New York travelers choose from 57 Best Western hotels.

Adirondacks State Park, New York

It’s the season for New York’s North Country and Adirondack Mountain region. Home of popular summer outdoor destinations including Lake George, Lake Placid and Saranac Lake, it is your pick of outdoor adventures. Sports enthusiasts are challenged at events like the Centurion Lake George, New York cycling competition, or the Lake Placid Marathon and Half Marathon. Bask in small town New York hospitality in Canton, gateway to the Adirondacks and the St Lawrence Seaway, or to the west of the Adirondacks, visit Plattsburgh and relax near Lake Champlain. Horses? Yes, summer brings racing season to Saratoga Springs, a must for summer visitors to upstate New York.

It’s the season for outdoor activity in New York’s Adirondack Mountains and the Centurion Lake George has a cycling event for everyone. The 2012 Centurion New York, Lake George takes racers as well as recreational riders through the amazing scenery of Warren County with a start and finish at the Queen of American Lakes – Lake George. Join events or cheer on your friends June 22nd through the 24th at Battlefield Park off Beach Road. Events include a hill climb to the top of Prospect Mountain, a Kid’s ride, as well as 25, 50 and 100 mile cycling courses.

Lake Placid, host of the 1932 and 1980 Olympics, is famous for sports and the tradition continues summer 2012. June sees the Lake Placid Marathon and Half Marathon June 10th, with the start and finish on Main Street, in from of the Olympic Speedskating Oval. The I Love NY Horse Show brings equestrian events to the Adirondacks July 3rd through the 8th.

Events continue with July’s Ironman USA Lake Placid 2012, Sunday July 22nd. Enjoy a summer weekend in scenic Lake Placid and cheer on competitors challenging themselves with the 2.4 mile swim, 112 miles bike ride and marathon run. Celebrate the 80th Anniversary of the Lake Placid Ice Dance Championship, July 25th through the 28th. Don’t miss the celebratory social ice dance sessions and Dinner Dance.

Rugby fans join the Can Am Rugby Tournament in Lake Placid and Lake Saranac July 27th through the 29th. The rugby action is nonstop with over 100 teams converging in the Adirondacks for the 2012 event. The 39th year for the Can-Am Tournament, pitches include the Saranc Lake High School and Middle School and Petrova Elementary School. In Lake Placid, see matches at fields along Recycle Way and in Bloomingdale behind the Fire Department.

Fan of the Horses? Don’t miss the 2012 racing season at Saratoga Springs. The Saratoga Race Course features a 40 day meet season. Events include four Breeders’ Cup Challenge races including the Whitney Handicap. Saratoga Race course 2012 schedule runs July 20th through September 3rd.

The Empire State Plaza - Albany, NY

Albany, at times overshadowed by more famous New York destinations, begins the summer season at the Albany Tulip Festival. New York’s Capital city and heart of the Empire State’s Capital Region, Albany is a must-see destination for travelers in the state. Pig out at July’s Pig Out BBQ Festival in the Albany suburb of Troy, or put summer 2012 behind you at the Port of Albany Riverfront Jazz Festival the weekend after Labor Day. Venture around New York’s Capital Region for the Ithaca Festival the first week of June, or the Great New York State Fair in Syracuse – it’s a New York state summer.

Get a jump on summer at the 64th Annual Albany Tulip Festival. A late spring tradition in New York’s Capital Region, the 2012 Tulip Festival is May 12th & 13th. This free event celebrates the blooming of over 100,000 tulips throughout Washington Park in downtown Albany. Weekend events include Solar City’s Green Market, two stages of live performances and entertainment, as well as the KidZone. Don’t miss the crowning of Albany’s mother of the year Sunday at noon.

Learn to Hula with the 2012 Ithaca Festival Hula Dance Team. No experience required to join the fun at the 2012 Ithaca Festival. Ithaca’s Hula Hut Polynesian Dance leads the team the weekend after Memorial Day, at the Ithaca Festival May 31st through June 3rd. A Thursday evening parade down Cayuga Street to Dewitt Park kicks off a weekend of fun. Enjoy live music, an arts festival and plenty of food and drink, and launch your summer off to a great start.

Troy, north of Albany on Interstate 787, officially pig’s out in July. The 5th ever Pig Out is one of Troy’s most popular summer events. Join the 2012 Pig Out July 13th and 14th, as BBQ teams from across the US compete in this sanctioned event. Along with BBQ events, guest enjoy live music, chef demonstrations and Saturday Night fireworks. Come taste the best of barbecue from chefs across the US, and cast your vote for people’s choice.

Summer is not summer without a trip to the fair. It doesn’t get better than the 2012 Great New York State Fair. Hosted at the New York State Fairgrounds in northwest Syracuse off Interstate 690, the New York State Fair is one of the state’s biggest events. See exhibits of the best of New York livestock, agriculture, arts and home goods. Enjoy top-name entertainment, mid-way games and attractions, and spectacular food. Visit from August 23rd to September 3rd for some end of summer excitement.

Put the Albany Riverfront on the calendar after Labor Day for the Port of Albany’s 2012 Riverfront Jazz Festival. Save September 8th for a visit to the Corning Preserve for your seat at the Albany Riverfront Park amphitheater. Along with performances from top Jazz musicians, the festivities include food, beverages, and kids’ activities all topped off at the end of the evening with a spectacular fireworks show. And it’s free, so bring friends and family along for the festivities.

