One of the major advantages of living in the Buffalo area is the many wonderful places to visit and things to do as a family within only a few hours drive. Last fall, WNY Family was invited to take part in an “Empire State Road Trip,” which took us to three awesome destinations — Chautauqua Lake, Watkins Glen, and the Thousand Islands. You may have followed our editor, Michele Miller, as she toured these destinations and couldn’t resist posting some of the highlights on Facebook. Now, she’ll share ALL the details with you, so you can make plans for a summer or fall road trip of your own!
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The world-class Chautauqua Harbor Hotel stands on the lakefront and offers many amenities, both inside and outdoors.
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1. Chautauqua
You may already be familiar with the term “economic development.” That’s exactly what has been going on in Chautauqua County, more specifically, in Jamestown, NY and its neighboring village of Celoron, NY. 2018 was a banner year for the area, with two huge, new tourism magnets opening within a month of one another — the $50 million, 37,000-square-foot National Comedy Center and the world-class Chautauqua Harbor Hotel, a $38 million project, reportedly the largest hospitality investment in Chautauqua County history.
We experienced three of Hart Hotels’ “Harbor Collection” award-winning hotels during our road trip and were surprised to learn that Hart Hotels is a privately-owned company based in Buffalo, with corporate offices on Dingens Street. They have 30 years experience in developing, operating, and managing hotels and restaurants, currently operating eleven hotels with over 2,000 hotel rooms, and employing 900 people. Hart Hotels was founded by William P. Hart in 1985 and is privately-owned by the second generation of the Hart Family. We were told that Hart Hotels President and CEO David Hart “believes in making the community grow along with the hotels” he builds. Without a doubt, that is happening in Jamestown.
Already popular in the summer season because of all that Chautauqua Lake offers, as well as the arts and cultural programming at the Chautauqua Institution, interest in the area grew with the opening of the Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Museum in 1996, and has now sky-rocketed with an increasing number of visitors due to the National Comedy Center, which opened the first week of August in 2018, coinciding with Jamestown’s annual Lucille Ball Comedy Festival. The Center is expected to attract more than 100,000 visitors annually and have a $23 million annual economic impact on the region.
Born in Jamestown and raised in Celoron, Lucy, as we’ll refer to her from here on, envisioned her hometown as a place that would become known for celebrating comedy in all its forms, and the hard work that goes into writing and performing it.
On March 12, 2019, the National Comedy Center was designated as the nation’s official cultural institution dedicated to the art of comedy by a bill passed by both the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives and signed by the President. That’s a serious honor for a museum that finally opened its doors 29 years after Lucy’s death in 1989. The non-profit Center was finally made possible with funds raised from state, federal, and private philanthropic support.
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NATIONAL COMEDY CENTER
203 West 2nd St., Jamestown, NY
Only 90 minutes from downtown Buffalo, the National Comedy Center is now a “must-see” destination. Its creators took an old train station and what used to be a power plant facility, combined the space, and turned it into one of the most technically advanced museums in the world. The Center was selected as one of the 100 World’s Greatest Places in 2019 by Time Magazine, named a 2019 USA Today Best New Attraction, listed as one of 100 Reasons To Love America by People Magazine, and, more succinctly, has been touted as “one of the best museum’s in the country” by Condé Nast Traveler.
Upon entering the Center, you can’t help but notice the huge, colorful screen overhead, which plays video clips of comedians you are sure to recognize. Each visitor gets a wristband fitted with an RFID chip. Kiosk-type tablets in the entrance scan your wristband and then ask for your name, email address, and have you select your favorite comedians and the TV shows, movies, and cartoons that have made you laugh. The tablet also takes your picture, which will surface later as you interact with some of the 50 immersive and interactive experiences in the museum. When compiled, this information creates a “humor profile” unique to you, allowing the Center’s high-tech infrastructure to personalize your trip through the museum, and after your visit, your profile, with all the accompanying images, will be emailed to you!
There’s one more step before you actually enter the museum. Put on your best comedy face and step in front of a green screen to have your photo taken. You can purchase a print in a colorful souvenir folder on your way out — and the background that appears will take you by surprise!
There’s so much to see and do here, plan to spend at least three hours or more enjoying the museum. Here are just some of our favorite “experiential” exhibits.
