Syracuse, NY
October 2022
My boyfriend Avery and I visited upstate New York for the first half of a long weekend. We stayed at an Airbnb in Fayetteville on Friday and Saturday night. Our Airbnb location was quiet, just outside of the main city of Syracuse.
The idea of this trip all began from a TikTok I saw that was promoting a local upstate NY zoo that had exotic animal encounters. The TikTok showcased an otter encounter and after investigating the zoo’s website, I saw that they offered a penguin encounter. I knew that this would be a perfect birthday present for Avery and thus the planning began.
Our first adventure on Saturday was The Wild Animal Park located in Chittenango, New York. We spent thirty minutes inside the enclosure with ten penguins and one zookeeper. Beforehand, I thought that this would not be enough time but during it I realized that it was the perfect amount of time. The penguins were curious, and they stayed close to us, and they continuously pecked at us. They pecked at our shoes (they liked to untie them), our pants, and my anklets. It was adorable and only slightly painful. The zookeeper was informative and passionate. She really elevated our experience. Unfortunately, we were not legally allowed to touch any of the penguins with our hands but having them crowd around our feet was a pretty epic experience. After our encounter, we walked around the rest of the zoo (additional cost for ticket). We fed deer, giraffes, and goats (additional cost for food). Lastly, we rode The Beast (additional cost for ticket). The Beast is their guided monster truck tour. It was just Avery and I on the tour which lasted about an hour and drove us through large paddocks of free roaming animals. Some of the animals that we saw up close included bison, camels, elk, emus, rhinos, and zebras. We were each given a cup of food to feed to the animals (included in ticket cost). This was hilarious as the animals tried their best to get their share, invading all personal space in the process. Our guide was knowledgeable and fun. Overall, I highly recommend The Wild Animal Park and participating in all that they have to offer, it was well worthwhile.
We grabbed lunch at Original Grain in Syracuse before going to see a Syracuse University football game. At Original Grain, I ordered the Purple Swag Smoothie Bowl (banana, coconut milk, yogurt, simple syrup, acai, blackberry, blueberry, granola, and coconut flakes) for $13. My bowl was delicious and hit the spot. The Syracuse University football game was the first college football game that I have ever attended. Syracuse played and beat Wagner 59-0. It was a fun game to watch, especially since our seats were in the fourth row, near the 50-yard line, and on the home side. The seats were epic! I enjoyed cheering Syracuse on as they swept with victory.
After the game, Avery and I got dinner in Syracuse at Oh My Darling. Their website was offering a free appetizer, so we ordered Buffalo Chicken Spring Rolls with Blue Cheese (originally $11). I really enjoyed the spring rolls; I think 80% because they were good and 20% because I was super hungry. I ordered the Hot Honey Chicken (boneless thighs with a hot honey drizzle) and two sides for $19 as well as a Clementine Cosmo for $15. My drink and food were delicious! For dessert we had beignets for $10. The beignets were good, but they could have been better, especially since the restaurant was out of the fruit dipping sauce. After we were stuffed, we snuck downstairs to their speakeasy, The Fitz. At The Fitz, I had a French 75 while listening to the live music. I adored the atmosphere in both the restaurant and the speakeasy. I am super grateful that we stumbled upon this hidden gem.
Our trip to Syracuse was short but jam packed with adventure. I enjoyed myself thoroughly and I am happy that I was able to experience a small sampling of all that it has to offer. If I ever find myself back there, I want to definitely incorporate some nature-based activities such as hiking.
PS - To read about the second half of our long weekend getaway, go over to the Canada section located under North America!
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