Under $100: Ithaca, N.Y.

Waterfalls, gorges and outdoor activities abound in Ithaca, boasting more than 28,000 acres of public New York State forest ripe for skiing, hiking, mountain biking and exploring.

Fuel up for the day at Carriage House Café, a favorite downtown spot serving brunch favorites six days a week. Menu items are seasonal, with entrees like sconewiches, featuring scrambled eggs inside a griddled ham-and-cheese scone, starting from $7.

Taughannock Falls © Tyler Williams | Dreamstime

Spend the morning checking out some of Ithaca’s gorgeous waterfalls. The area is known for its towering falls, featuring more 150 within 10 miles of downtown. Check out Buttermilk Falls State Park for incredible views of Buttermilk Creek, descending more than 500 feet in a series of cascades and rapids into a natural pool at the base of the falls. The area is perfect for swimming and hiking scenic trails. Fall views are open year-round.

If art is more your thing than the outdoors, head to the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art at Cornell University, offering a permanent collection of more than 33,000 pieces, as well as panoramic views of Ithaca and Cayuga Lake. Admission to one of the nation’s best university galleries is free.

Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art, Cornell University © Unexplained Bacon | Flickr

With more restaurants per capita than New York City, the city offers something for every palate. Famous for its award-winning vegetarian cookbooks, the Moosewood Restaurant is a unique spot for lunch, offering vegetarian, pescatarian, raw and organic dishes with fresh ingredients. Entrees like vegetable pastitsio, a Greek casserole with egg noodles, lentil-eggplant tomato sauce and feta-parmesan custard, start from $14.50.

Ithaca Beer Co. © James Willamor | Flickr

No trip to the Finger Lakes region is complete without a winery visit. This top wine destination offers more than 100 wineries and microbreweries across its rolling hills and lakeside setting. Spend the afternoon exploring the Cayuga Lake Wine Trail, America’s first and longest running wine trail in the United States, with 16 of the area’s best wineries, a cidery, a meadery and four distilleries.

If you are more of a beer enthusiast than a wino, head to Ithaca Beer Co., a popular brewery with a fun taproom featuring an outdoor area with a wood-burning fire pit, picnic tables, Adirondack chairs, games, kid’s toys and magnificent views. Get a flight of classics like Apricot Wheat Ale and Flower Power IPA or seasonal creations like Partly Sunny and Country Pumpkin for about $8. Stick around for dinner, as the taproom offers an extensive menu of soups, salads, sides, burgers, sandwiches and delicious pizzas cooked to order in an all-wood-fired pizza oven. Prices start from $9.