Life in the Finger Lakes SepOct 2021 by Fahy-Williams Publishing

LIFE IN THE FINGER LAKES

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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021 • VOL. 21, NO. 5

5 8 5 .924 . 3 8 6 0 | N E W EN ER GY WO R KS .CO M | SERV IN G THE N ATIO N FRO M N EW YO RK & O REG O N

THE AMAZING FALL HARVEST • KAYAKING THE FINGER LAKES, PART 2 • AREA’S CAR CULTURE

POINT OF THE BLUFF VINEYARDS OVERLOOKING KEUKA LAKE, RECLAIMED TIMBERS PHOTO: DON COCHRAN

30 YEARS BRINGING DESIGN & BUILD PROJECTS TO LIFE IN THE FINGER LAKES SEE MORE OF THIS PROJECT AT: NEWENERGYWORKS.COM/POINTOFTHEBLUFF

Kayaking the Finger Lakes, Part 2, p. 48 • Grasping Grape Pie, p. 18

20 YEARS

The Region’s Premier Lifestyle Magazine Since 2001

LIFL

September/October 2021

Amazing Autumn! Enjoying the Finger Lakes’ Famous Fall Foliage

FingerLakesMagazine.com

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DISPLAY THROUGH NOV 2021

On the Road: Car Culture, p. 56 • Fall Harvest, p. 42 • Chef at the Zoo, p. 76 8/11/21 5:00 PM

The Granger Homestead Presents

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features

20 YEARS

LIFL

Life in the Finger Lakes • Volume 21, Number 5 • September/October 2021

56 On the Road

After World War I, a new tourism vision arose in the Finger Lakes Region – couples or families driving themselves, planning their own routes, finding a different place to sleep every night. By Kirk House

The Amazing Fall Harvest The culmination of cultivation. The summation of summer. By Derek Doeffinger

Cover: This view of Letchworth State Park from Inspiration Point showcases fall’s paintbrush on the surrounding hills. Photo by Becky Enders

Kayaking the Finger Lakes Plus a few side trips Part 2 of 2 By Gail Tyner Taylor

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contents People in the Know

6 my own words 7 letters 10 happenings 12 scrapbook 36 around the region

Betsy Schermerhorn, Kendal at Ithaca

- Yates, Schuyler and

Cortland Counties

94 96

advertisers

finger lakes regional map

18 Nooks & Crannies Grasping Grape Pie

Outdoors New York’s National Forest

28 23 Dining Delicious Dishes

Product Picks

Our Favorite Items and Where to Find Them

Day Trip Finger Lakes Barn Quilt Trail

60 Off the Easel Puppetry Artist Linda Wingerter

Human Interest A Twilight View of Cayuga Lake

~ FingerL akesM agazine.com

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contents

Creature Comforts The agility dog sport

Enterprising Elsewhere Farms

76 80 Chef’s Delight

Dan Hudson at Rosamond Gifford Zoo

Se th po • • To ch fo

Enterprising Creative Reading

Nautical What Lies Below Conesus Lake

D M • •

• • • •

S to P

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OUR LAKES Need a GOOD Guardian

Thanks To YoU...

Seneca Lake Guardian has been the premier organization actively working to protect the Finger Lakes from dirty industrial projects and other threats using litigation, political pressure and raising public awareness. We’ve got a good track record: • Victory over proposed gas storage in old salt caverns • Victory over proposed garbage incinerator in Romulus Together, we are fighting against projects that negatively impact the health of our lakes, our rural community character, the Finger Lakes Brand, and the success of the small businesses that depend on clean air and clean water for their livelihood. Our lakes are at risk. We need a good Guardian to protect them.

DID YoU knoW… Plans are in the works to expanD a large Bitcoin Mining Facility in Yates County? • At full capacity, estimated CO2 emissions would be over 1 Million tons/year • Completely evades Governor Cuomo’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions) by operating “behind the meter” • Permitted to withdraw 139 Million gallons of Seneca Lake’s water per day • Permitted to discharge 134 Million gallons of water per day at temperatures up to 108 degrees • Hot water stresses trout and increases incidences of Harmful Algal Blooms (toxic to humans and pets) • If Seneca Lake is compromised, it jeopardizes a $3 Billion agricultural and tourism industry supporting 58,000 jobs

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Together, we can keep the Finger Lakes pristine and protect it from irresponsible development for generations to come. 001-041.LIFL_SEPOCT_2021.indd 5

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my own words

Let’s take a Road Trip E

ver since I could remember, summer meant three things hanging out at home for several glorious months and not worrying about school and homework, camping in a tent and going on a car trip. I am the youngest of nine children, and one can only imagine what 11 people in a station wagon looked like going down the road on a camping trip, with a car top carrier that my dad had custom made out of canvas. It held all of our gear – the tent, sleeping bags, suitcases, cook stove and some other needed items. This may sound like a nightmare to some people these days, but being a child back then and going on adventures like that were the best thing in the world. We traveled all over the United States, and I can remember studying maps and AAA guidebooks that contained information about the areas we were going to visit. Interstates were already common in the late ’60s, and being a young person and not knowing anything different, I assumed the good roads had always been there. It was strange listening to my parents talk about the new road

system, and I wondered what it must have been like to travel before convenient highways and paved roads were around. “On the Road” is an article on page 56 that describes how, after World War I, tourism was on the rise, and people no longer wanted to take very long vacations on trains to get to their destination. They had their cars and they had the freedom to explore. Former dirt roads were quickly becoming more passable by being paved. The car culture was taking off, and campgrounds and other lodgings were taking advantage of this new-found interest in traveling by car. Points of interest and tourist destinations popped up everywhere. This was not special to just the Finger Lakes Region, but was a nationwide phenomenon. Now, this wonderful region is easily accessible by car, and the destinations are almost too numerous to list. We are lucky to have such a unique and special area to explore this autumn. mark@lifeinthefingerlakes.com

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letters

love your Life in the Finger Lakes magazine! I look forward to each issue. I am a three-year subscriber and have given it as a gift. I have a special request. I really enjoyed the article on kayaking the 11 Finger Lakes (Part 1, July/August 2021). That has been my goal too! I have completed eight and the last three for me are Owasco, Otisco, and Skaneateles. Unfortunately part 2 of the article is the one that will have information on those lakes and will probably come out in the September/October issue. I wondered if the authors have already written part 2 and if there is any way you could possibly email it to me? I would love to read their info about where to launch and any interesting attractions to visit around those 3 lakes before I go kayaking there this summer. Thank you for considering my request. — Debi Champney Thank you for your interest. I’d be happy to share links to our digital versions from previous issues where we listed public boat launches for the lakes in which you’re interested. Please visit our “past issues” page on fingerlakesmagazine.com, and view the digital magazines for March/April 2020, and September/October 2020. I hope this gives you some information that’s helpful. Thank you! — Editor

LAKEFRONT

LIVING Your Lakeshore Connection...

enjoyed learning that Purity Ice Cream is still going strong (JulyAugust 2021). I, like many Cornellians over the years, enjoyed the occasional break from studies with a “Purity run.” Even better, my 5th year apartment was in a Stewart Avenue building owned by the Guenterts, and after each holiday my roommates and I could count on Mr. G showing up with a left-over holidaythemed ice cream roll. Sweet memories from sixty years ago! — Jim Dierks, Rochester, New York

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A photogenic barn graces a dirt road on an autumn day in Canton, New York. Photo by Becky Enders

Editorial & Production Editor....................................... Mark Stash ...........mark@lifeinthefingerlakes.com Graphic Artist............Maia VanOrman Associate Editor............... Tina Manzer Assistant Editor...............J. Kevin Fahy Freelance Editor.......Bethany Snyder

Contributors................. Bradley Butler .................................................. Libby Cook ......................... Lore and Vince DiSalvo ......................................Derek Doeffinger ..............................................Richard Figiel ................................................... Kirk House ...................................... James P. Hughes ..............................................Dawn Larson ........................................Brooks Mencher ..................................Nancy E. McCarthy .......................................... Jackson Snaith ...................................... Gail Tyner Taylor ......................................Laurel C. Wemett

Life in the Finger Lakes is published by Fahy-Williams Publishing, Inc. and owned by Eleven Lakes Publishing, Inc. Co-owners: Mark S. Stash; Timothy J. Braden. Copyright© 2021 by Eleven Lakes Publishing, Inc. No part of this publication may be reprinted or otherwise reproduced without written permission from the publisher. TO SUBSCRIBE, RENEW OR CHANGE ADDRESS: write to Life in the Finger Lakes, P.O. Box 1080, Geneva, NY 14456, or call 315-789-0458. Subscription rates: $16 for one year. Canada add $15 per year. Outside North America, add $35 per year. For renewal or change of address, include the address label from your most recent issue of Life in the Finger Lakes. For gift subscriptions, include your own name and address as well as those of gift recipients.

Editorial Office.........................................................................................................315-789-0458 Director of Advertising............................................................................................Tim Braden ........................................................................................................ tim@lifeinthefingerlakes.com

For Advertising Inquiries - 315-789-2475 Darlene Ryan...................................................................... darlene@lifeinthefingerlakes.com

Marketing Director Amy Colburn.........................................................................................................amy@fwpi.com

For Subscriptions............................................. fingerlakesmagazine.com/subscribe Business Office.......................................................................315-789-0458, 800-344-0559 Business Fax.............................................................................................................. 315-789-4263 Life in the Finger Lakes 171 Reed St. • P.O. Box 1080 • Geneva, NY 14456 FingerLakesMagazine.com Serving the 14 counties of the Finger Lakes Region

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Celebrate Fall!

happenings Confirm details with event organizers.

