New York’s Finger Lakes

06/16/2024 – 06/21/2024

This week finds us in New York’s Finger Lakes region. The Finger Lakes are located between Buffalo and Syracuse, directly south of Lake Ontario. They are made up of eleven long and narrow lakes and were crated by glaciers about two million years ago. They range in length from Canadice Lake at 3-miles long to Seneca and Cayuga Lake at 38-miles long. If you look at them on a map, they do indeed look like fingers stretching across central New York.

The Finger Lakes region is beautiful. We stayed near Watkins Glen and drove the length of Seneca Lake. The area is rich with vineyards, wineries, waterfalls and gorges. The rolling hills are dotted with farms and quaint villages.

This is a short week for us since we are flying out to Washington state on Friday to help our youngest offspring and his family move to Arkansas. Luckily, we did get one full day, thanks to the new federal holiday Juneteenth, to get out and explore a little. It was an extremely hot week with temps in the upper 90’s with heat indexes of 100+ degrees. This also limited our desire to explore. LOL

Wineries

The Finger Lakes region is New York’s largest wine-producing region. There are over 400 wineries and vineyards here! The lakes provide residual summer warmth in the fall and protect the vines from early frost during harvesting season. They also protect the vines from the early spring frosts that would destroy new growth. Many varieties of grapes are grown here including Chardonnay and Pino Noir.

Time to get out and do some tasting. Lucky for us, the campground we are staying is walking distance to two wineries, Red Newt Cellars and Hector Wine Company AND the wineries offered specials for guests of the RV Resort. I call that a win!

Hector Wine Company

After work one afternoon, we trudged over to Hector Wine Company. It was a short walk in 100° heat but the reward was wine! Hector Wine is a 7^th generation farm and vineyard. They began growing grapes in the 1860’s and after many years in the 1980’s two different vineyards and wineries were established. Then in 2010 one of the brothers partnered with a local winemaker to create small batch, handcrafted wines and Hector Wine Company was created. Today we are sampling a few of those small batch wines.

There was a nice outdoor seating area, but we chose to sit in the cool AC indoors. Our samples included two whites and two reds and we enjoyed all of them. We walked away with a bottle of white to enjoy back at the motorhome and a bottle of red, hopefully to enjoy one evening around a campfire when it is a lot cooler.

Red Newt Cellars

Red Newt Cellars is the other winery located near our camp. Again, after work, we trudged up the hill for another tasting of some sweet nectar. Red Newt Cellars opened in 1999 and they quickly became award winning winemakers and have been named in Wine & Spirits Top 100 wineries of the year.

They offered BOGO wine tastings for guests of the RV Resort, meaning Bill and I got to sample 12 of their wines! We had a hard time choosing which we liked best and ended up buying three bottles; a Reisling that was surprisingly not too sweet, a pinot gris to enjoy now and another red to sip around a future campfire. 😊

Visiting wineries is an activity we really enjoy. It is a nice way to relax and wind down at the end of the day as well as tasting grapes from different areas of the country. I could have visited a winery every day, the problem is it can get a little spendy. Therefore, we have to pick and choose.

Waterfalls

During one of our winetasting sessions, I suggested taking a ride to get out of “the house” and see some of the countryside. We’ve been here 3 days and have seen nothing and I was getting a little stir crazy. We ended up googling “waterfalls near me” on Google Maps. To our surprise there were several waterfalls close by and off we went.

We even found a secret watering hole where the locals go to cool down. 😉

Kayak Trip

While checking out a storage facility where we will be putting the coach in a few days, the owner was telling us about some local restaurants and activities we should check out. When she mentioned kayaking and a waterfall, my ears perked up.

On our “free day” this week we had a choice to make; we could cram as much sightseeing as we could into one day or… we could get the kayak out and paddle to a waterfall on Seneca Lake. We opted to kayak. It has become our habit to go, go, go and see, see, see, that we never slow down and enjoy the little things.

Let’s Go!

We were up and on the lake by 10AM. The sky was a little overcast and there was a slight breeze as we began our 2-mile paddle to the falls. We made a beeline for the point and quickly realized even though two miles doesn’t sound that far, our arms thought otherwise. LOL

We finally made it to the little creek and before we knew it, we were at the base of Hector Falls. They are beautiful! The creek water was a little mucky and filled with tadpoles so I opted to stay with the kayak, but Bill got out and walked right up to the bottom of the falls. Pretty cool!

