Things to Do in Syracuse

Located at the Syracuse Kickball Park, Jim and Rocks' Super Sub Shop helps fuel friendly competition amongst the players at the park's newly renovated 18-hole mini-golf course. Whole or half-sized cold subs are built upon a choice of a white or wheat roll, which is then piled high with homemade chicken salad, pastrami and provolone, or smoked turkey or ham. Those looking for a warm meal can peruse a selection of hot subs including a grilled cheesesteak and a chili dog smothered in cheddar cheese and sauerkraut, while light lunchers can enjoy their favorite sub meats and cheeses sans bun in a custom salad served with a choice of dressing. The sub shop also encourages snacking between rounds with munchies such as onion rings, fried mushrooms, and popcorn chicken carved right off the cob.

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.

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.

Located in central New York, just off New York State Thruway exit 40, midway between Rochester and Syracuse, sonorous moos and sloshing tins of milk once echoed across this idyllic nine-hole course, which James and Dee Ball converted from their family dairy farm in 1968. Since then, Meadowbrook Golf Club has seen a slew of proprietors, each of whom have added their own distinct touch by installing automatic watering, improving the drainage system, or building a 40’x80’ pole barn to house equipment and botched Dorf clones.

In May 2008, PGA golf professional Trey Walewski and his wife, Tina, took over the Meadowbrook. The golf club remains a family owned and operated business with Trey and Tina, and their daughters, Taylor and Sydney, taking on the operations of the course, practice facilities, pro shop, and bar and grill.

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.

O Yoga owner Tiffany Sisko does not differentiate between the novice and the advanced yoga student. She opened her studio as a venue for anyone to practice the art, and to that end, none of her classes are grouped by skill level. She extends her inclusive attitude to her teachings, drawing poses from kripalu, prana, and yin styles to combine their therapeutic effects during fluid Vinyasa sessions. With an eclectic blend of music, stretches, and breath work, she and her team of instructors send each student on a distinct mission of self-discovery.

Even the studio's environment forwards the message of all-encompassing acceptance. Using cleverly recycled decor, Tiffany has crafted a stark yet elegant aesthetic. She repurposed plywood and furring strips—which were ripped up to expose the building's original pine flooring and still-beating heart—as shelves and wall embellishments. The asymmetrical furniture in the open lounge area is molded from the wood of a felled box-elder street tree, whose vibrant red striping adds flair to the grain.