FINGER LAKES AUGUST 14-18, 2014

Finally getting internet service strong enough to post up our travels from mid August. Right now I'm sitting in the car outside the beautiful library in Old Forge, NY.  The library closed an hour ago but they offer their wifi 24/7 and even post a sign on the door saying you're welcome to use it outside any time you wish, so here we are.  It's a very rainy and cold day for us, no hikes, no biking; blog time works out great.

These photos take us back a month to our stay at Sned Acres Family Campground near Senaca Lake in the Finger Lakes region of NY. We used another Passport America park within driving range of several beautiful parks and towns we wanted to visit. We stopped in Watkins Glen with plans to visit the gorge and state park but the traffic was pretty heavy so instead parked at the WalMart and took off on our bikes along the Catherine Trail for the afternoon. The trail took us to the darling little village of Montour Falls and this beautiful waterfall right at the west end of town.

 The house sits right in front of the falls but we walked to the left side and were able to get closer to the falls themselves.

 A beautiful warm day for a ride with coffee in town when finished.

 From there we continued north about an hour to the campground for a 4 night stay.

FRIDAY  morning we left early to see the famed and stunningly beautiful Watkins Glen.

 Stone steps and paths led under water falls and along the gorge for an hour or more.

 Since we were there just as it opened there weren't a lot of crowds until we started our return.

 Even then, it was just a beautiful sight to see!

One of my favorite photos was of this Amish family out for the day.  The two little boys were barefoot but wearing identical clothing and hat as their dads. 

From the beauty of the glen to the popular NASCAR race track nearby where Paul tried sitting in a car after we watched a few rounds of Porsches on the track

 We had avoided visiting this town the week before when the NASCAR fans were in town.

On the drive home we stopped to see Taughannock Falls from a lookout, waterfalls and rivers everywhere we looked!

SATURDAY, was sunny and beautiful and a short drive south took us to Ithaca, NY. First stop was at the H. F. Johnson Museum of Art on the Cornell University campus. Pk took a break on the comfy bench to view the ceiling art out on the outdoor terrace.

A drive through the campus

and then a stop at the Cornell Plantations, actually beautiful gardens and walks

Next on the list was a stop at the Itahaca Farmer's Market for lunch and some veggies.

Then heading a little south of town there was still time to hike at Buttermilk Falls State Park which takes its name from the foaming cascade of the Buttermilk creek flowing into Cayuga Lake.

A roadside stop on our ride back at Lodi, NY.  Being born in Lodi, CA, this was a fun find!

SUNDAY was time to check out the wine trail which the region is famous for. Our last stop was at a winery/brewery.  You could choose to taste at both venues, I chose the brewery and we sat outside with this beautiful view overlooking Seneca Lake in the late afternoon.  Clouds had covered the sky off and on, but the temps were warm.