Fall Foliage Paddle Enjoy the stunning fall colors of the region by participating in the last guided paddle of 2021 of the Finger Lakes Museum (FLM) season. Led by FLM’s New York State outdoor guides and educators, this evening paddle will take guests out onto the waters of Keuka Lake, through wetlands, and back up Sugar Creek to view the beautiful and colorful landscape that surrounds the area. Children under the ages of 13 must be accompanied by an adult. Visit fingerlakesmuseum.org for more information. October 2, 2-5 p.m. 3369 Guyanoga Road, Branchport, New York, 14418

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Ontario Pathways Great Pumpkin Walk View twinkling candlelit pumpkins from the safety of your car in a COVID safe event as you loop through the Ontario County Fairgrounds parking lot in Canandaigua. Admission will be a flat fee of $10 per car, more for vans and buses. For more information call 585-234-7722 or visit ontariopathways.org, and check their Facebook page. 6:30 to 9 p.m. 2820 Co Rd 10, Canandaigua, NY 14424

Fall Foliage Tractor & Hay Ride Take your tractor or ride in the hay wagon on this leisurely trip through Bear Swamp and the surrounding areas and witness the beauty of the fall foliage as the route twists and turns through back roads to reveal lakes, valleys and astonishing views you won’t find anywhere else. Keyword search “Fall Foliage Tractor & Hay Ride” on facebook.com. October 2, 10 a.m. 2585 Hathaway Rd, Moravia, NY 13118-9600 (Continued on page 14)

Exclusive stores Luxury brands More than 170 specialty shops Anthropologie L.L. Bean Madewell Soft Surroundings Von Maur

Route 96, Victor www.eastviewmall.com (585) 223-4420 September/October 2021 ~

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scrapbook “I was picking some blackberries and I saw this baby praying mantis on a berry. It’s amazing how small they are compared to their adult size.” – Kayla Parmele

“This juvenile eagle is learning to fly in Corning.” – David Phelps

“Father of the year strikes again.” – Margaret Baxter

“Wolcott Falls” – Melissa White

~ FingerL akesM agazine.com

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“July 4th - Otisco Lake celebration” – Sandy Molodetz “Wild bergamot” – Dennis Money

“Dog days of summer — Ernie Davis cooling off on Otisco Lake” – Sandy Molodetz

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happenings

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September 2...New York State Festival Of Balloons Thursday, September 2, 8 p.m. through Sunday, September 5, 8 p.m. The festival is a community event that goes for four days. Daily balloon flights plus arts and crafts vendors. 6 p.m. Friday, Saturday; Sunday 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. then Monday at 6 a.m. Event highlights include arts and craft vendors, food court, tethered rides, free continuous entertainment, rides and amusements for children and a car show. Children under 12 get in free. No pets, coolers, alcohol or drones allowed. Dansville Municipal Airport Maple Street Dansville NY 14437 nysfob.com

September 10...Fall Conservation Ball The ball benefits animal care at the zoo and conservation in the wild. As a highlight of the ball, Zoo Director Ted Fox will be the subject of a roast and lead an auction to benefit the new Animal Health Center. Celebrate Ted’s 30 years at the zoo and share the many memories created over the decades at this funfilled evening event. For more information, to sponsor or participate, please contact Heidi Strong, Director of Development at hstrong@rosamondgiffordzoo.org or 315-435-8511 x8526 Rosamond Gifford Zoo 1 Conservation Pl, Syracuse, NY 13204 (Continued on page 86)

~ FingerL akesM agazine.com

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happenings

The Sound of Autumn

ere in the Finger Lakes, September and October offer a vast cover of musical genres, including folk music, soft rock, or Irish Minstrel. Look no further than the Finger Lakes Region to explore and discover local and regional artists that are sure to deliver phenomenal performances. Aaron Lipp is a musician well known across the Finger Lakes Region who has been a part of multiple successful groups throughout his career. Aaron grew up in Naples, a member of a musical family. He began playing the piano at age four and his professional musical career started at age 16. In 2006 Aaron joined the group Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad, a well-known Rochester based Original Roots Reggae and Dub band. Aaron played nearly a dozen instruments for the group and was part of the making of four albums. During his time as a band member, the group logged nearly half a million miles on tour across the country. With lots of time on the road, Aaron plunged into Old Time and Bluegrass music, learning the practices of the many unique instruments used in the genre. In 2013 Aaron began touring with internationally renowned funk/soul guitarist Robert Randolph and The Family Band, where he played the Hammond B3 Organ, keyboards, guitar and sang backup vocals. He shared the stage with a handful of big name musicians and performed on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” “Late Night with David Letterman,” and “The Kelly and Michael Show.” Since the winter of 2013, Aaron has taken a break from touring to pursue multiple personal musical endeavors as well as forming multiple bands that perform locally in the Finger Lakes Region. You can catch Aaron Lipp at Lincoln Hill Farms (lincolnhillfarms.com) in Canandaigua on September 5 from 2 to 5 p.m.

Aaron Lipp records at Temple Cabin Studios in November 2020. Courtesy aaronlipp.com

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by Jackson Snaith

Other Shows to Attend: September/October September 1 offers folk musician Dave North, for Tunes by The Tracks at the Clifton Springs Library (cliftonspringslibrary. com) from 7 to 9 p.m. September 3 brings us the powerful string quartet, The Blind Owl Band. They perform at Hollerhorn Distilling (hollerhorn.com) in Naples from 7 to 11 p.m. September 15 stars Irish Minstrel musician Gerry Timlin for yet another Tunes by The Tracks at the Clifton Springs Library (cliftonspringslibrary.com) from 7 to 9 p.m. September 24 and 25 at Lincoln Hill Farms in Canandaigua, roots and reggae band Melvin Seals and JGB will play from 5 to 10 p.m. both evenings. (lincolnhillfarms.com) September 25 and 26 are the dates for the iconic and annual Naples Grape Festival at the Naples Memorial Town Park (naplesgrapefest.org). This event takes place from 10 to 5 p.m. both days and consists of multiple musical artists along with food, drink, and arts and crafts. October 1 features a young acoustic duo called The Ende Brothers. They will perform at Vineyard View Winery (vineyardviewwinery.com) in Keuka Park from 6 to 9 p.m. October 2 at the Smith Center for the Arts (thesmith.org), Beatles tribute band 1964 The Tribute, will perform flawless Beatles covers starting at 8 p.m. On October 9, soft/classic rock musicians Alex Myth Trio will perform at Vineyard View Winery in Keuka Park from 5 to 7 p.m. (vineyardviewwinery.com) On October 15 at Hollerhorn Distilling (hollerhorn.com) in Naples, modern folk artist Willie Watson will perform from 7 to 11 p.m.

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nooks & crannies

Grape Pie Grasping

story and photos by James P. Hughes

“I am not going to lie; it is work to put one of these bad boys together...” – from a recipe by Jennifer Morrisey, homeinthefingerlakes.com

~ FingerLakesMagazine.com

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ny first-time discovery of a regional specialty food involves tasting, testing, and theorizing. Is it good? Is it uncommon? Is it memorable? Local pride rises to the forefront of any discussion with background history (sometimes a bit hazy), analysis (often varying with the purveyor) and satisfaction with each positive response. Grape pie is one of those rare regional treats. While it may occasionally pop up in a remote location, the accepted historical and legendary home of this tasty item is Naples, New York, in the heart of the Finger Lakes Region. Amidst rolling hills draped with vineyards, Naples is proud indeed of its noteworthy, delectable and gooey pastry. The picturesque community stands as the self-proclaimed “Grape Pie Capital of the World.” From the annual Naples Grape Festival to purple-painted fire hydrants, the village celebrates the Concord grape and creation of its curious confection. What does it take to make a great grape pie? Generally, an ample supply of Concord grapes, creativity, experience and patience – a great deal of patience. Whether working from a home kitchen or a larger area converted to a “pie kitchen,” it’s an intensive and timeconsuming process. First, grape pulp must be popped (or “slipped”) from the skins. The pulp is cooked down and then all seeds are strained from it. Combining the skins and other ingredients with the steaming pulp adds flavor and color to what will become the grape pie’s aromatic, “goop-like” filling.

Above left: In Naples, the ever-present grape pops up everywhere. Right: “Grape Pies and More” sign announces what a visitor can expect in Naples.

“Cindy’s” is another outlet for grape pies in Naples.

In the early 1960s, owner Al Hodges was the first to introduce the grape pie as a novelty dessert at his popular Redwood Restaurant.

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Who markets the grape pie? Many trace its inception to the Redwood Restaurant on Cohocton Street in Naples. There in the early 1960s, owner Al Hodges collaborated with neighbor Irene Bouchard to prepare and serve the quirky dessert to customers. For decades, local businesses like Monica’s Pies, Cindy’s Pies and Jeni’s Pies have thrived by not only producing these grape delicacies, but an array of related products as well, all unique and tempting. Other folks market their own versions at local farm stands or community events, and even from the friendliness of a front porch. Who makes the best grape pie? That depends. Each baker has established personal methods to tweak and enhance the product. In turn, every consumer may have a favorite, hinging on key factors such as sweetness, tartness, crust, appearance, texture, flavor, etc. Most agree that the tasting and testing process alone is an adventure – challenging and fun! You can’t miss this sign on Route 21.

Monica Schenk, one of Naples’ popular piemakers, offers insights into this unique industry. • As regional tastes began to favor white wines, a surplus of Concords led to the evolution of grape pie marketing from “honor system” roadside tables to full-scale production. • Appreciating the difficulties involved in making a great product, local grape piemakers in the close-knit community offer each other support when needed. • Family involvement is critical to overcome time-consuming essentials, including picking grapes, popping skins, cooking pulp, blending pie dough, folding boxes, promotion, sales and deliveries. • Nostalgic former residents needing a “fix” often drop by, and curious travelers appear just to sample this flaky treat for the first time. • Extensive freezing of the filling allows grape pie baking and availability year-round, not just in season. • Over the years, the “art” of piemaking has spread to other grape varieties –and multiple products.

