New York’s Finger Lakes Vacation Itinerary
New York’s Finger Lakes Vacation
Nestled between the Pennsylvania border and Lake Ontario, New York’s Finger Lakes Region is comprised of eleven finger shaped lakes, lots of vineyards and a variety of small towns and cities, which offer arts, culture and farm fresh food to locals and visitors alike. This itinerary allows you to discover the Southern portion of the Finger Lakes with locals to guide you to Seneca Lake, Keuka Lake and through Corning, Hammondsport, Elmira and Watkins Glen.
Glassmaking at the Corning Museum of Glass
Cows graze in the Finger Lakes National Forest
Day 1: Corning, New York
Arrive to Corning, New York in the Southern Finger Lakes, a charming small city with a walkable downtown where locals and travelers venture into independent shops, galleries, restaurants, soak in history and art.
How to Get to Corning:
You’ll want rental car for this vacation. Corning is located just an hour and 40 minutes from the Rochester Airport (ROC is 100 miles) and a little over 4 hours from New York City.
Check into your Corning B&B, your basecamp for this Finger Lakes vacation. This charming property feels like home and is well located for Finger Lakes adventures.
Tonight, we recommend dining in Corning at one of the many restaurants that welcome locals and travelers alike, including The Cellar with its top offerings of Finger Lakes wines or the more casual Aniello’s Pizzeria.
New York Southern Finger Lakes drive time from NYC 4 hours
Day 2: Corning Arts & Small Town Charm
Corning was voted “The Most Fun Small Town in America!” for so many reasons!
Explore the historic Gaffer and Southside districts. Corning has a nickname, the Crystal City, because cut crystal was such a huge industry in Corning. Talented glass workers from TG Hawkes & Company created works for illustrious clients, including the White House, employing more than 400 workers by the turn on the century. Corning would take off as a mecca for glass making. Along with TG Hawkes & Company, Steuben Glass Works would get it start in Corning and Corning Glass Works, now known as Corning Incorporated.
Corning Museum of Glass
Thirty-five centuries of glass history is intertwined with modern arts, science, technology and innovation at the Corning Museum of Glass and travelers can not only observe glass making through Hot Glass Demos, but actually try their hand at making something, too.
See a glass portrait of an Egyptian pharaoh, examples of the finest Renaissance Venetian glass, works by today’s contemporary artists – and everything in between. Watch live glassmaking in the Hot Shop. Live Glass demos are on offer every day. This museum is where master glassmakers work and in a theatre-like setting, you can enjoy their craft and explanation.
Classes are also offered every day. Get a taste of glassmaking in a 40-minute Make Your Own Glass workshop. If you want to spend a little more time exploring glassworking, we can arrange a one-day or weekend workshop or an intensive course at The Studio of The Corning Museum of Glass. Classes exist for all levels of experience, in a variety of techniques and are taught by some of the world’s best glassmakers.
GOOD TO KNOW:
Workshops can be arranged for all ages and can include glassworking, flameworking, fusing, sandblasting and more with the help of experienced glassworkers. You don’t need experience to participate and learn!
After your museum and tour adventures, we recommend any or all of the following:
– The Rockwell Museum, an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution offering a unique window to view the American experience through art.
– Local cuisine and a glass of wine at The Cellar
– Local craft beer and casual eats at Market Street Brewing Company
– Ice cream at Old World Cafe
Day 3: Keuka Lake & Finger Lakes Wine
The Southern Finger Lakes are rich in aviation history and a great place to learn about one of the area’s most famous pioneers, who used Keuka Lake for many of his trials, is at the Glenn H. Curtiss Museum in Hammondsport.
Vintage aircraft, motorcycles, automobiles, boats, bicycles and even travel trailers tell the story of Curtiss’s myriad innovations, often tested in daring ways. Born in Hammondsport and only attending school up to the eighth grade, Curtiss started racing and building bicycles as a teen and would go on to manufacture motorcycles.
Curtiss held the “Fastest Man on Earth” title for four years and pioneered the design of seaplanes and flying boats and tested out many of his inventions in Hammondsport on Keuka Lake, where today, an annual Wings & Wheels festival in September honors his legacy and the many innovations still in use today from one man with ingenuity, determination and the courage to go fast, high and far to create something new.
Curtiss Museum in Hammondsport
Finger Lakes Famous Vineyard Tour
Many people travel around the Finger Lakes to enjoy wineries and one of the most important is located on Keuka Lake in Hammondsport. Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery was started by Meaghan Frank’s great grandfather, Konstantin, who immigrated to the United States from Ukraine in the 1950’s. A viticulturist, he revolutionized the wine industry in the Finger Lakes, successfully planting European species of grapes.
