I have been sifting through my New York State links and blogrolls when I have time. I have ignored them for so long I'd forgotten how great some of these websites are! Perhaps it's human nature, but I usually stick to the same handful of websites I am used to (NYS Parks, NY Cities & Towns). It was good to review these links and revisit some old favorites!

If you pinned me down and forced me to choose my favorite, it would be the NYS Museum's Historic Markers of New York. This is a resource I'd use again and again. You see, I never have time enough to read the actual markers as we are zipping down the roads. Perhaps these markers were installed in premium eye-level spots in the days of the horse-and-buggy, but they are nearly unreadable for today's speedy motorists. The website has the markers organized by county and then by alphabetical order, so if you remember what county you zipped through, you can look up your marker. This is an invaluable resource for the true "roadside" traveler, like me. Slow down and enjoy the little things in life. If you can't slow down because of rush-hour traffic, go to Historic Markers of New York.

Whenever someone talks about "New York," what they are really saying is "New York City." We Upstaters know the difference, but most folk are ignorant and we've gotta educate them. Nonetheless, I do enjoy this blog, New Yorkology. I suppose that living in the world's biggest city keeps a person hopping, and this blog is almost entirely about the City. Once in a while they mention Upstate (and they've even linked to me!). I like this website. I love the organizational terms in the sidebar: etceterology? drinkology? foodology? lol! It's smart and funny and organized. Manhattan User's Guide is another good resource for the City. And they liked me, too! :)

Roadside America is not about New York per se. However it does have several New York attractions (most of them little-known), and it is also a great way to get to know tidbits about the other states. It's another eclectic, funny blog that's big on entertainment and information.

This website, Packaged Getaways, Weekend Travel, Trips to Upstate NY, looks and sounds like one big pop-up ad at first glance. It's actually a component of the I Love NY site. I wonder how popular the Packaged Getaways, Weekend Travel, Trips... (they've got to shorten the name and get creative) is. I mean, this website is a wonderful resource if you are traveling to a location and you have no idea of what is available to visit. This website features a pre-made roster of places to visit, plus a convenient map you can print out. It could be organized a little better, but is very helpful if you can get past the "!!!!!" and high-color hype.

Wishful-thinking websites include Route 20 Pulse and Upstate NY Roads. They could be so interesting to visit, but either it isn't updated that much, or the site is a little difficult to navigate. Lots of potential.

Of all the NYS county websites on tourism that I have seen (and I've seen almost all of them), I'd give Onondaga County first prize for their website. It's incredible! Herkimer County, a much smaller website, comes in with second prize because it is beautiful in its simplicity. Albany County is flashy and expensive-looking, but hard to navigate. Cayuga County has so much information that they don't know where to put it all. But at least even that county has advanced beyond the hoky Windows 3.1 front-page-ish style to which Madison County still clings. Then, I guess it's better than having a "nothing" page, like Chenango County.

So there you have it! The Best Of's! There are many excellent travel resources in New York State, and the best and bulk of them seem to be independently run. Kudos to these folks!