CLOSE X
  • Start Here
    • Budget Travel
    • Not a Seasoned Traveler Yet?
    • The Importance of Family Travel
    • Couple Travel
    • Healthy Food When Traveling Is Healthy Travel
    • Solo Travel Ideas
    • Wellness Travel – Good Places in Europe to Re-Charge Your Batteries
  • Resources
    • Coronavirus Online Contacts for Popular US / International Airlines
    • Safety Tips for Travelers (Before Booking)
    • Your Rights If Bumped From An Overbooked Flight
    • How To File for Compensation for Delayed / Cancelled European Flights
    • Do You Need to Buy Travel Insurance? (Maybe Not)
    • I Need a Visa To Go There???
    • Valuable Resources at the State Department
    • Understanding the European Schengen Area
  • Blog
  • News You Can Use
  • About
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
  • Foto Friday
  • Videos

Never Stop Traveling

Things to Do In the Finger Lakes, NY

Share58
Tweet
Pin5
Share
63 Shares

Last Updated on December 9, 2021 by Jim Ferri

a woman sitting on a dock looking at the lake - one of the things to do in the Finger Lakes
One of the pleasurable things to do in the Finger Lakes in New York

I was becoming absorbed with the minutia of things around me as I passed through so many little towns, when I realized this is one of the things to do in the Finger Lakes…

Estimated reading time: 13 minutes

By Jim Ferri

a red barn –  things to do in the Finger Lakes

I was driving on a ribbon of road that slowly rose and dipped with the hills I was crossing. It was almost arrow-straight, cutting across swatches of fields and forest, past little farm buildings and neat little houses.

Signposts along the way pointed me to places called Leicester, Avon and Warsaw, all hinting at the origins of early settlers in the region.

I was in the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York, a wonderful new world for one so accustomed to urban life in America.

Its little towns absorbed me with the minutia I passed ­– a Little-League diamond tucked away on the outskirts of one town, fallow fields bursting with wildflowers in another, building fronts draped in bunting, a sign for a dentist hanging out by the street – each another little piece of the Finger Lakes jigsaw slowly forming about me.

Buffering the southern end of picturesque Keuka and Seneca Lakes in upstate New York, the area is a pretty pocket of rural America. My problem was that I had too few days scheduled there and as I drove towards the town of Corning I was determined to make the most of it.

people visiting a museum - one of the things to do in Finger Lakes
Visiting the Corning Museum of Glass, one of the things to so in the Finger Lakes

The Top Thing to Do in the Finger Lakes – See the Incredible Corning Museum of Glass

Corning, an iconic upstate New York town surrounded by wooded hills, is filled with centuries-old redbrick buildings, many certainly lovingly restored, and a walk about it is a step back into 19th century America.

Listed as one of “Top 25 Small Cities for Art” by American Style Magazine, Corning boasts two wonderful museums and I was determined to see them both during my short stay in the city.

a museum - things to do in the Finger Lakes
The Corning Museum of Glass

The first, the Corning Museum of Glass, is a fascinating place to learn about the making of glass. They host visitors with an interesting glassblowing show and every once in a while at one of the shows they’ll give a few lucky visitors some of the pieces made, which can range from a small decorative table piece to a vase or pitcher.

They also offer glass-making experiences: for an additional fee (most in the $20 – $30 range) you can join the “Make Your Own Glass” experience to make any one of a variety of glass pieces (I made a glass flower) with the help of an experienced glassworker.

You can take your pieces with you or have them shipped to your home. There is also a very large museum shop.

What Corning is famous for though, is its stunningly beautiful Museum of Glass. It contains 45,000 glass objects spanning 3,500 years, including the glass portrait of an ancient Egyptian pharaoh. It has some of the most beautiful things you’ll see in any museum anywhere.

When I visited, throughout the museum there were little kiosks manned by high school or college students. They explained in hands-on exhibits the different types of glass I’d be looking at.

people in an art museum - things to do in the Finger Lakes
The Rockwell Museum

The Other Renown Corning Museum

The other renowned institution in Corning is the Rockwell Museum, an affiliate of the Smithsonian. It had previously been known as the Rockwell Museum of Western Art.

