The Finger Lakes are located in Upstate New York approximately 4 hours from the NYC Metro Area depending on which lake you visit. We have been a few times for weekend trips and that seems like the perfect amount of time to explore. The largest of the Finger Lakes is Seneca Lake. We have stayed on Seneca Lake during both of our visits.
Where to stay:
The major towns to base yourself out of on Seneca Lake are Watkins Glen at the south side of the lake and Geneva at the north side of the lake. The town of Hector also has some accommodations and is a good option since it is only 15 minutes from Watkins Glen.
Things to do:
Watkins Glen State Park is located in the town. The park has multiple trails offering amazing views of the Glen. The Glen Trail is the most popular trail in the park as you can see several water falls and you walk along a paved path next to the water. At the time of writing this, there is a detour at the Glen Trail while they replace a bridge which requires you to hike up a bunch of stairs to access the trail. I strongly recommend that you arrive early, before 9 AM, in the summer months. The beauty of the trail is best enjoyed with less crowds. Additionally, the parking near the entrance is limited.
Letchworth State Park is known as the Grand Canyon of the East. The park is a bit further from Seneca Lake, approximately 1.5 hours. We drove along the park road and stopped at the trails to the view points and water falls. We recommend this park as it is very large so the crowds space out. We went in May. I would imagine that it is important to arrive early in the summer months to beat traffic and find parking.
Wine Tasting:
The Finger Lakes have a micro climate that is similar to Austria so it is ideal for growing grapes like Riesling and Cabernet Franc. There are many winery options around Seneca Lake and we have tried a handful over our multiple trips. We find wine tasting to be very affordable in the region compared to other US wine regions like Sonoma or Napa. Our favorite wineries have been Herman Weiner, At Water, Standing Stone, Ravines and Bounding Breaks. Each winery has a different vibe.
Restaurants:
We found that Geneva generally has a better restaurant scene than Watkins Glen.
Rusty Pig: Rusty Pig is a very popular BBQ spot in Geneva. We really enjoyed the sampler that we got as well as the buffalo perogies. Based on its popularity, you can expect to wait. Luckily, there are few bars next door that you can wait at and they will text you when the table is ready.
Kindred Fare: Kindred Fare is a few minutes outside downtown Geneva. They have a farm to table menu. Everything that we had was fresh and unique. They also had an extensive cocktail menu. We would recommend a reservation here as the restaurant was crowded.
Brewery Ardennes: This restaurant and taproom focuses on Belgian cuisine with a twist. We highly recommend the mussels, fries and sausage. The brewery has many Belgian focused beers on the menu. They also have local classics like a cream ale. We would recommend a reservation here as it gets busy.
Water Street Cafe: This diner style cafe is a great place to start the day. The warm staff were very helpful and the food was fresh and very affordable. This is a popular spot for locals and visitors and I recommend going early to avoid a wait. If you have a larger group, you can call ahead and get added to the wait list.
Grounded- This is a local cafe that has some breakfast menu options like egg sandwiches, avocado toast and yogurt parfaits. We recommend this spot for a quick breakfast to go or eat in.
Travel with Rebecca 
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