All excellent recommendations. I especially second Taughannock Farms Inn for dinner. It's my favorite restaurant in the Ithaca area, and one of my favorites in the world. I've been eating there for 30 years, and make it my business to have dinner there whenever I get back to Ithaca. (I recommend the bittersweet ice cream pie in an almond crumb crust for dessert.)

As for lodging, the Statler on the Cornell campus is probably the best of the "traditional" hotels, but as noted, is also one of the most expensive. La Tourelle on South Hill generally gets high marks on www.tripadvisor.com. (La Tourelle is adjacent to an excellent steakhouse, the John Thomas.) And the proprietors of Taughannock Farms recently opened a new building on the grounds with additional rooms for overnight lodging. FYI: The Hilton Garden Inn in downtown Ithaca is new, and just opened for business this month.

Sunsets from the terrace of Willard Straight Hall, the student union located on Cornell's central campus, are spectacular. Truly, a don't miss.

Stops at Purity Ice Cream and the Ithaca Bakery, both downtown on Meadow Street (NY-13) are also highly recommended.