It was renamed to reflect its collection of American art, not solely western art. You can reach it from the Corning Glass Museum via a shuttle bus that runs continuously throughout the day all year long.

The Rockwell is a wonderful, manageable, interesting small museum that portrays the American experience through art. During my visit I found the exhibition “The World of Man, Animals and Spirits” intriguing.

The exhibition contains nearly two dozen soapstone and bronze sculptures by artist Abraham Anghik Ruben, a gallery that had previously been in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian.

Equally beautiful and fascinating was an exhibit of Native American contemporary pottery with interactive touch screens that let you delve deeper into the history and artistry of the pieces.

The Rockwell is in the old 1893 City Hall, which encompasses the old city offices, firehouse and police station. When you enter the museum shop look to your left and you can see the hole the ceiling where the fireman’s pole originally stood.

I stayed at the Radisson Hotel Corning, only a block from the museum.

old airplanes in a hanger - things to do in the Finger Lakes
Glenn H. Curtiss Museum

The Fascinating Glenn H. Curtiss Museum

One of Hammondsport’s most popular attractions is the Glenn H. Curtiss Museum dedicated to the town’s favorite son. Curtiss is the “architect of American aviation,” and the museum is a fascinating place.

The museum, as you’d expect, takes you back in time. But it also opens your eyes as to the incredible problems that had to be overcome in developing the airplane prior to World War I and throughout the war. Curtiss also invented the world’s first seaplane.

Before becoming involved in aviation, Curtiss was a young cyclist. He was also a mechanic who invented the motorcycle. While the museum shows many things related to his life and inventions it also shows all sorts of things having to do with the local Hammondsport area.

As the director of the Museum told me, “we’re selling nostalgia.” As I told him, “you do it well.”

man wih a boat
Ed Whightman at the Finger Lakes Boating Museum

Finger Lakes Boating Museum

Later that day I visited the Finger Lakes Boating Museum. It’s a tiny museum dedicated to preserving the history of Finger Lakes boats and I was walked about by its director, Ed Whightman.

The museum has a small collection of Finger Lake boats. But what I found most interesting was when Ed brought me into the workshop.

There I saw where is they teach teenagers the art of building a boat from scratch with no power tools. They also provide a hands-on class in boat restoration. If you’re interested in boats it’s worth a stop.

an old house
The Black Sheep Inn

Hammondsport’s Black Sheep Inn

Most of the towns in the Finger Lakes are quiet little towns where everyone seems laid back. And that’s its charm. No one here is in a rush to do anything.

I experienced that charm one morning at Hammondsport’s Black Sheep Inn. It was when somehow I locked my bathroom door and was unable to get into the shower.

The lock was an old-style complicated thing and it took the good part of an hour as inn-owners Marc and Debbie worked to open it so I could get ready for the day.

It was a bit embarrassing, of course. But it was something I soon forgot when I sniffed the aromas wafting out of the kitchen. Debbie soon had me seated in the cozy dining room.

There I chatted with her and Marc about their 20-year renovation of the five-room octagonal house, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Then I started my day with her “Tex-Mex Breakfast Crock Soufflé.”

I had a wonderful stay and right after breakfast set off for Watkins Glen, the town that anchors the southern end of Seneca Lake.

It was an easy journey from the inn in Hammondsport to Seneca. The rolling hillsides reminded me of drawings in a child’s storybook. And as I climbed each hill I saw one lake in my mirror, another out front. The bucolic setting of farms and forest enveloped me all the way to Watkins Glen.

people in a park - things to do in the Finger Lakes
Finger Lakes Watkins Glen State Park

The Finger Lakes Watkins Glen State Park

Many people know of Watkins Glen only for its Grand Prix held every September. In racing circles it’s known simply as “The Glen.” Watkins Glen is a state park, the best known in the Finger Lakes region.

To get my bearings after my arrival in town I made a stop in the local tourist office and then headed straight for the park.

I didn’t have much free time since I was booked for a driving experience at the Watkins Glen International track. But still, I wanted to at least see part of the park.

I found it to be a beautiful place, perfect for an easy amble. Its gorge walk weaves its way between 200-foot-cliffs and takes you over and under 19 waterfalls along its length. Other trails meander all about the wooded park.

