A Travel Guide to the Finger Lakes, New York (USA's Best-Kept Secret)

welcome to the Finger Lakes in New York state I am really excited for this video and to explore this whole area because it might possibly be the most underrated place to visit in the United States showcasing some of Mother Nature's Best work this part of Upstate New York or some call it Western New York is an old world unhurried and unpretentious Oasis the moment we laid eyes on the long slender lakes and the Magical state parks and The Vineyards it was almost like we were stepping into a bygone era where everything just moves at a leisurely pace peppered with storybook Villages and Countryside charm this part of New York state is known for its stunning Lakes picturesque Landscapes gorges and waterfalls and of course it's world-class wineries we spent six days exploring the area and in this travel guide we'll cover all things that make up a quintessential Finger Lakes vacation if you want a perfect blend of relaxing and road tripping and sightseeing Outdoor Adventures world-class Wineries and Charming small town Vibes keep watching first where are the Finger Lakes well they're basically in the heart of New York State about four to five hours from New York City three to four hours from Toronto depending on traffic and about an hour and a half from Niagara Falls you could fly into Rochester or Buffalo since we're Canadian we flew into Toronto rented a car and enjoyed the scenic drive through the countryside first we have Watkins Glen State Park a geological Masterpiece it's known for its breathtaking Gorge Trail and beautiful waterfalls this is probably the most popular thing to do in the Finger Lakes for a reason consistently voted as one of America's top three state parks it's this 400 foot deep gorge that's been carved over thousands of years on this hike you're greeted by these enchanting Stone staircases and bridges that follow this path over and under 19 waterfalls it takes you through tunnels and alongside these Crystal Clear Pools the only way I can describe it is its enchanting and magical this is no exaggeration it's like you've walked onto a Fantasy movie set or walking through scenery from Lord of the Rings are we in kashit or Yavin 4 that's a Star Wars reference foreign [Music] Falls which is just North of Ithaca home to Cornell University here you'll find the 215 foot high waterfall which is actually 33 feet taller than Niagara Falls it's the its tallest free-falling waterfall east of the Rockies in the United States you can hike down to the gorge Trail which is one mile in length to the falls and it's flat and easy the entire way so it's great for the whole family also perfect for strollers or if you have low Mobility but you can also get a great view at the top of the parking lot if you don't want to do the hike this is Letchworth State Park also known as the Grand Canyon of the East here there are three large waterfalls the lower middle and Upper Falls it's this massive Park you could hike all day long hike over multiple days or just spend a couple of hours here there's Scenic viewpoints and walkways that border the falls and you can drive to each one of them also the Glen Iris Inn is located at the middle Falls and it's got a great overlook you can also stay overnight at this Lodge or just stop in for a meal or a beverage on the patio and feel the mist from the powerful Falls this state park is absolutely beautiful one of the most popular things to do at this park is to take a hot air balloon ride over the falls which would be spectacular as long as you're not scared of heights and then of course welcome to Wine Country the Finger Lakes is the largest wine producing region in the U.S east of California there are over 130 wineries most of which line the shores of lakes as we traced our way up and down the lakesides it was like stumbling upon the Napa Valley of the East Coast we heard a lot that this region has been compared to that of the Rhine Valley in Germany the winemakers here are especially renowned for their rieslings and other world-class whites that are really comparable to European wines so far we are super impressed with all the wines here a lot of them are bone dry which is what we love so if you like dry white and super dry Reds I think you're gonna love the wine in the Finger Lakes Region cheers we also found some lovely medium bodied Reds we enjoyed too with so many wineries to choose from you'll be hard-pressed to make decision on where to go to help you explore the area there are several wine trails that you can follow along or you can hit up a wine tour we're on our way to the first Winery tour of the trip and I'm really excited for this one because it's not like any other Winery tour we've done before there's something a little different about it wine tasting by boat since Lake life is the vibe here we thought what better way to combine The Best of Both Worlds we booked a tour with Captain Jim's wine cruises he took us out on his Ultra smooth and comfortable pontoon boat we cruised up and down Cayuga Lake stopping at three wineries with a bit of sightseeing in between we started at Long Point Winery they're known for their Chardonnay lots of honeydew and butterscotch notes here also known for their bone dry Reds we love the tasting experience here it was super laid back and the outdoor area boasts in incredible lake views best way to experience the Finger Lakes you want to be in the water you want to enjoy the wine