Syracuse, Home of the Great New York State Fair and a whole lot more!

Fair Time!  Let the thirteen days of fun begin.

Just a short one-hour drive east of Geneva is the city of Syracuse, New York.  With a population of over 150,000 and a metropolitan area population of 600,000, it is the fifth largest city in the state.  U.S. News and World Report consistently ranks Syracuse as one of the best cities of similar size to live.  It scores high in quality of life (amenities, education and access to healthcare), affordable housing and low crime rates.  It is also the home of Syracuse University which is ranked in the top 5% of all colleges and universities in the nation.

Once a year Syracuse hosts the Great State Fair of New York (that's the official name).  In keeping with the tradition of high ranking, the Great State Fair of New York is ranked as one of the top state fairs in the country by Traveler Magazine.  If you're keeping score, the Minnesota State Fair is ranked as the top state fair.  For all my Texas friends, take heart, Texas is ranked second!  As for Florida, well, it comes in at a respectable ninth.

The Great State Fair of New York

When we booked our place in Geneva we didn't know the Great State Fair of New York would be going on nearby.  When we learned it, we quickly added it to our expanding list of "things to do" while we are here.  The fair started it's thirteen day run last Wednesday (August 24).  In the true spirit of state fairs, they will be serving up delectable fried everything through Labor Day.  We weren't there when the gates swung open at 9:00 AM.  However, by noon we had joined in the opening day crowd of around 49,000 and enjoyed several hours of wandering through the exhibit halls, barns and other attractions.

The midway was loaded with rides and health food!

We enjoyed a nice program on Birds of Prey

This was an interesting display in the Art Center.  Individuals were each given similar buckets of "junk" and had to create something using all the items in the bucket.  The final products were all very different and very creative.

The fairgrounds were expansive, so in spite of the large number of attendees it didn't seem crowded.  There were several unexpected and pleasant surprises about the Great New York State Fair.  First was the admission price.  The regular admission price for adults is a mere $3.  No senior discount, no coupons, you don't have to donate a can of food or anything else.  Three bucks gets you through the gate!  Parking?  It's affordable as well.   Just $5 to park at any of the numerous large parking areas adjacent to the multiple entrance gates.  For as great as the low parking and admission cost, the biggest surprise was the featured food and its cost.  Yes, there was a plethora of fried food everywhere, it wouldn't be a state fair without it.  However, the long-standing favorite food of the Great State Fair of New York is a baked potato!  That's right, a baked potato!  We've learned that on a typical day one particular location in the fairground sells over 4,500 of them.  Why?  Because the price is right!  A baked potato or sweet potato from the New York State Potato Booth will cost you one dollar!  It comes loaded with butter and sour cream.  You can add extras such as cheese, chili, bacon or broccoli for fifty cents each.  We each enjoyed a baked potato with a couple of extra goodies and two lemonade slushes for a grand total of eight dollars!  We were so overjoyed with the cheap lunch that we splurged on a funnel cake before heading for the exit.

Beating inflation one potato at a time!

We stumbled on the potato booth fairly early.  The line was still long but moved quickly.  We were told by some folks in line that at busy times it could be more than 100 yards long.

New York State Potato Booth

On our way to Syracuse, we stopped in the city of Auburn, which is located on the north end of Owasco Lake (one of the Finger Lakes).  Auburn is home to the William Seward House Museum, which we didn't have time to visit.  It was Seward who as Secretary of State in 1867 negotiated the purchase of the Alaska territory from Russia.  Seward died in 1872 still being criticized for what most thought was a ridiculous purchase.  I guess he got the last laugh even if he wasn't around to enjoy it.   Auburn is also home of the Harriet Tubman National Historic Park and the Harriet Tubman House.

This statue of Harriet Tubman leading a frightened child to freedom is currently on display at the park.  About her work on the Underground Railroad, Tubman was quoted as saying " I never ran my train off the track, and I never lost a passenger". 

Harriett Tubman National Historic Park

Tubman's life was filled with incredible challenges and triumphs that have been documented in books and movies.  We enjoyed visiting the park and learning more about this amazing woman.  At the park her life story, and a tour of the grounds, was led by a gentleman whose passion for the past 32 years is to preserve the property and share her story.  While she is most often remembered for her work as part of the Underground Railroad, as we learned, there is much more to her life story.  She was born into slavery and as a child suffered many beatings by her various "masters".  After escaping from slavery, she served first as a nurse and then a scout and spy for the Union Army during the Civil War.  She then became the first woman to lead a combat troop on a raid that ultimately freed over 700 enslaved people.  In her later years she settled in Auburn and devoted her attention to the women's suffrage movement and caring for the elderly.  She passed away in Auburn in March 1913.  Thankfully her legacy lives on, and thankfully we took time to visit the park and learn more about this incredible woman.

