The Finger Lakes: wineries, waterfalls, and slices of American history mark this popular vacation region in western New York - Tour of the Month

Travel America, March-April, 2002 by Deborah Williams

Scientists tell us that the 11 finger-shaped lakes in the western part of New York State were created when mighty Ice Age glaciers retreated about a million years ago.

The Iroquois believed that the Finger Lakes were formed when the Great Spirit placed his hand in blessing on this favored land. As told in Iroquois legend, the Great God Manitou wanted to reward the members of the Iroquois Confederacy for their courage in battle and their devotion to the Great Spirit.

Whether you prefer the scientific or romantic explanation, you will find scenic vistas from every turn in the road while roaming the lands that border Canadice, Canandaigua, Cayuga, Conesus, Hemlock, Honcoye, Keuka, Otisco, Owasco, Seneca, and Skaneateles lakes.

The ever-changing landscape is notched with gorges and dotted with hundreds of cascading waterfalls. Letchworth State Park, with a deep gorge and three waterfalls, has been aptly dubbed the "Grand Canyon of the East." There are 25 state parks in all, a national forest, and a national wildlife refuge.

The area is bordered on the west by Rochester and on the east by Syracuse. The glacial lakes run north and south, with Lake Ontario and the Erie Canal on the north, the Chemung and Susquehanna rivers on the south.

Diversity is the keynote of the region, not only in the variations of its natural beauty but in the scope of its attractions. The area is a land of dreamers who founded a religion (the Mormons), began the women's rights movement, invented the camera for everyone (George Eastman), and created great schools and universities.

Samuel Clemens, better known as Mark Twain, called the Chemung Valley in the southern part of the region "a fore-taste of heaven." He spent more than 20 summers in the Elmira area, which he called "a garden of Eden." Here he wrote some of his classics, including The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. His study, where he brought Huck, Tom Sawyer, the Connecticut Yankee, and many other characters to life, has been relocated from his brother-in-law's farm to the campus of Elmira College, where it is open for guided tours. Twain loved his study--"it is the loveliest study you ever saw. It is octagonal, with a peaked roof, each face filled with a spacious window ... imagine the luxury of it." Inside is a typewriter like Twain's. He was one of the first to submit a typed manuscript to a publisher.

Elmira is also famous as the "Soaring Capital of America," and the area's hills and valleys present ideal conditions for soaring and gliding. The story of soaring is told at the National Soaring Museum, home to the world's largest collection of sailplanes. If the soaring fever catches you, just outside the museum you can experience your own soaring adventure at the Harris Hill Gliderport.

Nearby Corning has been known as the City of Glass for more than 150 years. The year 2001 was cause for great celebration. It marked the 150th birthday of Corning, Inc. and the 50th anniversary of the Corning Museum of Glass. As part of the celebration the glass museum underwent a $62-million renovation; the Rockwell Museum of Western Art, which boasts the largest collection of Western art east of the Mississippi, underwent a major renovation; and historic Market Street was spruced up.

Glenn H. Curtiss is responsible for putting Hammondsport, on the shores of Keuka Lake, on the aviation map. In 1908 his June Bug flew just under a mile--the longest distance of a pre-announced flight. His exploits are celebrated in the Glenn H. Curtiss Museum in the picturesque village.

Hammondsport is also known as the birthplace of the renowned Finger Lakes wine industry. Not only did retreating glaciers create the lakes, but they also created ideal conditions for growing grapes by depositing a shallow layer of topsoil on sloping shale beds above the lakes. The deep lakes also provide protection from the climate by moderating temperatures along their shores.

It all began in 1829 when the Rev. William Bostwick planted a few grapevines near the shores of Keuka Lake. He transplanted vines from the Hudson Valley to make sacramental wine for his parishioners at St. James Episcopal Church in Hammondsport.

There are now more than 40 vineyards in the area, and the federal government recognizes an official "Finger Lakes Wine District." Well marked wine trails link wineries on Keuka, Seneca, and Cayuga lakes.

Ithaca, at the southern tip of Cayuga Lake (the longest of the Finger Lakes), is a city of uncommon beauty. From the lake shore to the surrounding hillsides of Cornell University and Ithaca College, the city is spectacular. The educational institutions bring it an international flavor and sophistication.

Ithaca is awash in waterfalls. Between 1912 and 1920 the movie industry flourished here, and the gorges were backdrops for many films, including The Perils of Pauline. Just eight miles north of the city is Taughannock Falls State Park. The falls, 215 feet high, are the highest vertical waterfall in the eastern United States--higher even than Niagara Falls.