Travel Bug

As requested last week, this week I am featuring the wonderful state of New York! There is much more to this state than just New York City.

New York is full of many fun and exciting things. If you're visiting the state, The Official New York State Tourism Website will help you find endless things to do. Click on THINGS TO SEE AND DO, select a category (type of attraction), a location, and it will provide you with places to go and things to see.

Nickname: The Empire State
Largest City: New York City
Capital: Albany
Population: 19,297,729
Motto: Excelsius (Ever Upward)
State Symbols:

• animal: beaver
• fish: brook trout
• gem: garnet
• flower: rose
• tree: sugar maple
• bird: bluebird
• insect: ladybug

NY Trivia:

• New York is the third most populous state in the USA.
• New York City is the largest city in the USA.
• New York was the first state to require license plates on automobiles.
• The Adirondack Park (just north of Albany, where Lake Placid is located)is larger than the Yellowstone, Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Glacier, and Olympic National Parks combined.
• The first American chess tournament was held in New York in 1843.
• The Fashion Institute of Technology in Manhattan is the only school in the world offering a Bachelor of Science Degree with a Major in Cosmetics and Fragrance Marketing.
• Oneida has the world's smallest church with the dimensions of 3.5' X 6'.
• The first daily Yiddish newspaper appeared in 1885 in New York City.
• Gennaro Lombardi opened the first United States pizzeria in 1895 in New York City.
• Joseph C. Gayetty of New York City invented toilet paper in 1857.
New York State is home to 58 species of wild orchids.

A Few NY Colleges and Universities:

• Canisius College
• Colgate University
• Cornell University
• Culinary Institute of America
• Elmira College
• Excelsior College
• Ithaca College
• The Julliard School
• Niagra University
• Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
• Rochester Institute of Technology
• Syracuse University
• Vassar College

To find a complete list, click here.

Ten Largest Cities:

1. New York City (8,274,527)
2. Buffalo (279,745)
3. Rochester (211,091)
4. Yonkers (196,425)
5. Syracuse (141,683)
6. Albany (93,523)
7. New Rochelle (72,967)
8. Mount Vernon (67,924)
9. Schenectady (61,280)
10. Utica (59,336)

I hope everyone learned something about the State of New York! Check below for what's up next week!

For most of us, summer is coming to a close. And I'm sure many people have traveled a lot during their vacation. For next week, I'd like to hear about where you went over the summer!