Midstate Traveler: New York's Finger Lakes region offers wineries, recreation

Published: Monday, March 15, 2010, 10:10 AM     Updated: Monday, March 15, 2010, 12:03 PM

Annette Reiff
Follow

Are you a parent, a wine lover or a woman who loves to travel? Do you enjoy fishing, visiting world-class museums or staying in cozy bed-and-breakfasts?

If you answered yes to any of those questions, then you might be interested in visiting the town of Corning and the Finger Lakes region in New York state. Corning can be reached easily in three hours by following Route 15 north to the Pennsylvania/New York border, then picking up Route 86 into Steuben County.

Corning is perhaps best known for its glass museum. “The Corning Museum of Glass is one of those places you have to see to believe,” said Dave DeGolyer, communications manager for the Steuben County Conference and Visitors Bureau. “In addition to housing over 45,000 items, the museum offers visitors the chance to watch master glassblowers create original pieces, then make their very own one-of-a-kind works of art in one of the daily workshops.”

The museum is one of a variety of attractions in the Finger Lakes area that offers activities for the whole family. Among the others are Blueberry Hill Farm, where visitors can pick their own blueberries; Watkins Glen International race track; and the Spencer Crest Nature Center, which offers hiking, sledding, cross-country skiing, fishing and educational programs.

The Finger Lakes region covers 9,000 square miles and extends north to south from Lake Ontario to the Pennsylvania border, and east-to-west from Rochester to Syracuse. The 11 lakes provide opportunities for snorkeling, fishing and more.

The Finger Lakes are why the area is home to dozens of wineries. Grapes grow well in the region because the lakes help moderate temperatures.

Peggy Coleman, president of the Steuben County Conference and Visitors Bureau, noted that the region’s wineries are winning competitions against some of the world’s best vineyards.

Dr. Frank’s Vinifera Wine Cellars was one of only five wineries in the world nominated by Wine Enthusiast for 2009 Winery of the Year, according to DeGolyer.

Women travelers are being targeted by tourism officials. Coleman decided to jump on the concept of women-only travel as a result of her experience growing up in a family whose female members had a tradition of taking off on their own for a few days of fun and relaxation.

On Saturday and Sunday, representatives from the region will be in Harrisburg to participate in the Central PA Women’s Show at the Hilton Harrisburg on Second Street. They will promote Women Only Weekend packages that include wine tastings, spa visits, wellness sessions and more. (There’s even a Getaway Godmother who can custom design trips.)

For travelers looking for a cozy getaway, the area offers many antique shops, farmers markets and bed-and-breakfast establishments in its towns and villages. Hammondsport, for example, resembles a Norman Rockwell painting, Coleman said.

Best of all, is that these New York state destinations are affordable and close.

Annette Reiff, a certified travel counselor, can be reached at alr@paonline.com.