Start this part of the trail with Niagara County's wondrous waters -- the world-famous Niagara Falls. Perhaps stop into the Niagara Power Project, where enormous electrical power is harnessed for much of the northeast. Leave Rainbow Bridge in the City of Niagara Falls and follow the trail along state Route 104 to Lewiston, where you can enjoy both nature and the lively arts at Artpark, the only state park devoted to the arts. Here pick up Route 18F north.

Travel along the shores of the Niagara River, where sportfishing -- especially for salmon and steelhead -- is prime. At the strategic point where the Niagara flows into Lake Ontario sits Old Fort Niagara, an historic fort with lighthouse, a visitors' stop for the whole family.

Route 18F merges into Route 18 and passes through Olcott, picturesque harbors, lakeside villages and past ample orchards with the fruits of harvest found at nearby farm markets. Avid anglers can cast a line all along this route.

Soon you'll find yourself in the Picture City, Rochester. Here's a good place to stay overnight, dine and take in some evening entertainment. If you're early enough, stop at the International Museum of Photography at Eastman House.

Next morning, take Lake Road east for about 28 miles through Pultneyville to the village of Sodus Point, where the trail bears south on Route 14 to Alton, site of a Shaker heritage farm tour. From here head east and north for a photographer's delight. Mother Nature is always waving her magic wand over the ever-changing Chimney Bluffs State Park.

Now head east again on Route 104A to Oswego for historic walking tours, museums, Fort Ontario and a look at the LT-5 tugboat used in the Normandy Invasion, docked near the H. Lee White Marine Museum. Cast your angler's line for fantastic fall stream salmon in Pulaski's Salmon River.

As the Lake Ontario shoreline turns northward, Route 104 becomes Route 3 north. Enjoy the beauty of the fragile barrier beaches, dunes, lagoons and freshwater marshes in the Sandy Pond area. The protected harbors and historic villages within Lake Ontario's eastern shore Golden Crescent provide a paradise for sailing, recreational boating and fishing. Sackets Harbor is home to an impressive brace of historic places.

The trail now turns into Route 12E west through Chaumont to Cape Vincent's Tibbetts Point Lighthouse/Hostel. A drive along the St. Lawrence River leads you to Clayton, where it connects to Route 12 north past the villages of Alexandria Bay, Chippewa Bay and Oak Point. Tour boats at Clayton and Alexandria Bay will show you the beautiful Thousand Islands and its signature attraction, the romantic and tragic Boldt Castle. Alexandria Bay is famous for its large resorts and fine restaurants and is an excellent second night stop.

Travelers who plan a trip along the entire Seaway Trail may want to call 800/SEAWAY-T for a free Journey Magazine and Directory, or write:

Seaway Trail, Inc.
109 Barracks Drive
Sackets Harbor, NY 13865

Some of the tours described are in the shape of a loop, and travelers can pick up the tours at any point along the way.

From Albany follow Route 85 (New Scotland Avenue) to Route 157. Take the scenic route through farm country in the scenic Helderbergs via Route 156 to Route 443 to Route 30 south. Visit any of several attractions: the Old Stone Fort Museum in Schoharie, with its 1860 schoolhouse and 1760 Dutch Barn; Lansing Manor, a restored 1800s country estate; or the visitors' center at the Blenheim-Gilboa Power Project, with its hands-on displays.

At Grand Gorge follow Route 23 and wind around the Catskill Mountains to Cairo. Take Route 32 south to the Catskill Game Farm -- stop and see 2000 animals. Take Route 23A, which winds upward through the Kaaterskill Clove, an area celebrated by painters and photographers. The road will take you along hairpin turns, with mountain cliffs on one side and deep ravines on the other. This is some of the most beautiful hiking territory in the Catskills.

The route will bring you to Hunter Mountain, where on weekends you can take a chairlift ride. Travel along Route 214 to Route 28, and at Mt. Tremper take Route 212 into Woodstock, famous for its arts community.

