Finger Lakes Wineries Region Archives — Thrifty Mommas Tips

21 Things to Do in Corning, New York Now

Paula — Tue, 03 Dec 2019 15:04:35 +0000

Seated at a work bench, my teenage daughter spins a bead of glass over an open flame. We are at Hands On Glass Studio, a small, friendly, glassmaking studio in Corning New York and she’s working with flame crafting something with her own two hands. Pretty much a perfect activity for a teen. Glass blowing, bead making, shopping and dining too! There’s a lot to do in Corning New York. Recently we visited Finger Lakes and explored the area for 24 hours as we worked our way through upstate New York. Here’s what we found and did while there. What Are Some Fun Things to Do in Corning New York? We arrive directly at the Corning Museum of Glass after spending 24 hours in Watkins Glen, and three days in Rochester. This is a quick trip through Finger Lakes New York. First up, a stop at the Corning Museum of Glass, where we find more than a few things to do in Corning and then Hammondsport. My artsy high schooler spent months working hard as a play director for the city and she was ready for a trip that last week of summer. My youngest had just returned after two weeks at summer camp in Muskoka. So, after three days in Rochester and 24 hours hiking and exploring Watkins Glen we embraced the arts in Corning. Explore Corning Museum of Glass The Corning Museum of Glass is open all year long. Immediately, I noticed the Dale Chihuly piece in the entryway and coudn’t wait to see what’s ahead. We were all stoked to be at the Corning Museum of Glass, our first stop. This is one of the adventures we were most looking forward to while in Corning New York. Self-Guided Tour Wandering around the museum itself was an educational experience. Take a self-guided tour of historic exhibits spanning 35 centuries of glass and of the Contemporary Art + Design Wing, view live demonstrations. New Glass Exhibit The New Glass exhibit was on when we visited and is only on through January 2020, but if you have time still to get to see it, do so. These various artists are super talented, using glass to make political statements, environmental commentary and simply pop culture pieces. Sit in on a Glass Making Discussion Travel Tip – Check the schedule when you arrive. There are dozens of amazing educational sessions on glass making, glass breaking and how glass breaks or how glass is used in every day life. My youngest genuinely enjoyed the glass breaking experience. Over the years, glass making has evolved, so that it is stronger and used in many different ways than it once was. Glass now is engineered to shatter differently than it did 40 years ago. Glass Blowing at Corning Museum of Glass – Make a Flower or Choose Your Own Item Make a glass figurine at the Corning Museum of Glass workshop. Suit up and make a pumpkin, flower or ornament. There are several options at different price points. Corning Museum of Glass and Hands-on Glass are both open all year. They offer Make Your Own Glassblowing classes every day all year long. There are limited spots each day, so people need to sign up ahead of time. They also offer other classes throughout the year, including weekend-long classes and weekly classes for people in proximity or whose schedules allow. Hands-On Glass Studio Hands-On Glass Studio is on Crystal Lane in Corning. It took a bit of effort to find this amazing spot, but it’s very worth it. Rodi, the owner, and her team were spectacular and friendly. Rodi indicated that kids as young as two can get in on the glass-making process. With supervision and support to stay safe near the equipment there’s no reason why a child can’t get in to make something artistic. Bead Making At Hands-On Glass, my girls both had a chance to make a beautiful pendant. These require concentration and flamework, but they are very beautiful when they are done and you can wear them on a necklace or whatever spot you choose. Make a glass pendant you can wear as a souvenir of the trip. I might be biased, but I felt like these looked every bot as gorgeous as the Pandora glass beads on my own bracelet. Pumpkins, paperweights and many other options also. You might make a small stained-glass hanging window ornament. Explore Corning’s Historic District The Gaffer District has been re-envisioned over the last four decades and it is now a thriving walking and shopping area. Check out Gaffer District’s Parade of Lights We arrived as the warm days of summer were trailing off and fall was bearing down. But, Corning is a great spot to visit any time of the year. It was once included in America’s Best 20 Small Towns for Christmas by Country Living magazine. At Christmas, make sure to go see the Gaffer District’s Parade of Lights. Eat at Atlas Pizza We didn’t have the chance to visit because we were so busy the day we were in Corning. However, you should know that Atlas Pizza was voted best pizza in upstate New York. Old World Café and Ice Cream The Old World Café has great paninis, soups and other snacks. We stopped in here together to grab lunch one day and were completely in love with the atmosphere and the ice cream counter. While we all tried for a modest ice cream treat there were a zillion different embellishments, so it was pretty much impossible to resist that temptation. The Rockwell Museum Did you know that the Rockwell Museum is upstate New York’s only Smithsonian affiliate museum? A hidden gem with world class art in a town of 11,000 residents. That’s worth checking out. Also they have a lovely gift shop, so hang around a bit. Go Shopping Of course, you should always find time for shopping! Go shopping at one of over 100 boutiques and stores in the downtown area. Stay at Best Western Hammondsport This is one of the area’s newer accommodations. It is affordable, clean and family friendly. Enjoy a great buffet breakfast that’s included. Also, there’s an indoor pool worth checking out and fire pits too. Plus, the lobby pays tribute to history of flight in the area and the location is near to wineries and breweries. Early development of seaplanes and aircraft happened here. Visit Hammondsport Stroll the main street, shop in the adorable stores in the village square and take home a memento of the area. Super cute little town on the water. There are dozens of charming shops here to explore. Some have a cottage feel and many have kooky one of a kind gifts you won’t find anywhere else. Eat at Village Tavern in Hammondsport Located one block from Keuka Lake, on the Village Square of Hammondsport, The Village Tavern is an excellent choice for dining and lodging when touring the wineries or visiting the area. Take the Buildings Alive Tour A self directed architecture tour throughout the area is an easy and educational way to see the city of Corning. There are many gorgeous sculptures and buildings here to see. We accidentally did this when we took a wrong turn on foot looking for the Rockwell Museum. Did you know that Corning was once the hub of the lumbering industry’s thoroughfare in the area? The Buildings Alive Tour is After 1855, brick and stone replaced wood. Corning Bricks Works made the bricks that replaced the wood in the structures throughout the area. Dine at the Union Block Bistro Locally owned Corning and Finger Lakes area favourite, the Union Block Bistro serves Italian and Mediterranean foods. Known for Chickketti, like Spanish tapas or small plates, and also known for their wine, cocktails and beer. Walk to the Lake Take in the only one of the Finger Lakes that doesn’t look like a finger, here in Hammondsport. Go for a Boat Ride on Keuka Lake The beach in Hammondsport is small but sweet and where there’s water, boats often follow. Watersports at Champlin Beach Park Rent a tandem kayak or find something fun to do. There’s an equipment rental shop on the lake, or bring your own. It is a public beach after all. Book A Stay Here in Corning NOW! Corning Museum of Glass Hours: From Memorial Day through Labor Day the museum if open until 8pm. From Labor Day to Memorial Day the museum closes at 5pm. Nearly half-a-million people from around the world visit The Corning Museum of Glass each year.

