Sometimes what you know about an area is exactly what you get, and other times, as was the case with my recent trip to the Finger Lakes Region of New York, it’s a complete surprise...and a great one at that!
Before my trip, all I knew about that area was lakes and wine. That wasn’t a bad thing, but I never anticipated it would be a place where I could take my family for an adventure-filled vacation. The great hosts from Chemung, Steuben and Schuyler Counties showed me and 4 other Macaroni Kid Publishers just how much there is to do in that area. And since it’s just a short 3.5 hours away, it’s a great spot for a week-long vacation or a quick weekend getaway.
When planning your trip to the Finger Lakes, whether it be for a family vacation, a romantic getaway, or a girls weekend, here are 10 stops you won’t want to miss:
- To encourage young writers, you should stop in Elmira, NY, where you can visit the study where Mark Twain wrote many of his novels, including “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” and “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”. Located on the Elmira College Campus, where it was moved to from it’s original location, this is just one of several stops along the Mark Twain Country Trolley Tour. Along the tour, you will hear a narrated history of Elmira, and the final stop on this tour is Mark Twain and his family’s final resting place.
- For more arts education, a visit to the Rockwell Museum is a must! Here you will find a Scavenger Hunt for families, which gives you a thumbnail of several portraits in the collection. Once your family finds all the items, the kids can choose a prize from the prize basket. This gives families a completely unplugged, cultural experience. In addition to the scavenger hunt, the museum offers a Family Exploration Studio, which is a hands-on area with 8 stations in which the activities are changed seasonally to offer a variety of opportunities each year. The Rockwell Museum is free for children 17 and under, and if that wasn’t good enough already, the purchased tickets (like the ones for Mom & Dad) are good for 2 days! Perfect for families with younger children who may still need to take a nap.
- Want to create some of your own art? At the Corning Museum of Glass you can be an artist by making your own glass piece in their studio. Choose from projects such as an ornament, flower, windchimes and more to create a one-of-a-kind piece to take home, created by you! Don’t leave without visiting the galleries in the museum itself. It’s family-friendly, have no fear! Starting out as just one room in 1951, the museum has grown to be the home of nearly 50,000 glass objects such as chandeliers, paperweights, drinking glasses, a glass dress, stained glass windows and everything in between. It’s remarkable to watch the live glass-making demonstrations, and kids will certainly get a kick out of the Glass Breaking Demo! Like the Rockwell Museum, tickets to the Corning Museum of Glass are good for 2 days, and again, children 17 and under are free.
- Spending time in nature is always a great way to unwind and de-stress, while letting the kids run off some energy, too. Taking a hike at Watkins Glen State Park gives you the opportunity to appreciate nature at it’s finest. With beautiful waterfalls and the peaceful sound of the running stream, it’s a nice escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Kids will have fun counting the number of steps there (842, in case you are wondering), getting sprayed and dripped on along the trail, and learning that the rocks in this park are twice as old as the oldest dinosaur! There is an $8 parking fee, but that also gives your family access to the Olympic-sized swimming pool.
- Want some more outdoor activities that will allow you to cool off? Visit Champlin Beach, where there is a large roped off area to swim, or you can rent a kayak, paddleboard, pontoon boat or jet ski from Keuka Watersports, and spend some time on top of the water in one of their vessels. There are bathrooms, picnic tables and grills available as well. This was my first time kayaking, and I had so much fun enjoying the light breeze, bright sunshine and pristine views. This would be a great spot for a family picnic and swim.
- Another outdoor (and indoor) location your family will enjoy if nature is your passion, is the Tanglewood Nature Center. This geothermal heated and cooled, 12,000 square foot building educates over 20,000 kids per year and over 35,000 visitors. My initial impression was that it looked like other nature centers I have been to, but I quickly realized that it offers so much more. Families can not only enjoy various nature trails, but there is a Story Walk for families with younger children. This trail features a deconstructed storybook to read at the stations along the trail as you walk, along with activities to engage all 5 senses. In addition, more than 40 animals call this nature center home, including some “free bees”: bees that are free to come and go through a tunnel that connects their indoor hive to the outside world.
