Located in the heart of the Finger Lakes region of western New York, the City of Corning sits on a plateau divided by the Chemung River. This thriving city with a captivating history traces its economic origins to the manufacture of glass. After the completion of the Chemung Canal in 1833, Erastus Corning of Albany bought real estate in the area and built a railroad from Pennsylvania to the canal. In 1868 the Flint Glass Co. of Brooklyn relocated to Corning and reorganized, selling two-fifths of the company to local residents. Corning, NY is now recognized as one of the world’s glass centers and is home to the Corning Museum of Glass, which houses one of the world’s most comprehensive collections of glass objects from antiquity to present.

Upon our arrival, we will visit the Corning Museum of Glass. Home to one of the world’s most comprehensive glass collections which spans 35 centuries of glassmaking. After our Corning Museum of Glass tour, we will tour Corning's historic district. We will lunch on historic Market Street and have some free time to stroll and shop in Corning’s delightful main commercial district. The street is restored to its late 19th-century appearance, and features tree-lined brick sidewalks and flourishes with glass making studios, antiques, restaurants and specialty shops.

Cost of the tour: $130 per person. Included is transportation, all tours, lunch gratuities and guide service for the group activities. Call Cheryl at 546-7029 ext. 23 for a reservation form.

Reservation deadline: May 1, 2010

(photo credit auburnxc, flickr creative commons license)