No matter the season, explore the beauty of the outdoors in Ithaca. Spend a sunny day touring one of the many waterfalls and gorges or relax on the Finger Lakes' largest lake, Cayuga Lake. You'll find over 28,000 acres of public New York State forest ripe for skiing, hiking, mountain biking, and exploring. At the end of the day, rest your head in one of the welcoming Ithaca hotels or charming bed and breakfasts. What are you waiting for? Adventure awaits! Planning on visiting this beautiful region for a day, I chose the Marriott. Nestled in the heart of the village, the Marriott is a calm hotel st a minute walk from the Downtown area.
After a drive of four and a half hours, a long night on the interstates, I arrived in Ithaca: Close to bars and eateries in the downtown area, this upmarket hotel with contemporary styling is a mile from both the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art and Cornell University, and 6 miles from Ithaca Tompkins Regional Airport.
Bright, modern rooms provide Wi-Fi for free, flat-screen TVs, minifridges, and coffeemakers; some feature floor-to-ceiling windows with city views.
Arrive at the reception, grab your room keys and move up to the room. A vast room hosts a king size bed, showers, and a sofa. I love it that the internet is free of charge and doesn’t need authentication. I enjoyed my night, the bed and pillows, dreaming of breakfast. Breakfast is served as of 7 am buffet or a-la-carte, I opted for a selection from the menu of which a bagel, avocado toast with poached eggs and blueberry pancakes; breakfast the American way.
Down by the reception, is where breakfast is served: it smells eggs, sausages, and portage as well as cereals and muffins. Village style approach, the waitresses, scream, run, smile and throw containers on the tables in an unfashioned manner without worrying of elegance.
I grabbed a complimentary coffee served next to the reception and sat to eat: yesterday’s good was all about fast food, my body deserved to be pampered.
Food is great! Food made with love, by a local chef or a local housewife. Soft and tender bagels, lightly chewy the way they should be, loaded with avocados, sunny side up eggs and melted cheese stuffed with a juicy sausage. I also tried the avocado on toast, a particular avocado on toast where tomato purée and mashed avocado blend well together with smoked salmon and poached eggs; what a combination! Served on two slices of tender bread, the sandwich is soft and juicy, richly flavorful and balanced. Imagine the acidity and sweetness of tomatoes, smoothness of ripe avocados, fattiness of smoked salmon and freshly poached tender eggs.
Breakfast is not complete without a sweet treat; three pancakes, amazing pancakes mixed with blueberries and decorate with sour cream. Fluffy and airy pancakes served warm with a side of maple syrup. Super duper tasty, the pancakes are memorable! I wish everyone could do AUH awesome creations.
An enjoyable, yet quick stay, delicious food and here I was ready to hit the road again. Let’s discover Ithaca.