you have to do a wine tour Cruise via boat next was sheldrake Point Winery this is a popular spot with groups like birthdays or bachelorette parties here they're known for their dry rose and they were actually the first Winery in the Finger Lakes to offer it our final stop on the tour was Thirsty Owl they have a great Bistro for lunch great views of the lake and I think the wine tasting here was only five dollars for five wines we were also pleasantly surprised because we found a mall back here they're the only Vineyard in the region to grow this grape before we move on from wine here are a few more wineries that stood out for us because of their unique offerings billsboro Winery had a chocolate and wine pairing that was absolutely delightful we loved the wine tasting room at Lacey Magruder because it was like a mix between Harry Potter and an Irish Pub theme Fox Run Vineyard runs a really cool experience they've got the taste buds tasting flight where you get five bites to nibble on with each wine that you try it plays on the connection between food and wine and the five taste receptors salty sweet sour bitter and Umami and finally Castel grish won the award for the most Whimsical Winery so confused by everything foreign and if you're not a wine fan and you've still stuck around not to worry this Bountiful region also boasts some incredible craft breweries and cideries and other treats we loved the Finger Lake Cider House and wow do they ever know how to do charcuterie boards here and what pairs very well with wine cheese of course so we visited the nearby Lively Run goat farm here we got to not only meet all the goats and have some fun with them we also sampled their cheese tasting plate with over a dozen different cheeses from both goats and cow's milk [Music] and that brings us to the Lakes themselves these long narrow freshwater lakes are calm and Ultra Scenic with Crystal Clear Water Swimming boating kayaking sailing and paddle boarding seemed to be the most popular activities here each lake has their own unique charm and I really think you gotta scope them out for yourself to see which one fits your vibe we stayed in the Canandaigua Lake area for a few days it was nice and quiet and kind of like a laid-back luxury getaway hanging out here we just felt relaxed refreshed and rejuvenated it's kind of like a Lakefront Resort Community it's got great Lakeside accommodations the town has really good Boutique shopping and Farm to Table restaurants driving through this whole area was relaxing and just had this small Hometown feel Perfect Getaway from busy City Life [Music] at the bottom end of Canandaigua Lake we discovered the most adorable town called Naples being Wine Country it's no surprise that we have grapes here in the Finger Lakes but Naples New York is known as the great pie capital of the world with over 70 000 great pies made in the town each year apparently in the 1960s they discovered they had an abundance of concord grapes ever since then the town has become the center of all things great if you come to the Finger Lakes especially this part of the Finger Lakes this is what you gotta get great pie that's what they're known for we're gonna try it oh this is still warm too this is baked like 20 minutes ago Watkins Glen is another Hub and it was a place of contrasts in the best way it had some of the most pristine natural beauty and high octane energy they call it where Mother Nature meets Main Street the town is famous for its state park which I touched on earlier but also well known for Watkins Glen International a world-renowned race track that was home to the Formula One United States Grand Prix from 1961 to 1980 and now hosts NASCAR IndyCar vintage cups and more and you can actually drive the speedway yourself the track is open to the public to drive your own vehicle around the Grand Prix circuit behind a paced vehicle though [Music] okay today we are crossing an item off my husband's bucket list we are driving the historic Watkins Glen race track today now we thought the pace car was going to drive slow the entire way but once everyone was on the track he actually kind of sent it and we were first in line so Chris went a little ham the tires feeling after a quick photo op with everyone else driving the Glen that day we decided to drive the original Street course that runs right through the town and through the hills of Watkins Glen there are signs that you can follow along to get a taste of what the original drivers would have seen with nothing more than hay bales as barriers back in the day since this region is quite large about the size of New Jersey actually we split our time between these two different home bases like I said we stayed in Canada for a few nights and a few nights in Watkins Glen which was a little more Central I think this is the best way to do it so that you can see as much as possible since it can be up to about an hour's Drive between some of the most popular places to see we stayed at this beautiful lakefront property in Canandaigua for the more relaxing and rejuvenating part of our trip and then a Scenic Lakeside Hotel near Watkins Glen those deserve separate videos though so stay tuned to my channel for that I hope you enjoyed touring Upstate New York with me thanks for watching and I'll see you in the next one

Channel: Aly Smalls

Views: 35,278

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Id: drhweXGtiAE

Length: 12min 50sec (770 seconds)

Published: Fri Sep 29 2023