In an effort to take advantage of our time before starting our positions in Washington, we decided to explore New York. On a very rainy Monday we set off with our packed cars and a tent. First stop: Seneca Lake, New York. When we arrived it was pouring down rain and we attempted to put up our new tent for the first time… In the morning we were dry inside and the tent was still standing. Success! We had a beautiful campsite at Watkins Glen State Park at the southern tip of Seneca Lake.With luck on our side we had clear weather the next day. Between coffee shop wifi runs for job searching, we explored the area. We decided to hike the Gorge Trail which follows Glen Creek to Seneca Lake. There are 19 waterfalls along the trail. With all the rain the water was fast moving! Although we didn’t have time to explore more, Watkins Glen State Park had many other trails and attractions. The state park is also close to the lake and wine trails which is a perfect recipe for vacation! If you have never been, you should check it out – https://parks.ny.gov/parks/142/ .
We drove along the lake in the afternoon and decided to do some tastings along the Seneca Wine Trail. We easily drove past 10 vineyards in 20 minutes. We ended up at Lamoreaux Landing Wine Cellars and Silver Springs Vineyard. With some research we learned why there are so many vineyards in the finger lakes region. The deep lakes create a microclimate. This creates mild weather compared to the surrounding areas, delaying frost. Due to the climate and location, the grapes grown are primarily made into chardonnay, cabernet franc, pinot noir, and riesling. Our favorites were at Silver Springs Vineyard, but we only tried 2 of 35 wineries.
The next day we headed to Niagara Falls. Of course, we had to ride the Maid of the Mist and walk across The Rainbow Bridge. As many people say… we were much more impressed by the Canadian side than the American side. The views are better and the surrounding area is well maintained in Canada. Bring your passport and consider walking to Canada instead of driving, if you are planning a visit to the falls. The walk across the bridge is scenic and you don’t have to wait in your car in traffic. After soaking in the views and being soaked by the falls we headed to our next campground.
For the next two days we stayed at Four Mile Creek Campground – https://parks.ny.gov/parks/6/details.aspx .It is about 20 minutes from Niagara Falls and is located on Lake Ontario. The beautiful lake views were a surprise and we were able to see the Toronto Skyline from the shore! We really enjoyed our time at state campgrounds and will be using them on our future adventures. A rainy forecast was looming, so we headed back to PA. By the end of the trip we had found jobs, practiced our road trip skills, and mastered tent set-up. We are now on our way across the country to Washington and will share that adventure soon!