Road Trip! 21 Things to Do and See (and Eat) in Broome County!

This is the latest in our series of "county spotlights" We have already featured Chenango and Genesee county's and now it is Broome County's turn in the spotlight.

Broome County is one of the largest counties in Upstate's "Southern Tier." With around 200,000 residents, There are several big cities as well as many smaller villages and towns. Binghamton is the county seat and the biggest city with 50,000 residents.

As you will see in this list, Broome County offers much to enjoy from festivals and fairs, to great sports venues, fine restaurants, and amazing museums. Broadway shows come through the area regularly, and a couple of the festivals (Spiedie Fest and LUMA) can attract 100,000 attendees.

Oh, and speaking of spiedies. What the heck are they? As you will see, this simple peasant food came over to the Binghamton area over a century ago and it has evolved into the unofficial signature food of the county (and the region) with spiedie restaurants popping up all over the place.

There are many places on the list that you would be well-advised to visit when traveling through Broome County. But one "must see" is the Animal Adventure Park in Harpursville. You will read about it here. See why over one million people worldwide tuned in to YouTube a few years back to see what was happening at this animal park. It is a great story.

So, come and enjoy Broome County this summer. See a show, catch a night ballgame, have a cold beer at a roof top beer garden, play some of your favorite old 1970s and 1980s video games, and enjoy a great meal.

In fact, if you are new and uninitiated, make that meal a spiedie!

Upstate New York Road Trip: Spotlight on Broome County!

We continue with our series of county spotlights with a closer look at Broome County. The county has a population of about 200,000 residents, with a quarter of them (50,000) living in and around the county seat of Binghamton. Home to fine schools including the State University of New York at Binghamton, one of the system's four university centers.

The county has many small town and villages as well as the larger cities of Binghamton, Vestal, Johnson City, Endicott, and Endwell. These smaller places include Chenango Bridge, Windsor, Deposit, Harpursville, Whitney Point (home of the Broome County Fair), and others. The county covers over 700 square miles.

Here is a list of 21 things to do and see to make your trip to beautiful Broome County enjoyable.

Gallery Credit: Chuck D'Imperio

"Eight Is Enough" At These 15 Incredible New York Octagon Houses

Where are New York's most beautiful and interesting octagon-shaped houses? We've rounded 15 of them up for your viewing pleasure. These are rare gems. Once, octagon houses were all the rage 150+ years ago. Now there are only about 75 in the state still standing.

They are such an architectural anomaly today. Yes you can find them, but they are few and far between. If one comes up for sale (rarely) you can bet that bidding will be high on them. Check out this gallery. Some are historic private residences, others are overnight inns, and still others are private business and retail stores. Of special note, keep your eye out for "the most famous octagonal structure in New York State." Yup, it is in Upstate New York.

Gallery Credit: Chuck D'Imperio