jpa66
Jan as in "Jan and Dean"
The wife and I are going to the Finger Lakes region in NY in a couple of weeks. I was wondering if anyone can point out some cool towns/parks/etc. worth going to ( worth photographing, too ).
We're staying in Watkins Glen and enjoy hiking and biking. We also will be touring the numerous wineries in the area.
Any info is welcome.
Thanks,
Jan
We're staying in Watkins Glen and enjoy hiking and biking. We also will be touring the numerous wineries in the area.
Any info is welcome.
Thanks,
Jan
andredossantos
Well-known
Hey! Cool! I'm also heading up to Cayuga Lake in August with my wife and daughter. I've been up there but not in a long while (I went a couple times as a child), so I'll be watching this thread with great interest!
Argenticien
Dave
I have family up there and find myself in Geneva almost every year. With all due respect to my family, don't bother going there looking for photographic targets. It ain't much. With Watkins Glen and wine country, I think you've hit some high points. Where the vineyards roll down the hills to the shores of Seneca Lake is indeed picturesque.
--Dave
--Dave
alfredian
Well-known
Grand Canyon of the East
Grand Canyon of the East
Letchworth Park, "The Grand Canyon of the East" is a must-see. Last Fall the day-pass was $10 for my car. It's popular w/bikes. The thrree waterfalls are at the southern end, but the entire gorge is amazing any time of year. Corning Glass, in Corning, is indoors-type fun.
Enjoy, and pack a sweater - it cools off after sunset. - alfredian
Grand Canyon of the East
Letchworth Park, "The Grand Canyon of the East" is a must-see. Last Fall the day-pass was $10 for my car. It's popular w/bikes. The thrree waterfalls are at the southern end, but the entire gorge is amazing any time of year. Corning Glass, in Corning, is indoors-type fun.
Enjoy, and pack a sweater - it cools off after sunset. - alfredian
rbiemer
Unabashed Amateur
Geneva is at the north end of Seneca Lake and is a fairly neat town. I haven't recent enough experience of the restaurants there to be very helpful, though. Same for Seneca Falls. It is at the north end of Cayuga Lake.
As to the wineries, if you are a white wine fan, I think you can easily find something to like in NY. Not so much for red wines though.
If you go a bit further east to Groton, NY there is a bed and breakfast--the Ben Conger Inn--that has a very good restaurant. I have enjoyed the meals there every time I've gone. Dunno about the overnight accommodations as I've only eaten there not stayed.
A bit further south is Corning and the Corning Glass Works. That is a fun tour, I think.
Enjoy your stay!
Rob
EDIT: here is a website that you may find useful:
http://www.nyfalls.com/
As to the wineries, if you are a white wine fan, I think you can easily find something to like in NY. Not so much for red wines though.
If you go a bit further east to Groton, NY there is a bed and breakfast--the Ben Conger Inn--that has a very good restaurant. I have enjoyed the meals there every time I've gone. Dunno about the overnight accommodations as I've only eaten there not stayed.
A bit further south is Corning and the Corning Glass Works. That is a fun tour, I think.
Enjoy your stay!
Rob
EDIT: here is a website that you may find useful:
http://www.nyfalls.com/
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jpa66
Jan as in "Jan and Dean"
A sweater!!! Even in July? Geez - I thought that I was going to get away from all this cold weather here in Chicago...
And I do like white wine, but I'm a HUGE fan of Finger Lakes Cab Franc - Mmmmm... can't wait!
PS. I thought that the Grand Canyon of the East is supposed to be in north-central PA
( I'm from PA ).
And I do like white wine, but I'm a HUGE fan of Finger Lakes Cab Franc - Mmmmm... can't wait!
PS. I thought that the Grand Canyon of the East is supposed to be in north-central PA
( I'm from PA ).
Frank Petronio
Well-known
On the East, Skaneateles is an affluent resort town on the North end of one of the best lakes. Many nice shops, Doug's Fish Fry (more than what the menu implies) is a great "joint".
Auburn is North of the lakes but close, it has an aging state prison, which is not usually a tourist destination but I have found that restaurants surrounding prisons are almost universally excellent. There is a Mexican joint North of the prison walls, an Italian place to the West, all superb. The architecture is good, it used to be a prosperous town.
