Visiting New York's Finger Lakes Region

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By Elba Fenwick


While people often think about New York City when they think about visiting the Empire State, this state actually has much more to offer its visitors than just the sights and sounds of Manhattan. The Finger Lakes region, for instance, is a great place to visit, offering a little something for everyone.

Within the Finger Lakes region there are eleven main lakes, including Cayuga Lake and Seneca, which are the two largest. If you love watersports, you can enjoy it all at most of these lakes, including kayaking, canoeing, water skiing and boating. Many tourists simply enjoy a day swimming and hanging out at the beach. Not all of the lakes offer beach parks with swimming areas, so be sure to do some research before you head out to the beach.

In addition to all the water-related fun, this region is well known for its fine wines. There are about 100 vineyards in the Finger Lakes Region, and many wineries are open for public tours and tastings. Tour companies can take you to several wineries or you can tour on your own along the Keuka Lake Wine Trail, the Cayuga Lake Wine Trail or perhaps the Seneca Lake Wine Trail. Fine craft beers also are produced at about one dozen different breweries in the area, and there are even distilleries producing everything from brandy to vodka to gin.

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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