Julie Schwietert Collazo - Moon Spotlight Finger Lakes

JULIE SCHWIETERT COLLAZO

This massive region, equal to New Hampshire or New Jersey in size, really seems to have it all: fascinating history, picture-perfect landscapes, farm-fresh food, and some of the countrys best wines.

And thats just for starters.

According to Iroquois legend, the Finger Lakes were created when the Great Spirit reached out to bless the land, leaving imprints of his hands. Six of his fingers became the major Finger LakesSkaneateles, Owasco, Cayuga, Seneca, Keuka, and Canandaigua. The other four became the Little Finger LakesHoneoye, Canadice, Hemlock, and Conesus. He must have had an extra finger, too; that one became Otisco.

Geologists have a different creation story. They say the long, skinny parallel lakes formed from steady progressive grinding of at least two Ice Age glaciers. As the glaciers receded, lake-valleys filled with rivers that were backed by dams of glacial debris.

Depending on the weather, the water varies in hue from a deep sapphire blue to a moody gray. Along the lakes southern edges, deep craggy gorges are sliced through the middle by silvery waterfalls. To the north are hundreds of drumlins, gentle glacier-created hills. All around lie fertile farmlands with fruit trees, buckwheat, and, especially, grapevines.

Scenic beauty is only part of the Finger Lakes story. The regions small towns abound with markers of important moments in American history. There are the homes of abolitionists Harriet Tubman and William Seward in Auburn; the National Park site commemorating the first womens rights convention in Seneca Falls; and the Book of Mormon Historic Publication Site in tiny Palmyra, where Joseph Smith, Jr. experienced his First Vision, leading to the establishment of the Mormon religion. The region also holds a number of interesting small cities. Syracuse was once an Erie Canal boomtown. Ithaca, home to Cornell University, is surrounded by awesome steep gorges and waterfalls.

M Skaneateles Village: One of the prettiest of the Finger Lakes is anchored by this picturesque village, filled with cute shops and cafs ().

M Womens Rights National Historical Park: The site of the first womens rights convention, organized by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and friends, met in Seneca Falls in 1848. The park has an informative visitors center and historic sites ().

M Wine Routes: Routes 414 and 14 are chock-a-block with wineries, with one tasting room after another tempting you inside to savor the flavor ().

M Watkins Glen State Park: Its hard to believe that such incredible natural beauty is so accessible to the main drag. A single turn and youre in the parking lot; two minutes later, youre at the trailhead, where youll feel drops from the first impressive waterfall stippling your face ().

M Mark Twains Study: Modeled after a Mississippi steamboat pilot house, the stand-alone octagonal study holds the iconic writers typewriter, hat, pipe, and other belongings ().

M Soaring over Harris Hill: Climb into a tiny engineless glider and soar over the Seneca Lake Valley. The pilot tailors the flight to your tastesfrom serene to exhilarating ().

M Corning Museum of Glass: This remarkable collection of glass art spans over 3,000 years. Dozens of daily interactive shows and a studio where you can try your hand as a gaffer make for a fun, informative museum experience ().

M Rockwell Museum of Western Art: This fantastic museum features an exceptional collection of painting, sculptures, photos, and multimedia work from the American West. Special childrens activities make it a must-visit for families ().

M National Museum of Play: Kids wont want to miss this sprawling childrens museum, where interactive exhibits and hands-on exploration are encouraged ().

M Boldt Castle: If you cant live in a castle that was built in tribute to you, visiting Boldt Castlebuilt at the bidding of George Boldt in honor of his wifeis probably the next best thing ().

LOOK FOR M TO FIND RECOMMENDED SIGHTS, ACTIVITIES, DINING, AND LODGING.

More watery landscapes await in the Thousand Islands, an archipelago in the St. Lawrence River that separates New York and Canada. There are actually far more than 1,000nearly 1,900 in all. Some are inhabited and can be visited, while others offer barely enough room to stand. To be counted among them, an island must be at least one square foot in size, support at least one tree, and remain above water year-round. Many scions of industry built lavish vacation homes here, including Boldt Castle, now one of the regions top tourist attractions. In the early 20th century, wealthy families from northeastern and midwestern cities would decamp to the Thousand Islands to escape the pressures of urban life and revel in the calm, unhurried pace of the islands. Despite over a century of tourism, that slower pace thankfully remains today.

The Finger Lakes and Thousand Islands-Seaway is one of the largest regions in New York State and the distance between the two areas is considerable. Fortunately, I-90 east to I-81 north makes for a speedier connection between the Finger Lakes and the Thousand Islands-Seaway.

Given the regions size, the number of historical and natural points of interest, and the variety of wineries in the area, one could easily spend a week or two exploring the Finger Lakes and Thousand Islands. If you dont have the luxury of time, you can still experience the best of either area by training your focus on a micro-region. The Finger Lakes particularly lend themselves to settling in a single town as a home base and exploring the wineries and natural features of the lake on which that town sits.

Most travelers will probably want to start their tour in Skaneateles, the prettiest of the Finger Lakes, which can easily be explored in an afternoon. Just down the road is Auburn, home to the fascinating house-museums of abolitionists William Seward and Harriet Tubman. Beyond that is the town of Seneca Falls, a must stop for anyone interested in womens history.

Outdoor lovers might want to focus on the southern side of the Finger Lakes region. Here, youll find Ithaca, a university town surrounded by dramatic gorges and great hiking trails; Finger Lakes National Forest; and, at the far western edge of the region, Letchworth State Park, home to the Grand Canyon of the East. Theres also the little-known Finger Lakes Trail. More than 950 miles long, it runs from the Pennsylvania-New York border in Allegany State Park to the Long Path in the Catskill Forest Preserve. Branch trails lead to Niagara Falls, the Genesee River Valley, the Great Eastern Trail south of Corning, the central Finger Lakes, and Syracuse.