Explore the Wonders of Fall in Central New York

Photo courtesy of Howe Caverns

As we embark on the autumn season, we slowly remember all of the beauty that it holds; the crispness of the air, the leaves bursting into the many colors of the rainbow, and the tasty fall inspired treats that we've all come to enjoy. There's something about the transition from summer to fall that creates the perfect ambient atmosphere to relax. Winding down from the fast paced craziness of the summer is never an easy task, but a weekend getaway in Central New York will help you embrace the amazing opportunities that fall has to offer -- walk through an underground cave, experience a live theatrical production, visit a National Historic Landmark, enjoy a unique wine slushy, and try your luck at a roulette table! With everything from small towns to big cities, the central region of New York State offers visitors wide variety of experiences!

Howe Caverns:

(29.2 miles from Amsterdam Amtrak station)

If you're looking for a trip that provides the perfect balance of historical value and excitement, look no further than Howe Caverns. Here, you will find the largest cave in the Northeast that is available to the public, with about 160,000 visitors each year. Being the second most-visited natural attraction in New York State, Howe Caverns is the perfect get-away activity for families, couples, and all those who wish to be a little more adventurous. Well-trained guides provide tours uncovering the deep myths of this land which was carved by water throughout millions of years. Visit the Cavern's most recent addition, "Howe High Adventure," featuring a number of seasonal attractions including a four-tower zip line, Sky Trail ropes course, a 26 foot climbing wall, and air jumper. There's also a new 6,000 square foot Gemstone mining building open year-round, allowing for visitors to go gemstone panning for semi-precious minerals. New for 2015, experience the thrill of the haunting adventure that is the Howe Haunted Lantern Tour. Join the exploration of the mysteries and legends of the cave while ghost hosts take you on a special two hour lantern tour.

                                                                                        Rome Capitol Theatre

                                                                                   (1.4 miles from Rome Amtrak station)

Photo Courtesy of Rome Capitol Theatre

Classic theatre and performance fans from all over the world gather to experience the hidden gem of Downtown Rome's historic Capitol Theatre. After undergoing a number of renovations since its opening in 1928, this 1,788 seat performing and visual arts space with its original Möller theatre organ, has become one of Upstate New York's most iconic attractions. The theatre holds over 100 performances a year featuring live theatrical performances, dance programs, classic silent and talking films, and world famous big bands such as Glenn Miller, Artie Shaw, and Tommy Dorsey. Maintaining its traditional sconces and chandeliers accompanied by Spanish-Morrocan themed colors, and modernistic geometric designs, this classic theatre provides visitors with a historical and cultural experience.

Old Fort Johnson

(1.3 mile from Amsterdam Amtrak station)

The Old Fort Johnson limestone house, originated in 1749, was the residence of Sir William Johnson. The British Superintendent of Indian Affairs, and hero of the Battles of Lake 

Photo courtesy of Old Fort Johnson

George and Fort Niagara resided in the home throughout the French and Indian War. Today, seasonal tours of this national historic Landmark describe the social, cultural, military and industrial past of the Mohawk Valley. A $4 entry fee will get you inside the home of the British Loyalist, where you may experience a wide array of themed events such as the "Voices of the Past," where a host will lead you through a guided candlelight tour with historic readings from the days of the French and Indian Wars.

Villa Verona Vineyard

(11.5 miles from Rome Amtrak Station)

Photo courtesy of Villa Verona Vineyard

Visit Central New York's premiere winery, Villa Verona Vineyard. The first of its kind in Oneida County, this intimate winery provides visitors with great offerings and quality. The vineyard produces its own Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, and other blends. Wine tastings are offered daily, Wednesday through Sunday, where guests may enjoy a variety of sweet to dry wines and try a unique wine slushy made from special blends. After a long day of wine tasting, head down to the beautiful gift shop where you will find yourself surrounded by a variety of gifts worth treasuring including hand-painted glassware, clothing apparel, accessories and much more.

Turning Stone Resort Casino

(10.2 miles from Rome Amtrak station)

Located just 1.7 miles west of Villa Verona Winery, the Turning Stone Resort Casino is a world-class resort owned and operated by the Oneida Indian Nation. Whether you like to spin the wheel, deal the deck, or roll the dice, Turning Stone Resort Casino brings to the table a broad range of your favorite games. In addition to 120,000 square feet of gaming, guests enjoy the abundant amenities including the Skanka Spa, five golf courses, eleven specifically themed nightlife venues and twelve dining lounges. The resort

Photo courtesy of Turning Stone Resort Casino

holds live entertainment and events in an intimate 800 seat cabaret style showroom. The venue hosts everything from chart topping singers and stand-up comedians to full scale musical productions. For the 2015 fall season, Turning Stone welcomes their 4th annual, "3 Nights of Horror." Guests, ghosts, ghouls, and goblins won't want to miss their chance at winning over $10,000 in cash prizes for three nights only.

There is no better way to spend the brisk fall season than by hopping on a train and going on an adventure. Amtrak knows just how to get you to your destination. Need another reason to get away for a weekend? Amtrak is running tons of promotions to make your travel needs easier including their Enterprise deal, where you may earn 50 Amtrak Guest Rewards points per day each time you rent, or redeem your current points for a free car rental. For more ways to enjoy a weekend in these cities, check out New York By Rail.

Be the First to See... in NYC

New York City is renowned for its contemporary trends and upscale innovations. Each borough has fun to offer, so dedicate a day or weekend to explore the city and see these new sights for yourself:

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

Manhattan:

One World Observatory: Atop the One World Trade Center, the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere, sits the One World Observatory. The Observatory provides views of New York City’s most iconic sights, the surrounding waters, and the celebrated skyline. Guests are permitted to explore the three levels of the Observatory. Known for its innovation, inspiration, and magnificent elevator ride to the top of the building, this location hosts private events, so gather your friends to visit the site of the #1 most anticipated venue opening of the year.

