It was perhaps about two weeks ago when we decided that we were due for a little UFC getaway. DJKung has raved about how gorgeous the Finger Lakes region is. I was a bit undecided about going, especially since I wanted all the furs with us, and there weren't a lot of pet-friendly accomodations available on short notice, being the weekend and all. But we decided to brave it, despite the rainy forecast, and it was well worth it.
The drive took about five hours and yes, we did suffer some mishaps along the way. We had a poop incident in the car (none of the furs admitted to it), requiring an emergency stop to mitigate the damage. We also had a bit of a tiff regarding driving (I wanted to drive, but DJKung wanted to keep driving). Despite this, it was a relaxing drive through the Pennsylvania countryside, lots of farms and barns and animals to gawk at. We stoped by the visitor info at the border (route 81 north?), where we stocked up on maps and brochures.
We made a pit stop at Avicolli's pizza in Seneca Falls for a quick slice (nice thin pizza, but maybe too thin, because the slices were falling apart) and drove up route 96 north, which is on the western border of Cayuga Lake. This was not a very scenic path and we missed most of the local attactions on Cayuga Lake. From 96 North, we went west on Route 20 and passed by Seneca Falls and Waterloo.
Let me sidetrack a bit and elaborate a bit about the Finger Lakes. Yes, they do look like long skinny fingers, protruding from the humonguous Lake Ontario, up to the north. I am sure I've read somewhere that these lakes were formed a gajillion years ago as the glaciers that covered the continent started to melt and shrink post-Ice Age.
So, on our drive by the little towns by the lakes,our impression was that these places are really vibrant and active during the summer season, but unfortunately, they shut down and close shop for the winter. Overall, it was rather too quiet for us. The only downtown that seemed relatively bustling was in Geneva, where it seemed like there were a handful of people out (mind you, this is at 5 pm on a Saturday). I am sure that there are those who'd love a quiet country getaway, and I guess that the end of fall is the best time to go if that is your preference.
I wondered if this windmill is purely decorative.
We then proceeded towards Penn Yan, which is by Keuka Lake. I wanted to see if we could catch the farmer's market/flea market that day, but we were simply too late. We also did not have much luck with the hotels in the area. The Ramada Inn by the northern end of Seneca Lake looked rather nice, and more importantly was pet-friendly. We were able to snag the last room available (there was a wedding reception at the time), woo-hoo!
The best part about the hotel was that it was right on Seneca Lake. It was awesome waking up in the morning and having a brisk walk with the furs right on the lake!!!
This was the best family picture we could come up with. This was taken on the banks of Seneca Lake. That tiny white speck in the distance was our hotel. This park alongside the lake is perhaps three miles long and hugs the side of the lake. There are piers and boat launches aplenty, and lots of park benches. It's really pretty, and we can see this park getting a lot of action during the summer.
You can learn quite a bit from reading the little factoid posts along the park: Seneca Lake is the second largest lake (next only to Cayuga Lake, which sits to its right). It's about 35 miles long, and 3.5 miles at its widest. This lake I thing the second deepest body of water in the US, about 300 feet deep, and was used for sonar exercises around WWII. Also, Seneca Lake is the lake trout fishing capital of the world, where tournaments are held yearly.
The water was really clean and clear. Babams just jumped right in and wanted to swim far out!!! Alas, this is a leash-only park. Don't worry, we'll be back again very soon, hopefully at a campground close to the water!!!
P.S.: We have quite a bunch of literature on the Finger Lakes region, which we found a lot more helpful than the stuff we found online. UFC is glad to lend them out for free... just drop us a note in the comments section!
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