Follow Route 375 to Route 28 to Kingston for a walkabout tour of the Urban Cultural Park and its choice waterfront restaurants. Route 32 brings you north to Saugerties, the site of the Woodstock '94 rock concert and the home of many wonderful antique stores, and Catskill, where you can take Route 23 to the Thruway (I-87) for your return to Albany or other points north or south.

On your trip on the Northway (I-87), stop at Saratoga Springs (Exit 13N) and drive north on Route 9. Enter the Saratoga Spa State Park through the lovely, tree-lined Avenue of the Pines. In the park are the mineral baths and the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, summer home of the New York City Ballet, New York City Opera, the Philadelphia Orchestra and pop specials. Exit the park, turning right, on Route 50. Drive northeast to Union Avenue, and visit the Saratoga Race Course, the nation's oldest thoroughbred track, where sports lovers gather each summer from around the world to watch thoroughbreds race. (Racing season is late July through early September.)

Exit Saratoga Springs via Union Avenue to I-87 north. Take Exit 28 and Route 74 east to Fort Ticonderoga. This area is steeped in Revolutionary War history, with its fife and drum parades and canon and mortar drills.

Follow Route 9N north to Crown Point, then on to Route 73 and into the Adirondacks. Throughout you will find turn-offs for wilderness hiking and fine accommodations for every taste. The journey on Route 73 has stunning beauty, with stark contrasts. This old carriage path is cut through the high peaks and imposing walls of rock. Drive by Cascade Lake and Chapel Pond, cross Johns Brook and pass several times over the Ausable River. Travel to Lake Placid, home of the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympics and year-round training ground for world-class athletes. You can watch them practicing or try the facilities yourself. Beautiful and beautifully maintained Route 86, going northwest, leads through wilderness areas surrounding Saranac Lake. Take Route 3 through Tupper Lake to Blue Mountain Lake, home of the Adirondack Museum.

Return on Route 30 to Long Lake and head east on Route 28N through Newcomb, with its Adirondack Visitors Interpretive Center. Follow signs to North Hudson and the Adirondack Northway (I-87) south to Saratoga Springs.

Contact the Capital-Saratoga and Adirondack regional travel promotion agencies for more information.

Exit the Thruway (I-87) at Tarrytown. Follow Route 9 north, visiting historic Philipsburg Manor, to Peekskill and Route 6, which takes you along cliffs high above the Hudson River.

Cross the Bear Mountain Bridge to Bear Mountain State Park, where visitors come to hike, swim and picnic. Then take Route 9W north to Route 218, which brings you into the village of Highland Falls. Take a tour through the United States Military Academy at West Point, with its proud military history. Return to Route 9W north to Route 218, the Storm King Highway, for a winding, mountain-hugging drive with scenic overlooks leading to Storm King Art Center.

Rejoin Route 9W through Newburgh, where General George Washington's Headquarters are located, and past several wineries, where you can stop for a tour and tasting.

Continue north toward the gracious old mansions famous for elaborate furnishings and gardens to the Mid-Hudson Bridge (Route 44/55). Crossing the river again, head north on Route 9 to the Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Sites and on to the Village of Rhinebeck. Travel north on Route 9G, and visit Montgomery Place and Olana State Historic Site.

Next turn east into the Taconics, taking Route 23B to Route 23. Take Route 22 south to Millerton. Follow Route 199 through winemaking country to Route 82 to Route 44 to the scenic Taconic Parkway, which leads to the Saw Mill River Parkway and, finally, back to Tarrytown and the Thruway (I-87).

From New York City take the Southern State Parkway east. You can take side trips south on the Meadowbrook or Wantaugh parkways to famous Jones Beach or the Robert Moses Parkway to Captree State Park for a fishing boat excursion on the Atlantic Ocean.

Continue east on Route 27 to the Hamptons. Southampton is a legendary summer resort of estates, mansions and elegant Main Street shops (open all year).

East Hampton is widely regarded as one of the prettiest towns in America, with the charm of an early New England village. The Home Sweet Home Museum is located here, commemorating the works of author John Howard Payne.

