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Cattaraugus County New York is known as the Enchanted Mountains for good reason. It may be a lesser known destination but there is so much to see and do among those picturesque mountains you will be enchanted.
The county is the proverbial melting pot but there are two unique cultures that can best be experienced in this region. You can follow the Amish Trail, on a self-drive or personalized guided tour, and immerse yourself in a simpler way of life as you meander along county roads. The trail features more than 125 family operated venues, identified by latitude and longitude instead of address, and designated with a special sign. Visitors can purchase an amazing array of handcrafted items including quilts, toys, candy, baked goods and furnishings, dine on farm fresh meals or simply take in the passing bucolic scenery. Complete information, including maps, guides and business listings, are available at the sites and online. www.AmishTrail.com/tour
New York has also established two Amish Geo Trails (NYAGT). Each trail has 12 caches as well as a trackable Geo Coin. A magnetic geo-button is earned for locating individual caches and the lucky explorers who find 10 of the caches will be gifted a NY Amish Geo Trail Coin. www.AmishTrail.com/Geotrail
The earliest culture fostered
within these mountains remains as serene and steadfast as
the hills themselves. The sovereign Seneca
Nation has lived here for centuries and probably
encountered the first Europeans in the 1500s. They call
themselves the Onöndowa’ga:’, consist of eight
clans, Turtle, Bear, Wolf, Beaver, Snipe, Heron, Deer
and Hawk, and were the largest of the nations in the
confederacy. They are the “Keepers of the Western Door”,
because they were the westernmost of the nations and
controlled the land any foreigner had to cross to gain
access to the confederacy entering from this direction.
The Great Confederacy was
formed in the late 1500s and is credited with being the
oldest participatory democracy in the United States. The
Sacred Tree of Peace, the Iroquois Constitution, was
created to establish peace and promote justice, morality
and the rule of civil authority. Decisions made under
The Great Law of Peace required a council mandate based
on one vote per tribe and absolute agreement. Concepts
in the Iroquois Constitution were used as a model for
the US Constitution.
Just as the Seneca functioned
as gatekeepers for the Confederacy they have maintained
that role and now serve as guardians of their culture.
In September of this year the Deyonöhsagwë:de’ Cultural
Center campus opened as a 33,000-sq. ft.,
state-of-the-art museum, cultural center, educational
facility, Seneca-Iroquois Living Cultural Village and
performance space. Visitors will be able to eat
traditional cuisine and purchase native crafts as well
as view the more than 85,000 artifacts on display. Tours
of the 10 exhibit galleries begin with the traditional
welcoming ceremony and cleansing of one’s aura.
A guiding principle in the Seneca belief system is that we are all spiritual beings living an earthly existence. Our spirits are renewed in the Seneca-Iroquois Museum and our earthly desires can be fulfilled in the nearby Seneca Alleghany Casino and Resort, whether you are a high roller or a lover of leisure and luxury. Architecturally the resort focuses on the symbols and beliefs of the Seneca culture through use of natural materials, iconic images and indigenous art.
The full-service resort is the winner of numerous honors including Best Hotel Rooms, Best Spa and the AAA Four Diamond designation annually for nine years. Visitors can choose from 413 luxury accommodations with panoramic views of the cultural center and surrounding area, world-class dining venues, live entertainment and a plethora of award-winning gaming options. The spa and salon offer a complete menu of services and feature themed and specialized treatments. Shoppers will be enchanted by
the Salamanca Antique Mall. The mall traces its history
to 1982, when Bill Guche and Peter Kolokouris began at a
plaza in Farmington, NY. As that mall's popularity grew,
Peter opened another antique plaza at a mall he owned in
Salamanca, NY. The mall grew until today it has over
1000 dealers and is managed by Peter's son, Demitri. It's treasure trove. The mall
has many of the traditional booths filled with larger
items but what is unique are the locked glass cases
filled with jewelry and smaller valuable objects. So
many that you can easily get lost. Eleni Bechakas, the
mall manager, offered me a pencil and pad to write the
location of my finds. When you find something you want,
you write the clearly marked location number. When you
finish, just go to the deck and the cashier calls a
friendly worker who unlocks the case and takes out your
treasure.
http://salamancamallantiques.com
Nature lovers will fall in love with the Allegany State Park. It's the largest in New Your and third largest in the nation. Allegany State park is an all-season park. In summer you can enjoy hiking and multi use trails. There is a large lake for water sports including kayaking, canoeing and paddle boarding. In winter it transforms into a ski and snow fun resort.
The park is divided into two sections, The Red House Area and the Quaker Run Area. Both have cabins and camping sites. Altogether there are 424 campsites, 375 cabins. There's even a covered bridge, a Stone Tower, a small museum and much more. There's a Tutor style administration building built by the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) as are most of the cabins. You can dine at the cute restaurant in the park on those days you don't want to venture far.
https://www.stateparks.com/allegany_state_park_in_new_york.html There's seasonal fun at
Pumpkinville (Go here
for a deeper look at Pumpkinville) Even paranormal fans will fall under the spell at the haunted Wildwood Sanitarium. (Go here for a deeper look at Wildwood Sanitarium.)
Ellicottville Rock and Roll Weekend will take you back to the fabulous fifties with antique cars and classic rock and Roll. Even Elvis makes an appearance in the person of Terry Buchwald. Terry Buchwald was inducted into the Buffalo Music Awards Hall of Achievement , awarded Night-Life Life Time Achievement Award from the Buffalo Night-Life Music and Club Awards and others. He is one of the nations top Elvis impersonators however he considers his show "a tribute" rather than an impersonation.
The other part of the weekend is the hot cars. I saw ones ranging from early model Fords to the 60s. Judging by the many Mustangs I saw, that seem to be one of the most popular.
There are many shops, eateries, a
winery and the town museum open to add to the fun. https://www.ellicottvilleny.com/event-calendar/rock-n-roll-weekend/
We'd love your comments!
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