5 Things to Do in The Finger Lakes New York

In the "1,000 Places to See Before You Die" book by Patricia Schultz, The Finger Lakes New York is one of the places. It was where Mark Twain a world traveler and author of world renowned Huckleberry Finn and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer spent his summers writing and vacationing for over 20 years.

Finger Lakes consists of 11 natural and old lakes from the longest at 40 miles in length to the deepest at 618 feet in depth. The area is between the cities of Syracuse, Rochester and Elmira-Corning. At the north of The Finger Lakes is Lake Ontario and historic Erie Canal. Rochester is only three hours 37 minutes from Toronto Canada and four hours 40 minutes from Pennsylvania.

It is an area that provides all-season activities with many wineries, museums, farms and farm stands, and outdoor recreation like auto racing, skydiving, ballooning, cross country skiing and snowshoeing.  There is something for everyone regardless of the season you plan to visit.

Here are five things to do in The Finger Lakes New York year round:

1. Corning Museum of Glass
Corning Museum of Glass is the largest of its kind in the world. It is undergoing a $64 million expansion and is scheduled to be complete this year. The museum is open year round. Watch live demonstrations, take classes, visit the exhibits or shop for your own unique glass collections.

United Airlines is the only airline with non-stop flights from Newark New York Airport to Corning. It takes less than an hour to get there.

Corning was founded in 1951 by Corning Glass Works and the museum grew into a collecting, exhibiting, teaching and research facility with over 50,000 objects representing 3,500 years of glass history.

Information: Corning Museum

2. Outdoor activities at the Lakes and surrounding areas
The 11 lakes from west to east are Conesus, Hemlock, Canadice, Honeoye, Canandaigua, Keuka, Cayuga, Owasco, Skaneateles and Otisco. According to Visit Finger Lakes’ website, the Native American legend recorded that the fingers were an imprint of the great Spirit who laid his hands on the land and blessed it.

The distance between the western-most Lake Conesus and the eastern-most Lake Otisco is about 107 miles. The areas surrounding these lakes are fertile farmland and there are over 120 vineyards.

Finger Lakes area and lakes is suitable for camping, picnicking, kayaking, swimming, sailing, boating, fishing, water biking, hiking and more.

Keuka Lake is a Y-shaped lake in the heart of the Finger Lakes. During warmer weather, locals and tourists flock to the lake for jet skiing, fishing and boating. Budget Travel magazine’s readers named the town of Hammondsport at Keuka Lake  “America’s Coolest Small Town.” Even Travel and Leisure magazine named it the “Best lakeside vacations” place.

Hammondsport is 74 miles from the village of Skaneateles New York.


3. The Village of Skaneateles
The Village of Skaneateles is located by the cleanest lake in the world. It is filled with boutiques, restaurants, antique shops, bed and breakfast places, world-renowned spa and inns.

It is also home to The Finger Lakes Lavender Festival held annually on the second weekend of July and Dicken’s Christmas in December. The Spa Mirbeau and Resort is located in the village equipped with state-of-the-art facilities and staffed with experienced professionals.

Spa Mirbeau has 18 treatment rooms some with fireplaces and private sound systems. The spa programs are extensive for men and women –all housed in a 14,000 square foot luxuriously designed serene space.

Travelers who are interested to visit Skaneateles should fly into Syracuse NY, which  is 23 miles away. You can choose from six major US Airlines from anywhere in the United States to Syracuse.

4. Cayuga Scenic Byway
Cayuga Lake, the longest and widest lake at The Finger Lakes provides travelers the Cayuga Scenic Byway through 90 miles of farmland, 16 wineries and five craft breweries, seven parks, 17 bed and breakfasts, waterfalls, deep gorges, hiking, fishing, antique stores and restaurants. (Source: Ithaca)

Every season provides a different view for travelers. The Taughannock Falls is the place to stop if you are taking a ride on the Cayuga Scenic Byway. It is 17 miles drive north of Ithaca.

Taughannock Falls is the highest vertical drop falls east of the Mississippi, higher than Niagara Falls. It provides a stunning view of the gorge and natural flora of The Finger Lakes area.

Five: Wine tasting tours
No tour to The Finger Lakes area is complete without a wine tasting tour. For more information about Finger Lakes Wine Tasting tours please check out our article on

7 Wineries to Visit in The Finger Lakes

The Finger Lakes according to 1000 Places to See Before You Die, is a place for “world-class wines and small-town Americana” – indeed a region not to be missed this year.




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