Hotel at a Glance: Best Western Plus East Syracuse Inn

Just 7 miles northeast of downtown Syracuse, recently remodeled Best Western Plus East Syracuse Inn provides a comfortable night’s stay with in-room coffeemakers and free WiFi. Since the hotel is set right off of I-90, exploring the area is easy. Several dining options, such as Justin’s Tuscan Grill and Ruby Tuesday, are right across the street.

• Start the day right with complimentary hot breakfast, that includes make-your-own-waffles station, eggs, meats, and yogurt.
• Distance to Syracuse University: 6 miles (15-minute drive)
• Work up a sweat at the on-site fitness center.

Syracuse, New York: University City Along the Erie Canal

The completion of the Erie Canal in 1825 ushered in a population boom in western New York, particularly for the small towns closest to the canal. The changes were perhaps most notable in Syracuse, where they culminated in the founding of Syracuse University in 1870 on the city’s most prominent hilltop. Today, University Hill is inhabited by some 20,000 students who spend their days in the school’s Romanesque buildings and their nights in the neighborhood’s vibrant bars and restaurants.

To learn more about the vital role Syracuse has played in the industrial health of the Northeast, check out the Erie Canal Museum. Near the city center, the Museum of Science and Technology features a number of hands-on exhibits—you can climb into the simulated cockpit of an F-16 jet, walk through a giant replica of the human heart, and dig for fossils in the Earth Science Discovery Cave. If you have animal-lovers in tow, a good spot is the Rosamond Gifford Zoo. On a half-mile wildlife trail, you can journey past the zoo’s more than 700 animals—including lions, snow leopards, monkeys, and meerkats.