Finger Lakes, NY Travel Guide
This was my first time to the Finger Lakes in New York. And, it has been the only "vacation" I have been on in 2020. I had a blast!!! Here is my postcards post with some gorgeous snaps of the trip. And here is what I packed for the trip. I asked on Instagram if anyone had any questions about the Finger Lakes, and have done my best to answer them within the post! Here is my guide and recommendations for the Finger Lakes!!
When to Go: I would highly recommend going during the fall when it is closer to, or at peak leaf season. The colors were absolutely gorgeous! I did learn that the Indigenous Peoples Day Weekend in October (when we were there) tends to be the busiest weekend of the year because of the fall colors and long weekend, which was apparent on Saturday and Sunday. I would love to come back in the summer for water activities and vineyard tours too.
Where We Stayed: We stayed in this Airbnb. It is a refurbished church, and is beautifully redone. It has a lot of space, and can sleep 7-8. It is located in a small town between Keuka and Seneca Lakes. When we drove around the lakes, I saw so many cute little inns and B&B's. I would really consider these for another trip up there too! There are also so many other vacation rentals on the lakes, and would be really fun to be on the water. We did choose the one we stayed in because it was pet friendly!
Hiking:
Each full day of the trip, we started with a hike in the morning. Every trail we went on was unique in its own way, and they were all great! There are a ton of hiking options around all the lakes, but we just picked some that were closer to were we stayed.
Keuka Outlet Trail- This trail is beautifully lined with trees, and has a couple waterfalls along the way! It is also nice and wide, so it is easy to social distance when passing other groups.
Watkins Glen State Park- My favorite trail of the trip was the Gorge trail at Watkins Glen. It is really stunning with waterfalls and cliffs. Just be sure to get there early because this trail gets crowded fast, and can back up easily.
Finger Lakes National Forest- This national park is not one to miss, especially in the fall. There so many trails to pick from, and you are bound to have gorgeous scenery everywhere!
Wineries:
Our post hiking activity was checking out the regions wineries (and breweries!). This is not an exhaustive list of every winery in the Finger Lakes, but just where we went, or where we wanted to go but didn't because it was too busy. I had a lot of questions about wineries, so this list is for you guys! One thing to add is that tastings at most places need reservations, and you do not need them to grab an outdoor table and enjoy a glass.
Weis Vineyard- I really liked this smaller winery. Great wine with German roots.
Domaine Leusurre- I recommend this one if you are into dryer wines in the French style like myself. I had my favorite glass of red wine here!
Hermann J. Weimer- We did not actually stay for a glass because all of the reservations were book, but we just went to pick up some bottles after reading that their sparkling wines are rated at over 90 points by the Wine Enthusiast!
Lamoreaux Landing- This was a beautiful estate, and delicious wine! Great vineyards for photo ops!
Boundary Breaks- This one probably had some of my favorite views!
Atwater Vineyards- Get the bubbly rosé! This was probably my favorite winery! We sat there for sunset, and it was perfect.
Lakewood Vineyards- Lakewood looked too busy for our comfort when we drove by, but I have it on the list because it was recommended to me.
Miles Wine Cellars- We didn't make it to this one, but wanted to go because the grounds and mansion look gorgeous!
*Breweries:
[*My disclaimer here is that I cannot drink beer, BUT most of the breweries in the Finger Lakes have local wines and ciders!]
Abandon Brewing Company- Great views from their deck!
Two Goats Brewing- This is right next to Atwater Vineyards.
Lucky Hare Brew Company- If you go, order the french fries, too!!!
Where to Eat: Because we stayed in an Airbnb with a nice, big kitchen, we did a fair amount of cooking, and had take out a few times. I, personally, prefer to be in a rental with a kitchen, since having celiac disease can make it hard to eat out for every single meal. If you are staying in or near Watkins Glen, there are a ton of cute and yummy looking local places to eat! Most have outdoor seating, and take-out.
If you have anymore questions, leave them in the comments!
As always,
#dontforgetyourpearls
I love these photos! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteAwe, thanks for always stopping by and reading! Have a happy Monday, Medha!! :)
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