The Finger Lakes

But before we go there…

On our way to the Finger Lakes, we decided to make a stop in Buffalo to see Frank Lloyd Wright’s Martin house. Boy, are we glad we did! This house became one of the most important projects of his career. The house started construction in 1903 and was completed in 1905. The home belonged to Darwin D. Martin who was a self-made millionaire who not only gave Wright a chance as he was getting started, but would continue to fund him throughout his career. When buying your tickets, you have two options, a one, or two-hour tour. We chose poorly and did the one-hour tour. We both agreed that if we go back, we will opt to do the two-hour version. The tour guide was outstanding and really brought to life the vision and detail that Wright put into his work. We won’t spoil the tour for you but what you will learn, if you didn’t know already, is that not only was Wright a visionary, perfectionist, and a bit of a renaissance man, he broke all traditional building styles for the time. in their place, he created an entirely new style that he termed Prairie style, which he defined as structure and spaces that connect to the natural world that surrounds them. In today’s world of architecture, that is called biophilic design. They didn’t allow us to take pictures of the interior but here are a few images of the exterior. By the way, if you get a chance to spend some time in Buffalo, NY it looks like a great town with lots of things to do.

Warning: If you wear your Chiefs gear (which I most certainly did) you will get razzed!

And now, The Finger Lakes…

This was our first time in this area and we loved it. We did and saw so much that it would be impossible to capture it all here. So, we decided to go with our 7 favorite things, in no particular order.

#1 Watkins Glen State Park

Watkins Glen sits at the southern end of Seneca Lake and was the location of our first campsite. It proved to be a great base for seeing the finger lakes region. The jewel of Watkins Glen is the state park. It is built around a 400 foot deep, 1.5 mile long gorge that is simply breathtaking.

Special note: Be careful when walking into the park’s visitor center. If there is a grumpy looking old man sitting behind the desk that looks like he might be a tad unfriendly, trust your instincts and ask someone else your questions. That dude has no desire to be farting around with clueless visitors.

Fitness tip: If you are looking for a great calf work out, this is the hike for you. We climbed 55 flights of stairs. Who needs a stair master? It was a great reminder of why we are doing this while we are young.

#2 Breakfast in Ithaca @ Milkstand

Everybody knows that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and a great breakfast is the best way to start your day. So, we made quick stop at Milkstand in Ithaca. There were so many good options, we got one sweet and one savory dish and split them…the Piglet Skillet, and the Chocolate Strawberry Waffles. Both were incredible. We highly recommend this place.

#3, 4 & 5

Three state parks just outside of Ithaca: There are so many gorges in and around Ithaca that one of the city’s marketing slogans is “Ithaca is Gorges!” (Who doesn’t love a good phonetic pun?). The Cascadilla Gorge runs through the heart of the Cornell University campus which is in Ithaca, and Ithaca Falls is also in the heart of the city. Our favorite gorges though were found in three state parks right outside of Ithaca. They were Taughannock Falls, Buttermilk Falls, and Robert Treman. We visited all three in one day (for a total of 8 miles and 18,000 steps!), and the effort was worth it. Again, pictures will be better than words, but a couple of comments here anyway.

Taughannock Falls is the highest single drop waterfall in the US east of the Rockies, and at 215 feet is almost 50 feet taller than Niagara Falls (not that there is any real comparison between the two).

Buttermilk Falls has 10 waterfalls within a little over ½ mile. There are many different “looks” along this creek, including a 165 foot cascade and numerous, almost perfectly circular pools.

Robert Treman was our clear favorite. We entered a very unassuming, generic trail (the Gorge trail), hiked about 100 feet, turned a corner, and both literally said “WOW”. It was like we were on the set of Indiana Jones or Jurassic Park, without the dinosaurs of course. Don’t miss this trail!

#6 Anyone up for a Sail?

We always love to get out on the water and, this time, had a unique opportunity to do so. In Watkins Glen, there is a 100 year old wooden schooner called “True Love”. This boat has a long and interesting history that includes being sunk, salvaged, restored, and featured in two Hollywood movies. We took a two hour cruise that was outstanding.

#7 Corning Museum of Glass

Can you say impressive? This really surprised both of us! Corning NY is the home of the Corning Glass company. The Museum of glass is one part art, one part science, and one part history. This is another don’t miss item. Their collection dates back to 1500 BC and spans the globe right up to today. As a company, Corning has their hands in a lot of glass-related businesses that range from Corningware to fiber optic cables, to mirrors for space-based telescopes and earth-based observatories. This is an outstanding museum!