After an hour or so I returned to my car to head over to the racetrack. I had a “Drive The Glen!” ticket and was excited about driving on the famous track. But it turned out not to be what I expected.

I assumed I would be taking a ride in a racecar, as I did in Homestead, FL five years earlier. But instead I found I would be driving my own car for several laps around the track behind a pace car.

I was disappointed, thinking it was going to be a waste of my time. But once on the track I realized that despite the lack of great speed, it provided a good sense of race-car driving.

Even though I was driving at about half the speed of professional drivers, I discovered how difficult it was to navigate the track’s twists, turns and banks. It gave me a new appreciation of the skill set needed by professional drivers on the circuit.

people eating lunch on a large porch
Lunch on the porch at the Red Newt Cellars Winery and Bistro

Lunch at a Winery, a Stop at a Distillery

I spent my afternoon driving about the eastern shore of the lake. Every now and then I’d see a diamond-shaped sign with a horse and buggy on it. They were warnings about Mennonite and Amish farmers in the area who still travel the roads in their buggies.

I visited a few of the incredible number of vineyards and boutique wineries in the area. Later I stopped for lunch at the Red Newt Cellars Winery and Bistro for a delicious lunch. I dined looking out over the vineyards that flowed down to the lake.

The area isn’t all wineries, however. I made it a point to also stop at the Finger Lakes Distilling Company, a craft distillery. It uses locally sourced grains and other products, distilling them all in the traditional method.

Luckily, I was able to have a chat with its owner, Brian McKenzie. He explained to me all about distilling various grains to make different kinds of whiskeys and other products. I sampled a delicious Irish-style “pot whiskey,” so named since it cannot be called “Irish” because it’s distilled in America.

large gliders hanging from the ceiling in museum
The National Soaring Museum in the Finger Lakes

The National Soaring Museum in the Finger Lakes

Early the next morning I made my way to Harris Hill, home to the National Soaring Museum and the place I was to take a glider ride. I was glad I had scheduled myself to go in the morning since afternoon thunderstorms had been rolling through the area for some days.

I was dismayed to learn, however, that it was too windy to launch a glider since the wind was gusting at 20–30 mph despite the clear skies.

Nevertheless, I made good use of my time by visiting the adjacent National Soaring Museum that contains dozens of gliders – some historic, some sporty – but all beautiful in their unique designs.

The ugly duckling of the collection was a troop-carrying glider from World War II that looked more like a large shoebox with wings. Climb inside the clumsy-looking glider and you’ll experience what the D-Day troops had to endure and also see just how flimsy the craft were.

Mark Twain's tombstone
Mark Twain’s grave in Elmira

On to Mark Twain Country

Leaving the Soaring Museum I continued on to Elmira College, about a 20-minute drive away, to visit its Center for Mark Twain Studies and view the actual small woodland study in which Twain penned many of his most famous works.

The study was transported to the college from nearby Quarry Farm where Twain and his family spent most of their summers.

If you’ve ever read Twain’s works or would just like to learn more about the man who William Faulkner praised as “the first truly American writer,” it’s a stop well worth making if you’re in the area.

You’ll also find Twain’s grave in the nearby Woodlawn Cemetery. (To learn more about Twain’s life in the Elmira area, see Into Mark Twain Country, In Upstate New York).

people looking at paintings in a museum with purple walls
The Arnot Museum in Elmira

The Arnot Museum in Elmira

If you visit Elmira also plan to spend time at the well-regarded Arnot Art Museum. It’s a stunning small art museum, the type you only stumble upon every once in a great while.

What makes this museum so special is that it houses the collection of the affluent Arnot family in their 1833 neoclassical mansion, some of it as originally displayed.

The collection contains 17th– to 19th-century European paintings, 19th– and 20th– century American art and a small collection of Asian and Egyptian artifacts.

Its collection is so stunning it was described by one publication as “arguably the best small-town art museum in America.” You may well agree.