Our tour guide did an amazing job telling the Harriet Tubman story.  That's her house in the background.

The house and barn sit on 25 acres that she purchased for $1,200 with a $20 down payment.

The "Home for the Elderly" on the Tubman property

It was getting late in the day when we left the fair, but we still had a couple of items on the agenda.  We made a short visit to Green Lakes State Park where we enjoyed a casual stroll on the 1.6-mile loop trail around the lake.  Like the other New York State Parks we have visited, it was clean and well maintained.  It offered lots of amenities such as swimming, hiking, boat rentals, picnicking, camping and more.

The beach and swimming area at Green Lakes State Park

Along the Lake Loop Trail

Enjoying the reflection on the water and probably reflecting on the $1 Baked Potato

Green Lakes State Park

Before pointing the Silver Bullet back towards Geneva, we took in a few innings of the Syracuse Mets baseball game.  The Syracuse Mets are the Triple-A affiliate of the New York Mets.  It was a nice ballpark, and we enjoyed the game, but as we often do, we left before it was over.  We agreed as we left Syracuse in the rearview mirror that the Harriet Tubman National Park, Great State Fair of New York, Green Lake State Park and the Syracuse Mets made for a Grand Slam of a day!

Home of the Syracuse Mets

I couldn't resist taking this picture of these two on their way into the game.  Check out the name on the jersey............the legend lives on!

Nice place to spend a little time!

Looping around and going out on Seneca Lake..............

 

Getting ready to head out on the Lake!

The eleven lakes that make up New York's Finger Lakes are natural made lakes.  Of course, mother nature often takes her time, and she certainly did in creating these masterpieces.  It took a few million years and an ice age, but the wait was well worth it.

At a little over thirty-seven miles in length, Seneca Lake is the second longest of the Finger Lakes (Cayuga Lake is the longest at just under 39 miles).  At its widest point it's about three and a half miles wide and it reaches depths of over 700 feet.  A pretty impressive body of water in both size and beauty.

Afternoon rainbow over the marina

From Seneca Lake State Park looking across towards Geneva

The clouds and setting sun made for an interesting reflection on the lake

As I mentioned in previous blogs, we're staying in Geneva which is on the north end of the lake.  At the south end is the village of Watkins Glen.  We had done a few outings on both the east and west side of the lake visiting a few places like 3 Brothers Winery, Weaver View Farms and Spotted Duck Creamery.  On Tuesday we "looped the lake" completely.  It was no great feat of endurance; it was a little less than an hour's drive down the east side of the lake and the same amount of time coming back up the west side.  Some of the drive was along what is designated as the Seneca Lake Scenic Byway, while at other times we were on the Seneca Lake Wine Trail.  No matter what road we were on, the scenery was magnificent.  There were rolling farmlands, vineyards and wineries, occasionally small villages, and of course Seneca Lake was rarely out of view.  The drive was relaxing but we did expend a bit of energy in the middle, hiking the Gorge Trail in Watkins Glen State Park.  The trail is only a mile and a half in length, but it does include 832 stairs to reach the top.  We were enjoying passing by and even underneath waterfalls so much that we practically forgot about the stairs.....just kidding, we felt all 832 of them!

One evening we visited Sampson State Park on the east side of Seneca Lake.  The two-thousand-acre state park was a military base that trained over 500,000 Naval and Air Force troops for both the Korean War and World War II.  After being decommissioned, it was purchased by the state and converted into a state park.  It has a campground, marina, golf course and a military museum.

Hector Falls was an unexpected surprise just east of Watkins Glen 

Watkins Glen State Park

The Gorge Trail and its stairs are worth the effort if at all possible.  It can be done as an "out and back" trail, or there is an option of taking the Gorge Trail one way and the Indian Trail the other way.  We chose to go up on the Gorge Trail and come down on the Indian Trail.  Although this meant climbing instead of descending the stairs, we both felt it was easier.   It had rained earlier so the stairs were wet and slippery and would have been challenging to go down.  Also, going up the stairs you're facing the waterfalls, coming down, the views wouldn't be the same.  Of course, if you feel ambitious you can go up and down on the Gorge Trail and enjoy 1,664 stairs!

We got caught in a little refreshing rain shower just as we finished our hike in Watkins Glen State Park.  Below are some pictures from along the Gorge Trail.

We finished our day of "Looping the Lake" with a cheese tasting at Muranda Cheese Company.  We tasted a dozen different cheeses.............

and of course, bought a little bit!

Our Airbnb hosts own and operate a number of businesses around Geneva.  One of these businesses is a boat rental and tour operation.  We appreciated the opportunity to do a one hour narrated tour on the lake.  The tour started from the Finger Lakes Visitors Center in Geneva.  The very informative tour went down the east side of the lake past the swanky Geneva on the Lake Hotel before crossing over to the west side. Returning we cruised past many gorgeous lakeside homes, Ventosa Vineyards and Stivers Marina before making our way back to the dock.