- All this outdoor hiking and paddling got you tired? Board Captain Bill’s Stroller IV for a 1-hour narrated boat tour of Seneca Lake. We sat back and relaxed as Captain Bill and his first mate, who happened to be his grandson, told us about the history of Seneca Lake, the salt mines located on the banks, and the concord grapes, which are used made to make Concord Grape Pie, a local favorite dessert in the Finger Lakes Region. Seneca Lake rarely freezes because it’s fed by underground springs, and the deepest spot in the lake is 800 feet deep. Many people think that it is a salt water lake because of the salt tables located below the lake, but that is not true. There is 1100 feet of bedrock separating the salt from the water. You’ll learn all this and more, while taking in the sites along Seneca Lake, like Hector Falls.
- No trip to the Finger Lakes would be complete without some wine tasting, and Bully Hill Vineyards is the most family-friendly wine tasting location I know. I actually visited there when I was about 8 years old, traveling back from Niagra Falls with my parents and brother. Of course, at the time, my brother and I only got to taste grape juice, which they still offer to the youngsters today. On this visit, though, I was able to taste several of the delicious sweet wines Bully Hill has to offer, and I even purchased some to bring home with me. (Their Ravat 51 is my favorite!) More than just a tasting room, Bully Hill also has a gift shop, restaurant, and offers winery tours. Make sure to leave some time to take in the great views across the vineyards, too.
- Looking for a never to forget experience? Then you will want to go soaring in a glider! First, stop at the National Soaring Museum on Harris Hill to learn about the history of soaring. Here you will learn how gliders were first launched in the 1930’s (like a slingshot!), and view the restoration shop, which is a new area that is now open to the public. Since this is the official site of soaring in the United States, it only seems fitting that it’s where you should go for a glider ride yourself! It was truly remarkable to be pulled up to 1000’ by the tow plane, and then released to glide back down safely, all while my pilot talked about points of interest that we could see from the sky, like Seneca Lake.
- Last, but certainly not least, is something I did not get to try, but will be going back to do, for sure! Laser Tag Pro at Park Avenue Sports Center. This is like no game of laser tag I have ever played. It’s more like a live action video game, complete with hand-built sniper towers and different missions you can play, like Capture the Flag or Domination. If guns aren’t your thing, that’s ok, because Park Avenue Sports Center also has miniature golf, batting cages, a driving range, water wars, rock climbing...and ice cream! It really is fun for the whole family!
If you are looking for places to stay and to eat while visiting this area, I recommend both of these two great hotels, with nearby dining options:
11. Radisson Hotel in Corning - If taking a stroll down Market Street with the quaint local shops and good places to grab a bite to eat sounds like your style, then this is the hotel for you. Family-friendly places to eat like Atlas Pizza, Poppleton Bakery & Cafe, and Dippity Do Dahs Homemade Ice Cream are all just a short walk from the hotel. The hotel offers an indoor pool, fitness center, restaurant and your 4-legged friends are welcome, too!
12. Watkins Glen Harbor Hotel - This beautiful hotel overlooking Seneca Lake features oversized rooms with pillowtop mattresses, upscale dining at Blue Pointe Grille, their onsite restaurant, indoor heated pool and jacuzzi, state-of-the-art fitness center and nightly turndown service. There’s a cute cafe nearby that serves breakfast and lunch, just off the beaten path, too, called Berta’s Cafe, where almost everything is prepared from scratch and the meat and produce are from local farms.
*I was hosted by Corning and the Southern Fingerlakes, Visit Watkins Glen and Schuyler County, and the Chemung County Chamber of Commerce for the purpose of this trip. Accommodations and most meals and activities were complementary. No other compensation was received in consideration of this article, and all opinions are my own.
