Verona Beach State Park, on the lake's eastern shore, has tent and RV sites and shaded picnic areas adjacent to the beach and playground. The lake, along with Black Creek, borders cattail marshes and bottomland hardwood swamps, offering diverse aquatic habitats that make a trek on the Woods and Wetlands nature trail well worth the effort.

Call (315) 762-4463 for details.

Visit the Shako:wi Cultural Center in Oneida to learn more about the Oneida Indian culture and history. The Men's Council and Clan Mothers of the Oneida Indian Nation invite visitors to their impressive, handcrafted white pine log building filled with mementos and stories from the past and present. There is no admission fee.

Displays include the art of basketry, a Revolutionary War story, virtual artifacts, beadwork, carvings, dolls, traditional Iroquois headdresses, the Iroquois traditional game of lacrosse, wampum pouches and more.

Call (315) 829-8801 or visit Oneida-nation.net/shakowi.

For an old-fashioned carnival atmosphere, rides and traditional fair food, head to the Sylvan Beach Amusement Park on the shores of Oneida Lake. Admission is free, and printable coupons are available on their Web site. Rides range from kiddy carts to the extremes of the "Galaxy Coaster" and the "Bomber." There are several arcade and gaming areas for all ages.

If lunch is on your agenda, be sure to take the kids to the Beach Hut for pizza and a fish fry, Galaxi Pizza or Fries n' More (popcorn chicken bites, onion petals) before taking a stroll down Sweet Street, where vendors provide cotton candy, candied apples and other fair favorites.

For a cool treat, head to Cone Corner for ice cream, sundaes, milk shakes and floats.

For details, call (315) 762-5212 or visit SylvanBeach.com.

Just a short drive away in Rome lies Delta Lake State Park, which sits on a peninsula that extends into Delta Reservoir. Shoreline fishing is good here for trout, pike, bass, bullheads and perch.

There are 101 tent-trailer RV sites, a sandy beach, a boat launch, playground, on-site recreational programs and several hiking trails through wooded terrain. Call (315) 337-4670 for details.

While in Rome, check out Erie Canal Village on the New London Road. This 19th-century village recreation is an outdoor living history museum, complete with mule-drawn packet boat rides on the historic Erie Canal and narrow-gauge steam train rides.

It was here on July 4, 1817, that the first shovelful of earth was turned for construction of the original Erie Canal. The village has three museums (including the New York State Museum of Cheese!), samples of three old-type roads (dirt, plank and cobblestone) and many structures typical of the 19th century. Log on to ErieCanalVillage.net, or call 1-888-374-3226.

Operators of Fort Rickey Children's Discovery Zoo on Route 49 pride themselves on offering children a fascinating hands-on learning adventure. There's a petting zoo and a water play area. Both exotic and native critters live here. With the guidance of zoo staff, children are given the opportunity for close encounters with various animals, and petting the deer is a must!

Call (315) 336-1930, or visit FortRickley.com.