If you aren't from the Great Lakes, go North to Sodus and Chimney Bluffs to see the real lake, Ontario. Wave to our Canadian friends....
Seneca Falls is a lovely little town with some interesting restaurants and a Hillary Clinton-approved National Park, called the Woman's Rights Hall of Fame. Eh I much prefer the Men's Rights Hall of Fame, it used to be a bar down the road. The North side of town is English, the South is Italian. There are interesting clues and political tension between the two groups, plus the Seneca Indians from Arkansas actually own the land underneath the town... reading the roadside protest signs is fun.
Down 5 and 20 on the way to Waterloo is Mac's Drive In, a classic 50s outdoor diner well worth the stop. The waitresses wear plaid skirts and roller skates, the root beer is in a barrel and mugs are frosted. But it's messed up, they have grease fires, they serve fried dough, weird stuff like that. Not like Sonic.
Geneva is home to Hobart and William Smith Colleges yet is a divided town between a rising meth/crack/heroin using population. Good for photography but maybe not for a family visit?
Canandaigua is maybe the prettiest town with the best architecture, a great pier, nice parks, shops, food... but the heaviest traffic.
You might as well go to Rochester and have some greasy garbage plate and visit the George Eastman House. I am such a community booster haha, there are fun festivals every weekend and plenty of fine food.
Further West is Letchworth State Park, the grand canyon of the East. It's a nice park in general, don't expect an Ansel Adams experience though.
To the South, I prefer Stoney Brook State Park to Letchworth for swimming, it is a nice walk along the gorge and has a lot of nice waterfalls.
Naples, south of Canandaigua, is maybe the nicest Finger Lakes town, compared to Watkins Glen to be honest. Not too large, nice park downtown, etc.
Watkin Glens, you'll see.
Corning has a cute, prosperous downtown and the Glass Museum is world class, with lots of interactivity and educational features.
Ithaca (home of Cornell) is an interesting town full of aging hippies and overly-PC college intellectuals, it has a vast array of restaurants... the Moosewood is famous for its vegetarian cookbook.
On the way North on Cayuga Lake, East side, is the town of Aurora, home of Wells College. It is a very photogenic and lovely little community. To the North is the McKenzie-Childs female mecca, try to leave the ladies off without credit cards.
The wineries? There are some very nice ones, but many are just fancy barns and sell raspberry wine.... so pick and choose.
I skipped Keuka Lake which is great, and dozens of other great spots. You could choose to visit waterfalls for days....
Auburn is North of the lakes but close, it has an aging state prison, which is not usually a tourist destination but I have found that restaurants surrounding prisons are almost universally excellent. There is a Mexican joint North of the prison walls, an Italian place to the West, all superb. The architecture is good, it used to be a prosperous town.
If you aren't from the Great Lakes, go North to Sodus and Chimney Bluffs to see the real lake, Ontario. Wave to our Canadian friends....
Seneca Falls is a lovely little town with some interesting restaurants and a Hillary Clinton-approved National Park, called the Woman's Rights Hall of Fame. Eh I much prefer the Men's Rights Hall of Fame, it used to be a bar down the road. The North side of town is English, the South is Italian. There are interesting clues and political tension between the two groups, plus the Seneca Indians from Arkansas actually own the land underneath the town... reading the roadside protest signs is fun.
Down 5 and 20 on the way to Waterloo is Mac's Drive In, a classic 50s outdoor diner well worth the stop. The waitresses wear plaid skirts and roller skates, the root beer is in a barrel and mugs are frosted. But it's messed up, they have grease fires, they serve fried dough, weird stuff like that. Not like Sonic.
Geneva is home to Hobart and William Smith Colleges yet is a divided town between a rising meth/crack/heroin using population. Good for photography but maybe not for a family visit?
Canandaigua is maybe the prettiest town with the best architecture, a great pier, nice parks, shops, food... but the heaviest traffic.
You might as well go to Rochester and have some greasy garbage plate and visit the George Eastman House. I am such a community booster haha, there are fun festivals every weekend and plenty of fine food.
