Yeah, we took 80 instead of 70 to avoid going through too many mountains. My mom was totally fine, she didn't have any issues with mountain areas because there were no dropoffs or anything. I love New York state so far!! You're right, southern California has no forests and barely any greenery. It's funny because here everything is green during the summer and dead during the winter, but California is the exact opposite. Everything is dead, dry, and dusty during the summer, and green in the "winter" when it rains once or twice. I'm so excited for the outdoor activities too! The Finger Lakes are right near me so I've got to go visit them. The Adirondacks aren't super close (I'm in western NY), but I think they're still less than a day's drive so I'll have to go check them out as well.
The Adirondacks are my go-to spot right now! I'm headed back there in two weeks for a bit of hiking and camping. Western New York seems to have a lot of outdoors options, too. For years I thought New York was the city with some other stuff, but it's so much more.