The Hologram Theater features an 8-12 minute show on the hour. On our visit, comedian Jim Gaffigan… or at least a hologram of Jim Gaffigan… put on a performance that combined his personal experience trying to break into the business with bits from his comedy act.
The Standup Lounge is set up like an intimate comedy club. “Sign in” on the tabletop with your wristband and choose the comedian whose act you’d like to see. The technology behind the wristband will calculate what the “humor profiles” of the group of people in the lounge have in common and present choices based on that information. Be prepared to see your photo appear on the brick wall if your pick is chosen!
After passing through the One Liner Hallway, which connects the two original buildings and whose glass walls are engraved with one-liners from many famous comedians while their voices are also heard, sit on the Prank Bench and hear sounds that will definitely make you laugh!
Iconic Props recreated in fluorescent colors — a “rubber” chicken, a seltzer squirt bottle, an arrow through the head, chattering false teeth, a banana peel, and more — sit on shelves waiting for visitors to place them on a special table which will then light up with clips of those props being used in comedy through the years, right up to present day.
Create A Cartoon teaches you how to create a character on a touch screen, step-by-step. When complete, it’s another item you can email to yourself.
Choose one of more than a dozen comedy routines from various comedians and see if you have what it takes to do stand-up in the Comedy Karaoke cafe.
Ham It Up allows you to choose a silly headshot of one of your favorite comedians and do your best to mimic their expression while a camera captures the results. Your image will appear on the wall next to your comedian’s face, and you can then share it with your friends.
In what’s known as the participatory wing of the museum, you can try Comedy Karaoke. Choose one of more than a dozen comedy routines from various comedians and see if you have what it takes to do stand-up in a karaoke room complete with stage, microphone, tables for the audience, and even a bar featuring local brews, in case you need to loosen up!
On the Green Screen you can act the part and put yourself into a classic comedy like Lucy & Ethel’s famous chocolate factory scene from an “I Love Lucy” episode, or a more contemporary skit from Saturday Night Live (again, it will be sent to you).Face off with a family member or friend in Laugh Battle, where you compete to be the last one to laugh at pre-programmed “funnies” that appear on your screen. Cameras use Microsoft artificial intelligence facial recognition technology to detect even the slightest glimmer of laughter!
While interactive exhibits form the major portion of the museum, there are many classic artifacts from famous comedians on display — Seinfeld’s puffy shirt and Emmy award, Rodney Dangerfield’s suit, scripts, and handwritten notes, Carol Burnett’s and Phyllis Diller’s costumes, Dan Akroyd’s motorcycle which he personally rode to the museum and donated, Beldar, Prymatand Connie Conehead’s motorcycle helmets, and much more.
As you work your way through the exhibits to the museum exit, with the use of your wristband you’ll receive a personalized “sense of humor analysis” onscreen and a “Joke To Go” card as a souvenir.
Editor’s Note: We’d recommend the museum for school-age children and up, the older the better. “Sponge Bob Square Pants” was among the kiosk humor choices for the youngest visitors and they may get a kick out of a few of the more “hands-on” exhibits, like the Prank Bench, Ham It Up, Act The Part, or Create A Cartoon.
LUCILLE BALL DESI ARNAZ MUSEUM
22 West 3rd Street, Jamestown, NY
At the age of 17, Desirée Hunt met and married a local Jamestown, NY boy, Henry Durrell Ball and moved to Montana, where Henry was a lineman for a telephone company. On August 6, 1911, Lucille Ball was born in her grandparents’ apartment at 69 Stewart Street in Jamestown, delivered by her grandmother Flora Belle Hunt. Desirée and Lucy returned to Henry in Montana soon after the birth. Unfortunately, when Lucy was only four years old, her father succumbed to an illness when her mother was five months pregnant with Lucy’s brother Fred. Having few resources, Desirée and Lucy returned to Jamestown and the Hunt grandparents played a major role in Lucy’s life. Lucy is actually buried in the Hunt family plot in Jamestown’s Lake View Cemetery.
