NEW YORK'S FINGER LAKES REGION

August 2020

This past weekend I got to spend some much-needed time with my parents in the New York Finger Lakes region, and I have some travel tips to share! In case you haven’t heard of the Finger Lakes before, they are these five main glacial lakes in the area that are long and skinny and BEAUTIFUL. The area is filled with wineries and breweries, adorable small towns, and incredible hikes and vistas. Great for a weekend getaway or a girls’ trip!

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Towns to stop in:

Corning, NY

This was my favorite town we stopped in. It had lots of cute restaurants, boutiques, art shops, and coffee shops to explore. Plus it is just across the river from the Corning Glass Museum.

Watkins Glen, NY

Watkins Glen is best known for the state park that bares the same name, but there were definitely some gems here as well!

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Restaurants:

Three Birds in Corning, NY

This upscale restaurant right in downtown Corning had delicious and creative food. We really enjoyed the bacon-cream cheese-corn wontons! Just make sure you don’t eat too much…

Tobey’s Donuts in Watkins Glen, NY

The line out the door told us that this was a local favorite, and we surely saw why. The donuts were great, but we were even more impressed with the breakfast sandwiches.

Spotted Duck Creamery in Penn Yan, NY

Have you ever tried duck egg frozen custard? I hadn’t either, but this creamery made me a fan! It is somehow a lighter version of ice cream, with all the flavor. As an added bonus, they have custard flights here. Basically you can try a sample of all the flavors in one order: a great way to taste everything with your group. My favorite was the Java one 😊

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Activities:

Hike Watkins Glen State Park

You can tell that this is a popular spot because parking is nearly impossible! Be aware that there are lots of stairs on this hike, but the views are so very worth it. My mom was here in the spring and said she was wowed by the torrents of water, and while it was a lot more calm last weekend, the hike was stunning. Plus you get to see the backside of water (for any Disney folks out there)!

Hike to the Taughannock Falls

This is a nice easy hike (basically just a walk) on a path along a creek leading you to Taughannock Falls that will maybe take you an hour roundtrip. You get some beautiful views of the gorge and some information about the natural formation with signs along the way. The falls are way more active in the spring, but they are beautiful at any time of the year!

Wagner Winery

Just the views of Seneca Lake would make this winery worth the stop, but the wine makes it a must! They have pick your own flights of all local wines (including their own) for relatively cheap prices. They also have plenty of ice wine if that’s your thing (definitely not mine, but mom was happy). Apparently during non Covid times, they also have tours of their facilities.

Finger Lakes Cider House

If you are a hard cider person, this is the stop for you. Sit a while here trying a flight of ciders (that you get to choose) or even a shrub cocktail. The views of the rolling hills are just an added bonus.

Corning Glass Museum

I will be the first to say that I did not think I would enjoy this stop, but I was quite wrong! Many of the exhibits are interactive and you can watch different glass making demonstrations. Make sure you also book a class where you can sandblast glass or do glass fusing. Also just as a quick note, they were really great about Covid safety.

Things I didn’t get to do this time around but that I want to try next time:

If I were to go back to the Finger Lakes, I would want to try some activities on the water like paddle boarding or kayaking, and I heard some talk of cruises on the lakes which take you around to lots of the local wineries. Sounds like I might need to make another trip!