Ugh, late April and the month of May are tough for New York travelers. Because nothing is OPEN yet!!

Most tourist attractions and museums don't open until after Memorial Day, which is still 6 weeks away. Meanwhile, the snow is gone, the roads are clear, the days are brighter and warmer... and we poor winter-weary travelers are still huddled around our laptop computer (the winter pastime gadget) awaiting the museums' doors to swing open.

I actually have only a slight window of time to travel this summer. I'm planning a huge kitchen renovation this year. We're actually slated to begin next week or so. I'm going to demolish everything, and rebuild everything: wiring, plumbing, insulate the walls, everything. I also have to wire the upstairs rooms-- I'll be wiring them from the downstairs ceiling. Always fun.

So I'm twiddling my thumbs, waiting for places to open..... hoping I can squeeze something in this year.

Why DO places keep their doors closed until May 31?? It seems odd. Some of the best driving weather is in early April. And museums close early in the year, too, in my opinion. Late October and early November are beautiful, but everything has shut down then. Why is the travel season so brief in Upstate New York?