Insiders tips for Geneva NY and surrounding area
 

Four active older adults are traveling to Geneva NY in mid October and want to explore local favorites; sights, activities, restaurants and shopping. Already checked out Fodor's on-line and am looking for additional ideas. Nice day trips from Geneva are an option as well.

Hobart College is there (my uncle used to be a professor there). It's near Corning Glassware and some kind of canyon whose name escapes me. I haven't been there in maybe 40 years.

Geneva NY is a beautiful little town with some interesting and walkable historic neighborhoods. If you enjoy wine, be sure to check out some of the excellent wineries on Seneca Lake. There are many! The foliage will likely be past peak by mid-October but the finger lakes are still very scenic.

Highly recommend dining at Ports Cafe located just south of Geneva on the west side of Seneca Lake - outstanding food. Check website for making reservations and their schedule - not open every day. Also, don't judge by their very small menu. They have 12-20 specials each day as they use only the best, fresh ingredients. Great place. Also really enjoy Dano's Heuriger on the east side of Seneca Lake. Really neat place with a great menu.

If you have not been to Watkins Glen State Park, it is highly recommended. Nice walk along the very scenic gorge - one of NY's prettiest state parks. Enjoy your trip!

If you make the trip to Watkins Glen (the other end of Seneca Lake from Geneva, head over to Ithaca (one end of Lake Cayuga) -- a great college town, home of Cornell U. and Ithaca College, with many of its own fabulous gorges, parks, etc.

We stayed in Geneva this year and took a wine tour. Enjoyed it very much. For a day trip Niagara Falls is only 2hrs away.

The best of the museums in Corning is the Corning Museum of Glass. http://www.cmog.org/
I used to go to the racetrack near Watkins Glen in the days when the Grand Prix of the US was run there.

Geneva is a good base for day trips. Wineries, Watkins Glen, Outlet Mall. Just remember Mid-October weekends are some of the busiest...hope you already have rooms booked or you may have troubles finding any. Ports Cafe is great, other good restaurants... Red Newt Bistro, Suzanne's and Stone Cat Cafe, all on Seneca Lake.

Thanks to all! Sound like Ports Cafe is a must and now we have a few more interesting restaurants to check out. Ithaca sounds like a good choice too. My favorite is the Corning Glass Museum. We may have to visit again even if our friends aren't interested. Maybe I'll be able to contribute some finds of my own when we return.

Geneva's a great little town and a wonderful gateway to the Finger Lakes.

Corning Museum of Glass is a must, and while you're in Corning, you may also want to visit the Rockwell Museum of Western Art (http://www.rockwellmuseum.org/)

Some other great activities you may enjoy are:

~ Visit Belhurst in Geneva for a lovely meal and a wine tasting. (http://www.belhurst.com).

~ Canandaigua is a charming town with a lot of history and if you enjoy history, wine tasting and horticulture, Sonnenberg Gardens & Mansion is a must!
(http://www.fingerlakestravelmaven.co...ns-and-mansion)

- Watkins Glen is wonderful, and if you decide to go there, be sure to stop at Red Newt Winery & Bistro on the way there or back, and Skyland Farm, Craft Gallery & Cafe (info about both at http://www.fingerlakestravelmaven.co...linary-compass)

~ Letchworth State Park, the Grand Canyon of the East, is a bit farther from where you're staying, but well worth the extra time. (http://www.fingerlakestravelmaven.co...on-of-the-east)

~ In Rochester, you might consider a trip on the Erie Canal on the Sam Patch or Mary Jemison Packet Boats (http://samandmary.org) or on the Colonial Belle (http://colonialbelle.com). Also in Rochester, one of my favorite Museums (only open Friday - Sunday) is ARTISANworks (http://travelmaven.wordpress.com/200...treasure-hunt/)

~ Another wonderful museum is the Glenn H. Curtiss Museum in Hammondsport (http://www.fingerlakestravelmaven.co...iation-museum/). Hammondsport is also a charming little town and there a number of wonderful wineries nearby including Heron Hill and Dr. Frank's (http://www.keukawinetrail.com/wineries/)

I hope this helps!