Valley View Camp

Watkins Glen International Speedway (10 minutes’ drive) used to be the home of the United States Formula One Grand Prix. These days, it hosts NASCAR races, which ought to make the petrolheads in your party pretty happy. What’s more, they can drive three laps around the circuit (in their own vehicle) as part of the ‘Drive the Glen’ experience. Finger Lakes National Forest (20 minutes) spreads across 16,000 acres of woodlands, grasslands and pastures, and it is a popular spot for hiking and horse riding. As you walk or ride along its trails, keep your eyes peeled for kestrels and goshawks, plus deer and beavers. Stretching at the southern tip of Cayuga Lake, Ithaca (30 minutes) is known as the home of Cornell University. Its leafy campus includes the Cornell Botanic Gardens and the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art, in a striking concrete building overlooking Fall Creek.