Though most New York guides advise travelling across the state’s scenic country roads and suspension bridges, a comprehensive itinerary would also include a plunge via wooden barrel. Niagara Falls in upstate New York is America's largest and loudest network of waterfalls, and some have taken that superlative as a challenge. The Daredevil Museum honors these brave souls with exhibits that celebrate their stunts—sometimes deadly—on tightrope or inside tube-lined barrel.

New York's maverick streak extends to more than just feats of personal daring. Fort Ticonderoga is the site of a famous  Revolutionary War battle, and a live fife and drum corps amplifies the sounds of patriotism today. The Harriet Tubman Home in Auburn gives visitors a peek into the domestic life of the famed American abolitionist, and the Women's Rights National Historic Park in Seneca Falls maintains interest as the birthplace of the women's suffrage movement.

Those looking for things to do in New York would do well to set their sights on the state’s natural wonders. The Adirondack Park contains six million acres of moss-covered trails, rugged mountains, and glassy lakes. In the Catskill Mountains to the south, Hunter Mountain's powdery slopes attract skiers and snowboarders. The Montauk Point Lighthouse on Long Island illuminates vast stretches of sandy beaches, which fill with sunbathers in the warmer months.

Far brighter lights shine throughout the concrete jungle of Manhattan. The flashing marquees at Radio City Music Hall and Carnegie Hall advertise a mere sampling of the city's cultural offerings, and the windows lining 5th Avenue offer a glimpse into some of the world's most prestigious retail stores. For a real bite of the Big Apple, dip into a bowl of matzo ball soup at Katz's Deli, take a trip to Chinatown for dim sum, or cross the Brooklyn Bridge for a slice of Di Fara Pizza's legendary thin-crust pie.