If you need a break from summer in NYC and the crowded Hamptons, a weekend getaway to the Finger Lakes is calling. Just a few hours drive will bring you to one of the best wine regions in the country with gorgeous scenery, a thriving food scene, and plenty of outdoor pursuits to get your mind off the city grind.
The Finger Lakes region is quite vast with 11 long and narrow lakes giving its name to this beautiful upstate destination. Attempting to cover it all over a weekend would be crazy so you’re better to concentrate on a single of the larger lakes – and I’d hastily recommend Seneca Lake. It’s the largest of the Finger Lakes but most importantly, it’s home to the biggest wine trail in New York State and three of the best parks in the region.
There are a lot of wonderful towns around the lake but you should base yourself either at the southern tip in Watkins Glen or the northern one in Geneva for the best access to all there is to do here.
The bigger of the two though still pretty quaint, Geneva has a beautiful lakefront state park and a growing culinary scene that make a good case for staying here. Even if you’re not spending the night, make sure you try one of the F.L.X. spots, whether it’s the intimate farm-to-table dinner of F.L.X. Table or the fried chicken and waffle creations from F.L.X. Fry Bird.
With just about 40 wineries surrounding Seneca Lake, the hardest part of planning your trip will be choosing which ones you wish to stop at (and who’s driving!). Going down the western side of the lake from Geneva, I made sure to stop at Shaw Vineyard near Himrod after reading much praise about the artisanal operations.
The sustainably minded winery hosts tastings in its small and rustic barn-like room and is notable for having a great selection of reds in a region known mostly for white wine. The small production and cellar-aging (often five years or more for reds) means the bottles here aren’t the cheapest but the complexity and character of each bottle makes this a great stop on any wine tasting route.
A very different experience awaits at Lakewood Vineyards, a family-owned winery producing wine and mead.
The outdoor patio with scenic views of the vineyard and the lake is a big draw, and so is the wide variety of wine on offer. It’s the kind of winery that has something for everyone and many different tasting flights from dry to sweet and everything in between.
Sample a bunch, buy a bottle and some snacks and settle at a picnic table to enjoy the magnificent views. I fell in love with their dry Riesling, their sparkling and their Cabernet Franc and left with quite a few bottles to fill the trunk of my car!
I honestly never thought I would sample such fine wines up here, and apparently the answer lies in the topography… It has been observed that the large size of Seneca Lake moderates the temperature which creates ideal conditions for growing grapes on the surrounding land. That’s the reason Seneca Lake has more wineries in the region than any other lakes and is now widely considered by winemakers to have the region’s best terroir.
When you need a break from all that drinking, just past the southern tip of the lake you’ll find the small, charming village of Montour Falls. Its main attraction is a big waterfall called Shequaga that suddenly appears in between houses in a spectacular and surprising effect.
A small park with benches allows you to linger for a while and admire that frothy cascade pouring down the cliff. The resemblance to a lacy wedding veil won’t be caused by the amount of wine you’ve ingested I can assure you…it’s nature’s own striking show once again.
A few minutes drive back up north and you’ll find yourself in the town of Watkins Glen, a very fine lakeside home base from where to hit all the wonders around Seneca Lake.
Most people who have heard of Watkins Glen are more familiar with its racing history of which you’ll find numerous reminders around town. Nicknamed ‘The Glen‘, its automobile race track was once known around the world as the home of the Formula One Grand Prix as well as a number of other famous racing events.
The new face of Watkins Glen though is very much centered around the burgeoning wine industry and fantastic outdoor adventures available nearby. For a local taste, I stopped by the highly praised Graft Wine + Cider Bar on the main street (*it has unfortunately recently closed its doors after four years in service – its owners wanting to do something different). The casual eatery offered wine and drinks all made in New York State with a daily changing menu of locally sourced sharing plates.
The next day, wake up as early as you can for what I consider the highlight of the region – a hike through Watkins Glen State Park. I confess that this park only is what brought me here, over 4 hours drive from my home, and it was more than worth it.
The most famous park in the Finger Lakes has its entrance right in the middle of the village and will undoubtedly blow your mind. You’ll want to devote at least 1.5 hours to exploring the world-class Gorge Trail and my early start recommendation will be the best gift you can give yourself around these parts.
The Gorge Trail starts climbing up right after the entrance of the park and will show you some of Nature’s most spellbinding work along the way.
7am – pretty much the only time in high season you’ll have the trail to yourself and it’ll mean the world to not only your photographs but to be able to enjoy this grand spectacle in peace and quiet… The trail follows the glen’s stream which descends 400 feet past 200-foot cliffs, creating 19 waterfalls along its course.
For 1.3 miles, you’ll wind your way over and under all of these waterfalls in a light, color and sound show that can’t truly be captured by mere photos.
While the hundreds of stone steps you’ll be climbing are man-made, the erosion of the cliffs surely isn’t and it’s incredible to see the sheer size of the chasm created over thousands of years.
With the early morning sun bouncing off every which way and water splashing against the cliff sides, rainbows are a regular occurrence and only adds to the magic of the place.
Approaching the thundering Cavern Cascade…
…if you’ve never stood behind a waterfall you’ll get your chance here.
The wide setting of ‘The Cathedral’ is an imposing sight after the closed-in and narrow start of the trail, and things are just beginning to get grander.
It’s hard to explain the palpitations felt of being a tiny individual in this stunning setting, approaching what she knows is the exact shot that draws everyone for hundreds of miles to this little state park. I can still feel the excitement as I slowly made my way up these narrow steps in the cool morning air…
…to witness the Rainbow Falls in all their glory. No. Word. I’m not exactly sure how long I stood there – it never felt like enough time to capture it all.
With a few photo and contemplative stops, you can hike the trail up in about an hour and then you’ll have the choice to catch a shuttle at the top end of it to bring you back to the entrance, or walk the Gorge Trail back in reverse. I obviously advise you to do the latter. You’ll find many angles you’ve missed on the way up, the light will have changed dramatically, and you’ll be able to wave to the hordes of tourists who didn’t wake up early enough to have this natural wonder all to themselves for a spell…