NYC Skyline

New York summer - hear the crowd at Citi Field cheering on the Mets as the Yankees raise the roof at Yankee Stadium. May’s fleet week marks summer is nearly here. Families celebrate Memorial Day at the Governors Island Family Festival and shoppers flock to Woodbury Common Premium Outlets for their annual Memorial Day weekend sale. In lower Manhattan, the Freedom Tower is now officially the tallest structure in New York, as work progresses at the World Trade Center; nearby, the Ground Zero Memorial and Museum are a must. New York City hotels feature 18 Best Western locations – check-in, and enjoy summer in New York City.

It’s a great season on Broadway for theater fans. The Tony Award’s most nominated 2012 show, Once, is on stage at Bernard B. Jacobs Theater. Fresh from London, One Man, Two Guvnors is on Stage at Music Box Theater on 45th Street. And Nice Work if You Can Get It, starring Matthew Broderick, is at the Imperial Theater. There’s a long list of shows, so plan ahead to get your favorites in.

It is the season for a Circle Line Sightseeing Cruise around Manhattan. Relax and enjoy the sites as Circle Line cruisers motor through New York Harbor, past the Statue of Liberty, around lower Manhattan and under the Brooklyn Bridge up New York's East River. See New York landmarks including the Empire State Building, the United Nations Headquarters, and Roosevelt Island. As the boat heads north to the Bronx, you'll cruise past Yankee Stadium. Cruise under Henry Hudson Bridge on the return down the Hudson River, past the Cloisters and back to the 42nd Street Docks. A complete tour of New York City, with no walking and no traffic - Circle Line is a nice way to see it all.

Pressed for time? Take the Beast Speedboat Ride past the Statue of Liberty. This is a speedboat ride featuring a custom 70-foot racing boat ride.The tour reaches speeds up to 40 miles per hour, for a half tour out and back ride past Lady Liberty. It’s quick, fun and refreshing on a warm summer New York day.

Fourth of July in New York is unbeatable. The well-known Macy’s Fourth of July Fireworks are spectacular as they light up the Statue of Liberty and the New York skyline. 2012 features the 36th Annual Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks, launched from barges along the Hudson River. We’ve seen it on TV, see the New York Fireworks live and check it off your bucket list.

Brooklyn’s Coney Island is increasingly more well known as the site of Nathan’s Annual July Fourth International Hot Dog Eating Contest. Held in Coney Island at the flagship Nathan’s Famous, the 2012 event is the 97th year for the contest. Check-out the champions at the corner of Surf Avenues and Stillwell Avenues; men and women now compete separately, with last year's men’s winner devouring 62 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes and the first ever women’s champion downing 40. Hungry?

Niagara Falls, New York

Niagara Falls, arguably western New York’s most famous attraction, is just the beginning for summer travelers. The Buffalo Niagara area blossoms along with spring, with a calendar full of events and festivals. Buffalo's Cheektowaga suburb celebrates its Polish heritage in July; the Niagara County Fair celebrates its 75th anniversary in August; and on Labor Day, National Buffalo Wing Festival is hosted appropriately in Buffalo. Drive east 0ff the shores of Lake Erie to Rochester and the shores of Lake Ontario - launch into summer at the region's Lilac Festival, or enjoy Xerox’s Rochester International Jazz Festival.

Inspired by spring’s lilac blossoms exploding across Highland Park, Rochester launches into summer 2012 with the 10-day Lilac Festival. The Rochester community celebrates with events including 5K and 10K races, children’s entertainment and the 2012 Lilac Parade. Bring family and friends out for ten-days of free entertainment including top-name artists in concert on the main stage. Events take place at Highland Park on Goodman Street east of Cornell University.

Cheektowaga, home of Buffalo Niagara International Airport, celebrates its Polish heritage in 2012 at the 34th Annual Cheektowaga Polish-American Arts Festival, July 20th through the 22nd. This community tradition features Sunday’s Pulaski Parade; celebrating Casimir Pulaski, called the Father of the American Calvary, performances by the Cheektowaga Community Symphony Orchestra, and traditional Polish food, entertainment and dancing. Join the fun at Cheektowaga’s largest summer festival.

The 11th Edition of the Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival comes to western New York June 22 – 30, 2012. The increasingly recognized Rochester Jazz Festival presents headliner concerts at Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre; the 2012 lineup includes Diana Krall on opening night, two performances by Steve Martin & The Steep Canyon Ranges and a closing night performance by Norah Jones. Don’t miss amazing nine-days of concerts at venues across Rochester, including Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County, Christ Church, and special tented venues.

Summer is the season for a visit to the fair. Niagara County Fair celebrates 75 years of fun in 2012. Hosted by Cornell Cooperative Extension, the Niagara County Fair is August 1st through the 5th. See the top local livestock including horse shows; take in a magic show; or relax and watch the Antique Tractor Parade. Load up family and friends – destination Niagara County Fairgrounds; kids love the carnival rides and games; everyone loves the food; and there is a wine tasting for the adults. Get it all at the Niagara County Fair.

End your summer fun in the Buffalo Niagara area at one of New York’s most popular food festivals. The 2012 National Buffalo Wing Festival takes place September 1st and 2nd at Coca-Cola Field in Buffalo. Arguably Buffalo’s signature event, enjoy two days of music on the Entertainment Stage and Pettibones Terrace, join in or watch the wing eating contests on the Main Stage and enjoy wings from over 100 local and national restaurants.