Best Travel Destinations visit the Finger Lakes

Best Tourist Attractions for Fun in the Sun Visit Upstate New York

Dec 21, 2008 Nelson Acquilano

The spectacular Finger Lakes Region is located in central New York State. It is one of the most beautiful and enchanting areas in the United States.

The Finger Lakes Region consists of a series of lakes resembling the fingers on a hand formed from the remnants of the glaciers eons ago. There are actually 11 lakes in the Finger Lakes region, but the area generally refers to the five primary lakes of Skaneateles Lake, Cayuga Lake, Seneca Lake, Keuka Lake, and Canandaigua Lake. The lakes, gorges, hills and vales are breathtaking, with pristine and unspoiled cold, clear waters. The sunrises and sunsets over the lakes and valleys are especially magnificent.

I Love New York - Especially the Finger Lakes

According to “I Love New York” (the official New York Tourism website), the central New York area of the Finger Lakes “consists of charming villages, exciting shopping, warm hospitality, and beautiful scenery.” The Finger Lakes Region welcomes travelers to explore its gorges and has outstanding recreational opportunities. One can travel on a 135-mile driving tour and discover how a Native American trail became the "Gateway to the Finger Lakes."

From museums to world-class entertainment, the Finger Lakes Region has everything that a visitor hopes for. Tourism is a growth industry in the Finger Lakes and each year tourists spend some $200 million on vacations. The community is progressive yet retains the traditional charms of small town life.

Top Reasons to Visit the Finger Lakes

  • Attractions and Recreation: The Finger Lakes excels with entertainment and recreational opportunities throughout the year, including the Watkins Glen Speedway, Cruises on the Lakes, Festivals, a Renaissance Fair in Sterling, Sonnenburg Gardens, Timespell Laser Show, Roseland Water Park, numerous golf courses, and even a train ride on the Finger Lakes Scenic Railway. Winery tours are very popular with over 100 wineries in the region. The Finger Lakes provides a host of winter activities including skiing, skating, and ice fishing. One of the most popular features are the 45 local and state parks such as Letchworth, Seneca, Sampson, or Chimney Bluffs available for camping, hunting or fishing. Thousands each year visit these parks.
  • Restaurants: The Finger Lakes has a wide range of restaurants available at all price ranges including the Belhurst Castle in Geneva, Warfields in Clifton Springs, the Wildflower Café in Watkins Glen, Taughannock Farms in Trumansburg, Steamboat Landing in Canandaigua, the Aurora Inn in Aurora, and many others.
  • Shopping: Shopping is a pleasure with numerous small town stores with distinctive flairs and novelties, as well as with the larger malls such as the Seneca Outlet Mall, Eastview Mall, or the Arnot Mall. There are outstanding antique shops, flea markets, gift stores and numerous specialty shops both in the malls and in small towns like Skaneateles.
  • Culture: The Finger Lakes has many outstanding museums and art shows, including the Performing Arts Center, Granger Homestead & Carriage Museum, Sodus Point Lighthouse Museum, National Women’s Hall of Fame, Corning Museum of Glass, etc. The Region is also one of the richest communities for higher education with some of the best colleges in the country including Hobart and William Smith College, Keuka College, Ithaca College, Cornell University, and several excellent state and community colleges.

Overall the region provides good health care, has a low crime rate, low traffic rate, and excels with a community spirit without the hassles of big city living. The real appeal of the Finger Lakes, though, is the beauty of the nature and land. The lakes, gorges, parks, and valleys are spectacular to behold and there is a natural connection to the region which is almost spiritual in nature. Many who come to visit, decide to stay.

The Finger Lakes region ranks high as a choice destination for travel or vacation.

References:

Finger Lakes Travel Guide

The copyright of the article Best Travel Destinations visit the Finger Lakes in NE U.S. Travel is owned by Nelson Acquilano. Permission to republish Best Travel Destinations visit the Finger Lakes in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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