As we made our way back to the park, we decided to take our time and hug the shoreline a little more. We came across a mother duck and her little ducklings. Even though we were very very quiet, mama duck gathered her babies and pushed them under a tree branch along a rock overhang to hide from us. We floated there for a bit to see if they would come out, but they stayed in their hiding place until we paddled on. Mama’s are always there to protect their babies, no matter how old their babies get. 😉

We finally made it back to the beach, exhausted and hungry. This was a great way to spend the morning and we need to make a point of “slowing down” more often.

Watkins Glen

When we told family members we were going to Watkins Glen, several asked, “Isn’t there a racetrack there?” Um… I dunno? I am going for the waterfalls, lakes and wine. Curiosity got the better of me and yes, there is a racetrack, a Grand Prix racetrack. Cool! Do you remember the old Grand Prix arcade games? That was one of my favorites, besides Ms. Pacman. Anyway, I digress…

Grand Prix racing came to Watkins Glen in 1948. The original track was a 6.6-mile course around town on mostly paved roads with a few dirt and gravel stretches. The track now sits about 5 ½ miles outside of Watkins Glen. After kayaking and getting some lunch, we took a drive out to the track.

The Glen

We followed a truck in through a side entrance and then Bill took off exploring. We drove all around the grounds and at first, I was scared someone was going to come chase us down. But no one did. We drove ALL around the track grounds and into the pit area. I snapped a picture of the stands and was in a hurry to get outta there!

A big racing event was happening this weekend. Porches, Lamborghinis and Mustangs were all going to be racing and the crews and cars were just arriving and getting set up. Talk about money! The semi-trailers hauling the cars and equipment turned into mini-garages. Everything is pristine. I would have loved to been able to stay and see the races over the weekend, but one, they were sold out and two, we were leaving for Washington on Friday night. We will definitely have to come back sometime and see a race.

I also learned there are maps available to drive the original 6.6-mile Grand Prix circuit in Watkins Glen. However, I learned this a little too late and we did not have time to squeeze it in. Next time!

Watkins Glen State Park

Something else we will need to do on our next visit is Watkins Glen State Park. This was on our list of “things to do” but we just did not have the energy. It was extremely hot and we were extremely tired from our paddle earlier. This will also have to be saved for the next time. Here is a link to the park so you can get a little taste of what we missed. ☹

Downtown Watkins Glen

Before heading back out to camp we walked along Main Street hoping to find some ice cream. What we found was most of the stores and restaurants were closed due to Juneteenth. Womp Womp… Ben and Jerry’s was open, but we’ll be going to visit them in Vermont soon enough. I loved how their cross walks are checkered, like the checkered flag.

TIMEOUT

We took a 2-week timeout, put the coach in storage, sent Kona to the pet resort and caught a flight to Washington state. (Separate blog post coming about this exciting road trip!)

Seneca Falls

We safely and successfully got our son and his family moved from Vancouver WA to their new home in Benton AR. We spent the 4^th of July with them and then decided to head “home” a day early. With the long holiday weekend, we figured our chances of getting a flight on Friday were better than Saturday and we were right. One of the things you have to consider when flying standby. And by getting back a day early, we get an extra day to explore.

One of the places I wanted to visit was Seneca Falls. Seneca Falls is rumored to be the inspiration for the fictional town of Bedford Falls in the Jimmy Stewart Christmas Classic, “It’s A Wonderful Life”. And bonus, it is also where the First Convention for Women’s Rights was held. Let’s talk about Women’s Rights first.

Women’s Rights National Historical Park

On July 19-20, 1848, the first Women’s Rights Convention was held in Seneca Falls. Elizabeth Cady Stanton was the main force behind the convention and the primary author of the Declaration of Sentiments. Her demand for a woman’s right to vote became the principal belief of the women’s movement. She was also active in abolitionism.

In 1851 Elizabeth and Susan B. Anthony forged a life-long partnership and formed the Women’s Loyal National League. After the Civil War, they were the main organizers of the American Equal Rights Association.

