Getting There

If coming from Washington, DC, you can come by car in six hours. Once you leave the beltway, it’s smooth sailing. Depending on which lake you decide to go to, you can also fly into Rochester, NY, Syracuse, NY, or Binghamton, NY. Remember you want to bring some wine home, so I highly suggest you travel by car!

Pick a Lake

The Finger Lakes, as the name implies, has eleven narrow lakes which resemble fingers. If you’re spending only a weekend in the Finger Lakes, I recommend you focus on one to two lakes as there is so much to see and do in this vast area. I lived in Rochester, NY my high school years and my family still lives in the area. We make it a point to visit regularly and enjoy all the beautiful things this region has to offer. We find ourselves in Seneca and Canandaigua Lakes often because of their proximity to Rochester.

Things to Do

Wineries

If you’re spending a weekend in the Finger Lakes, I highly recommend you add a little wine tasting to your itinerary. I enjoy that they’re a variety of wineries in the region to cater to every taste. If you’re a serious oenophile, Hermann J Wiemer winery at Seneca Lake is one of my favorites. They continue to produce stellar wines. Another favorite is Dr. Konstantin Frank which offers an elevated wine tour with a pairing of gourmet German Food.
If you’re looking for a more informal winery, head to Lucas Vineyards with a stunning view of Cayuga Lake. They are one of the few wineries in the Finger Lakes producing one of my favorite grapes, Gewürztraminer.

Nature

The nature of the region is truly breathtaking. Whether you’re taking in the fall foliage or the frigid winter’s, the outdoors of the region are pure magic. While spending a weekend in the Finger Lakes, save room for a little outdoor time. Head to Taughannock Falls State Park for a short and sweet hike and some stunning views. I also love that the park is great for any season-the beauty of a frozen waterfall is worth bundling up for!
Each lake has its charm. In the fall, I love the sight of the colorful fall foliage against Seneca Lake. In the summers, the lakes are perfect for taking a boat out and going for a swim.

Food

Given the vast, rich soil, the region is booming with local ingredients. I love driving along the country roads and stopping by the quaint farmer stands. During the fall, I love seeing the little mason jars with homemade preserves and corn along the road.
Another thing to add to your “weekend in Finger Lakes” itinerary: a trip to The Windmill Farm & Craft Market. This sprawling country market sells a variety of local-made items such as maple syrup, spirits, vegetables, raw honey, among other items. The market also has stalls with local-made arts and crafts. I highly recommend grabbing a soft serve of maple vanilla ice cream. I still think about it!

Another recommended stop is FLX Wienery. I first discovered this place as a recommendation from the winemaker at Hermann J Weimer. A bite into their succulent white hots and I was hooked. We now make a point to stop there every time we’re in the area. Most of their sausages are housemade and they also offer the yummy Zweigles hots. If you’re from Western NY, you know what I am talking about!

Where to Stay

Since “my mother’s house” is not a good answer for this post, I decided to defer this section to my friend Carol Cain from Girl Gone Travel who spends an extensive amount of time in the region with her family. Here are her recommendations on where to stay for your weekend in Finger Lakes getaway:

The Harbor Hotel at Watkins Glenn: a luxury lakefront hotel recently awarded the “Hall of Fame by Trip Advisor”
Radisson Hotel Corning: a modern property in the town of Corning
The Farm at Fulkerson: a cozy Bed and Breakfast along the Seneca Wine Trail
The Grist Iron: beer lovers will enjoy staying at this craft brewery
The Black Sheep Inn and Spa: a farm to table spa close to the Keuka Lake

Museums and Other Attractions

You may be tempted to drink wine all weekend and I would not judge you. However, there are other fun activities. Feeling lucky? Head to Tioga Downs for their racetrack and casino. One of my favorite museums in the region is the Corning Museum of Glass. Not only do you get to see these impressive art installations and historical pieces, but you can also make your own hand-blown glass designs. For the aviation lovers, head to the Glenn H. Curtis Aviation Museum for a comprehensive collection of the golden age of aviation.

