Called the "Western Door" by the Seneca Indians, western New York is the Empire State"s open secret. Here travelers will find Niagara Falls. And nearby, the Erie Canal ends its 300-mile trip as it empties into Lake Erie near Tonawanda. The "famous five" stair-step locks that carried the canal over the Niagara Escarpment at Lockport are still preserved near the Erie Canal Museum. Buffalo has the largest concentration of theaters and art galleries in the state outside of New York City. In Rochester, museums, cafes, and shopping abound. This book is the first comprehensive guide to this vast cultural, historic, and natural destination. This guide also includes opinionated listings of inns, B&Bs, hotels, vacation cottages, and camp-grounds; hundreds of dining recommendations, from roadside diners to four-star cuisine; up-to-date regional and downtown maps; an alphabetical "What"s Where" subject guide to aid in trip planning; and handy icons that point out places of extra-value, family- and pet-friendly establishments, wheelchair access, and popular wedding venues.