It is on the east side of the lake, 20 minutes north of Ithaca. It is one of the greatest places east of the Mississippi to vacation during the warmer months of the year, whether you need a getaway for some R&R, or a place to party with friends. It is unsure whether the getaway got its name from the massive old oaks that cover the 40 ft-high ridge, or from the crazy people who seemingly appear fro
m the cottage woodwork. Either way, it has much to offer. Located nearby:
> Cayuga Lake - the longest of western New York's glacial Finger Lakes, and is the second largest in surface area (marginally smaller than Seneca Lake) and volume. It is just under 40 miles long. Its average width is 1.7 miles, and it is 3.5 miles wide at its widest point near Aurora. It is approximately 435 feet deep at its deepest point. The fish population is managed and substantial sport fishing is practiced, including smelt, lake trout and small-mouth bass fishing. It is also a very popular place for all types of recreational water sports. Cayuga Lake, like nearby Seneca Lake, is also the site of a strange and as-yet-unexplained phenomenon known as the Guns of the Seneca, mysterious cannon-like booms heard in the surrounding area.
> Finger Lakes Wine Trail - The Finger Lakes area is New York's largest wine producing region. Numerous wineries and vineyards are centered around Seneca, Cayuga, Canandaigua, and Keuka Lakes. Because of the lakes' great depth, they provide a lake effect to the lush vineyards that flank their shores. Retaining residual summer warmth in the winter, and winter's cold in the spring, the grapes are protected from disastrous spring frost during grape formation, and early frost before the harvest. With the passage of the Farm Winery Act in 1978, countless numbers of wineries have opened their doors to visitors from all over the world.
> Taughannock Falls - an astounding 215 ft drop, making it 33 ft taller than Niagara Falls and the largest single drop waterfall in the Northeastern United States.[citation needed] The water then flows through a long gorge with cliffs up to 400 ft high, characteristic of the area's gorges that give rise to the common "Ithaca is Gorges" bumper stickers and t-shirts. The name "Taughannock" comes from the Delaware Indians, referring either to chief Taughannock or the word taghkanic, meaning "great fall in the woods."
> Ithaca - (named for the Greek island of Ithaca) sits on the southern shore of Cayuga Lake. It is best known for being home to Cornell University — an Ivy League school with almost 20,000 students (most of them studying on Cornell’s Ithaca campus). The eponymous Ithaca College also resides in the city, further adding to Ithaca’s strong “college town” focus and atmosphere.
> Cornell - the youngest member of the Ivy League, Cornell was founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White as a coeducational, non-sectarian institution where admission was offered irrespective of religion or race.
> Wells College - a nationally recognized private coeducational liberal arts college located in Aurora, Cayuga County, New York, on the eastern shore of Cayuga Lake. The College is "known as an exceptional value, pairing top quality academic programs with affordable tuition." Wells became a co-ed college in 2005. A famous tradition at Wells College in Aurora holds that if the lake completely freezes over, classes are canceled (albeit for only one day). According to Wells College records, this last happened in 1979. However, other sources suggest that the only time the entire lake froze over in the 20th century was in 1912. Also, Champagne Breakfast is a senior tradition. Seniors are served champagne in their Junior Mugs (big beer steins) during breakfast on the first and last days of classes each semester of their senior year.
> Golf - A half dozen great golf courses can be found within a short driving distance from Nut Ridge. Just up the hill is Cedarview Golf Course, where I'd be impressed if Tiger Woods could keep from two-putting nearly every hole, as, no matter how the break appears, it always falls towards the lake. Wells College, Cornell, and Ithaca College all have beautifully difficult courses as well. Read more: http://www.listafterlist.com/tabid/57/listid/7883/Travel++Places/Nut+Ridge+NY++Its+doesnt+get+its+name+from+the+oak+trees.aspx
