Recommended Summer Road Trip:
Indians and Caves

Iroquois Indian Museum

Tree of Peace by John David Fadden Heron Medallion by Midge Dean, Seneca About a three hour drive north of NYC, the Iroquois Indian Museum ), near Cobleskill, NY, holds its big annual festival on Labor Day weekend, with ceremonial dances, storytellers and other kids' activities, and a fine array of craftsmen and artists. Learn about the Haudenosaunee, People of the Longhouse, in a museum shaped like a longhouse. Kids can try on traditional Iroquois clothing, play rattles and waterdrums, and try pounding corn into meal. Upstairs is a stunning gallery of Iroquois Art, ranging from startling contemporary work to find traditional crafts.

Recommended books on the Iroquois

The Boy Who Lived with the Bears and Other Iroquois Stories, by Joseph Bruchac
The Woman Who Fell from the Sky: The Iroquois Story of Creation, by John Bierhorst
Song of the Hermit Thrush: An Iroquois Legend, by Gloria Dominic
Iroquois Stories: Heroes and Heroines Monsters and Magic, by Joseph Bruchac
Skywoman: Legends of the Iroquois, by Joanne SHenandoah and Douglas M. George
The Indian in the Cupboard, by Lynne Reid Banks
The Iroquois: The Six Nations Confederacy, by Mary Englar

Howe Caverns

Go deep within the earth and take a tour of Howe Caverns. On a holiday weekend there might be long lines, but everyone will get a chance to see the majestic caves and if it's hot you'll be glad for the coolness of the underground tunnels. Nearby, Secret Caverns is another series of caves also available for touring.

Recommended books on caves

Cave, by Donald Silver, illustrated by Patricia Wynne
Caves (Nature in Action), by Stephen Kramer
Caves (Ecosystems), by Erinn Banting

More Places to Visit

For more activities in the area, try the Science Discovery Center of Oneonta, open from 12:00 pm-4:00 pm Thursday-Saturday, featuring more than eighty simple science experiments, focusing mainly on physics, for children, as well as for adults.