What an absolute gem of a find! We were looking for a pit stop on a long drive where we could grab…read morelunch and stretch our legs, and then I saw pictures of Amberations and immediately knew I wanted to figure out how to get there. It took us a couple of U-turns to find the exact spot, but once we arrived, I was so glad we made the effort! The kids absolutely loved meeting the barn animals, while I loved the beautiful riverside picnic tables. We also traded a few books at the little library and took a nice, long walk along the nature trails. We ended up spending much more time here than we expected, but honestly, we enjoyed every minute of it. It was peaceful, beautiful, and had something for everyone in the family. Such a wonderful little oasis that we happened to stumble upon during a road trip. Definitely worth the detour!

Amberations is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to supporting mental health through…read moreinteraction with the natural environment. With almost 50 acres, they are located on the western edge of Onondaga county in Marietta, New York. At their barn site they offer opportunities to mingle with their goats, donkey, birds and barn cats. There is easy access to a small stream, teaming with frogs, minnows, and salamanders. A lovely deck adorns one end of their barn. It's a nice place to enjoy the sounds of nature and occasionally be visited by a Great Blue Heron. This is a wheelchair friendly area. The entrance to this area is a driveway shared with 2231 Amber Road, next to the Otisco Lake Community Center. Look for the small silhouette of Big Joe the donkey! In their upper fields they have built wheelchair paths surrounding a gazebo and are always working on developing gardens. There are also very nice trails through woods as well as through their songbird habitat. This is the best area for taking dogs and walking trails. The entrance to this area is at 2345 Amber Road, up a long gravel driveway. Go left at the top to find the small parking area in the fields. There is also a large pasture with two beautiful horses to visit. Their goal is to nurture relationships with the community they seek to serve. Opportunities abound for getting involved in many capacities. If you like nature, the outdoors, gardening, animals, or helping others, please consider giving them a call and volunteering. I'm a volunteer for Amberations so I can tell you, it's an amazing organization. It was started by two families who wanted to be able to bring nature to people of all abilities. It has grown so much in its 10 years of existence. They've hosted weddings, hold two big fundraisers during the year - their Otisco Lake Bike Race and Mothers Day Brunch in the spring and Fall Festival in autumn - as well as offering glamping, a new pond full of frogs, and their wonderful animals to visit. Definitely a place for everyone to check out, whether you like animals, nature, hiking - whatever you're into, Amberations has something for you.

I adopted a cat from there recently. it was hard to just pick one, the cats are all so beautiful…read moreand good natured. The people there truly treat the cats as their own. They are obviously well loved and cared for. They also take the hard luck cases that other shelters won't. They work hard with the feral cats to get them socialized and ready to go to a good home. The new regulations the state has come up with are going to be financially challenging to any shelter, and especially so for the smaller ones. Any donations to them would help, they are not as well known as the bigger shelters and get overlooked at funding time. Volunteers are always needed, and it's a great way to interact with and socialize with the cats.

This shelter is the real deal, as is the people who work there. The people are always working hard…read moreto keep the place clean, and love the cats dearly and are very passionate about them. The shelter is run down because they dont have the funds for a face lift, but the cats are loved and well taken care of. Please come adopt from this shelter and if you can not, then donate food, toys, etc or make a cash donation. they desperately need all donations and adoptions, as well as volunteers to come in and give the kitties love and hugs. The shelter is crowded but run well and kitties are clean, and seem happy. they would be happier in a "forever home". thank you!

Light Work Community Darkroom is a great community for artists in the Syracuse area. They have…read morelarge format printers and scanners, reasonable prices. They have artist residents coming in from all over the globe to further their art. They have great shows. Love this group!

From the owner: Interested in photography? Light Work is an artist-run, non-profit that has supported artists…read moreworking in photography since 1973. Light Work Lab is open to the public. Wether you are a professional artist or just starting out with image-making, we're here to help. Find out more at www.lightwork.org/lab

I purchased a home last year and told my husband that when we acquire a home, I want to get a dog…read more We already have 2 orange & white tabby rescue kitties and wanted to add to our family. I contacted Helping hounds dog rescue and filled out an application. Their process is rather simple- fill out the application, provide your veterinarian contact number, and have one reference who knows you call them. Once they approve you, you are free to go and visit all the dogs (protection of the animals i'm assuming and it's a great thing!). The whole process literally took a week. I was able to go to the rescue, tell them which dog(s) i was interested in and they let you walk them and hang out with them before you decide. They even let me "trial" a dog home because I have cats. I feel right in love with my dog who was "Cheers" at the shelter but we renamed her "Ginger". The fee paid (i believe i paid $600) covered all of her vaccinations, neuter, vet visits etc. All of these fees go back into the shelter. I had a phenomenal experience and was matched up perfectly with my dog. I love, love love her and i would highly recommend this rescue if you're looking to give a dog their forever home. The staff were incredibly friendly, kind , and reassuring. They take excellent care of both the dogs and the adopters wanting information. I would highly recommend Helping Hounds Dog rescue!!

Helping Hounds has been very helpful to me. I cannot complain about them in the least. They are…read morecaring, they listen, and they do everything they can to assist. They honestly love animals and are very good to people. I recommend them all the time and always will. Thank you, Helping hounds!

My wife saw an advertisement on Facebook for a lavender and llama event here, so it sparked our…read moreinterest. The event was already fully booked, but I easily found tickets available for the next scheduled tour at 10 AM. We were fortunate enough to have Kate as our tour guide. She is awesome! We all loved the tour and the animals. This is a place with purpose and we look forward to telling our friends and family all about it. Kate told us about the plans for the future and expansion etc. We will also look forward to coming back again.

From the owner: Sweet Farm is the world’s first nonprofit sanctuary addressing the devastating impact that factory…read morefarming has on climate change — from the perspective of animals, plants, and the planet. By joining climate education, regenerative agriculture, farm animal rescue, and innovative technology, Sweet Farm is redefining sanctuary. Sweet Farm offers public tours, private tours, special events, and more! Visit our website to book your visit and learn more about our world-saving work.

It's been awhile since I've been here but I remembered how cute it was and the coffee was good. My…read moresister & I were on our way to Binghamton so we stopped here for coffee. It's just as cute as I remembered and everyone working here is so pleasant. We ended up getting toasted cinnamon raisin bagels with cream cheese and coffee. Loved the NY style bagel and heaping cream cheese. The coffee is great too. Definitely a drive for me but when in the area I will stop.

A quaint place tucked back off the main road. Plenty of parking. Eclectic decor with sunshine that…read morestreams through the windows creating a friendly atmosphere. I ordered a vanilla honey Matcha. It was delicious! It was just the right amount of sweet and matcha. For food, I ordered the Tilly Pickle bagel. Delicious! Service was fast and friendly. Order at one end and pickup on the other end.