Things to Do in Cortland

For more than a decade, Raven Helicopter's pilots have dazzled skyborne passengers with stunning vistas seen during aerial tours and chartered flights. During each journey, a certified pilot deftly ferries passengers through the skies in a striking, streamlined R66 turbine helicopter, outfitted with a wraparound bubble canopy for easy viewing of scenic landscapes, and a cargo hold for carrying skis, golf clubs, and other, smaller helicopters. Guests drink in the idyllic forests, hills, and lakes of the region as they snap pictures or roll film for posterity.

Concealed by glowing dividers, combatants creep along the AstroTurf, hunting for a clear shot at an opponent's battle suit. The 6,900-square-foot arena's lasers, black lights, and shadowy corners call to mind a real-life video game or a haunted discotheque. Skirmishes typically run for 15 minutes, pitting the red team and the green team against each other in a tactical contest. During cease-fires, laser combatants can fire quarters into an assortment of arcade games.

Awarded Best Martial Arts School in the Family Times' 2012 Besties Awards, Five Star Martial Arts teaches kids and parents alike the rapid-fire movements of martial arts. During youth programs, students aged 4 and older build stamina, dexterity, and intelligence through disciplined instruction at the hands of seasoned masters. Alongside typical belt rankings, badges and stars reward younger students as they master flurries of kicks and punches. Adult students find their own fitness rewards during cardio kickboxing, which blends an international potpourri of martial arts moves with calisthenic and aerobic foundations to form an explosive full-body workout that targets and tones major muscle groups across the body.

Trainers pair their fitness expertise with motivational attitudes, working one on one with students to help them on their path towards achieving personal wellness goals. Sharing schedule space with Zumba fitness sessions, classes unfold within Five Star Martial Arts' recently expanded studio. There, new equipment and installations including a Tumbl Trak, a massive foam pit, and a collection of polyplus climbing ropes help trainers add complex gymnastics-inspired exercises to their already sizable arsenal of workouts.

At Create Art Studio, owner and instructor Karyn equips prospective paint-slingers with the instruction and inspiration to realize artistic dreams during step-by-step classes, private parties, and open-studio sessions. The studio seamlessly combines two of Karyn's greatest passions, drawing on both her art-education degree from Purdue University and more than 10 years of classroom experience as a teacher.

During the two-hour step-by-step sessions, she and other instructors equip aspiring artistes with all of the necessities to create an original masterpiece, including smocks, easels, canvases, paints, brushes, and haughty French accents. In addition to the instructors' aid, creatively challenged participants can glean clever ideas from the inspiration wall, which helps pupils explore art-worthy subjects beyond traditional bowls of fruit and sunsets. Like conscientious speakeasies, the studio invites guests aged 21 and older to bring along their own snacks and alcohol.

Twenty-one runs streak across the Toggenburg Mountain Winter Sports Center trail map, furnishing skiers and snowboarders with ample real estate to perfect swerves and test nerves in the crisp high country air. Five lifts—two doubles, a triple, and a pair of beginner rope tows—hoist snowy revelers to the top of runs such as the black diamond Oh My Goat, the blue square Angora Alley, and the green circle Capricorn Caper, as well as two terrain parks. Here, a gantlet of rails, boxes, and tables not only give daredevils the chance to show off their aerial acrobatics, but also provide a rough idea of what it would be like to wear skis into a furniture store. First-timers and skiers in need of a refresher can sign up for snow school, where expert instructors illuminate proper technique during private, semiprivate, and group lessons.

Off the mountain, Chilly Choices ski shop keeps skiers and snowboarders warm on the outside with hats, gloves, goggles, and apparel. Meanwhile the Foggy Goggle and Toggenburg Cafeteria keep them warm them on the inside with toasty eats such as braised tenderloin tips and pizza.

When Utica Zoo opened its gates 98 years ago, three fallow deer comprised its entire animal population. Today, visitors can traipse the zoo's walking trails to view more than 200 animals, including alligators, bald eagles, zebras, and an African lion. The zoo also provides a safe haven for threatened species such as snowy owls and mexican spider monkeys. Staff members guide tours and conduct presentations, allowing visitors to get a close look at animals.