Syracuse is the fourth-largest city in New York State and regularly claims the title of snowiest large city in America, averaging over 120 inches per year thanks to lake-effect storms rolling off Lake Ontario. The city grew rich on salt mining in the 19th century -- it was known as "Salt City" -- and later became an industrial center. Today it is primarily a university town, anchored by Syracuse University on the hill above downtown.
The campus dominates the city's cultural life. The Carrier Dome (now JMA Wireless Dome) fills with 50,000 fans for Orange football and basketball games, and the university's art and history museums are open to the public. Downtown Syracuse has been revitalizing in recent years, with Armory Square offering a walkable cluster of restaurants, bars, and shops in restored 19th-century warehouses. Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, which started here before expanding to other cities, is a local institution worth the wait.
The Erie Canal Museum, housed in the 1850 Weighlock Building, tells the story of the waterway that made Syracuse prosperous. For a day trip, the Finger Lakes wine region begins just 30 minutes south, and the Adirondack foothills are less than an hour north. Syracuse itself is not glamorous, but it has character, good food, and a resilience that comes from surviving all that snow.