The post 21 Things to Do in Corning, New York Now appeared first on Thrifty Mommas Tips.

How to Spend 24 Hours in Watkins Glen New York

Paula — Tue, 05 Nov 2019 14:07:43 +0000

The drive from Rochester New York through to Watkins Glen is unforgettable. Curving rural roads stretch out for miles and then suddenly the landscape switches carving down towards one finger-shaped lake after another. Wineries crop up on both sides of the road and the sloping rows of vines command attention. Welcome to Watkins Glen Watkins Glen, a small village that’s part of Finger Lakes New York wine region is a geological marvel. Oddly, I had no idea it was so spectacular and so close to home. We were guests while in Watkins Glen which means we received accommodations, meals and attractions in exchange for honest consideration. We left Rochester New York after a three day visit just as summer leaned into fall. On a whim, a few days before we left home in southern Ontario, I mapped out how close we were to Finger Lakes and decided we’d seize the day and explore a bit of the wine region and away we went to Watkins Glen New York. Turns out that was just what the doctor ordered. Watkins Glen is So Much More Than Racing Watkins Glen NASCAR Racing History The Watkins Glen International occurs every year in August and is extremely well known. The tiny village of Watkins Glen is home to the Watkins Glen International Race track which hosts NASCAR cup series and INDYCar races. The village hosted the United States GrandPrix of FormulaOne for 20 years from 1961-1980 through the serpentine, hilly, public roads of The Glen. Streets were closed off once a year for The GrandPrix until an accident occurred injuring many and killing one spectator. The race track was then moved to the top of a hill just outside the village. The Geography Serene Beauty Watkins Glen in Finger Lakes Wine Country is a little slice of heaven in upstate New York. It’s an easy destination and a memorable drive, which could be a romantic weekend or a fun girl’s getaway. Explore wine country and the natural beauty of Watkins Glen State Park, one of the most stunning state parks I’ve ever seen. The Finger Lakes Region Finger Lakes winery region gets its name from the 11 narrow glacial lakes stretching from Rochester to Syracuse. Each of the lakes is narrow and slim, fanning out a little like the fingers of a hand. The five largest lakes are Seneca, Keuka, Cayuga, Skaneateles, Canandaigua and in fact Seneca is 600 feet deep in some spots. Finger Lakes History A million years ago glaciers covered the area that now is Watkins Glen and Finger Lakes and they dramatically transformed the landscape. The most recent glacier moved through the shallow V-shaped river valleys leaving troughs in its wake. When the glacier receded from the area about 10,000 years ago, meltwater filled the troughs and created the Finger Lakes. The water of Glen Creek that once flowed gently into the valley suddenly flowed with much greater energy creating a waterfall. Water continues to cut away the sedimentary layer creating a gorge. In 1863, the gorge was first opened as a luxury tourist resort destination. The gorge was purchased for public use by the state of New York in 1906. What is There to Do in Watkins Glen? We arrived just after lunch and we drove straight to the downtown area and the Montouk Historic Falls District. Lunch time! On Main Street, there’s a restaurant that is a social enterprise that everyone visiting should make note of and patronize. Been There! A Community Café I’ll admit I wasn’t really so sure about this spot when we arrived. The menu is not large at all and it was pretty quiet. But the owner of Been There! A Community Café was cooking and working and she was extremely welcoming and chatty asking us where we were coming from and then she also invited us to a community dinner that evening. A community dinner? Yes, that’s right. This is a social enterprise, so every so often they open up the restaurant to the community and anyone who is in need of a free meal is welcome to join them. YOU have to admit that is pretty awesome. Their fare includes a wide range of hot dogs, light soups and smoothies. The smoothies are healthy and delicious. Shequaga Falls View this post on Instagram “Wilderness is not a luxury but necessity of the human spirit.” –Edward Abbey Our last week of summer was spent exploring Rochester, Watkins Glen Corning and Finger Lakes. This was our second stop in Watkins Glen. Montour Falls. The Drive to Watkins Glen through the Finger Lakes countryside is breathtaking. Girl’s trips with my two teens are always an adventure. One day my oldest