In an autobiographical manuscript discovered by Lucy’s children after her death, Lucy describes her childhood in detail, including the fun she had at the Celoron Amusement Park, which was only a few steps away from where she once lived at what is now 59 Lucy Lane in Celoron, a house with a blue polka dot garage door! Today, the Chautauqua Harbor Hotel sits on the shore of Chautauqua Lake where the amusement park, torn down in 1962, once stood.
Most people remember Lucy from the famous television show “I Love Lucy” in which she starred with her husband Desi Arnaz. It was startling to find out that “I Love Lucy” ran from 1951 to 1957 but has never left the air — it is still in re-runs today. A lesser known fact is that Lucy made more than 70 movies before “I Love Lucy” aired, appearing in a total of 82 movies in her long career, from 1933 to 1974.
The Lucy-Desi Museum occupies a space that was a former Woolworth’s in downtown Jamestown, just around the corner from the National Comedy Center, and pays homage to this iconic comedienne and her husband of twenty years. It features original memorabilia, costumes, props, Emmy Awards, replica “I Love Lucy” studio sets, Lucy’s 1972 Mercedes-Benz, and more. The upper floor of the museum houses the Tropicana Room, a re-creation of Lucy’s TV husband Ricky Ricardo’s (Desi Arnaz) Manhattan night club where groups can hold special events.
Storyboards in the museum explain that Desi Arnaz came from a prosperous Cuban family who lost everything during a Cuban revolution in 1934, fleeing with his family to safety in Miami when Desi was 17. While still a high school student, Desi was hired to play guitar at a Miami Beach hotel where he was discovered by the popular bandleader Xavier Cugat. Desi later vaulted to success when he popularized a new dance craze called the Conga Line. Soon Desi was starring on Broadway and in 1940, he met Lucy on a Hollywood soundstage when she was completing a movie there. After a whirlwind courtship, Lucy and Desi eloped in 1940 and remained married for 20 years.
There is enough memorabilia in the museum — and gift shop — to thrill any Lucy fan. If you’re young enough to not have seen “I Love Lucy,” we recommend watching re-runs, which can be found on various streaming services or CBS online, before paying a visit to the museum. From 1951-57, I Love Lucy had more total share of viewers than any other show on television. Watching I Love Lucy in the 1950s became a ritual for much of America. Lucy was a beloved actress and Hollywood icon whose legacy lives on and whose wish to see comedy elevated to celebrated stature has come true at both the Lucy-Desi Museum and the National Comedy Center.
PANAMA ROCKS
11 Rock Hill Road, Panama, NY
At Panama Rocks, you’ll find a world of towering rocks, some over 50 feet tall, covered in moss and lichens, surrounded by an ancient forest where the tree roots often grow on and over the surface of the huge stones.
If you love the outdoors and enjoy seeking out the unusual formations that Mother Nature creates, Panama Rocks is a fantastic place to explore. Only a short 25-minute drive from Jamestown, it has been a privately-owned park since 1885, the same year Niagara Falls was officially designated the first State Park in the United States. Owned by the Weston Family since 1979, the park is solely funded by revenue from guest visits.
Four hundred million years ago, this area was a shallow ocean known as the Appalachian basin, the northern end of which extends offshore into Lakes Erie and Ontario, as far as the United States–Canada border. Panama Rocks is reputed to be the most extensive formation of glacier-cut, ocean-quartz conglomerate in the world, forming a ridge half a mile long.
The one-mile loop trail takes you through a world of towering rocks, some over 50 feet tall, covered in moss and lichens, surrounded by an ancient forest where the tree roots often grow on and over the surface of the huge stones.
You’ll pass through stone formations called Castle Rock, Fat Man’s Misery, Indi-an Fireplace, Tower of Babel, Counterfeiters Den, and Ice Cave Crevice, among others.
When you pick up your tickets, you can get a copy of “The Lost Treasure of Panama Pete” which explains how to use clues hidden around the rocks to find Pete’s Treasure Box. The treasure hunt is based on actual historical records, which say that in the 1800s a bank carriage was robbed in Panama and the stolen gold was believed to be hidden in Panama Rocks.
If you can walk up a flight of stairs, you can do the trail. Just be sure everyone wears sturdy footwear. (This is NOT the place for flip-flops!) Off the trail, there are caves and narrow passageways to explore. You will be given a map upon buying your tickets.