~ FingerL akesM agazine.com

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nooks & crannies Left: Monica Schenk and granddaughter Ella…a family project. Monica is a lifelong Naples resident and one of many renowned grape piemakers in the area. Below: A grape pie with a decorative topping is a work of art.. Photo by Hollie Joseph

Schenk certainly understands the challenges of the process; she’s been in the business for almost four decades. Handling multiple tons of grapes per year and baking thousands of grape pies annually is a lot of work. But as one humorist insists, “Stress cannot exist in the presence of a pie!” While Naples is a fine spot to visit during any season, autumn may be a bit special – a time when hillsides are ablaze with color and there’s a crispness in the air. It’s then that the annual Naples Grape Festival takes place, celebrating the seasonal grape harvest with arts, crafts, music and, of course, ample food and wine. The gala’s signature event is the World’s Greatest Grape Pie Contest, an opportunity where bakers – from the aspiring to the accomplished – can compete before an esteemed panel of judges. The 2021 festival will take place September 25-26, a perfect opportunity to enjoy the festivities and take home some memories – along with at least a grape pie or two.

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people in the know

Betsy Schermerhorn Director, Marketing and Admissions at Kendal at Ithaca

ell a very brief history of Kendal at Ithaca. What is its mission and what makes it such a special community? Kendal at Ithaca was the first operational continuing care retirement community (CCRC) – also known as a lifecare or lifeplan community – in New York State. We welcomed our first residents in December of 1996. We are an affiliate of the Kendal Corporation of Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, which was established at the impetus of a group of Quakers. Our mission is to provide a mutually supportive environment for residents and staff, and to contribute to the greater Ithaca community. We offer residential amenities, activities and facilities, and health care for life. The most special thing about Kendal is the people – they’re engaged, enthused, and energized by our environment. How did you become involved with the community and what is your role? I had no idea what or where Kendal was until my mother moved there and I accompanied her on a “Try Us” visit. We were both sold. I was impressed with the community, the care, amenities and people – residents and staff. About seven years later, I was looking for a new challenge, and the director of marketing and admissions became available. Our team helps people understand the options they have for living as they age and how the CCRC model supports graceful aging. What part of the Finger Lakes Region do you like the most? I’m partial to the southern ends of Cayuga and Seneca Lakes with their dramatic rock formations, gorges and waterfalls. One fun thing about the Finger Lakes is that you can see from one side of a lake to the other. That brings a real sense of connectedness, centered on the lakes. I also enjoy the north ends that spread into open farmland. What words of wisdom would you pass onto your childhood self? Even if it looks scary, don’t be afraid to try something new. I’m on my third career, and despite them all being quite different, there’s a thread that binds them together into a journey that makes sense. What inspires you? I’m always inspired by the creative energies that others demonstrate. I’m also greatly inspired by the older adults with whom I have the honor to share most of my days – they’re a wealth of wisdom, humor and gentle guidance. What is one thing people often misunderstand about you? Probably people are most surprised to learn I’m really an introvert. Despite performing onstage and speaking in public, I’m a very happy solitary person with my dog and my garden and my music.

~ FingerLakesMagazine.com

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dining

Delicious Dishes

Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza Pat’s Pizzeria Toppings include juicy 75/25 Angus beef, American cheese, pickles, mozzarella and savory bacon! patspizzas.com

Savory FireRoasted Chicken

Rosamond Gifford Zoo Deliciously classic fireroasted chicken with fresh rosemary and grated asiago cheese, basted in savory pan butter and topped with fresh trimmed parsley. cateringatthezoo.org

The Nolan’s Lobster Roll!

Nolans It’s a generous portion of cold water lobster poached in warm butter served on grilled roll. nolansonthelake.com

Strawberry Blueberry Salad

Red Bird Café This wonderful summer salad is made of sun-kissed sweet strawberries sourced from a local farm and sprinkled with plump blueberries. The dressing is a combination of F. Oliver’s Blueberry Balsamic Vinegar and F. Oliver’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil. redbirdcafeandgiftshop.com

Statesman Steakhouse Salad

Stonecutter’s Tavern at Belhurst Steakhouse marinated USDA choice beef tenderloin medallions are served over romaine and mixed field green with crispy Tabasco onions, crumbled Gorgonzola cheese and grape tomatoes. Finished with a herbed red wine vinaigrette. belhurst.com

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outdoors

New York’s

National Forest

~ FingerLakesMagazine.com

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by Richard Figiel

here are 154 national forests spread throughout the 50 states. Michigan and Florida each have three, North Carolina has five, Colorado 11 and California 18. New York has one. The Finger Lakes National Forest drapes over the low ridge separating Cayuga and Seneca Lakes. It’s an easy day-trip from Rochester, Syracuse and Ithaca, but on any given day hardly anybody comes, even locals. Last fall I spent hours walking the trails on a glorious weekend without encountering a soul – social distancing at its best. Virtually all the land around the Finger Lakes was cleared for farming by the mid-1800s, but the upland soil on this ridge proved to be thin and poorly drained, steadily eroding and degrading through the decades, leaving farms already failing when the Depression hit. The federal government bought more than 100 moribund farms – about 16,000 acres – between 1938 and 1941. Today, 30 miles of trails thread through some still-open fields and the forest that reclaimed most of this land. Here and there the trails pass by hundreds of cellar holes left from long-gone houses and barns, sometimes flagged by an ancient apple tree or lilac bush, or even a cluster of daffodils. These are places to contemplate how generations of families ran through an arc of hope, toil and eventual despair. About a third of the Finger Lakes “Forest” is almost treeless – farm fields preserved as pastureland by an agreement between the U.S. Forest Service and a group of local livestock farmers, the Hector Cooperative Grazing Association, one of the oldest public grazing operations in the country. For the last 80 years, they’ve been pasturing sheep, horses and cattle in these fields. Paths run through them, sometimes through a herd of curious animals (remember to close the gate behind you). One of my favorite things to do on a carefree day is sit on a rock or a log beside one of the isolated trees that dot the pastures, trees that are typically stunted and gnarled from years buffeted by cattle jostling into a patch of shade. Cow pies are all around, baking in the sun. You can easily imagine yourself on a high-plains Nebraska prairie. In the fall, if your timing is lucky, while daydreaming at one of these little oases you might watch local cowboys rounding up a herd (forest regulations require the animals to be out of pasture by November 1). In the spring, if you’re lucky again – and very still – you may witness the cheeky mating strategy of the Henslow’s Sparrow, a threatened species that requires exactly this kind of sparsely-browsed grassland habitat. Henslow stuffs his mouth with grass, leads his fiancée to a choice nesting spot, drops the mouthful, steps back and watches her build the nest. If he’d just pitch in, maybe he could give the species a little boost. I live a mile from the edge of the national forest. Walking my road recently alongside a bog, I came upon a sleek, glistening, dark-brown animal lying dead in the ditch. The bog borders a creek originating on forest land

Photos courtesy USDA Forest Service

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outdoors

Sculpture by James Seaman For home, garden or business – anything is possible! Contact Jay for a consultation

607 351 8190 jsculptures@icloud.com • www.jamesseaman.com

The Gold Silver & Diamond Store

where beavers look after dozens of ponds. But this wasn’t a beaver, it was an otter. I hadn’t seen otters outside the Adirondacks, so I asked the district ranger, Jodie Vanselow, if otters have joined the other animals repopulating the forest – black bears, bobcats, fishers, beavers, coyotes. Apparently not. This individual must have been a wandering pioneer in search of a mate. There is nothing quite like encountering a little cemetery in the middle of the woods, or a stone wall running through stands of mature trees, to give you a jolt of your own evanescence. The walls once separated crop fields and pastures; now they often separate different populations of trees that tell us something about abandonment and regeneration. On one side of a wall, slow-growing hardwoods like oak, beech and hickory may dominate where fields were given up early when farms first began to struggle and shrink. Across the wall, a colonizing stand of pine and spruce recall fields let go at the bitter end, when old couples sat in houses falling down around them, their kids moved away, unable to sell the land. If it couldn’t be farmed, it had no value – no one wanted it until the government stepped in.. The Reagan administration tried to sell off national forests in the 1980s, targets for budget cuts and privatization. Enough locals rallied the area’s Republican congressman to save the Finger Lakes National Forest. National forests play a different role from national parks. They function something like ecological workshops, places of interaction and intervention between people and natural ecosystems. In the Finger Lakes National Forest, this can mean removing a swath of trees to create a patch of early successional aspen habitat for woodcocks and grouse (hunting

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~ FingerL akesM agazine.com

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is not just permitted, it’s nurtured). In one corner of the forest a small, fenced area has been planted with grafts taken from individual butternut trees showing resistance to a canker disease blighting that species. Seeds from the mini-plantation may someday rescue the butternut. Interventions sometimes do a bit of a somersault. Years ago, a wetland at the top of the ridge was dammed to create what is now the forest’s biggest, 20-acre pond. Recently – with financial aid from Ducks Unlimited, the Great Lakes Restoration Project and others – baffles were installed at the pond’s outlet to manipulate water levels and mimic the old wetland, promoting sources of food for wading birds and migratory wildfowl. “Multi-use” is a catchword for the national forest. Permits are issued for cutting firewood. Fields of blueberries only need you to bring your own bucket. While there are designated trails for horseback riding and snowmobiling, most are restricted to walking and skiing. Ponds are stocked with rainbow and brook trout for late-spring angling before the water warms up. You can pitch a tent and build a campfire almost anywhere in the forest for free, though not many do. Spectacular state parks are close by all around the Finger Lakes National Forest – Watkins Glen, Taughannock Falls, Enfield Glen – amazing places with sometimes amazing crowds of visitors. The national forest is spectacular in its solitude.

