Things To Do In Olean
Swain Resort
First Turns, Second Turns, or Triple Down Skiing or Snowboarding Packages at Swain Resort (Up to 50% Off)
Learn to ski or snowboard or brush up on your skills with all-inclusive programs, which include equipment rentals and lift tickets
Grove
$69 $35
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Dipson Theatres celebrates a reputation as a regional movie institution with a network of 9 locations lighting 46 silver screens across Michigan, New York, and Pennsylvania. Though the company now spreads across the northeast United States, it began in the small city of Batavia, NY, in 1939?a time when movies were called ?picture shows,? Roosevelt was in the White House, and everybody could only see in black and white. Today that tradition underlies the cinematic experience as patrons chomp popcorn and sip sodas, marveling at modern 3-D visual adventures, summer action movies, family-friendly features, or even indie art flicks and footage from world-renowned opera performances.
The culinary wunderkinds at Allegheny Hills Golf Course Restaurant greet golfers fresh off the links with tasty American favorites. Forks sink faster than concrete submarines into the buffalo-chicken salad with mixed greens and drizzles of blue-cheese dressing ($7.25), and taste buds can hop aboard a triple-decker turkey club with bacon, lettuce, and tomato ($5.95). Fingers clasp around crisp chicken tenders, served with a pool of honey mustard and a sea of fries ($6.75), and diners can cast their lines in hopes of reeling in the fried fish fillet ($4.25) directly from the kitchen. The restaurant’s ingredient sculptors also prepare health-centric fare such as the grilled-chicken pita chaperoned by a side of fruit ($6.50).
Swain Resort, which sits on a mountain whose snow-capped peak soars 1,970 feet above sea level, sends skiers and snowboarders racing down 30 trails that snake down the mountainside. The longest trail is a mile long. Others include the tree-lined curving Black Diamond "Last Will" that turns into a blue run named "Testament."
This eclectic mix of trails draw skiers and snowboarders of all different skill levels. While veteran snow-athletes take off solo, newbies can start slow with assorted lessons. Gunny?s Gorge Tube Park lets families sled down snow-covered hills in inflatable tubes, instead of a piece of cardboard they found on the side of the road.
Visitors who prefer to enjoy the slopes from indoors have plenty of places to relax, including cozy local lodges and the Shawmut Grille, known for its wings and roaring fireplace.
Sean and Hannah Maurer founded Lake Lane Fishing and Hunting Getaway so families could have a place to experience the outdoors together. The fishing grounds—a trout pond, a second pond with bass, bluegills, and bullhead catfish, and a creek—stay open all year for fishing by appointment, and since Lake Lane is a New York State Fishing Preserve, no license is required. In addition to renting gear and selling bait, the staff teaches angling basics, such as how to fly fish or catch a fish directly in your mouth. The 2013 Sports Show on June 1 and 2 features a free youth fishing tournament. Adults must pay a $25 registration fee for a trout and bass tourney, but cash prizes will be awarded to all age groups. Pre-registration is recommended.
Lake Lane's hunting grounds host both small and big game, including wild turkey and white-tailed deer. A shooting range also caters to hunters with bow and rifle targets. In order to help guests extend their outdoor adventures, campsites for self-contained tents and campers are available, and the Maurers have plans to introduce all-season cabins equipped with outlets for sno-cone machines in the near future.
Members of Lake Lane Fishing and Hunting Getaway get special privileges, such as entry in the monthly trout and bass fishing tournament. Additionally, Lake Lane hosts special annual events, including a sports show and chicken barbecue, and the Maurers operate a small lumberyard and sawmill onsite that offers custom furniture from black walnut coffee tables to computers made of solid oak.
To the Spicola family, wine isn't simply something sipped on at dinner or during a party. Rather, it's the family heritage, which forms a bridge between generations. Today, Dominic Spicola runs the Winery of Ellicottville with his son-in-law, but years ago, he worked alongside his father, Francesco, an Italian immigrant schooled in his home country's winemaking tradition. Together, the duo crushed and pressed annual harvests into barrels of wine, making sure their relatives had enough to fill glasses at dinner and water balloons at family picnics throughout the year.
Today, Dominic and his son-in-law mesh this Old World wisdom with New World techniques to craft chardonnays and merlots, reds and whites. They sell their bottles from an unassuming shop on Monroe Street, where sky-blue walls, family pictures, and shelved knickknacks surround a sun-splashed bar.