Editor’s Note: You can bring a baby along in a sling or carry a toddler in a back carrier, but this is definitely NOT a place for preschoolers walking on their own. Because there are many tree roots to step over, some deep crevices and steep drop-offs, we recommend children be at least 8 years old, although you are the best judge of your child’s abilities. (Go to the Panama Rocks website and view a video tour of the trail.)
“Axcellent Adventures” is also offered at Panama Rocks. A covered pavilion houses the axe throwing which is available to adults and youth age 11 and up. Everyone must wear close-toed shoes. Their “Axpert” coaches will teach you how to throw an axe measuring 16-18 inches.
They follow safety guidelines established by the National Axe Throwing Federation (www.nationalaxe.com). It should be noted that the Boy Scouts of America’s Guide to Safe Scouting identifies axe throwing as age-appropriate for Boy Scouts when proper safety rules are followed.
Reservations, which can be made online, are recommended for axe throwing; walk-ins are based on availability. Check their website for available dates and cost, which is in addition to the cost of a trail ticket.
More About The Chautauqua Harbor Hotel
Located on the shore of Chautauqua Lake, the Chautauqua Harbor Hotel (10 Dunham Ave., Celoron, NY, www.chautauquaharborhotel.com) is the newest and largest of the Harbor Hotel collection with 135 guestrooms.
Situated on 9 acres — the former site of the Celoron Amusement Park, which thrived there from the 1890s through Lucille Ball’s childhood, finally closing in 1962 — its expansive, landscaped grounds on 1,100 feet of lakefront feature expansive patios with fire pits surrounded by colorful Adirondack chairs, a mini golf putting green, the circular, lakeside Carousel Bar, which pays tribute to the site’s history, and the man-made Sunset Island patio — jutting out into the lake and connected to the hotel property by a footbridge, serving as a beautiful setting for a wedding or other special occasion.
Inside, the hotel offers generously sized guestrooms and suites, many with scenic lake views and balconies, in-room refrigerators, indoor/outdoor heated swim-ming pool and hot tub, a restaurant open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner with the option of waterfront dining, a state-of-the-art fitness center, a ballroom for large functions, and a business center.
Thoughtful touches include a complimentary morning coffee and tea bar on every floor, nightly turn-down service with chocolates on your pillow and soft music playing upon your return, and a concierge service staffed by one of three lovely ladies referred to as “The Golden Girls.”
The hotel is ADA approved and accessible. A transient boat dock is available for those arriving from the lake.
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Sitting at the southern tip of Seneca Lake, the Watkins Glen Harbor Hotel offers an everchanging, spectacular view from lakeside rooms.
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2. Watkins Glen
Our home base for our visit to Watkins Glen, only 2 1/2 hours’ drive from Chautauqua, was the Watkins Glen Harbor Hotel (16 N. Franklin St., Watkins Glen, www.watkinsglenharborhotel.com). Built in 2008, with 104 guestrooms, it was the prototype hotel for the Hart Hotels Harbor collection and is very similar in style, services, and amenities to the Chautauqua property. It sits at the southern tip of Seneca Lake, one of 11 Finger Lakes in Central New York. Nestled between the rolling hills of the lake, the hotel offers a spectacular view.
Captain Bill’s Lake Cruises in Watkins Glen (www.senecaharborstation.com) just a stone’s throw from the hotel, offering a variety of cruises including 1-hour sightseeing tours aboard the vintage 49-passenger mahogany vessel Stroller IV, and lunch, dinner, and entertainment cruises aboard the Seneca Legacy.
The charming village of Watkins Glen, with plenty of shops and restaurants, is only a few steps from the hotel. The friendly staff at the Watkins Glen Area Chamber of Commerce, located just down the block, can provide you with a wealth of information on activities and destinations that suit your family’s particular interests.
WATKINS GLEN STATE PARK
1009 Franklin St., Watkins Glen
https://parks.ny.gov/parks/142/
Like the Finger Lakes, the dramatic gorge at Watkins Glen State Park was created by the movement of glaciers. When the last glacier receded from New York State about 10,000 years ago, it left a steep-sided trough for the water of Glen Creek to flow through with enough energy to create the park’s 19 waterfalls, the highest of which — Central Cascade — plunges more than 60 feet.