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Artizanns

Photography by George Wallace features iconic scenes of the Finger Lakes. George’s photographs are so vibrant they are often mistaken for paintings. Printed on canvas, each image is available in several sizes. $45 - $205. artizanns.com

Finger Lakes Bell Co.

product picks Zugibe Vineyards

2020 Chardonnay It offers fresh fruit flavors of apple, pear and apricot, with hints of vanilla and caramel on the long finish. zugibevineyards.com

A bell for every Finger Lake and more. Find them at the Windmill Farm & Craft Market in Penn Yan, Finger Lakes Unique in Corning, and online. flxbells.com

Fireplace Fashions

Beat the snow and cold. Upgrade your fireplace to an efficient insert today! Stop in at Fireplace Fashions, since 1957. 1936 Hudson Ave in Irondequoit 585-266-8967

Fitch Construction

Enjoy a sunroom with a view. Sunrooms come in a number of shapes and styles and their design consultants work with you to identify the best look for your home. Call today for free design consultation at 585-377-3330 fitchconstruction.com/sunrooms/fitchconstruction-sunroom-projects FitchConstruction.com

~ FingerL akesM agazine.com

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product picks The Corning Building Company

GE Profile™ Smart 30” Free-Standing Self Clean Gas Fingerprint Resistant Range with No Preheat Air Fry. Model# PGB935YPIFS Get up to $2000 back on Select GE Smart Cooking Appliance Packages with The Innovation Rebate through December 31, 2021. corningbldg.com

Antique Revival

Antique Oversized Figural Oak China Cabinet, Circa 1900. antiquerevival.com

Lamoreaux Landing Wine Cellars

2019 Reserve Chardonnay Blended from select barrels to offer a satisfying balance of oak character and lively fruit, this wine reveals elegant flavors of citrus, vanilla and toasted pecans. $19.99 lamoreauxwine.com

Evolved Home Furnishings

Both Evolved home locations (Lyons and the Waterloo Premium Outlets) now carry a large variety of Stonewall Kitchen gourmet food products. Prices range from $7.95 to $44.95. 315-937-8409

Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery

2020 Winter Solstice Gewurztraminer This innovative wine utilizes the winemaking technique called Winter Fermentation and is then aged in Amphora for 7 months. $39.99 drfrankwines.com

Cricket on the Hearth

The Mendota Full View 44 Gas insert brings luxury and efficiency to your existing fireplace. CricketOnTheHearth.com

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product picks Crown Jewelry

Beautiful jewelry handcrafted by artisans in Bali. mycrowndowntown.com

Ventosa Vineyards

Super-soft sweatshirt-material blanket! is now 10% OFF. It’s cozy and extra-large (54” x 84”) with room to share! Heavyweight jersey fabric on one side and cozy fleece on the other. 80% cotton, 20% polyester, hemmed edges. $31.50. VentosaVineyards.com

Showplace Cabinetry The Newest Showplace Character Stain is Montana Light taupe with a white wash and time-worn appearance. Montana is available on 12 Showplace species. Shown in the Channing door style on Rustic Hickory. showplacecabinetry.com

Wagner Vineyards

2019 Cabernet Franc: Awarded Double Gold at the Finger Lakes Wine Competition, this lightly oaked offering is bold yet bright, with ripe blackberry and subtle spice characteristics. $16.99. wagnervineyards.com

Lazy Acre Alpacas

Stay warm and stylish with a pop of color in this Spruce Alpaca Cardigan. Made from Baby Alpaca and Merino Wool, this sweater features a textured knit in vibrant spruce green tones. Visit 8830 Baker Road in Bloomfield. lazyacrealpacas.com

~ FingerL akesM agazine.com

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day trip

Patterns and BLOCKS by Laurel C. Wemett

Finger Lakes Barn Quilt Trail

arns and farm buildings dot the landscape throughout the Finger Lakes Region. Some are alive with activity while others are deserted and structurally compromised. Now these reminders of the area’s strong agricultural heritage are boasting colorful barn quilt blocks. Similarly, the bright décor can also be spotted on businesses – especially those located in converted barns. One such example, named “Crown Royalty,” is mounted on the “Pie Barn” at Monica’s Pies,

the popular roadside bakery outside Naples. A barn quilt block resembles one square of a fabric quilt, often using a variation of a traditional pattern such as Compass or Log Cabin, painted on aluminum composite boards to withstand winter climate extremes. Three block sizes – 8x8, 4x4 or 2x2 feet square – fit different sized structures. Those made for homes, sheds, fences and garages may be smaller. September/October 2021 ~

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day trip

Sleep. Breath. Be.

HEALTHY

Many adults show signs of having a sleep disorder, such as snoring, teeth grinding and sleep apnea. Getting a good night’s rest and good oral health are important to overall wellness. As a Diplomate of the American Board of Dental Sleep, Dr. Lisa Mulkin understands the connection between breathing, sleeping and oral health, and provides treatment options that can help improve your health and quality of life. If you or a loved one snores or has signs of sleep apnea, contact Lake Country Dental to learn more.

New patients welcome

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315.789.3067 lakecountrydds.com

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We Look Out for Your Dental Health

Lisa Mulkin, DDS 404 William St., Suite 5 Geneva, NY 14456

FLXBQT Beginnings “I feel the trail has been very successful,” says Leah Friends of South Bristol, one of the founders of the Finger Lakes Barn Quilt Trail (FLXBQT). One of several barn quilt trails in New York, FLXBQT is bounded by I-90 on the north, Route 390 on the west, the Pennsylvania border on the south, and Route 14 on the east. The barn quilt trail movement originated in Ohio about 20 years ago, after a woman brightened a plain tobacco barn with a quilt block for her mother. Neighbors and friends then formed a trail to attract tourists and boost the area’s economic development. In November 2018, Leah Friends, Liz Smith of South Bristol and Deb Lindbloom of Naples developed FLXBQT. Along with an email and Facebook account, they’ve created a logo, rack card and trail directory that identifies the site of 50 registered locations displaying about 61 quilt blocks. Thanks to Ontario County’s tourism bureau, the Finger Lakes Visitors Connection, an interactive map on the FLXBQT website encourages road trips. The timing was perfect; Friends says the trail provided a beautiful driving tour during the pandemic, “when all anyone could do safely was to take a drive.” Friends’ neighbor Courtney Boulton keeps track of finances and processes applications to be on the trail. Placement on the trail is limited to structures that are on a public road, accessible year-round and clearly visible from the roadway. A registration fee is based on block size. The 8x8 quilt block on the Founder’s Barn on busy Route 64 south of Bristol Mountain was the initiating piece of FLXBQT. The historic weathered English-style barn, owned by the town Page 31: The prominent “X” of this barn quilt block, named The Bristol Valley Star, is a marker of sorts to identify the nearby burial location of South Bristol’s founder, Gamaliel Wilder, as well as veterans of early 19th-century wars through the Civil War. Photo courtesy FLXBQT

~ FingerL akesM agazine.com

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AmazIng Corn is an eye-catching 8 x 8-foot barn quilt at Bob-Mar Farm on County Road 39 in Bloomfield, operated by Phil White. The former family dairy farm today wholesales fruits and vegetables; it has a reputation for growing some of the area’s best corn. Photo courtesy Lyonfoto

of South Bristol, shares the entryway to the town’s Founder’s Cemetery. “The Bristol Valley Star,” Friends’ colorful block of yellow, blue, gray and green, is laid out in a modified traditional quilt pattern. Personalized Blocks The barn quilt names help with identification, while information about the design and the building is located on the group’s website. Friends’ newest 8x8 trail block, “Jessie’s Flowers,” is located in Avoca on a renovated barn operated by Hemlock Ridge Farm. This active organic dairy farm also operates Hemlock Ridge Farm Market selling meat, eggs, maple syrup, bulk foods and flowers. The design represents Jessie Slayton’s love for growing and arranging flowers to share with her community, Surroundings can inspire a quilt block like the 4x4 quilt block at Weaver View Farms, an Amish quilt shop. The restored 1850 barn on Route 14 north of Penn Yan, built 1,000 feet from the western shore of Seneca Lake, motivated business owner Pauline Weaver to create her own unique version of the Mariner’s Compass, called “Seneca Mariner’s Compass.” Two smaller quilt blocks on the building honor local ties to the Underground Railroad. “Amazing Corn,” an 8x8 block created by Marlese (White) Hawkins of Bloomfield, was installed last year on Bob-Mar Farm’s barn on County Road 39.

When you gift a subscription, the recipient receives six beautiful issues delivered directly to their mailbox throughout the year.

FingerLakesMagazine.com (800) 344-0559

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day trip

The super-size cob’s yellow and white kernels were inspired by the locale, known for growing bi-color corn. A new pumpkin barn quilt block for the same barn will be a reminder of the pumpkins piled there every fall. Hawkins’ blocks adorn other family structures and businesses, including “White’s Whim,” named after the family’s cottage, which greets shoppers at White’s Farm Market on Route 64 in Bloomfield. “We’ve learned to create more complicated patterns than when we started four years ago,” says Deb Lindbloom.