Weekend in the Finger Lakes: The Verdict

You need more than a weekend in the Finger Lakes to take in all its beauty but if all you got is a weekend or a long weekend, it’s the perfect getaway from the hustle and bustle from cities like New York, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC.

The post Escapes: Weekend in the Finger Lakes appeared first on The Dining Traveler.

It takes seven hours (in mild traffic) to drive from Washington, DC to my hometown of Rochester, NY. Plenty of times I have seen the signs for the Corning Museum of Glass but my curiosity is always eclipsed by my desire to get home.  Thousands of miles away from Corning in Cancun, the curiosity was sparked again when I got to hear all about the museum at the TBEX Travel Blogger Conference. The director of public relations, Kim and I bonded over Western NY and travel blogging (check out her blog here).  After our meeting, baby glass pumpkin in hand, I was sold. The Dutchman and I decided we would make the visit to Corning a few weeks ago as we headed back home from Rochester.

Glass Pumpkin at Corning Museum of Glass Gift Shop

As we took the detour on the highway, we were impressed by how massive the Corning Museum of Glass is, nestled in a sleepy town in Western, NY.  We walked into the gift shop, which had an interesting selection of glass items from Christmas ornaments to large glass pumpkins to jewelry made by local artisans.  The shop is one of the largest museum shops in the United States and in my opinion one of the most diverse.

Art Made with Microscopic Tiles of Glass

The museum was quite crowded with a diverse set of visitors: Chinese tourists on their way to Niagara Falls, local families, and couples like us.  As we walked through the museum to the many exhibitions we were fascinated by something so essential that seems to be overlooked in our everyday lives: glass.  The exhibitions included works of ancient glass from the Romans and Egyptians to modern glass installations from modern designers such as Dale Chihuly.  The level of detail from modern to ancient was incredible such as the work made from microscopic glass tiles disguising itself as a painting. Truly makes you see glass in a different light.

After our museum tour, we took a private glass workshop where we tried our hand at glassmaking. We had a private class with a glass artist, Christa Westbrook. We loved how patient Christa was with us and how passionate she was about glass making.  She asked us to pick which project we wanted to make. Our options were a bowl, vase, pumpkin, or a flower.  I picked the bowl and the Dutchman picked the flower. We put on our safety glasses and had a safe handling class (oven is 2001 degrees F!). All geared up, we were on our way to becoming glass artists!  (If you’re intimidated by making your own glass, Corning Museum of Glass offers a demonstration with a skilled artist taking you through the process far away from the hot oven.)



My Bowl, Almost Done!

 We dipped our glass rods into the hot furnace to get the melted glass. It can be a little overwhelming as it is really hot! But we soon got the hang of it and got to work. The biggest challenge was to keep the rod moving for the melted glass (honey like consistency) not to spill on the floor. It was a beautiful process to see how a glob of melted glass can turn into a beautiful piece of art.  After our creations were made, it was placed in a special cooling unit and mailed to us the following day.  It was great to come home from work and have our creations waiting for us!

Learning at the Glass Marking Class

The verdict: We’re happy we had the chance to stop at the museum.  Western NY is a region of the state that often gets overlooked by New York City.  The nature along the Finger Lakes (Seneca Lake is only 20 miles way) is some of the most beautiful I’ve seen (the well traveled Dutchman can attest to that as well).  Not only can you explore the museum but head to the wineries (my review of Hermann J. Wiemer), explore the fall foliage, and indulge in the market stands along the country roads.

Seneca Lake, Finger Lakes, NY

Tip: The museum is free to veterans on November 9th to 11^th (in honor of Veteran’s Day) with 15% admission fee for their non-veteran party & 20% off gift shop purchases. Tip: make a roadtrip!  By car: 4.5 hours from Washington, DC, 2 two hours from Rochester, NY, 4 hours from NYC, and 2 hours from Syracuse, NY. For more information about the museum hours and general fees click here.

The post Corning Museum of Glass: Learning to Make Glass appeared first on The Dining Traveler.