East Otto, NY Road Trips

1 Griffis Sculpture Park, 6902 Mill Valley Rd., East Otto (9 miles / 14 km north of downtown Ellicottville via US 219), ☏ +1 716 667-2808. Daily dawn-dusk, May-Oct. The oldest sculpture park in the country (founded in 1966) is a 400-acre (160-hectare) outdoor museum with over 250 sculptures that can be discovered along the trails that wind through the woods. $5, seniors and students $3, children under 12 free. 2 Nannen Arboretum, 28 Parkside Dr, ☏ +1 716 699-2377. The 8-acre (3-hectare) site, open year-round, is a sanctuary for hundreds of trees, shrubs, perennial flowers, herbs and nature walks. It also includes a Japanese meditation garden, a pond with a fish, and 2 wonderful locations for wedding ceremonies and outdoor educational events at the Chapman Nature Sanctuary and the Northrup Nature Hall. Admission is free; donations are gratefully accepted.

Skiing and snowboarding are what a vast majority of visitors to Ellicottville come to do. The two ski resorts are: Holiday Valley, Holiday Valley Road, ☏ +1 716-699-2345. Rated the number 4 resort in the east by readers of Ski magazine [1] , this is the larger of the two resorts, and has full snowmaking capabilities to stay operational throughout the winter. In the summer, "the valley" boasts an 18-hole golf course. Holiday Valley also includes the Holiday Valley Tubing Co., for snow tubing. Sky High Adventure Park. An aerial obstacle course set in the woods between ski slopes. With a comprehensive safety harness system and a wide range of difficulties, visitors with different skill levels can all challenge themselves. Obstacles involve balancing, reaching, crawling, jumping, climbing, and ziplining between tree-mounted platforms. It's not for the faint of heart; be willing to take risks, but also know your limits. Nearby is the Sky Flyer Mountain Coaster, where you decide how slow or fast you descend along the steel track. 3-hour ticket: $60 adults, $52 juniors; mountain coaster $10/ride (or $6 with Adventure Park ticket) (discounts for additional rides). (updated Oct 2022) HoliMont, 6291 NY Route 242, ☏ +1 716-699-2320. Open to the public Monday through Friday, in order to ski here on the weekends, you must be a member. This is the largest privately owned ski club in North America. For weekend skiing, head over to Holiday Valley.

Balloons Restaurant & Nightclub, 20 Monroe St, ☏ +1 716 699-4162. Su-Th 11:30AM-11PM, F Sa 11:30AM-2AM. Strangely bereft of actual balloons, this small restaurant still has a colorful spirit. It has two bars, an outdoor patio, and a stage (and dancefloor) for live music. The food is fairly standard casual fare (sandwiches, wings) but good quality and with some interesting twists. Several plant-based options available. $15-25. (updated Oct 2022) Barn Restaurant, 7 Monroe St, ☏ +1 716 699-4600. DJ's Restaurant, 26 Washington St, ☏ +1 716 699-8966. Ellicottville Depot, 6094 Rt. 219 S (near Holiday Valley), +1 716 699-4744. Pizza & wings, movies, and souvenirs. Hoagies, 24 Monroe St, ☏ +1 716 699-4696. Pizza, subs, & Mexican food. Madigans, 36 Washington St, ☏ +1 716 699-4455. A local favorite. The Hearth Restaurant, on-site at Holiday Valley. +1 716 699-2010. Expensive, but good food. Overlooks the slopes. Tips Up Cafe, 32 Washington St, ☏ +1 716 699-2136.

Coolings Ice Cream Cafe, 10a Washington St +1 716 699-8860. A quaint coffee and ice cream shop. Ellicottville Brewing Company, 28 Monroe St, ☏ +1 716 699-2537. A micro-brewery of fabulous craft beers with a tremendous American cuisine menu. European style beer garden. No reservations accepted. Double Diamond, 26 Monroe St, ☏ +1 716 699-8890. Great food & beer- come here to play pool and socialize. Gin Mill, 20 Washington St, ☏ +1 716 699-2530. All of the above places have great food and should not be overlooked by families with children for a late-afternoon lunch or dinner.

Adams Corner B&B, 24 Washington St, ☏ +1 716 699-5643. Four bedroom bed & breakfast two blocks from the quaint village of Ellicottville. Offers you a choice of room types, simplicity or luxury. All rooms have TVs and a small refrigerator. Simplicity rooms each have double bed and share a bath. Luxury rooms, over garage, with private entrance, each have queen bed, whirlpool tub for two, bath with shower, and deck. They share a kitchenette. No pets, no children, double occupancy only. Black Dog Lodge B&B, 7975 Route 219, ☏ +1 716 699-6900. Five minutes north of Ellicottville on Rte. 219. A country getaway on a beautiful hillside, invites visitors to country beauty and relaxation at its finest. The grounds surrounding the lodge feature a lovely stocked trout pond with paddle boats, wooded trails on over 60 secluded acres (25 hectares), for a romantic walk, a hearty summer hike or a winter snowshoeing trek. Each guest room is complete with a fireplace, ensuite baths and Jacuzzi style tubs, and all the amenities expected in a fine country lodge. Jefferson Inn B&B, 3 N. Jefferson St, toll-free: +1-800-577-8451. In Ellicottville, the only bed & breakfast not on a highway is behind the Town Hall, where you can walk to the restaurants and shops. Click on the website for availability, pictures, and description of the many amenities. Chose either the romantic B&B or the efficiency units for families with pets or young children. AAA approved. Edelweiss Lodge, 27 Jefferson St, ☏ +1 716 699-2734.

US 219 runs north from I-86, and south from Buffalo. NY242 runs into the village. The closest airport is in Buffalo, as is the closest Amtrak station. However, driving to Buffalo is not hard at all: take the 219 north to the end of the road at the New York State Thruway (I-90), then get off at Exit 53 (I-190 north). Downtown Buffalo is five minutes past the exit. Fullington Trailways, an intercity bus provider, runs once daily through the village, northbound from Pennsylvania during lunch hour, and southbound from Buffalo during early afternoon. The Seneca Allegany Casino also operates a shuttle between Salamanca and Ellicottville on weekends, several times a day.

Within the village of Ellicottville (downtown), you do not need a car, as the village is very compact and everybody walks. Everything you want to see or do is on or near Washington Street, the main thoroughfare. However, if you are going from town to the ski resorts, you will need a car. Holiday Valley is about a mile (2 km) from the village on US 219, and HoliMont is on NY 242 before you enter the village.