Bronx:

High Bridge: New York City’s oldest standing bridge, High Bridge, is now accessible following its restoration and transformation into a park! After being closed for over 40 years, the bridge connecting Washington Heights, Manhattan and Highbridge, Bronx has been reinstated as a means of transportation, allowing pedestrians and bicyclists to cross between the two boroughs. The bridge will be open daily from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Historical plaques are conveniently placed along both sides of the bridge to allow for an enjoyable, informational experience.

New York City Football Club (NYCFC): With 2015 as their inaugural season, the NYCFC professional soccer team now competes in Major League Soccer (MLS), making it MLS’s twentieth expansion club. The NYCFC is comprised of members from the Manchester City Football Club and the New York Yankees, which is an exhilarating combination for MLS fans, as the involvement of renowned teams such as these is sure to amplify the excitement and fandom of the league. This club is the first MLS charter located in New York City and the second in the New York metropolitan area. Currently, the NYCFC plays at Yankee Stadium, but the members plan to have their own stadium built adjacent to Yankee Stadium in the near future. Support your city by cheering for its first ever MLS team and have a great time doing so!

Queens:

Jim Henson Exhibition and Gallery at the Museum of the Moving Image: The nation’s only 

Photo Credit: Museum of the Moving Image

Courtesy of the Jim Henson Legacy

museum devoted to educating its guests on all facets of the moving image will now house the Jim Henson Exhibition and Gallery. This exhibition allows guests to explore Henson’s revolutionary effect on popular culture. The exposition features a selection of objects from the museum’s collection, including historic puppets, costumes, production design material, and licensed merchandise. Also featured are character sketches, storyboards, scripts, behind-the-scenes footage, and educational interactive experiences focused on Henson’s contributions to the evolution of the moving image.

Brooklyn:

Pattern Wizardry at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum: Kids discover the power of patterns at the visiting exhibit, Pattern Wizardry. Children will experience interactive activities such as utilizing special wands to play rhythmic beats, inspecting a 360 degree mirror to investigate the concept of symmetry, creating electronic patterns, and exploring a hands-on object-based exhibit

Photo Credit: Brooklyn Children's Museum

intended to promote children’s sense of congruency between patterns and the way they organize the world on both a personal and global basis. This exhibit can serve as either an educational foundation or extended encouragement for the development of perceptual learning skills by endorsing notions of math and science.

Staten Island:

Fall Exhibits at the Staten Island Museum: The Staten Island Museum is admired for its wide array of subject matter. This autumn, there will be several exhibits on display, relating to the unique history and development of Staten Island.

• Staten Island SEEN: This exhibit outlines Staten Island’s exceptional history and landscape via works by artists of all skill levels. SEEN reflects the essence of Staten Island, displaying views of the natural beauty that originally attracted people to Staten Island as well as the progression to the more urban, contemporary island it is today.
• Opening the Treasure Box: Bringing the World Home: The Treasure Box Gallery features antique art of different eras from Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, and South America. The exhibit commenced in 1912 and has gained a multitude of new pieces since. The oldest piece in the exhibit is an Egyptian statuette, dating back to the second millennium, BCE.
• Remember the Mastodon: Diversity and Preservation: Located in the entrance hall of the historic Building A, a life-size mastodon replica dwells amongst other relics including fossils, preserved specimens, and a historical synopsis of the museum. This exhibit presents information that helps the community to understand the integral significance of environmental science and a healthy environment.
•  From Farm to City: The From Farm to City exhibit embraces the uniqueness of Staten Island by providing peeks into the history of the island, the people who have lived there, and motifs that have proven to be shared realities.

Yes, We Have Wi-fi!

The next time you travel on an Amtrak train in New York, stay productive with AmtrakConnect Wi-Fi services. Now, traveling a long distance does not have to mean disconnecting! Let the time pass quickly by keeping up with work, sending a few e-mails, or even just relaxing while you browse the Internet. Wi-Fi on Amtrak reaches 85 percent of all passengers and is available on every shorter distance route across the United States. And the best part of all - it’s free!


How to Connect to Amtrak Wi-Fi  

Follow this procedure if your device does not instantly connect you to the service:

1. Locate “Amtrak Connect” in your offered wireless networks. If you are sitting on the train, it states “AmtrakConnect,” and if you are still at the station it will state “AmtrakConnectStation.”
2. Now join the Wi-Fi network by tapping or clicking the name.
3. Either open or refresh an Internet browser, and wait for the Amtrak welcome screen to appear.
4. When the Amtrak welcome screen is opened, select “I Agree. Get Connected.” The Internet should automatically connect.


Where is Wi-Fi Supported?

Wi-Fi is fully available on the Empire Service trains, including the Adirondack, Ethan Allen Express, and Maple Leaf lines. It is not available in Canada on the Adirondack and Maple Leaf trains, however.

Just look for the “hot spot” stickers on the windows that indicate there is Wi-Fi.

Wi-Fi is also available in the Amtrak gate areas in New York City’s Penn Station.

It is important to keep in mind that many others riding the train may be using the service at the same time, so the amount of bandwidth available is dispersed evenly to all Wi-Fi users. Therefore, in order to keep everything running smoothly, Amtrak can only allow up to 10 MB of downloadable data per person, and all video streaming content is blocked due to the greater file sizes.

Our advice? Download  those larger files to your laptop, tablet, or smartphone in advance, so you can enjoy that movie or e-book and avoid any technical issues.

If you need any last minute travel suggestions, remember to go to New York By Rail!