You may also enjoy: 10 Really Interesting American Small Museums / Literary Landmarks: Inside the Homes of Famous Writers / A Winter Weekend Getaway to Vermont

If You Go:

Steuben County Conference & Visitors Bureau
1 West Market Street
Corning, NY 14830
Tel: (607) 936-6544
http://www.corningfingerlakes.com/

Share58
Tweet
Pin5
Share
63 Shares

Comments

  1. donna manz says

    September 19, 2014 at 10:39 am

    The Finger Lakes make a spectacular vista in the fall ….

    Reply
  2. John W Scott says

    March 13, 2021 at 7:48 pm

    Although a great article, Corning NY is not a village or town? it is the City of Corning aka The Crystal City.

    Reply
    • Jim Ferri says

      March 15, 2021 at 5:06 pm

      Hi John,
      You’re absolutely right — it’s the City of Corning. I tend to use the word town rather loosely when I write. Then again, didn’t Sinatra call Chicago “my kind of town”? For any who haven’t been to Corning, it’s well worth a trip.

      Reply
      • Anne Gillard says

        March 28, 2021 at 11:20 am

        I liked your article wished you had spent more time in geneva my hometown . The finger lakes does not include warsaw it is western ny!

        Reply
        • Jim Ferri says

          March 28, 2021 at 12:55 pm

          That’s a good point Anne and I see what you mean, although I was referring to the original home towns of the immigrants.

          Reply
          • PATRICK Q says

            March 28, 2021 at 7:59 pm

            Very nice write up. I lived 25 years in Corning/Painted Post. I now call Canandaigua home since ‘99

          • Jim Ferri says

            March 29, 2021 at 8:11 am

            I’m glad you enjoyed it Patrick. Thanks for the kind words.

  3. Jack OConnors says

    March 29, 2021 at 9:08 am

    Jim, next time come through Senecas County and visit Sampson Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Romulas, Waterloo the Birth Place of Memorial day. We have a long history of military bases and service to our Country and Veterans.

    Reply
    • Jim Ferri says

      March 31, 2021 at 2:56 pm

      Thanks for the info Jack. I’m a Vet myself. I’m going to pass this on to some friends in upstate NY.

      Reply
  4. Ronald Martino says

    April 4, 2021 at 11:28 am

    All reasons why I have lived in Geneva all my life. Nothing lacking except traffic, tornados, hurricanes
    , earthquakes and high crime rate.
    Heaven on earth

    Reply
  5. David Bierwiler says

    April 4, 2021 at 12:08 pm

    Lived in Corning and on Keuka lake my whole life. I now live in SC, it’s great to read and relive my old stomping ground!

    Reply
  6. William J says

    April 5, 2021 at 5:18 am

    This is a wonderful article describing a “diamond in the rough” that residents call western New York.

    Reply
  7. Nancy says

    April 11, 2021 at 11:15 am

    Not to mention all the other beautiful “Finger” lakes and noteworthy places of interest

    Reply
    • Jim Ferri says

      April 12, 2021 at 7:55 am

      Yes, Nancy, the entire area is beautiful. I wish I could have stayed for a few weeks. It’s a beautiful part of the northeast US.

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. NY’s Finger Lakes – A Traveler’s Cornucopia | NeverStopTraveling says:
    September 24, 2014 at 5:00 am

    […] still be a bit smug after being named “The Coolest Small Town in America” a few years ago (see Classic Small Town America: NY’s Finger Lakes) but they’re […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Newsletter Signup

Site Search

  • Budget Travel
  • Not a Seasoned Traveler Yet?
  • The Importance of Family Travel
  • Couple Travel
  • Healthy Food When Traveling Is Healthy Travel
  • Solo Travel Ideas
  • Wellness Travel – Good Places in Europe to Re-Charge Your Batteries
  • Coronavirus Online Contacts for Popular US / International Airlines
  • Safety Tips for Travelers (Before Booking)
  • Your Rights If Bumped From An Overbooked Flight
  • How To File for Compensation for Delayed / Cancelled European Flights
  • Do You Need to Buy Travel Insurance? (Maybe Not)
  • I Need a Visa To Go There???
  • Valuable Resources at the State Department
  • Understanding the European Schengen Area
  • Privacy Policy
© 2022 James Ferri Associates LLC. All rights reserved. A Sprout New Media Website.