This guide was originally written and published in 2021 and has been updated. Some dishes and products may have changed since.
We all understand why we need to do our part in making this pandemic a thing of the past one day, but that’s not saying there aren’t still things that you can do and places to visit, while safely following the health guidelines. Right now isn’t the greatest time to jet set to Russia, but you can certainly find some really amazing towns around New York to plan a mini getaway, a drivable distance from Western New York. In a recent trip, we explored the whimsical glass art town of Corning, New York.
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Checking into the Gaffer Inn
60 W Market St, Corning, NY 14830 | (607) 962-4649
The Gaffer Inn is a tiny little inn with just a handful of rooms above the Burger and Beer of Corning. It puts you right in the heart of the historic Gaffer District which is exactly where you want to be to find all the boutique shops and great restaurants. The streets are filled with amazing smells from the local restaurants like Aniello’s, where you not only can smell it from the sidewalk, but you can even see them making the pizza through the window. The Gaffer Inn reminded us of a cozy city apartment with exposed brick, a little kitchen area, living room space, a big comfy bed, a jacuzzi tub, a TV, fireplace, leather furniture, and a desk. You’ll feel right at home here.
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Explore the Boutique Shops in the Gaffer District
As I previously mentioned, the hotel puts you right in the center of the Gaffer District with so many cute shops like Twin Tiers Antiques Plaza (67 W Market St, Corning, NY 14830) filled with decor, books, and other vintage goodies. Treats! (13 E Market St, Corning, NY 14830) is loaded with candies, modern and vintage, and are a great place to splurge a bit. This and That (This And That (63-65 E Market St, Corning, NY 14830) is full of treasures and collectibles. The little town was decorated beautifully for the holidays when we were there just before Christmas with strings of lights and a big Christmas tree, making you feel like you literally popped right into a hallmark movie and getting you in the spirit to spend some money and support the community.
Explore the Corning Museum of Glass
1 Museum Way, Corning, NY 14830 | (607) 937-5371
The Corning Museum of Glass is not your average art gallery. They have demos for glassmaking, opportunities to make some yourself, glass displays, and not to mention a giant gift shop full of, you guessed it, glassware that you can purchase from the museum. Be sure to plan your visit ahead of time. In an effort to stay within guidelines, the museum is requiring that all visitors sign up for their admission slot prior to their visit online.
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Dinner at Burgers & Beer of Corning
58 W Market St, Corning, NY 14830 | (607) 962-4649
We have to admit, we hit the easy button and decided to just grab food from Burger and Beer because it was convenient (directly downstairs from our hotel room) and it smelled delicious. Even though a major reason for choosing them was convenience, we were pleasantly surprised. We stuck with some classic bar favorites, like a good old fashioned burger with the fixings, ooey gooey mozzarella sticks stuffed with mounds of stringy melted mozzarella, and a strawberry shake to wash down the salty, savory foods.
For a quick getaway filled with good eats, a cozy stay, and fun glass demonstrations, be sure to add Corning, New York to your list!
This post was originally published in 2021 and has been updated.