Cazenovia is a handsome village east of Syracuse, set by a long lake and surrounded by rolling farm country. It is small, but it has more depth than a quick glance suggests: early American houses, a preserved estate, an outdoor art park, and one of central New York's better waterfall walks close by.
The village itself is pleasant rather than dramatic. The reason to spend a spare day here is the triangle around it: Lorenzo State Historic Site for Federal-era architecture and estate life, Stone Quarry Hill Art Park for sculpture in open fields, and Chittenango Falls State Park for a short gorge walk to a 67-foot cascade.
Cazenovia works best as a slow day from Syracuse or as a pretty stop along US Route 20. Come in good weather, when the lake and the art park can do their share of the work.