Visiting New York's Finger Lakes Region

By Elba Fenwick


There's definitely more to New York than a visit to Manhattan. In fact, drive to the west central portion of the state and you will find a popular tourist destination - The Finger Lakes Region. Blessed with much natural beauty, this popular area also offers plenty of interesting shops, restaurants, museums and much more.

The Finger Lakes are thus called due to the long, skinny shape of each of these lakes and there are 11 in all, although there are a few other popular lakes in the region as well as the Erie Canal. Seneca and Cayuga are the largest Finger Lakes, although Canandaigua Lake and Keuka Lake also are quite popular. Most of the lakes are surrounded by parks which offer swimming beaches and boat launches. Boating, canoeing and kayaking all are quite popular activities. A few smaller lakes don't have proper swimming areas with lifeguards, so be sure to check online prior to your visit to the area.

If you love wine, this region is booming with wineries and vineyards, in fact, there are more than 100 vineyards in the area. Many of the wineries offer tastings and tours, and several companies offer tours throughout the year. The Cayuga Lake Wine Trail is a popular option, and for just $15, you can enjoy tasting at more than one dozen wineries around Cayuga Lake. The Keuka Lake Wine Trail and Seneca Lake Wine Trail are two other options to consider. If you prefer micro-brew beer, there are more than a dozen breweries in the region as well.

There are any number of quaint small towns in the region, offering antique shops, art galleries, cafes and other fun reasons to stop and visit. In Marcellus, all guests must stop and partake of the gourmet chocolates at the Chocolate Pizza Company. This popular confection shop sells many tons of chocolate treats including many varieties of their fanciful chocolate pizzas, each of which is handmade and packaged up in real pizza boxes.

The chocolate pizzas feature a crust of either milk or dark chocolate blended with handmade English toffee. From there, a variety of toppings might be added or you could opt for a pizza finished off with just a decorative splash of white chocolate. In addition to the pizzas, you can buy a huge assortment of other handmade treats as well as gift towers and gift boxes. If you can't make it to the Marcellus location, there is also a Chocolate Pizza Company shop in the town of Manlius, which is just east of Syracuse.

In addition to fantastic lakes, great wine and gourmet chocolate, there are other reasons to visit the area. There are quite a few museums and historic sites, including the Corning Museum of Glass in Corning. Harriet Tubman lived for many years in Auburn, and her home is open for tours. For the kids, there are plenty of options, including the Seabreeze Amusement Park and the Roseland Waterpark, as well as Syracuse's Rosamond Gifford Zoo.




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