New York State itinerary - Finger Lakes and Adirondacks in Sept/Oct
 

We are flying into Albany Sept 19, Saturday, until Oct 6 to see fall colors, pretty scenery, quaint small towns,local attractions, mountains (we live in New Orleans with no mtns or much fall colors). We want to see Finger Lakes, Adirondacks, and Berkshires in W. Mass. What should we do 1st, 2nd and 3rd to maximize seeing fall colors at their prettiest?
We have never been to this part of New York, have been to Buffalo and Niagra Falls, so not planning on seeing Western NY.
Thanks for any advice on how to plan our itinerary.

It's hard to say-late September might even be a bit early for good colors, but it's hard to predict. Early October in the Berkshires would probably be the best bet, higher elevation in the Adirondacks earlier in your trip.

One thing not to miss is the summit of Whiteface Mountain near Lake Placid. You can drive up and then either hike or take an elevator up to the top for 360 veiws from around 5000 feet. It's spectacular.

You are going to be too early. They peak about the 2nd week of October in the Adirondacks and later as you move south. I would try to reschedule your trip but if you can't I would do Adriondacks, Finger Lakes and Berkshires. The Berkshires are within an hour of the albany airport.

Agree you are going somewhat too early to get a lot of color. The week after you leave - Columbus Day - is usually the best for most of New England. so -you need to start at higher elevations and farther north to have a better chance- if you can't change your date.

Also - you need hotel reservations ASAP for any weekends - many people reserved in Many or June.

I did a little checking and the sites I saw say peak time is usually last two weeks in September for the Adirondacks and first week in October for the Berkshires, so you're probably good. In lower elevations, no, but up in the mountains, yes. It's been cool and rainy so far this summer in the NE, so that usually means a little earlier turning if that holds, and great colors.

Down here in VA, peak in the mountains usually comes the last two weeks in October, so 2-3 weeks earlier up north seems about right. All depends on the weather, though.

Yeah, I'm thinking you're good for the Adirondacks. It can easily be snowing there in October!

If you are planning on hiking in the Adirondacks be aware that the bear hunting season opens 9/19, deer opens 10/24, ducks opens 10/3 (ewww I sooo do not want to be kayaking during duck season...).

The Adirondacks gets busy on fall weekends with leaf-peepers, so make your reservations now. The high peeks area (Keene, Lake Placid) is very pretty, but I personally prefer the smaller towns and less frequented areas - but they can be a little hard to entertain yourself unless you are doing outdoorsy stuff.

Have a great trip!

To prepare yourself for the Adirondacks, do get hold of the PBS special DVD on the history and present of that wonderful piece of National Park land. It is available on-line. It is magnficently done and will inspire you with things to look for at that time of year and places to stay beyond Lake Placid: we are particularly fond of Saranac Lake.

It looks as if your timing might be good for the Adirondacks (prime in the last 2 weeks of September), but it'll be a bit early for the Finger Lakes Region (hits peak in the first 2 weeks of October). For a map of leaf peeping in New York State and ideas of other activities you might enjoy in the Finger Lakes region, visit: http://bit.ly/4EIBz

While you're there, if you're interested in visiting wineries, check out this great database, courtesy of Finger Lakes Wine Country: http://bit.ly/tzho0

Definitely visit Lake Placid in the adirodacks. I visited a few summers ago and it was beautiful, I can only imagine what it would be like in the fall. Driving up Whiteface Mountain is a must (just don't look down while driving, haha). When I went we also did an Olympic bobsled run. I don't know if they will still do it in October, but it's definitely worth looking into. It was expensive and only about 40 seconds, but very exhilirating and super fun.

Enjoy your trip!

If you're looking for a place to stay in the Finger Lakes area, my family stayed at a place called Geneva On The Lake last year where we celebrated my parent's 50th wedding anniversary. It's a beautiful old mansion turned into a hotel resort. The grounds/gardens are gorgeous and lead down to Seneca Lake. The family that owns the hotel also owns the Stickley, Audi Co. furniture company, and they use the hotel to show off their furnishings. One thing to note, though, is that there was no elevator and most of the rooms are up one or two flights of stairs.

My husband and I spent several days in the Finger Lakes area a few years ago. We wound up also staying on Seneca Lake. The place was called Belhurst Castle. It was a great place to stay at. We also did A LOT of wine tasting. Seneca Lake has numerous wineries all around the lake. We also took a wine tour of the Keuka Wine Trail. There we hit some very good wineries, including our favorite in the area Dr. Frank's. We went in July and had a great time. I am sure its even better in the fall with all of the colors. We really enjoyed the FInger Lakes! -Susan

Here is a link to the place where we stayed at:
http://www.belhurst.com/

Testing. I am not sure my reply got through.