Bill and I spent about an hour touring the museum and learning about the brave and feisty women who fought for equal rights. A fight that still ensues today. Women have had to fight to attend school, universities, to have sports programs and for equal pay, just to name a few.

I am thankful these ladies fought for our right to vote, work outside the home and even have opposing views than our husbands have (can you even imagine?)

A Visit from POTUS

President Barack Obama visited the Women’s Rights Park to present a copy of the signed “Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009”. He wrote, “It is an honor to visit Seneca Falls and recall the righteous struggle that found expression here. I’m also proud to add an example of Lilly Ledbetter’s inspiring leadership to your collection. Thanks for all you do to honor the character and perseverance of America’s women.”

A Christmas Classic

Many say Seneca Falls NY was the inspiration for the fictional town of Bedford Falls in Frank Capra’s, “It’s A Wonderful Life”. Frank Capra was visiting family in the village in 1945, shortly after purchasing the short story “The Geatest Gift” by Philip Van Doren Stern from RKO Studios.

There are several places around town that look familiar to a fan of Bedford Falls; the train station, the Seneca Falls Bridge and old mansions that could be “The Granville House”. But the most believable coincidence is the story of Seneca Falls resident Antonio Varacalli.

In April of 1917, Antonio Varacalli drowned in the river while successfully rescuing a 19-year old girl when he heard her scream for help. Didn’t George Baily jump into the river to rescue Clarance? Hmmm…. The newspaper story of the rescue never mentioned Antonio’s name in their reporting. The town rectified this by raising money to bring Antonio’s mother, sisters and a nephew over from Italy to accept the Carnegie Hero Medal in honor of Antonio. Several years later a plaque was erected and placed on the bridge. Didn’t the town of Bedford Falls come together to help George Baily get the money he needed to pay off the evil banker Mr. Potter? Hmm…. LOL

Frank Capra never directly said that Seneca Falls was the inspiration for Bedford Falls. He stated Bedford Falls is a collection of many small towns. Bedford Falls was not supposed to be one place, it was supposed to be EVERY place.

Every year on the second weekend of December, Seneca Falls hosts the “It’s a Wonderful Life” Festival. Several of the cast members still attend and there are many activities scheduled throughout the weekend.

“It’s A Wonderful Life” Museum

Of course, we had to stop in and check out the museum. I’m not going to lie, I was a little disappointed. They did not really have any memorabilia from the movie or from the stars themselves. Most of the displays were just typed up placards telling a little about each of the cast members and their careers before and after the movie. Honestly, it wasn’t very interesting. ☹ and I’m glad it only cost $5.

Like most of the little towns we have driven through in the Finger Lakes region, Seneca Falls is a charming “hamlet” in New York and worth the stop.

Ithica

Making our way back down to Watkins Glen, we decided to check out Ithica. The drive down was beautiful. Again, we drove through more farmland and vineyards only along Cayuga Lake this time. We made a quick stop at Taughannock Falls, which were amazing! Taughannock Falls State Park was extremely busy (hello, it was Saturday and a holiday weekend) and we wanted to get on down to Ithica before the farmers market closed. Had it not been for that, this would be a great place to spend the day.

We made it to Ithica and the farmers market about 30 minutes before closing. The market was nice and we picked up some fresh veggies. After that, I convinced Bill to go to the botanical garden at Cornell University. Thinking it might be something like the gardens at Duke University, I was sadly disappointed. The garden was small and underwhelming. I did, however, snap some pics that I might try to paint someday. 😉 Ithica, did nothing for me. It might be because it was hot and I was tired and hungry. All we could think about was getting back to Watkins Glen and relaxing.

Good-Bye Watkins Glen

With our motorhome in storage, we didn’t exactly want to go sit in a storage parking lot for the remainder of the day. I remembered our chairs were in the bed of the truck and had a brilliant idea! Let’s pick up some food, a couple of cocktails and go to the park! Which is exactly what we did and it was a perfect way to end our time in New York’s Finger Lake Region.

What’s Next?

An exciting road trip from Washington State to Little Rock, Arkansas! We fly to Portland and join a Modern Day Wagon Train.