August, the staff and volunteers love what they do and will open up if someone has the interest to use the space. Inside, there are several practice areas on top of the same turf that Cornell uses. Individuals at all levels and teams are welcome to practice on their gymnastic mats, practice their swing on modern baseball and golf equipment and use the lacrosse nets. The instructors are high quality professionals and the prices for practice times are very affordable and can be found on their web site.
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