Budget Travel readers rated Hammondsport New York the coolest small time in America. Sounded like a perfect excuse for a road trip. So on our day off we decided to check it out.
It is a very pretty drive about an hour from Watkins Glen. The countryside and surrounding mountains are lovely. The town square has a band gazebo, small shops and a few small restaurants. The houses are all well kept with gardens and flying American flags (population 1000). It is located along the southern border of a Finger Lake called Keuka Lake. We both thought it was cool too! Keuka Lake is also listed as one of the 1000 places to see before you die. That's also very cool!
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| Keuka Lake (Hammondsport is located on the south end of the lake) |
Jimmy loved the lake side park and all the new smells and grass. Have I mentioned how much he missed grass this winter while hanging out in Arizona? |
| Lakeside park |
After visiting Hammondsport we drove around the lake. The road comes much closer to the lake than it did at Seneca. There are small cottages built along the lake edge. Some houses are built below the road. You have to park on the street side and walk down a flight of stairs to your house.
The lake is forked and 19.6 miles long and 1.9 miles wide and it's depth is 183 feet. This lake is much warmer than Seneca and very popular for swimming and fishing... and yes wineries.
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| Bully Hill Vineyard |
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| Restaurant |
One of our customers had recommended Bully Hill Winery for lunch. It is a very large, modern winery on the west side of the lake. The restaurant was very nice and the tables were hammered copper. They are known for the smoked beef and the brisket was delicious. Probably the best I've ever tasted. The grounds were beautifully landscaped and their is a wine museum, gift shop. and tasting bar in separate buildings. It's a very large complex.
We walked around the winery and enjoyed the very pretty views of the lake and fields. This is the perfect time to visit. The weather is wonderful and not very crowded. I liked their new Chardonnay very much.
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We then traveled a little further and stopped at the first European winery in the Finger Lake area called Dr. Constantin Frank Vinifera Wine Cellars. The certainly have the best views of the lake. It was a smaller, less elaborate place than Bully Hill but I liked the country feel.
I decided to try a wine tasting. It is free at this winery and a lovely British woman told me about five different types of wine. I mostly like dry wines and really enjoyed one called Dry Riesling. It was delicious and decided to buy a bottle for a special occasion. It was fun and who knows I might try another tasting again in the future. John does not like wine but he enjoyed listening to what the lady told me about their winery.
We drove by several other vineyards but did not stop. The drive was very picturesque and the state park had a very nice beach and boat launch. It was definitely be a great place for a picnic.
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| Wild phlox |
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| Heron Hill Winery |
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| North end of lake |
Taylor was my favorite wine tour when I lived in the area way back when. :) They served the best hot crackers and cheese with their tasting.
ReplyDeleteI was a Taylor tour guide back in 1978-79, 80 time frame and I well remember those cheesy hot orderves, yum.
DeleteWhat a hoot. We did wine tasting on Wednesday. We had a great time.
ReplyDeleteYou have lovely photos. Jimmy looks like he was having a great time without the wine.
Nice tour, thanks for the revisit :)
ReplyDelete