To March Break and Beyond! I’ll be honest, despite living in Southern Ontario my whole life, I had never heard about the Finger Lakes region of Upstate NY. If it wasn’t for the wonderful people at Holiday Valley in Ellicottville, NY, where we had our amazing ski adventure last year, I would probably have not been introduced to this gem of a destination, only a three to four hour drive from the GTA. The locals raved about all the things for us to see and do there, especially for families – so many things that the piece of paper I was writing their suggestions on started to look like a cheat sheet and was soon filled with a plethora of awesome excursions, activities and outdoor adventures.
The Strong Museum of Play in Rochester. Photo Courtesy of Rania Walker
With that in mind I contacted the Finger Lakes Tourism Alliance to see if they could suggest anything to do over the March Break, or shoulder season, when tourism is quieter. Turns out, Finger Lakes is a full-year destination, with indoor and outdoor activities to keep you busy for weeks at a time. And when they presented me with an itinerary of things to do over the Family Day weekend, I couldn’t resist and off we went!
Fingerlakes Vineyards. Photo Courtesy of Rania Walker
Thanks to the insights of Jessica Robideau and Cindy Kimble, we were able to explore this expansive area, just a few hours from home. The Finger Lakes Region extends from Rochester to the West, Syracuse to the East, Lake Ontario to the North, and all the way to the Pennsylvania Boarder to the south. Add in some of the finest wineries in the world – with Wine, Beer, Cheese and Culinary Trails across the region – we couldn’t possibly see and do it justice in a weekend – but we tried!
Herein is the first of our discovery series on the Finger Lakes Region, profiling activities for families and couples, and young and old alike! With March Break upon us, we’ve created a diverse list of the top 10 family activities:
- Wonderworks in Destiny U.S.A. (Syracuse) – this upside-down and mind-bending interactive adventure house is part science center, part playground, part tree-top walk and a full day of fun on its own! One of the best parts is its within the Destiny USA Shopping and Outlet Mall.
- The Melting Pot in Destiny U.S.A. (Syracuse)– We had an incredibly Fondue dinner– something the kids loved participating in, and actually ate! Consider a whole other experience. It’s definitely something everyone should try.
- Greek Peak Ski Resort and Indoor Waterpark (Cortland) – beautiful skiing trails, just the right length, for all abilities.
- Harriet Tubman’s home (Auburn) – a crucial link to the underground railroad, now a historical site.
- Cheese Trail – kids can see the creamery, pet the cows, help milk them and them participate in the cheese-making process. Sunset View Creamery in Odessa is just one of the many in this region.
- Spectacular Waterfalls and State Parks – Hillary Lake, Green Lake, Letchworth State Park, The Glen Iris, more to come in Part 2.
- Corning Museum of Glass (Corning) – kids can learn how glass is made and create their own.
- Strong Museum of Play (Rochester) – for kids of all ages – yes, all ages. With toys dating back to our pioneer days, early electronics (the kids giggled while playing the first Mario game), and a tropical Butterfly Garden.
- Rochester Museum and Science Center (Rochester)– we had a magical visit at this science centre, really we did. We loved it so much we went back the next day and found they had a Harry Potter day! A true science centre and museum with a planetarium next door.
- Jello Museum (LeRoy) – visit the home where Jello was created and check out all the Jello-ware from inception until today.
To say we had a great family getaway would be an understatement. We’re already planning for our next trip where we’ll get to really experience the outdoor majesty, just across the border. More to come, but to plan your own vacation, please visit www.Fingerlakes.org
Author Bio:
Rania Walker is a busy mom of three kids who loves to travel and is always looking for deals and tips to allow her to explore, experience and bond with her “large” family of 5. Through SparQ Street Communications she offers Media Training and On-Air Presentation Skills; P.R., Branding & Marketing Consultation; Media Relations and Corporate Communications. For more Tips and Ideas from WEplusTHREE…or more, go to: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Large-Family-Travel-Weplusthree-or-More/ and Twitter: @largefamilytrav.
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Nice little story, however, you made a mistake about the Harriet Tubman Home. It is not located in Albany, but in Auburn NY.
Hi Mo! Thanks so much for pointing that out to us, we appreciate your feedback and will make that edit. Feel free to keep in touch, we’d love to hear from you! -Erin
Your comment about the “Cheese Trails” is incorrect. There is ONE trail, the Finger Lakes Cheese Trail, made up of 13 farms throughout the Finger Lakes. The trail has both cow and goat dairies on it, and all the farms are kid friendly when open during the Open Houses. Some farms do NOT have hours outside the Open House Dates of June 8 and October 12 & 13. The Cheese Trail also does a family friendly event in July, called the Finger Lakes Cheese Festival which this year is hosted at Sunset View Creamery on July 27 and features goat milking, barnyard olympics, a petting zoo and hayrides all geared towards the kids. Hope that helps your understanding of the Cheese Trail. You can get info at flcheesetrail.com
Hi Carol, thank you for your feedback! We have updated the text and appreciate your comment to help inform other readers of this additional information regarding the Cheese Trail! -Erin
Rania. Thank you. We’re a family of 3. We love travel and have often considered Finger Lakes for its natural beauty but thought not much to do for kids especially in the “shoulder season”. Great suggestions on kids activities.-Zein
Hello Zein! Thank you for your comment, it sounds like Rania’s suggestions have given you some trip ideas for next time (and for me too!). Feel free to comment and chat with us anytime
-Erin
Oh my lord … thank you for this! I was just gonna take my son to the movies on Thursday!! Instead, we are driving from Etobicoke to the National Museum of Play, spending the night in Rochester and then heading to the Corning Museum of Glass. I can’t wait! Thanks for the ideas and the motivation!
Good morning! Thanks for your comment! We’re so thrilled to hear you were able to get some great ideas from Rania’s article. Please feel free to check back for more tips and advice from Rania in the future! -Erin