Heading out on the water from the Finger Lakes Visitors Center

The visitors center has a small cafe.  One of the items on the menu we had to try was a "Wine Float".  We quickly agreed that combining two good things (wine and ice cream) doesn't necessarily make for a better outcome.

Geneva on the Lake Hotel

This buoy in the middle of the lake monitors the water temperature, quality, etc.  The data can be accessed through the link below.  When we passed by, the water temperature just below the surface was 75 degrees.

Seneca Lake Water Quality Buoy

Seneca Lake Reel Tours

It's not visible in the picture, but the name of the houseboat is "No Problem".  I think if he tried to launch from there, he might find there is a problem!

Steamy Saturday, Sunday Fun Day and Rainy-Day Monday in the Finger Lakes

 

It's not all about the lakes.  There are beautiful rolling hills with farms and vineyards throughout the area.

As we expected, the action really picks up around here on the weekends.  The marina was bustling with boats coming and going from sunrise until after sunset.  There was also live music on Thursday-Saturday evenings that we were able to enjoy from the convenience of our couch, as well from the chairs and tables around the tiki bar.  On Saturday night we really enjoyed listening to a classic rock and blues cover band out of Binghamton, NY called Hot Dogs and Gin.  The lead guitar player who has been with the band for seven years was sensational.  Making it even more amazing is that he is only fourteen years old!  Yes, that's right, he's been with the band for half his life.  His name is Eamonn Hubert and not only does he play with this band, he was also with the touring company of the Broadway hit, "School of Rock".  I'm certainly no musical expert, but I can tell you this young man could flat out play!  To make the story even more amazing, he was diagnosed with autism at a young age.  If you have a couple of minutes, go to google or YouTube and check out some of his videos and stories.............pretty incredible!

Enjoying a little "lake time" after our Saturday morning walk.

The 3 Brothers Winery is just a five-minute drive from our Airbnb.  We stopped by Saturday afternoon, however it was pretty hot (even for us Floridians).  We look forward to returning soon when the weather is a little more cooperative!  

Sunday was all about Sunday Fun Day!  After a late morning/early afternoon bike ride through Seneca Lake State Park we headed towards Canandaigua to Lincoln Hill Farms.  This had been recommended to us by Cindy's (Beth's sister) friend who lives nearby.  One again she was spot on with the recommendation.  On Sunday afternoons the 95 acre multi-purpose facility hosts "Sunday Fun Day".  In addition to being a working farm, there is also a venue that can host wedding and corporate events and a concert stage.  There are numerous concerts and events throughout the summer and fall including Sunday Fun Day, which features live music on Sunday afternoons for the low cost of...........free!  We enjoyed some of their delicious farm to table food from the Smokehouse while listening to a very talented trio of musicians.  It was such a fun outing that we're already planning to go back next Sunday for what will be the final Sunday Fun Day of the summer.

Lincoln Hill Farm where Sunday is Fun Day!

The concert venue from across the pond at Lincoln Hill Farms

Beth enjoying the Sunday Fun Day music at Lincoln Hill Farms

Lincoln Hill Farms

It's now a Rainy-Day Monday, but that's alright.  We'll keep ourselves busy with a few routine activities like hitting up some of the local thrift stores, a bit of shopping, sitting and walking by the lake between rain showers and just possibly addressing that pile of dirty clothes that have been piling up over the week.  We'll also start laying out a game plan for the next few days.  We're checking items off our "things to see and do list" pretty well, however for every one we check off we seem to add two or three!

Ithaca...........State Parks, Waterfalls, Gorges, Stairs and Smart Kids!

Amongst the wildflowers at the Taughannock Falls Overlook 

The Finger Lakes region of New York covers over 9,000 square miles (approximately 20% of the state's size).  Geneva is pretty close to being in the center of the region.  This makes day trips going north, south, east or west fun and easy.

Weaver View Farms is a Mennonite Farm Store that carries both Mennonite and Amish goods.  We stopped by based on a recommendation from our Airbnb hosts.  We picked up a few goodies (preserves, fudge and pancake mix) and enjoyed looking at these incredible handmade quilts.

Near Weaver Farms (also recommended by our Airbnb hosts) is the Spotted Duck Ice Cream Shop.  Their award-winning ice cream is made with a not so secret, secret ingredient..........duck eggs!

Sometimes we have trouble making decisions.  In the case of the Spotted Duck, they had an answer for our indecision.............a flight of ice cream!  Left to right-Java Junction, Candid Coconut, Blueberry  Fleur, Cookies and Cream.  They were all great!