Further West is Letchworth State Park, the grand canyon of the East. It's a nice park in general, don't expect an Ansel Adams experience though.
To the South, I prefer Stoney Brook State Park to Letchworth for swimming, it is a nice walk along the gorge and has a lot of nice waterfalls.
Naples, south of Canandaigua, is maybe the nicest Finger Lakes town, compared to Watkins Glen to be honest. Not too large, nice park downtown, etc.
Watkin Glens, you'll see.
Corning has a cute, prosperous downtown and the Glass Museum is world class, with lots of interactivity and educational features.
Ithaca (home of Cornell) is an interesting town full of aging hippies and overly-PC college intellectuals, it has a vast array of restaurants... the Moosewood is famous for its vegetarian cookbook.
On the way North on Cayuga Lake, East side, is the town of Aurora, home of Wells College. It is a very photogenic and lovely little community. To the North is the McKenzie-Childs female mecca, try to leave the ladies off without credit cards.
The wineries? There are some very nice ones, but many are just fancy barns and sell raspberry wine.... so pick and choose.
I skipped Keuka Lake which is great, and dozens of other great spots. You could choose to visit waterfalls for days....
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andredossantos
Well-known
Frank: Wow, great info, I printed it out! Thanks!
jpmac55
Established
Hey Frank - your post net's it out better than any brochure or website on the Finger Lake region.
You'd break Dr. Konstantin Frank heart if he read your description of the wineries found there. Of course I confess to enjoying the concord grapes grown in the region.
You'd break Dr. Konstantin Frank heart if he read your description of the wineries found there.
Of course I confess to enjoying the concord grapes grown in the region.
Frank Petronio
Well-known
Yes Franks would be one of the good ones ;-)
dreilly
Chillin' in Geneva
I'm a Genevan and though there's a bit of truth to Frank's description of it, I swear all those meth addicts are from Rochester! I'll defend Geneva for NOT being, unlike some other towns around here, all white and boring. It's got some grit and doesn't have patience for gourmet olive oil shoppes. It has one standout eatery that's worth the trip: the Red Dove Tavern, a gastropub that serves local wine on tap (and yes, lots of beers) and sources their eclectic menu from local food sources. It's not dangerous for a family visit, says my 8 year old who walks to school by herself. (Well, she is a ninja...)
While in Geneva, hunt down Normal Bread for some incredible French style bread (and it's not snobby, I swear) and Joe's Hots for a some low-down-grub.
Beyond boostering Geneva I'll also stick up for Seneca Lake Wineries and eateries and give you my short list:
East side, north of Watkins Glen: Herman Wiemer, Red Tail Ridge, Billsboro. Skip Glenora (it's a giant factory of a barn that serves raspberry wine) although check out the actual town by the lake of the same name, it's tucked up against a great tall waterfall.
West side, this is culinary heaven. Going north you've got Stone Cat Cafe, Dano's (a Viennese hueriger), Suzanne's...you can't go wrong with ANY of these, though your wallet sure can! (I've photographed all three and they have nice clean kitchens too!) My favorite winery is here too, don't blink or you'll miss it, Shalestone. Great reds!
The landscape between Geneva and Pen Yann is really bucolic, lots of Mennonites and rolling hills and farms. There's a place just north of Pen Yann called Haye's Auction Barn, they do auctions on Saturday nights...it's like stepping into another world. Definitely rangefinder territory though the Mennonites/Amish are a little skittish about photographs so be nice.
In terms of nature, one of my favorite places is called Sugar Hill, it's upriver from Watkins Glen and is very remote. There's a fire tower there and some great trails. On the other side of the lake is the Finger Lakes National Forest, and that's great too. Beware that some of the "roads" on the map here are absolutely impassable by any vehicle and are being reclaimed by the forest. Fun place to explore.
So enjoy, and whatever you do, don't get sucked into Ithaca and come out with one of those "Itaca is Gorges" bumper stickers.
(I second Frank's Corning suggestion, by the way. It's a great museum and the city is very photogenic, too).