Quilt Blocks are not just found on barns. Deb and Frank Lindbloom’s Naples home includes a variety of smaller blocks. On the far left is a Mama’s Heartfelt Hummingbird and just to the right of the adjacent window is Kleidoscope of Kolor, an arrangement of five individual blocks. Photo courtesy Deb Lindbloom

“Our growth and completion of each block inspires us to paint another one.” Lindbloom and her husband Frank have completed about 35 blocks since 2017. They made 10 during the pandemic, as commissions, gifts or to keep. A favorite is the 2x2 block called “Mama’s Heartfelt Hummingbird,” created in honor and remembrance of Lindbloom’s late mother, who loved hummingbirds. “I embellished the colors by adding paint strokes to give the appearance of bird feathers in the hummingbird and depth to the flowers and leaves,” she explains. Other Lindbloom barn quilts found around Naples include “Sweet Garden Splendor” at Sweet Blessings Boutique on Main Street. The Lindblooms have also donated blocks as fundraisers to non-profits, as have Friends, Hawkins and other barn quilt makers. DIY from Simple to Complex Friends completed a few commissions in 2020; the price for a commissioned quilt block is based on size,

Now Open!

The Finger Lakes largest year-round Christmas Store! Offering a huge selection of holiday items as well as gifts and home decor throughout the year

Evolve for the Holidays

Come spend a day in downtown Lyons! 57 William St., Lyons, NY 14489 Plenty of parking just a short walk away. Right next door to the Historic Ohmann Movie Theater. Find us on Facebook for current hours and more details.

315-937-8409 34

~ FingerL akesM agazine.com

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This striking barn quilt titled Seneca Mariner Compass was painted by the owner of Weaver View Farms, an Amish quilt shop. Photo courtesy Eileen Sawyer & Weaver View Farms

number of colors and complexity of design. She also offered workshops on her open-air back porch, so people can make their own. First, the aluminum composite board is sanded so paint will adhere. Three coats of white paint provide a starting base. Friends recommends beginning with a simple geometric pattern, which is then taped off. At her spring 2021 workshop at the Little Lakes Community Center (LLCC) in Hemlock, some students tackled a geometric star pattern. Mary Ann Thompson, president of the LLCC Association and owner of Hemlock Hills Alpaca Farm, chose an alpaca for her barn quilt. Donna Jopson, widow of country music singer Dick Jopson, created the image of a guitar. These creations cannot warm the body like the fabric quilts that inspired them, but their vivid designs feed the souls of their makers and the many travelers that seek them out. “The Finger Lakes Barn Quilt Trail has brought people together, created community, spread happiness to many people, especially during the time we have needed most,” says Friends.

Find the trail directory on the Finger Lakes Barn Quilt Trail Facebook page and a map at flxbarnquilttrailcom. Guide sheets on making a barn quilt and sources of supplies are also available.

Spend retirement the way you’ve dreamed. Fill your days as you please with luxury retirement living at Quail Summit - nestled in the beautiful hills overlooking Canandaigua. Enjoy your time free from the burdens of home ownership and maintenance by taking advantage of first-class services and amenities. Plus, you’ll have peace of mind knowing you have priority access to a continuum of care if additional support is ever needed. • Exceptional value. No entrance fee. • Maintenance-free apartments with a wide range of first-class amenities. • Scheduled courtesy transportation for shopping and special events. • Unlimited transportation to medical appointments. • Complimentary continental breakfast.

TO SCHEDULE A TOUR, CALL 585-396-1010 QUAILSUMMIT.COM Quail Summit is a St. Ann’s Community Partner

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around the region

Yates County Y

became the Yates County seat in 1823. It was later incorporated in 1833. Penn Yan, short for “Pennsylvania Yankee,” is home to one the country’s oldest mills. The Birkett Mills have produced buckwheat out of Penn Yan since 1797. At the time of its incorporation, downtown Penn Yan was a trading hub for agriculture from around the county through the Crooked Lake Canal. Today, the historic village, located on the north end of the east branch of Keuka Lake, is home to a variety of local businesses. Yates County is located northwest of Ithaca, southwest of Syracuse and southeast of Rochester.

ates County is named after former New York governor Joseph Yates, who signed the act that established the county in 1823. Originally, Yates County was considered to be part of Albany County until a division of the land in 1772. In 1788, Oliver Phelps and Nathaniel Gorham officially purchased the land from the Seneca Nation so immigrants fleeing religious persecution could settle the area. Nestled between Seneca Lake and Canandaigua Lake, Yates County has an area of 376 square miles, with 338 square miles of land and 38 square miles of water. The village of Penn Yan was settled in 1799, then

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County articles by Libby Cook

Bellona Yates County

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High Tor Wildlife Management Area

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Himrod 14A

Barrington Starkey Prattsburgh

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Lakemont Gelnora 14

Rock Stream ~ FingerL akesM agazine.com

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Things to Do! Take a scenic trip around Keuka Lake through the Keuka Lake Wine Trail. The tour includes six local wineries around the perimeter of the lake. Driving time for the total circuit is just over an hour and many of the wineries are open daily and year-round.

Enriched Living at

Spend a day on the water at Keuka Lake State Park, located on the north end of the west branch of the lake in Keuka Park. The 621-acre park is open year-round to visitors seeking outdoor adventure through boating, swimming, fishing, hunting, hiking, snowshoeing, cross country skiing and camping.

A close-knit, friendly community with unparalleled care.

Explore the history of the area at the Oliver House Museum, a part of the Yates County History Center, located in Penn Yan. Learn about the foundation of the county through the house of Andrew Oliver, an early political figure and physician who helped settle the county and built an 18-room home in Penn Yan in 1852. Penn Yan

For an all-inclusive monthly fee* we provide: n

24-hour assistance

Housekeeping

Medication monitoring

Laundry

Nursing staff on duty

Transportation

Case management

Keuka Lake

Emergency response system Three meals daily

Social and recreational programs On-site medical care from UR Medicine Geriatrics Group

* No entrance fee or security deposit Yates County is made up of nine towns, six hamlets, four villages and one Census-designated place. Population: 25,348 Median age: 38 years old Keuka Lake, one of the 11 Finger Lakes, is located in the county. Agriculture is the county’s largest business, specifically dairies and vineyards.

Call Lynne Standish for a tour today!

585.393.4330 ClarkMeadows.com

An affiliate of

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around the region

Schuyler County S

road and track racing. The Watkins Glen International race track hosts NASCAR Cup Series and the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Watkins Glen was also a former site for the Formula One United States Grand Prix and IndyCar road races. The village of Watkins Glen is also home to Watkins Glen State Park, a popular “flagship” park that has over 19 waterfalls in a gorge less than two miles long. Schuyler County is located at the southern end of Seneca Lake, west of Ithaca, southeast of Rochester and directly north of Corning and Elmira.

chuyler County is named after General Phillip Schuyler, a major general in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. The county’s land was initially part of Albany County but was established as the current county in 1854 through divisions of the land in Steuben, Chemung and Tompkins County. Schuyler County has an area of 342 square miles, with 328 square miles of land and 14 square miles of water. The village of Watkins Glen was settled in 1791, incorporated in 1842 and made the Schuyler County seat in 1854. The village has strong ties to auto racing, specifically

Finger Lakes Region

New York

Starkey Dundee

Schuyler County

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Sugar Hill State Forest

Watkins Glen Watkins Glen State Park

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414 Connecticut Hill Wildlife Mangement Area

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Montour Falls 224 Odessa

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Goundry Hill State Forest

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Things to Do! Check out the waterfalls and gorges of Watkins Glen State Park. The 778-acre park features multiple trails that run above and through the gorge’s 19 waterfalls. The park trails also connect to the Finger Lakes Trail, which travels over 800 miles through New York’s Finger Lakes region. Take in the history of the region at the Brick Tavern Museum in Montour Falls. The building is the oldest brick structure in the county and has been preserved by the county historical society since 1974. The museum has exhibits on multiple floors that showcase life and culture in Schuyler County throughout history. There is also a research library with vintage records and artifacts of Montour Falls available to the public. Relax on the water through the multiple cruise and boating options on Seneca Lake. Schooner Excursions offers sailboat rides from the pier in Watkins Glen and sightseeing, eco and historical tours aboard the M/V Remedy. Captain Bill’s offers sightseeing cruises and dinner and wine cruises out of Seneca Harbor Park.

e Park

Stat Watkins Glen

Sponsored by the Gallery Council of the Memorial Art Gallery, the Rubens Family Foundation and the Elaine P. and Richard U. Wilson Foundation.

Schuyler County is made up of eight towns, four villages and two hamlets.

or visit mag.rochester.edu

Population: 18,343 Median age: 39 years old Schuyler is the second least-populated county in New York. The Finger Lakes National Forest is a protected area of over 16,000 acres of natural land that spans Schuyler and Seneca County. September/October 2021 ~

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around the region

Cortland County C

ortland County is named after Pierre Van Cortlandt, the first lieutenant governor of New York and a contributor to the writing of the first New York state constitution in 1777. The area is nicknamed the “gateway to the Finger Lakes region” and was originally occupied by the Iroquois

until the Revolutionary War. The first white settlement in the county was in 1791 in what is now the town of Homer. Cortland County was created from a division of the land in Onondaga County in 1808. Cortland County has an area of 502 square miles, with 499 square miles of land and 3 square miles of water. The city of Cortland was settled Morgan Hill in 1791, made a State Forest village in 1853, then made the Cortland County seat in Cuyler 1808. It was not 13 incorporated into 91 a city until 1900. Throughout its Truxton history, the city of Cortland has been a hub for manufacturing and shipping products internationally.

