The Enchanted Mountains Region is a great place to vacation, visit and live.  There are plenty of vacation "hot spots" to enjoy.

Historically Yours in Southwestern New York

Geographic Area: Chautauqua-Allegheny Region

Recommended Seasons: Spring, Summer and Fall

Sample Itinerary

Day One

Salamanca

Seneca-Iroquois National Museum (SenecaMuseum.org; 716/945-1738). It's easy to appreciate the history of the Seneca Nation of Indians as you walk amongst the collection of artifacts and reconstructions housed here. You can see a replica of a traditional dwelling, learn about American Indian culture, and inspect treaty documents granting the Senecas the autonomy they enjoy today.

Salamanca Rail Museum (716/945-3133). This beautiful depot is an exquisitely preserved remnant of the days when Salamanca was a major crossroads for the Erie, BR&P, and Pennsylvania railroads. Beautifully restored, the museum is stocked with curious treasures of the railways and lined with rare photos that bring the golden age of American rail to life. The ticket office, for instance, has been meticulously restored with authentic furniture and telegraph keys. In the railyard, you'll find a boxcar, a crew "camp car," and two cabooses for the kids to explore.

Lunch at Myers Hotel & Steak House (716/945-3153) or the Dudley (716/945-2002)

Salamanca Mall Antiques & Collectibles (716/945-5532). Housing over 60,000 square feet of antiques and collectibles neatly arranged and displayed- and constantly changing. If you're looking for items from bygone days, this is a must-see.

Overnight at Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites (hiexpress.com; 716/945-7600) and dinner at Seneca Allegany Casino's Thunder Mountain Buffet (877/553-9500).

Day Two

Allegany State Park, outside of Salamanca (nysparks.com; 716/354-9111). Tour New York's largest state park with 64,000 acres for camping, swimming, boating, miniature golf, tennis, bicycling, fishing, hiking, hunting, skiing and snowmobiling. This is a bustling park with family oriented activities all summer long and educational programs all year. Stop at the Quaker Museum (asphs.org; 716/354-2182) and the Administration Building to view displays of preserved wildlife and geological specimens.

Olean

Lunch at The Old Library (oldlibraryrestaurant.com;716/372-2226)

Fannie E. Bartlett Center (716/376-5642) and Olean Point Museum (716/376-5642). This Queen Anne-style house was built in 1870 and purchased in 1891 by Frank and Fannie Bartlett for $15,000, a hefty sum for that time. The house is decorated in fin-de-siecle Victoriana with eight fireplaces of different design and composition. Each room has a different floor design, some with as many as seven different woods imported from around the world. The museum is located in the converted Carriage House on the Bartlett property. Opened in 1998, the Museum has presented a variety of historical exhibits since its inception, featuring the business, culture, and people of the region.

Cindy's Emporium & Antique Co-op (716/372-4111). Cindy's offers a unique, multi-vendor antique shopping experience in a historical building. Shop for antiques, collectibles, gifts, and other surprises.

Cutco/Ka-Bar Visitors Center (716/790-7000). Ka-Bar brand knives are world-renowned for their dependability and resilience. Discover the origins of the Ka-Bar name: a testimonial letter from a grateful fur trapper who used his knife to "kill-a-b'ar." Learn why Ka-Bar was selected as the original United States Marine Corp Fighting/Utility Knife during World War II and about the status it still enjoys among members of the US armed forces today.

For more information, please contact the Enchanted Mountains offices.