A Long Weekend at the Finger Lakes

Last October Derek and I decided to take a long weekend for a little fall getaway. We've spent time in New York during the fall and have always loved it during this time of year, whether it's New York City, Albany or Lake Placid (oh, and I can't forget about that fall day trip to the Storm King Art Center) but this time we decided to head to the Finger Lakes instead. We stayed in a cozy Airbnb in Ithaca and although that's where we spent most of our time we also spent an afternoon in Corning and made the drive to a few wineries in the area (of course).

CORNING, NY

Lunch at Nickel's Pit BBQ | We were starving by the time we got to Corning so our first stop was this barbeque place which didn't disappoint at all. I got a pulled pork sandwich with coleslaw and jalapeno mac & cheese and Derek got the ribs. Everything was so good! 

Corning Museum of Glass | Whenever I mentioned to anyone that we were going to Corning, they would immediately bring up glass. Evidently I was the only one who didn't know that Corning was well-known for making glass. Haha. Anyway, we made sure to stop by the Corning Museum of Glass which was really cool! There were a lot of beautiful art pieces made from glass as well as a lot of informative workshops/sections of the museums. Definitely worth checking out!

Shopping in Corning | Corning was such a cute town to just walk around. There were a lot of cute cafes and boutiques, I definitely recommend spending time to just leisurely walk around this cute little town.

ITHACA, NY

Our Airbnb Stay | We stayed in a cozy cabin that was truly in the middle of nowhere. It was HUGE. There were two floors with two bathrooms and 4 bedrooms. It was definitely larger than what we needed since it was just the two of us haha but it was a nice little getaway from the city.

Drinks at Ithaca Beer Co | One of my favorite stops! The outdoor space was situated by a massive corn field and it had tons of seats scattered around. There were also multiple fire pits you could warm up by as well. 

Breakfast at Ithaca Farmers Market | The farmers market was huge! There were tons of stands with fresh produce, multiple coffee spots and plenty of fresh food stands. Derek and I decided to get crepes, he went with a sweet one while I went with savory. We also got apple cider donuts to go as well!

Walking around Cornell Botanic Gardens | So beautiful. The trees were at their peak fall foliage period the week we went and the view of them along the lake was just stunning. 

Pre-Dinner Dessert at Purity Ice Cream | Because they had pumpkin praline ice cream and I had to get it, obviously. 

Dinner at Boatyard Grill | Probably one of the most recommended restaurants that we were given when we were planning our long weekend in Ithaca. I got the salmon with mango salsa and Derek got the sizzling garlic steak. Both were delicious. 

Hiking at Robert H. Treman State Park | Another highlights from the weekend. This was such a great hike! The views were absolutely gorgeous and the park wasn't crowded at all which is why we opted for Robert H. Treman park over the more popular, Watkins Glen State Park. You can read my full post on our hike here. 

Brunch at Mix Kitchen and Bar | Recommended by one of our Uber drivers and, once again, didn't disappoint! Derek got pancakes and I got the smoked salmon benedict.

 

WINE TASTINGS

Long Point Winery in Aurora | Located right next to a gorgeous lake (I mean, i guess most wineries are at the Finger Lakes are haha), this little winery was a lovely stop! I wish we had more time to spend in Aurora, it was such a pretty place. 

Ryan William Winery in Hector | I loved every single wine I tried here. Probably one of my favorite wineries I've ever been to!

This was such a fun fall trip! I've always pictured the Finger Lakes as a great place to go in the summer but I'm so happy we decided to go in the fall. It couldn't have been more gorgeous with all of the autumn leaves falling down into place (haha, did you catch that Red reference?). What are your favorite fall destinations?