Thanks to all of you for your advice. I have reserved Sat and Sunday,9/19 and 20 at Schroon Lake B&B; Sat and Sun, 9/26 and 9/27 at Ithaca Comfort Inn; and Friday and Sat 10/2 and 10/3 at Rodeway Inn, Lee,MA.; Sunday 10/4 at Willows Motel,Williamstown,MA. Will look for place near Albany airport for Monday night, we'll fly back to New Orleans on Tuesday morning.
So.. Now I need to fill in the weekdays. I'm thinking 2 or 3 night in Saranac Lake area, I don't know where from there.
The next week, need ideas of where to stay the week after our 2 nights in Ithaca, before going over to Lee, MA. We want to see what as much of Adirondacks, Finger Lakes and Berkshires as our time allows, taking some easy hikes(we are in our 60's), taking pictures of beautiful fall leaves, scenery, falls, birds, etc. We want to explore quaint towns and shops. How to do all that??????

If we spend 2 nights at Schroon Lake (our first weekend of our vacation), and 2-3 nights at Saranac Lake, should we stay our next 2-3 nights at another location in the Adirondacks (further South or West of Saranac) or head over to Finger Lakes? We have reservations in Ithaca for the 2nd weekend of our vacation.

If you have enough time, there are some of the most gorgeous waterfalls in Ithaca (they boast that Ithaca is Gorges ... LOL). Taking a drive up either side of Cayuga Lake is breathtaking. My inlaws live on the west side of the Lake and it is beautiful no matter what time of year. If you go up the west side of Cayuga Lake there is a really lovely town called Seneca Falls. It has a pretty main street, nice family owned restaurants, the canal and locks, historical significance (Elizabeth Cady Stanton of women's rights fame and others), and even an animal refuge. You might see the most beautiful leaves once you get into Mass. It'll be a little later into the season (mere days can make a difference) and it's a bit more north. Not to mention that nothing compares to a New England Autumn. Good luck!

I am confused about your itinerary/schedule but have some suggested things to do near some of the places you are thinking of staying

Hancock Shaker village in the Berkshires is a beautiful spot to visit--both natural surroundings and the buildings. There are some hiking trails
http://www.hancockshakervillage.org/...s/28/homepage/

Another good museum in a scenic location is the Adirondack Museum in Blue Mountain Lake (south of Saranac Lake)
http://www.adkmuseum.org/visiting/
A good place to remember on a rainy day.

In Williamstown, MA, the Clark Art Institute has an outstanding collection
http://www.clarkart.edu/

I live in north central Vermont and we usually get peak color at the end of September, early October so I think you will be a bit early for foliage farther south. The Adirondacks should have good color by the end of the month.

I just found this foliage guide for New York state which confirms that usually color will be good in the Adirondacks but not the Finger Lakes in late September
http://www.iloveny.com/SeasonsInNy/FoliageForecast.aspx

vttraveler, I am confused about our itinary as well, because I'm struggling with what to do first, in order to see the best fall colors. Since we are flying into Albany on Sept 19, I've been told we are early to see colors at their peak in the Adirondacks. So now I'm wondering if we should go over to the FInger Lakes first, knowing there won't be much color there, and then see the Adirondacks the last week of Sept, which would allow better colors to develop. Our last weekend of our trip, Oct 3/4, would be in Berkshires, before flying home Oct 6. Does that make more sense then seeing Adirondacks first, then Finger Lakes? I may have trouble changing weekend reservations at this late date, but looks like most places are available during the week (so far)

I think that approach of going to the Finger Lakes first would probably maximize your chance of seeing good color toward the end of the trip. You are right that you are not likely to see much foliage changed in the Finger Lakes in Sept no matter when you go there.

Of course the time for peak foliage varies a lot from year to year and even, unfortunately, from day to day. The leaves can come down quickly if there is wind/rain. Many states have foliage hot lines to check to see where color is best--I am not sure about New York

If you wanted to see more foliage you could head east to Vermont from the Adirondacks then work your way back south toward the Berkshires.

I think I will take your advice and start off seeing Finger Lakes first. Since we arrive in Albany airport at 4PM, we'll pick up our rental car and head west. How far do you think we should go until we stop for the night? We don't want to drive after dark, we are there to see things in the daylight. Should we aim for Cooperstown? How many days should we spend in FInger Lakes region? We are not into wine tastings, but do want to take some easy hikes, scenic drives, pictures of waterfalls and wildlife, walk around quaint little towns, not be speedy sams. Also think we want to see Corning Musuem, Farmers Markets, Autumn Harvest Festivals, etc.