Assembly Park

Preble

Scott

11 41

Little York

East Homer

Cortland

Finger Lakes Region

Cortland County

Homer

Cortland West 222

41A

Solon

McGraw

Munsons Corners

Taylor ValleyState Forest

Cortland County

Blodgett Mills 13

New York

Taylor

East Freetown

215

Cinncinatus 23

Freetown Corners

Virgil 81 392

Galatia

Texas Valley

James Kennedy State Forest

Willet 221

Lapeer Harford

Marathon

221

Hunts Corners

Harford Mills

~ FingerL akesM agazine.com

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Things to Do! Plan a weekend getaway or day trip the whole family will enjoy at Greek Peak Mountain Resort. The resort is a winter sports hub for downhill and cross-country skiing, snowboarding and snow tubing. During the warmer months, Greek Peak has a waterpark, mountain coaster, mountain bike trails and ziplines. If you’re in search of a calmer stay, Greek Peak has a spa and several dining options that will allow you to relax and enjoy the area. Celebrate local arts, entertainment and creativity at the Center for the Arts of Homer. The community theater and art gallery feature talent from all over the world, as well as local artists. The Center for the Arts hosts film screenings, concerts, exhibitions and other educational events year-round. Chase the thrills of waterslides and wave pools year-round at the Cascades Indoor Water Park in Cortland. The park, which is part of the Greek Peak Mountain Resort, has over 500 feet of slides, a wave pool with a 13-foot waterfall, an outdoor pool, a kid-friendly pool and play area and indoor hot tubs for the whole family to play and unwind.

Cortland

Greek Peak Mountain

Resort

Cortland County is located just south of Syracuse, east of Ithaca, north of Binghamton and west of Albany. Population: 49,336 Median age: 34 years old The Cortland apple is named after the county. The county is home to the SUNY Cortland campus. Cortland County is made up of 15 towns, four Censusdesignated places, three villages and one city.

HARRY McCUE

Autumn Evening with 5 sheep Set in the Finger Lakes Region, these themes of nature and the transience of man in nature are the focus of most of my works. Visit my studio on the Ithaca Art Trail 2423 Skinner Rd. Lodi, NY

607.582.6252 harrymccue.com

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The

Amazing

Fall Harvest

~ FingerLakesMagazine.com

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story and photos by Derek Doeffinger

t’s harvest time. The culmination of cultivation. The summation of summer. And, unfortunately, the first whisper of winter. But most of all it’s a whirlwind of entertaining activity, as a thousand farmers climb aboard a thousand spinning hamster wheels, trying to achieve the thousand things needed to bring in the corn, the cabbages, the grapes, the apples and peaches, the tomatoes and potatoes. Even the kale. For us, it’s a sight to behold. For farmers, it’s a boatload of work (and hopefully a boatload – even if it’s a rowboat – of money for months of hard labor and overdue bills). The Finger Lakes harvest takes on a dozen different forms. Cabbages get sliced. Apples get plucked. Potatoes and carrots get dug. Corn and soybeans get combined. Tractors get fixed and fueled. Hands get taped and knees iced. Machetes get sharpened. Weather gets studied. Grapes get snipped or shook. Pumpkins get tossed. And at the end of the day, showers get dirty. Really dirty. Starting in late August, the fall

harvest goes on for at least two months. Some farmers focus on a few crops, such as field corn or soy beans or apples. Others spread their risks over a dozen or more crops for farm markets, CSA subscribers or grocery stores. The fall harvest is not only an annual ritual, it’s also an ancient ritual. It’s been woven into our genes over thousands of years. And for you, me and the rest of us, it’s also a cultural expectation ingrained in us from childhood, when we toddled through apple fests, Halloween school parades and an endless parade of Thanksgiving dinners. For farmers, the harvest represents more than a ritual. It is a real-time annual report published in three dimensions of crop accumulation. It’s also a performance appraisal. Is the silo full? The barn stuffed to its rafters? The tractor trailers filled and headed to distributors? The creditors paid?

Above: Harvesting a field of pumpkins is back-breaking work. Left: The more you pick the more you make – but climbing ladders all day long takes a toll, especially on the older workers. Below: Once harvested, produce is prepped at Muddy Fingers Farm to give it an appealing look for customers. Liz delivers ginger to Matthew who is almost done prepping the turmeric.

(Story continued on page 46. See page 44 about hand-picking crops. )

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Picking Crops by Hand Q

uite a few crops in the Finger Lakes are hand-picked. For some, such as apples and peaches, it’s the practical way. For others, like grapes, it’s usually a matter of choice, largely to improve the quality by choosing only the superior grapes and by preserving the integrity of the fruit through gentle handling. For smaller farms like CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture), it’s the economical way. Hand-picking on a large scale usually falls to migrant workers. Farmer after farmer will tell you how important migrant workers are to their success. Although the crops may be picked by hand, commercial operations embrace technology and machinery to process and store the harvest.

Ventosa Vineyards: Better Wine through Better Grapes

Ventosa Vineyards owners Lenny and Meg Cicere have committed to 100% hand-picking to bring out the highest quality and subtlest flavors in their wines, which are aged one to three years in oak barrels. On their 23 acres on the northeast side of Seneca Lake, they make wine only from the grapes they grow. Left: Vineyard Manager, Roberto Aguilera feeds the grapes into the crusher/destemmer; washing over the skins, the juices pick up natural yeast to start the fermentation.

Migrant workers are critical to the apple harvest and year-long cultivation. On this day, their ages ranged from 18 to 65.

~ FingerLakesMagazine.com

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Muddy Fingers Farm

At Muddy Fingers Farm, Liz Martin and Matthew Glen grow fresh, high-quality produce for CSA customers, farmer markets, and restaurants. With occasional parental assistance (Liz’s mom above), they handle all the planting, cultivating, cleaning, and selling.

G and G Orchards

New York State is second in the country in apple production. G and G Farms in Williamson is instrumental in helping achieve that position.

Al Verbridge adjusts the controlled-atmosphere system in the storage warehouses. By nearly eliminating the oxygen and keeping the temperature near 32 degrees, it stops the ripening of apples so that months later they’re nearly as fresh as the day they were picked.

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Many vintners believe that using hand pickers like Luceal to choose the best grapes improves the quality of their wines.

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Experienced farmers grow proficient. They know that mother nature may be charging over the horizon to toss explosive storm clouds before the combine can be repaired. Farmers expect such challenges. Some thrive on them, while others suffer. But most endure to tell and retell harvest stories.

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The Beauty of Crop Fields Crop fields can be stunningly and unexpectedly beautiful. Sometimes the beauty is obvious, as when tens of thousands of sunflowers dance under a windblown squadron of cumulus clouds. Other times, the most common of vegetables may stir you. Fields of cabbage catch my fancy. Their subtle shades of green, cyan, mauve and purple in precisely stitched knots running across fields look like abstract computer art. For me, there’s also a macabre side. Because those cabbages are called (and look like) “heads,” there’s a presumption that bodies are attached, suggesting you may not want to stroll by a cabbage patch on a dark and stormy night – they could be emerging. A light, tangy fragrance sometimes perfumes the air around a cabbage field. It could be worse. The Contrary Farmer ranks rotting cabbage as the fifth worst farm smell. Also suggesting a computer origin is the new trend of growing apple trees in esplanade form. The goal here is efficiency (and lower insurance premiums as ladder spills decrease). Next to mature, full grown apple trees, still common in the vast Wayne County orchards, esplanade trees seem spindly. A 20-foot apple tree loaded with fruit appears majestic. It may be the most impressive agricultural feat in the Finger Lakes. And while rows of bare grapevines against the snow seem artful, their current twists of leafy profundity and viney precision, punctuated by the purplish globes hidden within,

~ FingerL akesM agazine.com

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Experienced field workers (Luis shown here) say grapes are a good crop to harvest.

Post and Beam Homes Locally crafted in our South Bristol New York shop promise that their future in a bottle will be worth waiting for. The dull and stiff soy beans stretching to the horizon can’t match the wind-whipped waves that rippled through summer’s wheat and barley fields. But what happens when you toss in a harvesting combine that erupts great clouds of dust and spews a steady stream of soy beans into the companion truck? I get a comforting sense of well-being. Where to Go When You should see the harvest first hand. Take a couple of drives through the Finger Lakes from late August to midNovember. Each week offers a new crop being plucked, combined, dug or snipped and placed into storage. Apple and grape harvests start in late August and run into October. Almost anywhere north of Route 104, you’ll see rows of apple ladders with workers perched atop. Know that only three states produce more apples than Wayne County. Look for grapes along the big central Finger Lakes. There you’ll spot mechanical grape harvesters shaking and shimmying vines and streaming grapes into a bin pulled by a tractor. You may even see some hand picking at vineyards like those at Ventosa Winery. From September to November, you’ll find grain fields across the region being scoured by combines. Hops are harder to find, but if you’re curious, google them and expect to find them being harvested from August to maybe mid-September. You’ll see machete-wielding workers atop aerial platforms whipping their blades to slash and set free the twenty-foot tall, tied-up vines. In the greater Penn Yan and Seneca Falls areas, you may come across Mennonites and Amish family crews driving a team of horses to power their 19th-century-like harvesting equipment. On fall Fridays, pumpkins, mums and more fill up horse-pulled wagons for Saturday tourists.

5557 Rt. 64, Canandaigua, NY 14424 585-374-6405 www.timberframesinc.com Building the Finger Lakes since 1977

Picturesque Victorian Era Downtown Shops ~ Services ~ Dining ~ Museum Sip & Sway to the Dean’s List Band September 24 ~ 5-8pm Downtown Clifton Springs Sample wine, beer and more while this very popular regional band rocks!

Just South of NYS Thruway, Borders Route 96 Near Canandaigua & Geneva

CliftonSpringsChamber.com ~ 315.462.8200

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Cayuga Lake

~ FingerLakesMagazine.com

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Kayaking the Finger Lakes PLUS A FEW SIDE TRIPS PART 2 OF 2 story and photos by Gail Tyner Taylor

n the July/August issue, Gail introduced readers to the challenge that she and her husband Geoff put in front of themselves in 2020 – to paddle in each of the 11 Finger Lakes. In that issue, they introduced us to their odyssey with the first five Finger Lakes, in the order they were paddled – Canadice, Hemlock, Canandaigua, Keuka and Seneca. In the September/October issue, we continue with the rest of the lakes – Cayuga, Owasco, Skaneateles, Honeoye, Conesus and Otisco.