Friday we headed southeast towards the city of Ithaca, which is about an hours drive from Geneva.  Ithaca is located on the south end of Cayuga Lake.  At just under 39 miles, it is the longest of the Finger Lakes.  The city of Ithaca has a population of just over 30,000 permanent residents.  However, at this time of year it's population almost doubles as Cornell University (24,000 students) and Ithaca College (6,000 students) begin their fall semesters.  While we were looking forward to seeing a bit of the city itself, our main interest was some of the state parks nearby.  

Ithaca

Our research has shown that there are a lot of nice state parks in the Finger Lakes region.  We're looking forward to seeing as many of them as we can during our time here.  On this particular day we were able to check three of them off the list.  All three of the state parks had waterfalls and gorges in common.  We learned from experience that hiking in an area known for its glacier carved gorges was going to have plenty of elevation changes!

Our first stop of the day, and our last stop of the day was at the Taughannock Falls State Park.  In the morning we visited the Taughannock Falls overlook.  The overlook area is located across the road (Highway 89) from the main section of the park, which is located on the shore of Cayuga Lake.  The overlook is free to visit and offers a great view of the 400-foot gorge and 215-foot waterfall that has been carved out over millions of years.  Although the flow at this time of year is less than in the spring, there was still enough water flowing to give us an appreciation for its size and what mother nature can do with a few million years of varying elements to work with.  Our route back to Geneva at the end of the day was going to pass back by Taughannock Falls State Park so we decided to save visiting the lakeside of the park until the end of the day.

Taughannock Falls from the visitors overlook.

Taughannock Falls State Park

Our second stop was Robert Treman State Park.  There are two entrances to this state park (Lower Falls and Old Mill).  We entered the park through the Lower Falls, which I think would be considered the main entrance.  We ambitiously took off on the gorge side of the 4.3-mile Gorge and Rim Loop Trail.  The trail was listed as a "moderate" trail, but with over 800 feet of elevation change, we both agreed after about a mile that it was a little more than moderate!  Instead of continuing on, knowing that there were going to be other hikes throughout the day we turned around and headed back.  After a picnic and some exploring of the swimming area, we drove to the Old Mill entrance and hiked down to Lucifer Falls.  What goes up, must come down and what goes down, had to come up.  By the end of our visit to Robert Treman State Park according to Beth's i-phone we had covered several miles and over thirty flights of stairs..........and there were more stairs ahead of us!

Part of the Lower Falls of Robert Treman State Park.

About 15-20 degrees too cold for me!

Near the Old Mill at the top of Robert Treman State Park.

A small section of Lucifer Falls

Beth tackling some of the many stairs we climbed throughout the day.  These were near Lucifer Falls

Robert Treman State Park

Our final state park for the day was Buttermilk Falls State Park.  When we asked the young man at the entrance gate for a trail recommendation, he told us the most popular and scenic one was the Gorge Trail.  He also told us that it had some stairs.  He was right on all accounts!  Although not overcrowded, there were lots of people on the trail.  It was really scenic and there were stairs..........lots of them! Leaving the park, we had more than doubled our stair climbing count for the day. We were proud of our hiking accomplishments for the day and looking forward to seeing a bit of Ithica before heading back towards Geneva.

From the Gorge Trail at Buttermilk Falls State Park.

Yep............more stairs (Buttermilk Falls State Park)

Buttermilk Falls State Park

As far as timing goes, it wasn't exactly the best day to visit Ithaca.  Much of what we wanted to see was in the Cornell University area.  It just happened to be "move in day" for students.  Nonetheless, it was somewhat entertaining as we drove around the edge of campus to see all these really smart young people who had been accepted to an Ivy League school, and their proud parents unloading their cars as they embark on their educational journey.

We enjoyed walking around the Cornell Botanic Gardens and driving through the very impressive arboretum.  In spite of the fact that the temperature was approaching an unusually warm 90 degrees, it was still nice to see.  Before leaving Ithica we did a short hike along the Cascadilla Gorge Trail which connects downtown Ithaca to the Cornell campus.  

A few pictures from the Cornell Botanic Garden.................

One of a series of small waterfalls on the Cascadilla Gorge Trail in Ithica

Cornell Botanic Gardens

We rewarded our days efforts with a causal dinner at Glenwood Pines Restaurant, overlooking Cayuga Lake, before stopping briefly back at Taughannock Falls State Park.  We were done with hiking for the day and pulled out the lawn chairs and relaxed a while along the shore before driving back to Geneva.

Dinner with a view!

Finishing the day in the same state park where we started, Taughannock Falls State Park.  No more hikes or stairs, just lawn chairs by the lake!

Glenwood Pines Restaurant

As we made our way back driving through farmlands and vineyards, we enjoyed another spectacular sunset.  A great ending to a great day!