Several years ago while exploring the countryside between Seneca and Keuka Lake with my father on one of his long Sunday drives, I found myself getting slightly bored and anxious to get back to our cottage on Seneca Lake. With a bright blue sky and the warm July sun shining down, most children would find themselves satisfied with simply swimming in the lake all day or exploring the nearby woods and gullies. Although I had my fair share of childhood play time, I found it hard to pass up the chance to get out in the car and see things that I had never seen before. Whether it be old restaurants that held stories of the days before my birth, amish farms that had been around since the beginning of time or even a small town that some believe is the inspiration for the town of Bedford Falls in the movie It's a Wonderful Life, I could always stand a few hours of driving around in order to learn a thing or two. As the afternoon moved and I soon realized that I would be out of daylight and unable start that tree fort I had been thinking about all day, my father leaned over and said to me, "I've got something really neat to show you." We made our way north on Rt. 14 along the west side of Seneca Lake and in the same direction as our cottage. Thinking we might actually get home on time I felt a sense of excitement until we suddenly made a right-hand turn and headed down a small road towards the lake. At this point I couldn't see anything worth looking at and I couldn't think for the life of me what might be located down this road. Besides, I had passed this road a thousand times since the day I was born. What could be so great that we passed up so many times? As we moved along the narrow road and towards the lake, we wove through woods and crossed over small streams, all while watching the grade of the road get steeper and steeper. Right when I thought we couldn't go any further without driving right over a cliff and into the lake, we made a sharp left-hand turn and headed right down towards the lake. To my right I could see a set of quaint lake-front cottages with nice level, grassy yards that stretched all the way to the water's edge. Up ahead I could see a small bridge that lead into what appeared to be a small village. This was starting to get a bit more interesting but I still had not seen anything worth the sales pitch by my father only a few minutes earlier. As we approached the bridge my father rolled down the windows and stopped the car. Aside from the faint moan of a boat or two passing by in the distance, I could hear what appeared to be the roar or rushing water. As we slowly inched forward in the car, I drew my attention over to the left where this roaring water sound seemed to be coming from. Suddenly out of the corner of my eye there it was. A giant waterfall spilling over a cliff and into a rocky pool of water. This was something I had only seen in the movies. I had always dreamed of being able to explore a waterfall and to look behind the wall of water to search for hidden caves. I could go through the rocks for hours to see what had come down stream over the years. Perhaps I could even find a place to jump off and have my own private high dive. This was it! It was right here, it had always been here and I never had a clue.
To this day, one of the first places I always bring first-time Finger Lakes visitors to, is Glenora Falls (just below Glenora Winery on the west side of Seneca Lake). It's a rare gem in the region and is unknown to most visitors. In addition to Glenora, The Finger Lakes region boasts quite a collection of waterfalls. Each waterfall has it's own look and sound and requires a little detective work and navigation to find. Some of the falls even require a small to moderate hike which provides for some great exercise in addition to amazing photo opportunities. Where might one find these beautiful waterfalls? Not to worry! A few websites have popped up over the last few years that map out the locations of the most popular waterfalls in The Finger Lakes. Simply click here for a map and photos.
First and foremost I would highly recommend Watkins Glen State Park, right at the foot of Seneca Lake in the town of Watkins Glen. It is easily one of the greatest natural wonders in the region.
As for taking car rides with my dad, it's still one of my favorite things to do and there's always something new to find or discover. As I've grown up, I've taken on the"day drive" roll myself. I've been known to spend over ten hours in a car, doing nothing more than exploring the region, and driving my passenger crazy as they beg me to simply, "go back to the cottage."
Outside of the lakes themselves and the wonderful wineries that dot the countryside, there are an infinite number of things to do and see in The Finger Lakes and the best way to discover what you like best, is to simply go out and find it.

Michael Hoke
The Savannah House Inn on Seneca Lake
SavannahHouseVacation.com