If you ever feel like shaking up your Ithaca outings, a guide has been released for both those looking for new spots, or wanting to learn more about their favorite spots.
Amanda Jaros Champion has published “100 Things to Do in Ithaca Before You Die,” which details food, drinks, music, entertainment, recreation, shopping and cultural experiences to consider checking out in Ithaca.
Champion has lived in Ithaca since 2000, and during her time there, has raised two kids, worked as a tour guide on Cayuga Lake and serves on the county legislature. These experiences all introduced her to new aspects and areas of Ithaca, she said.
“I feel like I’ve had a lot of different experiences here, and I feel like I’ve gone out of my way while living here to do different things,” Champion said. “I think that the more you’re out and doing things in the community, the more you get to know it, and the more you hopefully love it.”
While the book is mostly a guide for visitors, it also includes extra information and history about places, in case people who already love them want to learn more, she said.
“I tried to capture a lot of what locals already know, while also adding in some unique hidden gems that not everybody knows about,” she said.
Her favorite food recommendation in the book is the Circus Truck, which parks on weekdays until 2 p.m. at 720 W. Green St. The owner, J.P., cooks up homemade pasta dishes, cheesesteak sandwiches, breakfast sandwiches and foot-long Coneys, all while a 1980s TV plays old black-and-white VHS tapes, the book says.
Many students tend to not leave the city of Ithaca and explore Cayuga Lake or Stewart Park, she said.
“With all of the entries, I really tried to capture the feeling of Ithaca, and its wide open spaces,” Champion said.
She also enjoyed writing about Farm Sanctuary, the place that brought her to Ithaca to work as a volunteer there. The sanctuary was opened in 1986 as a safe haven for farm animals. Visitors are welcome to explore the 275 acres of meadows, and visit the more than 500 animals that call it home, the book says.
Champion has had her place-based writing in a variety of magazines and newspapers, including “Life in the Finger Lakes,” “Conservationist” and “Highlights for Children,” her author bio says.
“I’m sure within a couple months there will be changes, or somebody will shut down or something will change,” Champion said. “I know that the book won’t last forever, but I hope the book serves as a moment in time – a snapshot of what Ithaca is now, and all of the wonderful things that are happening here.”