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Otisco Lake

~ FingerLakesMagazine.com

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104

490

104

Rochester

490

90 690

490

Syracuse481

Hemlock Lake Canadice Lake 20A

Auburn

81 20

eca

Owasco Lake

Lake

Conesus Lake

Sen

20A

Cana ndaig Lake ua

Otisco Lake

390 5

Mount Morris

481

Honeoye Lake

Skaneateles Lake

390

Keuka L

ake

KAYAKING ALL 11 FINGER LAKES

Cayuga Lake

Ithaca

PART 2 OF 2

• CAYUGA

Watkins Glen

• OWASCO • SKANEATELES • HONEOYE • CONESUS

• OTISCO

Corning

Elmira

15 86

Cayuga Lake On September 1, our wedding anniversary, Geoff and I decided to kayak on Cayuga Lake for the first time. It’s the longest of the Finger Lakes, stretching 40 miles from historic Seneca Falls to Ithaca, known for its gorges and waterfalls. On the north end you’ll also find Frontenac Island, one of only two islands in the Finger Lakes. The afternoon was daunting, with overcast skies, strong winds and choppy waves. As I started to paddle, I soon realized that kayaking is not only a stress buster, but can also be an intense aerobic and muscle building exercise. Paddling against the wind, I noticed key muscles engaging in my hands, arms, shoulders, back, chest, abdomen, hips, legs and heart. I was getting a better, more natural work out kayaking than I would at the gym. While Geoff and I felt energized taking on the wind and the heavy waves, the real fun came when we turned around and flew down the lake with the wind at our backs, our kayaks bouncing up and down and splashing water all around. It was exhilarating. Weather in the Finger Lakes Region gets tricky in September. It can be clear, sunny and warm one

minute, then turn gray, windy and cool the next. That’s the difference between an effortless paddle, quietly taking in your surroundings, or an intense experience with your muscles fully engaged and heart pounding as you work hard to control your kayak and stay afloat. Each experience can be unpredictable, but that’s what keeps it fun and fresh. At the north end of Cayuga Lake is Seneca Falls, home of the Women’s Rights National Historical Park. Our visit there on August 26 happened to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, guaranteeing a women’s constitutional right to vote. Overlooking Cayuga Lake is Mackenzie Childs, a tranquil Victorian farm and studio world-renowned for its colorful, handmade ceramics, enamelware, glassware, furniture and home accessories. My favorite time to visit its headquarters is in the spring, when its gardens start blooming and its store is full of whimsical, cheerful, boldcolored collections that say “hello sunshine, goodbye gray skies!” Down the road is The Aurora Inn, where Geoff and I like to dine on the veranda to take in the view overlooking the lake.

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Honeoye Lake

Owasco Lake

Skaneateles Lake 52

~ FingerLakesMagazine.com

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Kayaking the Finger Lakes

Kayaking 101 From Route 96 Power and Paddle, Candor, New York

Owasco Lake Owasco Lake is an intermediatesized Finger Lake, with shallow, warm water that makes it ideal for swimming, boating and fishing. The lakefront is highly developed, so the only public access and boat launch is at Emerson Park. While launching our kayaks, I noticed the Owasco Inlet to my right before paddling down between the park’s two piers where people could be seen fishing. As we headed toward the 10.5-mile long lake, the wind and waves kept getting stronger, tossing me around with the threat of getting knocked into a pier. I soon learned I had no loyalty to my kayak or paddles; I thought, if this kayak gets swamped and capsizes, I’m getting out and swimming back. There would be no rescue efforts for my replaceable vessel. Geoff was ahead of me, so I thought, okay, we got this. By the time we paddled past the piers, the growing waves under gloomy skies had encased Geoff’s kayak. All I could see was the top half of his torso bobbing up and down while the menacing waves seemed to want to swallow his kayak. Realizing how ridiculous our situation had become, we both started laughing, and I struggled but succeeded in getting some pictures. Since we’re not experienced enough for freestyle or rodeo kayaking, we decided to head back, much to the relief of our captive audience fishing from the piers. By the time we got to the inlet, the waves had settled down and the sun was glistening on the water. We found solace paddling at our own pace among the ducks and geese. Just north of the lake is Auburn, where Geoff and I have paid tribute to historical landmarks including the William Seward House and the Harriet Tubman statue at the NYS Equal Rights Heritage Center.

Skaneateles Lake One of the most beautiful and cleanest lakes – not only in the Finger Lakes, but also the country – is Skaneateles Lake. With its sparkling blue-green water surrounded by scenic forests and nature preserves, it’s our

ew things in life can be as enjoyable as time on the lake. When pursuing this dream in a kayak there are things to keep in mind. Like what gear will I need? What you plan on doing and how far you plan on going when you hit the water determines what kayak will suit your needs. The longer the kayak, the better it performs in areas of speed and tracking. For more recreational paddling we don’t generally recommend going smaller than a 12’ kayak. 8’ and 10’ kayaks tend to to “waddle” (track poorly) and this can make your trip take twice as long as you’d planned on.

The boats shown here are some of the most popular lake kayaks at Route 96 Power and Paddle.

Carolina 14 53 lbs., 14’ long, v-bottom hull, touring style

Tarpon 120 63 lbs, 12’ long, The “sit on top Pungo,” recreational multi water kayak with a comfy seat

All of these kayaks are made with a “roto mold” construction so they are very heavy duty plastic but not too heavy. powerandpaddle.com

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Another thing to keep in mind is sit-on-top (SOT) versus sit-inside kayaks – here are the quick pros and cons of both. Sit-inside kayaks are generally smoother in the water, weigh less on average than SOT kayaks. They have better glide, and keep you drier (especially with a sprayskirt). The biggest downside to a sit-inside kayak is the ability to get in and out of the boat especially if it is flipped out in the lake. Your paddle, personal flotation device (PFD), and a whistle are all required. Strongly recommended accessories include a bilge pump or bilge sponge, dry bag, and submersible phone case. Accessories like a paddle float can aid in the re-entry of a kayak. With optional accessories like waterproof speakers, fishing rod holders, phone holders, camera mounts, and so much more, the possibilities are almost endless.

Pungo 120 49 lbs, 12’ long, v-bottom hull, fast recreational kayak, good for lakes as well as other water

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Conesus Lake

favorite lake to visit both on land and in water. Skaneateles Lake is so pristine, it serves as an unfiltered water supply for nearby towns and the city of Syracuse. There are four public parks around the 16-mile lake, so we have choices as to where to launch our kayaks. Once paddling, I took in the clear water’s beautiful sight of rocks and shale at the bottom, with fish swimming here and there. At the upper end of the lake you’ll find luxury, with the biggest and most expensive homes in the Finger Lakes Region. Geoff and I always have fun laying claim to the mansion we’ll buy one day. Average listing prices range from $1-10 million. The view of the lake’s natural beauty, however, is priceless. On land, Geoff and I enjoy walking around the lakeside village and exploring its parks, boutiques and restaurants. If you’re in the mood to enjoy the French countryside, Mirbeau Inn & Spa will take you there with its old-world French architecture, Monetinspired gardens and fine French cuisine. Geoff and I like dining on the patio to take in the stunning views and flirt with the schools of koi fish that swim up to us in hopes we have something to share. Another great place to dine is at the 200-year-old Sherwood Inn, located at the north shore. The former stagecoach stop turned inn serves up hearty food and will transport you back in time with its historic ambiance. Across the street is Thayer Park, where we like to find a bench and relax while admiring its gardens and the lake. Very popular boat cruises are a great way to explore the lake. A short drive from the village is the beautiful and fragrant Lockwood Lavender Farm. The 120-acre farm sits on a hill overlooking

1. Shotwell Memorial Park on the northern shore of Skaneateles Lake. 2. The Seward House Museum in Auburn is at the north end of Owasco Lake. 3. The car and kayak brigade at Otisco Lake 4. The statue “When Anthony Met Stanton Statue” is in Seneca Falls, which is near Cayuga Lake.

~ FingerL akesM agazine.com

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Kayaking the Finger Lakes Skaneateles Lake and boosts over 30 species of Lavandula that you can either pick yourself or purchase pre-cut.

COTTONE AUCTIONS

Fine Art, Antiques & Clocks | Sept. 18th For more info visit cottoneauctions.com inquiries@cottoneauctions.com | 585-243-1000

Honeoye Lake Honeoye Lake is the shallowest and second smallest Finger Lake. Measuring just 4.5 miles long with a maximum depth of 30 feet, its north and south ends are completely opposite in nature. To the north is the flat land of Sandy Bottom Park, while to the south there are rolling hills covered in trees. Summer had turned to autumn by the time we kayaked on Honeoye Lake. The leaves were just starting to change color when we took in the impressive views while kayaking. Honeoye celebrates summers’ end with the Ring of Fire tradition on Labor Day weekend, when area residents come together to light a fire around the lake and celebrate the new harvest season.

Conesus Lake The most westerly of the 11 Finger Lakes is Conesus Lake. A minor lake at eight miles long and one mile wide, it’s also shallow and warm, appealing to swimmers, fishermen and kayakers. We launched our kayaks on the north shore at Vitale Park. The location draws a crowd with its nature center, gardens, picnic tables and playground. Geoff and I paddled by plenty of folks in motorized boats and kayaks, just hanging out by the park’s shallow end, taking in the view or playing water sports. At the south end of the lake is the Conesus Lake Wildlife Management Area, which is very popular for kayaking. If you’re in the mood for barbeque, 3 Legged Pig has you covered. The menu is extensive, the food is outstanding and the prices are reasonable. Look for it right across from Vitale Park.