Tour the vineyard and enjoy a tasting experience with Dr. Konstantin’s granddaughter Meaghan Frank (subject to booking availability). This is a special experience in learning Dr. Konstantin’s innovative and scientific approach to cultivating grapes that continues today with Meaghan Frank, the fourth generation of her family to work at the vineyard.
Learn about the over 25 different varieties of wine grapes grown, many of which are esoteric and unique, on this stunning property, which offers sweeping views down to Keuka Lake.
Following your wine experience, we suggest making a stop at Steuben Brewing Company, where food trucks during the warmer months, compliment Keuka Lake craft beer. This New York State Farm Brewery is family run and family friendly, often having live music and games onsite.
Beer and games at Steuben Brewing Company on the Finger Lakes Beer Trail
If you can eat dinner at this point, here are some recommendations:
Union Block in Hammondsport: Serves up good and healthy portions of Italian with great local wines. Live music is in the downstairs grotto.
Timber Stone Grill in Hammondsport: This restaurant offers great wine and beer and serves up dishes made with locally sourced meats. With an extensive menu, you can find something for everyone at Timber Stone.
Day 4: Finger Lakes National Forest
This morning, after breakfast, drive to Finger Lakes National Forest (32 miles-Est. driving time 50 min). Located between Seneca Lake and Cayuga Lake in the Finger Lakes Region, this is the only national forest in New York State. It draws in hikers, riders, history buffs and travelers who want to combine wine tasting at nearby vineyards with exploration.
This afternoon, enjoy a guided horseback riding adventure in the forest. The lands where the Finger Lakes National Forest rest today were inhabited by Native Americans for more than 10,000 years and would later be settled by farmers and loggers. Archaeological sites today abound in the forest, making for a fascinating horseback riding excursion. If you’re visiting the forest in the fall, we can try to time your visit with the changing leaves and to be able to have some of the fall apples, which which visitors are free to pick and eat while visiting the forest.
All riders must weigh under 220 lbs. for the type of horses at the Ranch.
Rest of the afternoon you are free to explore more forest trails, like the Interlochen Trail, part of the longest continuous footpath in New York State, the Finger Lakes Trail. It connects to other large trail networks, including the North Country National Scenic Trail and The Long Path, allowing outdoor enthusiasts to hike from the New York- Pennsylvania border to the Catskill Forest Preserve in eastern New York and beyond.
Dinner suggestions close to the forest tonight:
Grist Iron Brewing Company for great beer and casual eats.
Stonecat Cafe for locally sourced food and wines. Upscale, yet casual with great sunset views.
Day 5: Seneca Lake
The largest of the Finger Lakes and the deepest lake in New York State, Seneca Lake is surrounded by dozens of wineries, charming Watkins Glen and has a fascinating history. Enjoy exploring the lake in a kayak.
Seneca Lake, New York’s largest Finger Lake
This afternoon, stretch your legs Watkins Glen State Park, just a few minutes down the road. At this stunning state park, over 800 stone steps lead visitors through a wonderland of waterfalls. Nineteen waterfalls within two miles cascade alongside trails, which weave hikers beside, around, over and under falling water.
Waterfalls at Watkins Glen State Park
Tonight, we recommend dining in Watkins Glen, where there are a number of dining options. For an upscale and tasty dinner, try Graft Wine & Cider Bar.
Learn about adventures around Watkins Glen, including waterfalls at Watkins Glen State Park and race cars at Watkins Glen International.
Day 6: Homeward Bound
Check out of your hotel and say goodbye to the Finger Lakes.
Other options for things to do in the Finger Lakes area:
For Adventurers! Soaring at Harris Hill, where you can also visit the National Museum of Soaring, where over 80 years of soaring history is on display. Soaring is flying in a glider, also called a sailplane, a motorless plane which uses columns of rising air, called thermals, to soar through the sky. It’s an amazing experience for those with a thirst for adventure. (since the museum is here, if someone in your group doesn’t want to fly, they may enjoy watching the other flights and checking out the museum)
For lovers of literature! Visiting the Center for Mark Twain Studies at Elmira College, including Mark Twain’s octagonal study, where Twain penned works like The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. His gravesite is also nearby.
NASCAR enthusiasts! Drive the Glen at Watkins Glen International, make a stop at the International Motor Racing Research Center in Watkins Glen and grab a beer at family-owned Seneca Lodge, which for more than 50 years has been an institution for motorsports racing fans and drivers alike.
Sailing and boating enthusiasts! Pay a visit to the Finger Lakes Boating Museum, which chronicles the history of boating in the region over the last century and also offers volunteer opportunities in sailboat building and refurbishment.
Wine and craft beer lovers! There are loads more wineries and breweries where we can arrange insider’s tours. Just let us know what you like or your tastes and we can lead you to the best locations.
