The roughly 9,000 square miles that surround the 11 sinuous Finger Lakes in west-central New York State are filled with blue hills, rolling farmland and vineyards that produce some of the world’s greatest rieslings. It is an area of charming villages and towns, with historic treasures, including the Women’s Rights National Historical Park, in Seneca Falls. Ithaca, the site of Cornell University, is the jewel in the region’s crown, with plenty of cultural offerings for the weekend traveler. Abutted by the shoreline of Lake Ontario, the Adirondack Mountains and a series of steep cliffs along the Genesee River — over which flow three of the most dramatic waterfalls in the state — the region attracts hikers, boaters, mountain climbers and thrill seekers. Bird-watchers can expect to see wood ducks, scarlet tanagers and pileated woodpeckers in summer.
Just don’t try to see the lakes in one day as each offers a distinct and vibrant world all its own…
– Click here for the full feature by Kenneth Rosen for the NY Times that was published on Thursday at nytimes.com
