Page Updated: December 07, 2023
Finger Lakes
Lake Seneca - Geneva NY
The Finger Lakes is a remarkably scenic region full of interwoven glacial lakes, gorges, and waterfalls spread out over an area the size of New Jersey. The areas wineries and breweries, together with summer and winter activities, events, and festivals draw millions of visitors annually.
Hearing about the Finger Lakes while listening to the local meteorologist, and doing a quick look up as to what it was, our interest was piqued and we dedicated a Saturday to explore a sliver of it. The drive from Rochester took roughly an hour; and even though it was mostly interstate, we were fortunate enough to have a few country roads and small towns along the way.
The Finger Lakes Welcome Center serves as entrance to Geneva Lakefront Community Park and Seneca Lakes State Park. The facility offers a gift shop, coffee, cool drinks, restrooms, and plenty of brochures for the surrounding areas.
The large veranda on the water is perfect for lake viewing. And a playground immediately adjacent offers space for kids to run off some energy.
We took an hour and played a round of disc golf at the 5 & 20 course in Geneva Lakefront Park. We’ve only visited a handful of disc courses to date; but found the course fun to play. The views of the lake as we played were amazing. Just had to watch out for groundhog burrows.
Looking for a bite for lunch, we strolled around historic Geneva. We found a great spot for lunch and met some friendly locals!
The drive to and around the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge filled the afternoon. Located on north Cayuga Lake, the habitat of swamp, wetlands, and grasslands are perfect for native and migratory birds and a terrific spot for birdwatchers.
Before the drive back to Rochester, we dropped by Montezuma Winery & Hidden Marsh Distillery to sample some of what New York had to offer. We do a lot of tastings around the country and this experience was less than stellar. The person serving rushed us along and had nothing to offer as far as info goes on profiles of wine or spirits.
That said, their sweet Fat Frog Red (which is their best seller) was indeed the best of the wine tasting. They also offer it as a slushy; perfect for the sweltery day we had on hand.
-b&b
Genesee Country Village and Museum
5 & 20