I'll defend Geneva for NOT being, unlike some other towns around here, all white and boring. It's got some grit and doesn't have patience for gourmet olive oil shoppes. It has one standout eatery that's worth the trip: the Red Dove Tavern, a gastropub that serves local wine on tap (and yes, lots of beers) and sources their eclectic menu from local food sources. It's not dangerous for a family visit, says my 8 year old who walks to school by herself. (Well, she is a ninja...) While in Geneva, hunt down Normal Bread for some incredible French style bread (and it's not snobby, I swear) and Joe's Hots for a some low-down-grub.
Beyond boostering Geneva I'll also stick up for Seneca Lake Wineries and eateries and give you my short list:
East side, north of Watkins Glen: Herman Wiemer, Red Tail Ridge, Billsboro. Skip Glenora (it's a giant factory of a barn that serves raspberry wine) although check out the actual town by the lake of the same name, it's tucked up against a great tall waterfall.
West side, this is culinary heaven. Going north you've got Stone Cat Cafe, Dano's (a Viennese hueriger), Suzanne's...you can't go wrong with ANY of these, though your wallet sure can! (I've photographed all three and they have nice clean kitchens too!) My favorite winery is here too, don't blink or you'll miss it, Shalestone. Great reds!
The landscape between Geneva and Pen Yann is really bucolic, lots of Mennonites and rolling hills and farms. There's a place just north of Pen Yann called Haye's Auction Barn, they do auctions on Saturday nights...it's like stepping into another world. Definitely rangefinder territory though the Mennonites/Amish are a little skittish about photographs so be nice.
In terms of nature, one of my favorite places is called Sugar Hill, it's upriver from Watkins Glen and is very remote. There's a fire tower there and some great trails. On the other side of the lake is the Finger Lakes National Forest, and that's great too. Beware that some of the "roads" on the map here are absolutely impassable by any vehicle and are being reclaimed by the forest. Fun place to explore.
So enjoy, and whatever you do, don't get sucked into Ithaca and come out with one of those "Itaca is Gorges" bumper stickers.
(I second Frank's Corning suggestion, by the way. It's a great museum and the city is very photogenic, too).
Leigh Youdale
Well-known
Ye Gods!
Ye Gods!
Wine on TAP! ON TAP! I'd stay right away from any place that did that!
Ye Gods!
Wine on TAP! ON TAP! I'd stay right away from any place that did that!
ebolton
Number 7614
I'm surprised nobody has mentioned the gorge at Watkins Glen. It's been many years since I've been there, but I still remember. Very impressive piece of scenery, especially for an eastern state. Corning glass works is another place I want to return to some day, and the Curtis Wright museum in Hammondsport (I think) was a favorite of mine (but that might just be my own thing). My wife wanted to visit the Cornell Arboretum in Ithica, but we never made it. Some day I hope we get there.
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Most interesting commentary (thanks especially Frank)... I went to Cornell, but that was so long ago I have no currently relevant comment. My grandfather had a vineyard near Aurora until prohibition, then moved to Auburn for the carpet mill, where my Dad grew up. Still have relatives there, should go visit!
x-ray
Veteran
My ex was from Skaneatelis and we went up there often. There are hidden photo treasures all through the area. When in the wine country you're not far from the George Eastman house and museum in Rochester. You MUST go there. They have an unbelievable collection of vintage images and cameras.
Frank Petronio
Well-known
The Curtiss Museum is great (small though) and Hammondsport is great. And the Cornell Arboretum is great for photography, plan to visit early or late for best light. It is mostly facing West on a hill so evening is probably best.
jpa66
Jan as in "Jan and Dean"
Man! Thanks for all the suggestions and info, esp Frank and dreilly! I'm even more excited to go, having never been there. The only bad thing is that thinking about all this stuff makes me miss living back east.
dreilly
Chillin' in Geneva
Wine on tap is so new and cool y'all don't even know about it yet. It's actually a DARPA experiment.
mrisney
Well-known
Keuka Lake has a very nice and interesting chapel - Garrt Chapel I believe ? It has a very nice view of the lake, and great stained glass windows symbolizing youth. It is a really something to see, highly recommend.
biomed
Veteran
I spent the last couple of years of my Air Force career in Rome, NY. Made mit to the Finger Lakes a couple of times. What a beautiful part of the USA! I also second the suggestion about the Curtiss museum in Hammondsport.
Mike
Mike