The gorge was first opened to tourism in 1863 as a privately-owned, luxury resort destination and was purchased by the State of New York in 1906 so that it would remain a natural, historic, and cultural resource for all to enjoy.
In June of 2018, a $6.5 million renovation project to transform the main entrance to the park was completed, which includes a new visitors’ center, educational displays, gift shop, and restrooms. The park offers tent and trailer campsites, picnic areas, playgrounds, and an Olympic-sized swimming pool. Tours are also scheduled in the summer.
If you start your visit at the park’s Main Entrance on Franklin Street, there are 800 steps to the top of the Gorge. Experienced visitors, or those not physically able or willing to make the climb, park at the Upper Entrance and walk down the gorge instead of up. During the summer season ONLY, shuttles will take you back to your car ($5 per person).
Note that the Gorge Trail is only open from mid-May to early November, dawn to dusk. It’s important to wear proper footwear due to the wet and rocky nature of the trails. Water and bathrooms are only available at the park entrances, not on the Gorge Trail. Pets are allowed in the park, but not on the Gorge Trail. Due to the steep nature of the Gorge Trail and hundreds of stone stairs, it is NOT accessible to wheelchairs, strollers, or medical walkers.
WATKINS GLEN INTERNATIONAL
2790 County Rte. 16, Watkins Glen
As it exists today, Watkins Glen International, known as “The Glen,” boasts 2.45-mile road course, featuring 7 turns with a variety of banking in turns, and a 3.4-mile Grand Prix course, including 11 turns with banking ranging from 6 to 10 degrees.
Road racing came to Watkins Glen in 1948 by way of Cameron Argetsinger, a law student at Cornell University who often stayed at his father’s summer home on Seneca Lake, with the family having ties to the area since the early 1800’s.
Argetsinger, an early member of the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA), proposed an amateur road race to be called the “Watkins Glen Grand Prix” to the Watkins Glen Chamber of Commerce. Amid an enthusiastic response to the idea, Argetsinger mapped out a 6.6-mile course using mostly paved roads with a short dirt and gravel stretch, and the SCCA sanction was obtained.
After five years of the Watkins Glen Grand Prix passing through the heart of the village, the race was moved to a new location on a wooded hilltop southwest of town. The change came in response to several accidents, one of which claimed the life of a seven-year-old boy and injured several others.
By 1955, it became clear that it would not be possible to continue using closed public roads that doubled as farm roads. Several engineering professors from Cornell University developed a new 2.3-mile track, which was completed the night before the first practice!
The track experienced many changes in the ensuing decades, with highs and lows, eventually declaring bankruptcy and closing in 1981.
Fast forward to 1983 when Corning Enterprises, a subsidiary of Corning, Inc., partnered with International Speedway Corp. to purchase the track and rename it Watkins Glen International. The track was renovated, other improvements made, and NASCAR racing eventually returned.
Watkins Glen International’s popularity within the NASCAR community has exploded in recent years, as evidenced by the facility being named “America’s Best NASCAR Track” on two occasions by readers of USA Today, and it hosts NASCAR’s only appearance in New York State.
During NASCAR weekend at The Glen, the “Family Zone” plays host to the track’s interactive Cayuga Medical Center Kid’s Zone and Teen Zone. The Cayuga Medical Center Kid’s Zone and Teen Zones are always offered at no charge and feature giant inflatables, age appropriate games, and prizes.
You don’t have to wait for a race or other special event, like concerts or festivals, to get your thrills at The Glen. The track welcomes guests on a nearly daily basis from April through October with its “Drive The Glen” experience. Find out what it feels like to drive this road course while piloting your own personal vehicle behind a pace car on the 3.4 mile Grand Prix course. After your laps, at a top speed of 55mph, you’ll get to take your picture at the Start/Finish line.
Drive the Glen sessions usually take place from April through October, but dates and session schedules are subject to change. Drivers must be 18 years or older to drive, with a valid driver’s license, and your vehicle must be currently registered and insured. Drivers will also need to sign a release waiver. Drive The Glen is available for purchase at The Shop (located in the village at 2 N. Franklin Street, Watkins Glen, NY 14891) or at the Main Entrance of Watkins Glen International (Gate 2). For more information about Drive the Glen, call 607-535-2338 or visit their website.
