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New York,
Finger Lakes
Finger Lakes: -
Located midway between New York City and Niagara Falls in west central New York State, the Finger Lakes represent one of the truly unspoiled vacation areas in the USA. Well known for its picturesque lakes, wineries and lush forests, the region offers many opportunities for recreational activity. It is home to 25 State Parks and a variety of museums and historic homes.
The Native Americans believed the Finger Lakes were formed when the Great Spirit reached out to bless the region and left behind the imprint of his hand. Geologists report instead that the unique features of the area – the 11 long narrow lakes lying side by side, the wide valleys and the deep gorges with rushing waterfalls – were formed by the grinding action of Ice Age glaciers. These geographical features are found nowhere else in the world.
Jesuit missionaries, the first Europeans to arrive in the region, found it controlled by the Cayuga, Seneca and Onondaga Native Americans, part of the powerful Iroquois Confederacy. The area’s Native American heritage is still apparent today in the names of communities and landmarks throughout the region. Although the Finger Lakes area is known primarily for its natural beauty and abundant recreational opportunities, it has also played a significant role in US social, economic and political history and is the home of famous statesmen, inventors and businessmen.
From west to east, the six largest lakes are: Canandaigua,
Keuka,
Seneca,
Cayuga,
Owasco, and Skaneateles. There are many fine lodges and small resorts on the lakes’ shores, where visitors can take in the outstanding scenery and make the most of recreational opportunities, especially boating and fishing.
Syracuse: The city flourished after the opening of the Erie Canal in 1825, and the Erie Canal Museum, a restored 1850s canal-boat-weighing station set along the canal, celebrates the waterway’s importance to the region. Other attractions include the Milton J Rubenstein Museum of Science and Technology, which has a planetarium and a terrarium with live lakeshore creatures, and Burnet Park Zoo with 14.5ha (36 acres) and more than 1000 animals in their natural habitat. The Everson Museum of Art features the nation’s largest display of US ceramics. Life in the 17th century is recreated at the Sainte Marie Among the Iroquois Living History Museum; the Sainte Marie mission was built by the French in 1657 at the invitation of the Iroquois people. The Canal Center has a canoe launch and facilities for biking, hiking and picnicking, while visitors to the Cedarvale Maple Syrup Company can see how maple syrup is made.
Rochester: The third-largest urban area in New York State, Rochester has more sites on the National Register of Historic Places than any other city its size. Known for its beautiful parks and gardens, the city hosts the celebrated Lilac Festival each May. George Eastman, inventor in 1892 of roll film and the Kodak camera, lived here. The George Eastman House is a national historical landmark and its outstanding International Museum of Photography details the development of the art from the time of Daguerre to the satellite photos of the space age. At the Rochester Museum and Science Center, visitors can learn about the Seneca Native Americans through exhibits and artefacts that date from 1550 to 1820. At nearby Victor, the ‘capital’ of the Seneca people from 1650 to 1687 is preserved at the State Historic Site of Ganondagan.
Wine region: Viticulture has flourished in the Finger Lakes region for more than a century, and today it is one of the world’s leading wine districts. Many wineries offer free guided tours and tastings. All of the area’s vineyards and wineries lie on the Cayuga Wine Trail, located between Seneca Falls and Trumansburg, centred around the Keuka, Seneca and Cayuga lakes. The Greyton H Taylor Wine Museum in Hammondsport details the history and the process of winemaking.
Elsewhere: The Finger Lakes region was renowned for the quality of its glass, and the newly renovated Corning Museum of Glass in Corning has exhibits spanning 3500 years of glass-making. Visitors can still observe craftsmen shaping exquisite glass objects. Ithaca is home to the Sciencenter, a hands-on science museum and outdoor science playground, and the Herbert F Johnson Museum of Art, which houses a collection spanning 40 centuries and six continents. North of Ithaca, the Taughannock Falls State Park features a waterfall higher than Niagara. At Watkins Glen, visitors will find the National Motor Racing Museum and Hall of Fame. At the north end of Cayuga Lake is the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge, a resting and feeding area for more than 235 species of migratory birds.
Special Events: Mar 17
St Patrick’s Parade, Syracuse. May Naples Arts and Music Festival, Naples; Lilac Festival, Rochester. Jun Fairport Canal Days, Fairport. Jul Sterling Renaissance Festival, Fair Haven; Rochester Music Festival, Rochester. Aug
15th Annual Fair Haven Arts and Crafts Festival, Fair Haven; Seneca Lake Whale Watch, Geneva; New York State Fair, Syracuse. Aug-Sep
New York State Festival of Balloons, Dansville. Nov 48th Annual Art Mart, Syracuse.
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