Travel on to Montauk. Here is the legendary deep-sea charter fishing fleet. The view is spectacular from anywhere in Montauk State Park, which overlooks the open sea. Its jagged coastline is also perfect for surfcasting. At the eastern tip is the landmark Montauk Lighthouse, which stands as a beacon to ships and a landmark for travelers.

Follow Route 27 west back to Hither Hills State Park. Relax by camping ocean-side, falling asleep to the lull of the surf. Make required reservations by calling 800/456-CAMP.

Do not miss the beauty of the north fork of the island. Start the day by taking Route 27 west to Route 114 north. Take a ferry to Shelter Island, cross it on 114, then the ferry north to Greenport. Take Route 25 east to Orient Beach State Park. An early arrival is ideal for bird-watching as well as collecting stones and shells within the park's 10 miles of beach and three miles of natural beach wilderness. Return on Route 25 west through fine wine country. Stop and taste. Pick up the Long Island Expressway (I-495) or Northern State Parkway west to New York City.

Travel northeast on Route 13 to Ithaca, the city of waterfalls: Dozens are within the city limits and hundreds more are within several miles. Enjoy the waterfalls by car, or stop and hike to hidden treasures, such as Buttermilk Falls. While in Ithaca, don't miss Cornell University. The stonework on the campus is set off by fresh streams, deep ravines and densely treed areas with winding paths.

Follow Route 89 north along the shore of Cayuga Lake and drive to Taughannock Falls State Park, where the state's highest waterfall drops 215 feet into a rock amphitheater. The Cayuga Wine Trail (for more information call 800/732-1848) with eight wineries is located along Route 89.

Travel northwest to Geneva. Take Route 14 south along the shore of Seneca Lake -- one of the 11 Finger Lakes, known for deep clear waters. Travel to Dresden and follow Route 54 west to Penn Yan.

You are still in wine country so travel south on Route 54A along the shore of Keuka Lake to Hammondsport. Here is the excellent Glenn H. Curtiss Museum and numerous wineries.

Next, drive to Bath on Route 54. Take Route 17 southeast to Corning, where at the Corning Glass Center you can explore 3,500 years of glassmaking. You can touch a perfume bottle that is 2,000 years old or use X-ray vision to view a mummy with glass amulets. From Corning, take Route 414 and visit Watkins Glen State Park, with its scenic hiking paths and natural pools formed by the age-old waterfalls tumbling into stone basins. Not all of the wonders here are natural -- visitors also enjoy world-class auto racing at the Watkins Glen International Race Track.

Take Route 14 south to the town of Montour Falls, where you can see Chequaqua Falls and visit Havana Glen Park, with a short scenic walk to Eagle Cliff Falls.

Continuing south on Route 414 will take you to Elmira the conclusion of the tour.

Route 394 west ends at Lake Erie, where you join the Seaway Trail, Route 5, just past Westfield at Barcelona. You can visit any of six area wineries located along or just off Route 20, then take Route 5 east to Irving. Drive through the Cattaraugus Indian Reservation on Route 438 east to Gowanda. Continuing on Route 39 east brings you to Arcade, its railroad museum and delightful train excursions. To drive the 30 miles, take Route 98 north and continue on to Batavia.

Head southeast on Route 63 to Greigsville and Route 36S for Mount Morris to reach the Grand Canyon of the East, the 17-mile-long Genesee Gorge in Letchworth State Park -- with cliffs 600 feet high and three major waterfalls.

Exit the park at Portageville and head south via Routes 19A and 19 for Caneadea then Route 243 west to Rushford. Take Routes 98, 16 and 242 for Franklinville, Ashford and Ellicottville. Here you join Route 219 south toward Salamanca, the only city in the country located on a Native American reservation, and New York's great Allegany State Park, at 65,000 acres the largest in the state system. Cross the Allegheny Reservoir via Route 17 west to Steamburg and continue back to Jamestown.