LAKEWOOD VINEYARDS
4024 State Rte. 14, Watkins Glen
At 37.9 miles long, Seneca Lake is the largest of the 11 glacial Finger Lakes and the deepest lake within New York State, reaching depths of 600 feet. The lake creates the perfect environment for grape growing and is at the foundation of the wine industry in the Finger Lakes. There are approximately 150 wineries, distilleries, and breweries around Seneca Lake alone.
On our trip, we visited Lakewood Vineyards, where the Stamp family boasts 7 decades and three-generations of grape-growing experience in their 30-plus years of winemaking. They are open 361 days a year, with the grape harvest usually taking place from the first week in September through the end of October, although the exact timing is dependent on weather and the maturation of the grapes.
Couples, families and smaller groups of 8 or fewer “tasters” can take a guided tour followed by wine tasting at 10am or 11am on Saturdays, and 1pm on Sundays, for $10 per person (adults 21+). Or just do a tasting session for $4. After your tour or tasting session, $4 is refundable with a 2 bottle purchase.
Kids can enjoy grape juice — served in a wine glass! — a play table with toys, and a visit with at least one of the dogs who come to work with a family member or employee daily. Picnic tables are available outside if you bring your lunch along.
Owned and operated by the Stamp family since 1951, the vineyard’s first grapes were sold to the Welch’s Grape Juice Company in 1955. As the economic climate for small commercial grape producers became challenging, the Stamps took the next step and began producing and selling wine made from their grapes.
As the wines produced at Lakewood Vineyards gained recognition, so did the acreage in grapes increase — from 45 in 1988 to 80 in production today.
Head Winemaker Chris Stamp worked in the family vineyards growing up and in 1983 earned a Bachelor’s degree in Food Science from Cornell University. His brother Dave Stamp is the Vineyard Manager. Chris’ wife, Liz, wears many hats in sales and management. Liz led our group tour and was a fount of information, from how the grapes are grown to the intricate process that turns them into any one of the more than 20 different Lakewood wines. Sixty-seven stainless steel tanks of varying sizes, 218 barrels, bottling machines, and a warehouse stacked with boxes of the finished product are the tangible evidence that a lot of hard work goes into winemaking, but the devotion to family and their three-generation legacy is what makes Lakewood special, in addition to the many awards won by their wines.
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CORNING MUSEUM OF GLASS (www.cmog.org) is the perfect “travel day” stop on your way to Watkins Glen. Hot glass shows scheduled throughout the day are entertaining for the whole family. Download their app and play the GlassApp Scavenger Hunt. There is a large café on the premises serving a good variety of foods for lunch — a selection of several hot entrees, pizza, and sandwiches, plus salads, beverages, and desserts The museum is open 7 days a week, from 9am-8pm during the summer months. The best part — admission for kids 17 and under is FREE!
REISINGER’S APPLE COUNTRY – Three miles west of Watkins Glen (2750 Apple Lane, Watkins Glen, www.reisingersapplecountry.com), you’ll find this family farm that’s open every day during harvest time, August to November. They feature 20 varieties of U-Pick apples from dwarf trees, as well as peaches, pears, plums, and berries in season — U-Pick red raspberries are available August-September, 9am-6pm. A large assortment of pumpkins also grows on site. Wagons are provided for hauling fruit — and kids! Visit their shop filled with bagged apples, fruits, local crafts, and their famous apple cider donuts. They also make their own maple syrup, jams, jellies, and apple butter. There is a giant Adirondack-style chair perfect for picture taking, and an outdoor play area for toddlers and preschoolers.
FARM SANCTUARY – Discover that each of the more than 500 rescued animals who call the 175-acre Farm Sanctuary (3100 Aikens Rd., Watkins Glen, www.farmsanctuary.org) home have an amazing story to share. The Sanctuary rescues, rehabilitates, and provides lifelong care for hundreds of animals who have been saved from stockyards, factory farms, and slaughterhouses. Take an hour-long tour of the sanctuary with one of their guides, meeting and interacting with the farm animals along the way; learn more about the animals in their Visitor Center; browse their gift shop; enjoy snacks available for purchase on their scenic deck; or, spend the night in one of their cabins or tiny houses! Open May through October. Guided tours are held Saturday and Sunday on the hour during May, September, and October; Wednesday through Sunday on the hour in June, July, and August. The first tour is at 11am and the last tour is at 3pm.
