Travel Fun

Nothing thrills a child - or brings out the child in an adult - better than a trip to an amusement park.

In Lake George, The Great Escape and Splashwater Kingdom boasts 125 rides, shows and attractions, and a fabulous water park. Roller coasters, go-karts and fairytale atmosphere make for a delightful getaway. How many ways can you cool off in summer? Let Water Slide World in Lake George count the ways!

With more than 35 water slides, attractions and services, including the Hurricane Harbor Wave Pool, sled slides and cannonball slides, there's no shortage of ways to find wet relief from the hot summer sun. There are also two toddler pools for the little ones.

In the Greater Niagara region, Grand Island's Martin's Fantasy Island offers quality, safe and fun entertainment in a wholesome family environment. It has rides for all ages, a wide variety of live shows and the super fun giant wave pool and water slides make for memorable family outings.

Also in the region is the new Six Flags Darien Lake, a powerhouse of world-class thrills and adventure including more than 100 rides, shows and attractions. Kids will love meeting their favorite comic and superhero characters, from Bugs Bunny to Batman. Six Flags Darien Lake is also home to the first Six Flags resort, allowing visitors to stay just steps from the fun at the on-site hotel or campground.

Playland Park in Rye, in New York's Hudson Valley region, is a beautiful throwback to amusement parks of yesteryear. The 279-acre recreational complex in Westchester County has over 45 rides along with arcades, lakeside picnic groves, a 19-hole championship miniature golf course, an Olympic-size pool, a 1,200-foot beach and boardwalk, and a lake for boating in season.

Just northeast of Rochester is Seabreeze Amusement Park, a traditional amusement park combined with a state-of-the-art waterpark to make for great family fun. You can't go wrong with the park's selection of four great roller coasters (including the Jack Rabbit, a classic "woodie" from 1920, and the double looping Quantum Loop).

Beat the heat on Long Island at Splish Splash Water Park, located on 61 acres of beautiful resort-like forest setting in Riverhead. The cooling off action begins at the Monsoon Lagoon, an interactive family area with water cannons, hideaways, rope climbing, slides and more. There are also 16 tremendous water slides, a huge wave pool, four kiddie pools and 1,300-foot-long lazy river.

Lovers of Americana will want to check out Broome County's carousels. Between 1919 and 1934, George F. Johnson, a shoe manufacturer, donated six beautiful carousels to the county's local parks. He felt carousels contributed to a happy life and would help youngsters grow into strong and useful citizens. He also insisted that the municipalities never charge money for a magic ride.

Now into their seventh decade, these magnificent machines still spin from Memorial Day to Labor Day, and remain free of charge. On the Recreation and Ross Park carousels, you can still hear the calliope sounds of the original Wurlitzer Band Organs.

Museums that cater to children make for a vacation outing that the entire family can enjoy. Visit one or all:

Brooklyn Children's Museum, 145 Brooklyn Avenue, Brooklyn (718/735-4400). Founded in 1899, this is the world's first children's museum. It offers more than 50,000 authentic ethnological and natural exhibits.

Children's Museum of Manhattan, 212 West 83rd Street (212/721-1234). This museum offers activity centers and hands on exhibitions designed for youngsters and adults. Featured are an Early Childhood and Family Learning Center, a media center, a TV studio for kids, an environmental center and an urban tree house.

Discovery Center, 60 Morgan Road, Binghamton (607/773-8661). This hands-on children's museum features a fire station with a real truck, a Boeing 747 cockpit and exhibits on everything from bubbles to the body.

Science Discovery Center, Exit 15 off I-88, Oneonta (607/436-2011). Located in the College at Oneonta Physical Science building, this museum provides children and adults with an opportunity to conduct hands-on discovery in the sciences.

Children's Museum, 311 Main Street, Utica (315/724-6129). Crafts and exhibits are on display and OK to touch.

Children's Museum in the Iroquois Indian Museum, Howes Cave (518/296-8949). The museum describes the continuing creative spirit of the Iroquois. Story-telling sessions are held periodically.

Victorian Doll Museum, North Chili (716/247- 0130). One thousand dolls from the mid-1980s to the present are on display, along with doll houses and a toy circus.

New York State Museum, Empire State Plaza, Albany (518/474-5877). This features major exhibits on the New York metropolis, the Adirondack wilderness, Upstate New York and Native American peoples. Among the things that delight young museum visitors are seeing the nine foot tall skeleton of the Cohoes Mastodont, boarding the 1940s New York City subway car, seeing the set from Sesame Street, walking inside the full-sized Iroquois longhouse, and standing face-to-face with a New York native mountain lion. The museum is open daily from 10 - 5, closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years days.

The Junior Museum, 282 5th Avenue, Troy (518/235-2120). Just for kids programs and exhibits are devoted to science, history and the arts.

The Strong National Museum of Play, One Manhattan Square Rochester (585) 263-2700 is the only museum in the world devoted solely to the importance of play. Enter five magical literary landscapes, walk through a gigantic kaleidoscope, step onto Sesame Street, and more. Home of the National Toy Hall of Fame and upstate New York's only indoor butterfly garden.