When people hear the words ‘New York’, the first things that readily cross their minds are images of the Empire State Building and of course, the Statue of Liberty. While New York City is without a question one of the best-known cities in the world, it is but just one of the things that make New York State a great vacation destination.

Let’s start up north, on the northwestern corner of the state to be exact. Out there lies Niagara Falls, a most spectacular sight anyone who visits New York should not miss. Whether you’re on a boat tour that will take you behind the majestic falls itself, or just admiring the falls from a certain distance, there is no doubt that spending a day or two in this most popular vacation spot is just worth it.

If “getting away from it all” is your kind of thing, New York State has many state parks to help you do just that. There’s Catskill Park and the Adirondack Park, the largest state park in the entire United States. With over 2,000 miles of hiking trails and thousands of lakes, Adirondack Park is perfect for someone who digs the great outdoors.

But if it’s something a little more urban other than New York City that you want to check out, remember that New York State has four other major cities, including Buffalo, Rochester, Yonkers, and Syracuse. Syracuse, incidentally, is home to The Great New York State Fair, the oldest and one of the largest state fairs in the United States. It would be great to coincide any trip to this city on the fourth Thursday in August until Labor Day, the official schedule for the state fair.

Among the myriad attractions that New York State has to offer include the Baseball Hall of Fame at Cooperstown, Long Island’s Atlantic shore beaches, and the state’s more than 180 wineries. Indeed, there’s more to the State of New York than just New York City. And, contrary to what is often portrayed in films and on TV, most New Yorkers are quite friendly people. You just have to check them out for yourself.