LIVELY RUN DAIRY – About 30 minutes northeast of Watkins Glen, on your way up to the Thousand Islands, consider stopping at Lively Run Dairy (8978 County Road 142, Interlaken, NY; www.livelyrun.com) to take a tour and learn how they make their award-winning cheese, cuddle with their goats – and bottle feed baby goats (May-July) or milk a goat (July-October). The Dairy is open May 1-October 31 and tours are held every day except Tuesday and Thursday. Goat cuddling & Farm Tour at 1pm; Cheese Making Tour at 2pm. All tours include a complimentary cheese tasting.
MUSEUM OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY (MOST) – Syracuse is about the half-way point from Watkins Glen to our third destination the Thousand Islands, making a visit to MOST (Armory Square, 500 S. Franklin St., Syracuse, NY; www.most.org) a perfect way to break up the longest travel segment of the Empire State Road Trip. The Milton J. Rubenstein Museum of Science & Technology is a hands-on science and technology museum for people of all ages and includes the Silverman Planetarium and the only domed IMAX® theater in New York State. Exhibits include DinoZone!, Amazon Adventure, Brain: The World Inside Your Head, Innovation Station, Climbing Wall, Lazer Maze, Technotown, Matter & Motion, Earth Science Discovery Cave, and more. MOST is open Wednesday-Sunday, 10am-5pm; and Mondays and Tuesdays during local school Winter Recess, Midwinter Recess, Spring Break, and some holidays. Check their websites for schedule and admission prices.
Gofingerlakes.org is a guide to the best hikes, bikes, skis, paddles, and adventures in the Finger Lakes region. Check out its 650+ miles of trails covering 12 counties via an interactive map, with trail descriptions, photo galleries, and scenic videos.
3. Thousand Islands
The first portion of the 3-hour drive from Watkins Glen to the Thousand Islands is quite scenic because you can travel up along the length of Seneca Lake almost until you meet the NYS Thruway which takes you east, connecting to Interstate 81 which heads north into the Thousand Islands region. Our destination was the 1000 Islands Harbor Hotel (200 Riverside Dr., Clayton, NY; www.1000islandsharborhotel.com), which is idyllically set on the shores of the St. Lawrence River in an area awash in history and natural beauty. Built in 2014, this 105-guestroom luxury hotel occupies acreage with a breathtaking river view and offers many of the same amenities as its sister hotels.
Only a little more than a 3 1/2 hour drive from downtown Buffalo, a visit to the Thousand Islands is like stepping into a different world — a region of scenic beauty which offers everything from fairytale castles to fantastic fishing, boating, hiking, swimming, and camping in the warmer months.
The first question most people ask is, “Are there really 1,000 islands?” Having visited before, we’ve received a variety of answers to that question; 1,077 is the most current total we heard on this trip, but that varies depending upon how many counties bordering Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River you want to include in your estimate. The differing count might also depend on your definition of an island. To be classified as an island, a land mass must be above water 365 days a year and support at least one tree!
Clayton (www.1000islands-clayton.com) is a quaint little village on a peninsula surrounded by the St. Lawrence River, minutes from the Canadian border. It is known as the Cultural Center of the 1000 Islands, home to the Thousand Islands Art Center, the Thousand Islands Museum — home of the Muskie Hall of Fame — the Clayton Opera House, and the very popular Antique Boat Museum, which is where we spent a morning.
The Antique Boat Museum (750 Mary St., Clayton; https://abm.org) displays the largest collection of antique boats in North America, ranging from early canoes to modern racing boats. Our group had the opportunity to cruise the St. Lawrence on a bright, sunny morning with the museum’s Executive Director Rebecca Hopfinger aboard the “Zipper,” a 1974 mahogany-hulled “commuter” yacht that was used in the early years of the 20th century to transport wealthy businessmen from their homes on the Hudson River or Long Island to their New York City offices. Clayton is just up the river from the region’s premier attraction, Boldt Castle. A 20-minute drive by car brings you to the more “touristy” Alexandria Bay, where Uncle Sam Boat Tours and shuttles transport U.S. visitors to the Castle, whose history of a love story ending in inconsolable grief intrigues everyone who visits.