asked me what my favourite memory was of our trip and I had to say sometimes it’s the little things it’s collapsing into laughter in the van over absolutely ridiculous jokes shared together. It’s when one of them decides they’re going to explore a new character or a voice or an accent and suddenly we’re all laughing so hard, we can hardly catch our breath. The waterfalls and wineries and activities zip lining and food are all memorable and spectacular but on the dark, rainy days when I’m trying to remember something that warms my heart it’s always the laughs shared. I wouldn’t miss these moments for anything. #travel #giftedexperience #wanderlust #family #familytravel #ifwtwa #getoutside #fun #nature #watkinsglen #fingerlakes #newyork #nature #waterfallsofinstagram A post shared by Paula Schuck (@inkscrblr) on Sep 9, 2019 at 8:08am PDT After finishing lunch, smoothies for my teens and coffee for me, we walked over to the first of many waterfalls we would see in our quick 24 hours at Watkins Glen. Shequaga Falls is in a tiny spot called Montour Falls, just a few minutes south of Watkins Glen. It’s extremely tiny at 1700 people, but the Falls are picturesque and worth walking to. You can park pretty close to them too if you simply want to get out and admire while taking photos. Watkins Glen State Park From there, it was on to the biggest attraction for me – Watkins Glen State Park. Did you know that Watkins Glen State Park was named one of the nicest state parks in the US? It’s easy to see why when you visit. State Park Facts Other Watkins Glen State Park Tips What’s it Cost to Visit Watkins Glen State Park? While, there is no fee to enter the park, there is an $8 parking fee. There’s a Visitor Center and shop at this entrance to the park, so they’re very helpful if you have any questions. While tourism tapers off here when the snow flies and the downtown is downright sleepy, the area relies heavily on wine tourism and wineries. Check out Five Star Trails if you are hiking throughout the state. On To The Wineries Sadly, I only had time to visit one of the wineries while in Watkins Glen, so after hiking we all headed to Castel Grisch wineries. The backdrop is a panoramic view of Seneca Lake. Sit on the patio overlooking the vineyards and the lake and just breathe while sampling from one of several sampling lists. They are organized according to varieties, but you can mix and match if you’d rather do that. Small tasting menu here too, if you are hungry. This was just a taste, which was definitely enough to whet my appetite to return to the area one day soon just for the wineries. I took a bottle of red home from Castel Grisch. The Finger Lakes area is the top wine producer in the state and was named the Number 1 Wine Region in the US by USA Today 2018 10 Best Reader’s Choice national poll. Where to Stay? Check Out Hotels Combined Secure Site and Book Your Own Stay Here: Well, the Glen Motor Inn was simple but it had stunning views and a gorgeous salt water pool outside. Dinner at Curly’s Family Restaurant Apparently, Curly’s Family Restaurant is a local institution. Portions are large and the food is home cooked comfort foods. I had the special, which was lightly breaded fish and it was very good. Service was great and attentive and the prices were affordable. Can’t complain at all. Get there well before 8 p.m. though as they close early. Great Escape Ice Cream Parlour LOVED this adorable old time ice cream parlour in Watkins Glen. Don’t miss it. They have dozens of flavours of soft serve! Also there are small vinyl records tacked to the ceiling. So cute and fun and that ice cream was FANTASTIC. After a day of exploring Watkins Glen and a night of eating followed by ice cream, we fell asleep pretty satisfied at Glen Motor Inn. Classic Chef’s Diner In the morning before we drove the roughly 70 minutes over to Corning to check out Corning Museum of Glass, we stopped for a delicious breakfast. One of my daughters told me this was her favourite meal of the trip. It was a hearty breakfast with great service again and not much of a wait either. Pancakes, or hotcakes, Belgian waffles and a wide range of options that include the traditional eggs, bacon and toast. Why Visit Watkins Glen? After just one day in Watkins Glen I knew I had to come back. The drive through Finger Lakes Wineries Region is blissful and scenic and easy to reach from so many other areas of Ontario and New York State. With waterfalls and wineries everywhere you look, Watkins Glen is charming and relaxing and a natural marvel.

The post How to Spend 24 Hours in Watkins Glen New York appeared first on Thrifty Mommas Tips.