It’s autumn!! Beautiful bright color trees, Pumpkin, Pumpkin lattes, the spirit of Halloween and beginning of a festive season. Autumn brings beautiful fall foliage. From mid-September to October is an ideal time for leaf peepers to enjoy the fall colors. If you are planning a leaf peeping trip, make sure to check with your area tourism bureau or google to get most-up-to-date foliage report. We live near Philadelphia and this year we decided to go Upstate New York for fall foliage weekend and visit few natural gems along the way.
Accommodation
Upstate New York has tons of beautiful places which we probably haven’t even heard. The Finger Lakes region is the most famous. We did our research and decided to visit Watkins Glen State Park, Taughannock Falls State Park and the intriguing Corning Museum of Glass. We booked two nights at Candlewood Suites, Sayre.The location was great and it was an hour drive from Watkins Glen with plenty of eateries nearby.
Watkins Glen State Park
Watkins Glen state park is one of the famous state parks in the New York state. And it is also the most famous of the Finger Lakes State Parks. We hiked the 2 mile Gorge Trail with a pit stop at Sentry bridge. This trail defines the park and has the most photogenic spots along the way. It has a unique landscape with beautifully carved stones, stunning waterfalls, spiraling tunnel and charming bridges. There are more than 15 waterfalls that you will see on the trail. The trail is an easy hike with gorgeous views of the gorge. I would highly recommend visiting this hidden natural treasure if you have never been there before. Gorge trail is the most famous trail in the park. You can also hike one of the rim trails (Indian Trail, South Rim Trail) that overlooks the gorge. Download the Trail Map here.
While you are on the Gorge Trail, make sure to hike the Lover’s Lane trail. At the end of the trail you will see a suspension bridge with amazing bird’s eye view of the Gorge. The below picture was taken from the Suspension Bridge.
Picnic tables and camping sites are available. Parking is available at the top and bottom of the gorge trail. Visit the nearby Seneca lake where you can relax, enjoy fishing or indulge in a boat cruise if you like.
Difficulty Level: Easy
Time to Explore Gorge Trail and South Rim Trail: 2-3 hours (at a leisurely pace)
Fee: $8 per vehicle
Taughannock Falls State Park
After Watkins Glen, we had our lunch at Ithaca and headed towards Taughannock Falls State Park. Taughannock waterfall is the highest single drop waterfall in the east coast. If you are not hiking, you can enjoy the beautiful views from Taughannock Overlook point. A Visitor Center and a souvenir shop are also accessible from Overlook point. We hiked the Gorge trail (1-mile round trip) to the base of the falls and enjoyed a closer look. It’s a flat and easy hike along the riverside with majestic views of Taughannock waterfalls. Highly recommended!!
The park also includes Cayuga lake shoreline with pleasing fall colors. You can download the park trail maps here. Gorge Trail is the easiest of the trails. However, there are other trails you can try based on the amount of time you have.
Difficulty Level: Easy
Time to Explore Gorge Trail: 1 hour
Cost :$8 per vehicle
Corning Museum Of Glass
I am not a museum person but our friends talked very highly of the museum so we thought it’s worth giving a shot. Honestly, we were not disappointed. Its a fun and educational place for any age group. It starts with a mesmerizing art gallery with fantastic art pieces made of glass. There are various free demo sessions conducted throughout the day. The details of the sessions can be found here.
- Hot Glass Demo
- Flame Working Demo
- Optical Fiber Demo
- Glass Breaking Demo
We attended the Hot Glass Demo and the Flame Working Demo and both were interesting. The hot glass demo lasts for 30 – 45 minutes where they explain the science and techniques of glassmaking. Very impressive session and trust me you will not be bored at all! The session schedules are displayed within the museum.
There is a cafe with veg and non-veg options. Its a fun and different experience to add to your trip.
Time to Explore: 3-4 hours (varies on your interest & time availability)
Fee – $19.5 per person
Deal – Additional discount available with AAA/Student Id.
Here is a preview of what you can find at the Corning Glass Museum. Pretty amazing!!
We loved our visit to the state parks and the Corning Glass Museum. You should definitely check out the Finger Lakes Region. It is amazingly beautiful and we promise you wont be disappointed. If you like to learn more about Finger Lakes Region and the activities click here.
Have you been to Finger Lakes Region? What was your experience? Share it with us.