George Boldt immigrated to the U.S. from Prussia in 1864 at the age of 13 and began as a kitchen worker in a small New York City hotel. At age 25 he was hired by his future father-in-law to manage the dining room of Philadelphia’s most exclusive gentlemen’s club. By 1881 he owned the Bellevue hotel in Philadelphia, later also buying a competing hotel nearby. When William Waldorf Astor opened New York City’s Waldorf Hotel in 1893, George Boldt became its proprietor. William’s cousin John Jacob Astor IV built the adjoining Astoria Hotel in 1897, and George Boldt is said to have mediated their feuds, eventually managing the merged and soon-to-be world famous Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. Thus, George Boldt became a self-made millionaire as a hotelier.
In 1900, Boldt set out to build a full-size Rhineland castle in Alexandria Bay on Heart Island in the St. Lawrence River. The castle was meant to be a display of his love for his wife, Louise. Three hundred workers, including stonemasons, carpenters, and artists fashioned the six-story, 120 room castle, complete with Italian gardens, a drawbridge, an unusual-looking children’s playhouse which contained a bowling alley in the basement, and a powerhouse to provide electricity and running water, which itself looks like a miniature castle.
Unfortunately, during the four years she waited for Boldt Castle to be completed, Louise Boldt, the mother of two children, became increasingly frail and suffered from a heart condition. She died from heart failure in January of 1904 at 41 years old.
Upon her death, Boldt telegraphed the island and ordered all construction to stop. Broken-hearted, Boldt never returned to the island, leaving the unfinished structure behind to fall into ruin at the mercy of weather and vandals.
The property remained vacant for over seventy years. In 1977, the Thousand Islands Bridge Authority (TIBA) acquired Boldt Castle and the Boldt Yacht house, and has spent several million dollars restoring and renovating the structures. It is still an onging process today.
Beautifully restored castle rooms, including original furniture that had been stored in New York City awaiting the castle’s completion, and luxurious gardens delight visitors from mid-May to mid-October. Check their website (www.boldtcastle.com) for current information.
The Castle is only accessible by boat; purchase a shuttle ticket at the Uncle Sam Boat Tours kiosk on the dock in town. Once on the island, you can stay as long as you like, catching any Uncle Sam boat back to Alexandria Bay before closing time. Boldt Castle tickets can be purchased online or at their ticket office when you arrive on Heart Island.
The Antique Boat Museum (ABM) is home to “La Duchesse,” the two-story, 106-foot-long houseboat George Boldt had built and lived on while he supervised the building of the Castle. It is a highlight of any visit to the ABM, although there is an extra fee to tour it. It’s well worth the price to hear the guide share the details of its opulent history. Tours occur on the hour and visitors must sign up in advance at the museum admission desk.
When Louise Boldt died, the houseboat fell into disuse and at one point it deteriorated so badly that a pipe broke, filling the boat’s first deck with water. The McNally family of Rand McNally map fame eventually purchased it and made necessary repairs. La Duchesse was donated to the ABM in 2005 and still requires constant upkeep to preserve it. During our visit, a workman was sanding the peeling paint off the ceiling of the open rear deck that served as a delightful lounge for many parties and is shaded from the sun by $30,000 worth of newly replaced red and white striped awnings.
The ABM is only open through mid-October, so check their website for exact dates. They offer a variety of ticket packages, some of which include the La Duchesse tour and/or a 45-minute “Ride the River” cruise in a classic 30-foot mahogany runabout.
Alexandria Bay has shops to browse through and quite a few restaurants. Our favorite on a previous visit was Cavallario’s Steak & Seafood (www.cavallarios.net). They are only open for dinner but the food and the service were excellent. The kids will enjoy Fins Eatery & Pub (www.finseateryandpub.com), a casual place to dine while enjoying the many aquariums built into the walls! You’ll find it on Route 12, which is the main road running between Alexandria Bay and Clayton. After a visit to the Antique Boat Museum, the Wood Boat Brewery (www.woodboatbreweryny.com) is nearby and is a good place to stop for lunch or a snack.