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Otisco Lake Geoff and I completed our FLX kayaking challenge at the eastern-most Finger Lake, Otisco Lake. It was an unseasonably warm day in late in October. The sky was a deep blue, offset by billowing white clouds. The green-blue water glistened with the sun. But the real beauty was amid the rolling hills with lush, second-growth forests that burst in rich colors of yellow, red and orange. The lake was a marshland until about 100 years ago, when two dams were built to raise the water level. While Otisco Lake is considered small, just six miles long and a half mile wide, it delivered big on our last day of kayaking for the year. And so, our adventure came to an end. All told, Geoff and I traveled about 80 miles east to west and 50 miles north to south to discover some of the best kayaking and traveling experiences in the Finger Lakes Region. From Canadice, the smallest of the Finger Lakes, to the largest, Cayuga, every kayak outing was unique and inspiring. We definitely plan on coming back for more exploring – and besides, kayaks make great car accessories.

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On the

Road

Below: If you want drivers to stop, you’ve got to catch their attention before they whiz on by, so “roadside architecture” became a feature of American highways. The Wigwams still stops traffic on Route 417 in Jasper, but is no longer open to the public.

Below: Rambler’s Rest near Corning offered tourist cabins and a restaurant built in the shape of a boat. The business continued until 2017, though the boat and cabins were long gone by then.

by Kirk House

fter the Great War, the Finger Lakes were in trouble. Prohibition wrecked the vineyards and the vintners – not to mention the shippers, vendors and processors. The Glenn Curtiss aeronautical plant in Hammondsport, which had employed more than 2,000 people, shut down for good. Fay and Bowen in Geneva, Willys-Morrow in Elmira, Ingersoll-Rand in Painted Post and ThomasMorse in Ithaca all saw millions of dollars in war contracts cancelled at a stroke. Soldiers came home by the tens of thousands – every one of them looking for a job. A new vision arose: tourism. Not the old travelby-train, stay-at-a-lakeside-resort visitation, but what we now call FITs, or fully independent travelers – couples or families driving themselves, planning their own routes, finding a different place to sleep every night. New chambers of commerce, and the 1919 Finger Lakes Association, began to boost the region. Lots of cars were needed to make these schemes work, and Henry Ford was on the job. But they also needed better roads (much better roads). A “Good Roads” movement demanded much improved highways that would be a pleasure to drive around on. Competition was fierce. The tale is told that the state had enough money to pave the road on one side of Keuka Lake, but not both, and Governor Al Smith himself came to investigate. East Siders wined and dined him, congratulating themselves on making a great impression. West Siders set up tables on the lawn and served a picnic as local farmers trundled heavy equipment up and down the dirt road, covering the tables, the meal, and the governor with dust. Guess which side got the paving. By 1928, roads had improved enough that partially-paralyzed gubernatorial candidate Franklin D. Roosevelt barnstormed every county in the state by auto, making speeches each day in multiple towns. Ordinary people were using those same roads (good roads), cruising the Finger Lakes countryside, counting on a brand-new infrastructure of services for the driving public.

~ FingerLakesMagazine.com

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Clockwise: The 1928 Windmill still stands near Seneca Falls on today’s Routes 5 and 20, but without the tea room, 14 furnished cottages, restrooms and shower baths – not to mention the 10 gas pumps. The distance to Niagara Falls told the tired traveler that Seneca Falls would be an opportune point to fuel up, take a break and maybe spend the night. Routes 5 and 20 parallels the Erie Canal, the New York Central Railroad, the New York State Thruway and Native American footpaths, all taking advantage of the “natural corridor” from Niagara to the Hudson. If you ever wanted to sleep in a (sanitary) silo, you’d have loved the tourist camp plus gas station near Addison. If cabins, tents or tourist homes weren’t your style, you could use pull-down Pullman-style beds in your elegant streamlined Aerocar trailer, designed and manufactured by aviation giant Glenn Curtiss. This unit, seen here in Syracuse, is now at the Glenn Curtiss Museum in Hammondsport. (Glenn Curtiss Museum) Lakeshore resorts now had their fronts on the road side rather than the water side. Instead of visitors who stayed for the whole season, they pulled in travelers for a single night or even an hour with movies, fish fries and that new American roadside craze, miniature golf. (Some places had illegal liquor and slot machines, too.) (Steuben County Historical Society) Robert Moses developed a new state park plan in the 1920s, designating Watkins Glen as the center in a web of improved state highways linking the small towns and cities of the Finger Lakes. He also linked Letchworth to Rochester, and planned 11 new Finger Lakes parks.

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Clockwise: Hammondsport erected a Civil War statue at the intersection of Lake and Main Streets in 1901, apparently without a single thought to motorcars. By 1917, it was a nuisance and a safety hazard, and it’s now located in a nearby park. Many other towns also found their major intersections now choked by suddenly inconvenient monuments. (Glenn Curtiss Museum) Who needs McDonalds when you can get “pop corn,” “pea nuts,” ice cream, hot dogs, coffee, eats, lunch, candy, cigars, tobacco, soda, chicken dinners and motor oil – not to mention gasoline at 20 cents a gallon! No doubt they also had an outhouse around back. (Steuben County Historical Society) The billboard, with message writ large “that he may run that readeth it,” became an inescapable part of American scenery. As these things go, Royal Cord’s was both attractive and informative, worth photographing along with your family. The tire company sold auto parts to drivers, so they very sensibly advertised where the drivers would see them (or couldn’t avoid them). My father-in-law told me that in 1939 he and his cousin drove “a road in New York that has two numbers,” heading from Vermont to Oklahoma in vain hopes of finding work in the oil fields. Every place they stopped, a crowd was hunched around the radio listening to news of the Germans invading Poland; it was the first week of the Second World War. He was talking about Routes 5 and 20, so they might have paused for gas at Culver’s Cabins in East Bloomfield, though with their Depression-era finances, they couldn’t have afforded the steam heat and private baths. Millions of drivers – men who could read maps and fix engines – multiplied America’s force in World War II. The war years halted auto manufacturing and ruthlessly rationed gas and tires, but once it was over Americans resumed their love affair with cars. They revived road racing, crafting a course around Watkins Glen State Park. They ate burgers at drive-in restaurants, watched movies at drivein theaters, heard sermons at drive-in services. They slept in their cars, romanced in their cars, did business with their cars, illegally hunted from their cars. Interstates, internet and fast-food chains have changed the scenery, but even today, America still sees it by car. America’s rapidly changing landscape and lifestyle fired a passion to connect with America’s past – often a mythologized past. New roadside monuments guided drivers along the footsteps of the Sullivan Expedition (more accurately, the Sullivan Invasion) which devastated Iroquois life during the American Revolution. A number of these stone markers are still scattered across the region, though the main highways on which they once stood may well be byways today.

Photos courtesy Heritage Village of the Finger Lakes Steuben County Historical Society and the Glenn Curtiss Museum

~ F ii nn gg ee rr LL aa kkeessM Maaggaazzi innee. .ccoomm

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off the easel

Pulling the

Strings

Puppetry Artist Linda Wingerter by Nancy E. McCarthy

hen artist Linda Wingerter’s grandmother was in hospice, she had one last wish. She wanted the marionettes her husband handcrafted and she costumed to go to another puppeteer. Wingerter had grown up around her grandparents’ marionette making and community puppet shows, but she was a children’s book illustrator, not a puppeteer. To placate her grandmother’s growing agitation, Wingerter told her that she met someone who would teach her to

be a puppeteer. Shortly after her grandmother passed away in 2004, Wingerter commiserated with her friend Margaret Carl about her dilemma of inheriting these puppets as they admired a colorful collection of cone puppets at a craft fair. The stars aligned. At the time, Carl was a freelance stage manager working with Puppetsweat Theater, and they were looking for a puppeteer for an upcoming performance! Carl made the introductions, which led

to a Puppetsweat apprenticeship and Wingerter’s first experience as a professional puppeteer. “Linda had an instant connection to the puppets,” says Carl. “Her success resulted not only in performing in subsequent Puppetsweat productions, but what she learned from founders Leslie Weinberg and Bob Bresnick was the beginning of her journey exploring the entirety of the puppet world.” Wingerter would fulfill her promise to her grandmother – and then some.

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Left: Words are Birds, shadow film poem presented at the International Toy Theatre Festival and the National Capital Puppetry Festival, 2020. Above: Wingerter’s grandfather, David Bogdan, handcrafting marionettes.

Photo by Helen Bogdan

Family legacy Wingerter was born to an artistic family in New Jersey. Her parents were graphic designers and her maternal grandparents, David and Helen Bogdan, made marionettes and staged performances as The Stringpullers. When Wingerter was four, her father died from cancer and her grandparents, who lived nearby, helped her mother to raise her. “They were always showing me how to make things, how to sew,

hammer, design, draw, everything,” says Wingerter. “Making was the way we communicated and engaged with each other. But puppets weren’t so special to me then – they were just another part of daily life.” By age 14, Wingerter and her mother were living in Vermont, where she attended high school. In 1996, she graduated from Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), moved to Connecticut and pursued her childhood dream of becoming a children’s book illustrator. During her last year at RISD, Wingerter was also helping her boyfriend Karl Gasteyer start a musical theater company in Connecticut. While attending a theater conference, she saw table-top puppetry performed for the first time. It was Bunraku-style, a hybrid version of traditional Japanese puppetry where puppeteers are seen manipulating the puppets. There was no magic curtain. “I was so shocked at the movement, so different from my grandfather’s marionettes, that I began weeping in the workshop. I realized that there was a world of puppetry I didn’t know about,” Wingerter says. “At that pre-internet time, I didn’t know how to find out about it. So it was a sort of longing I put on the shelf for a long time.”

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off the easel

Wingerter setting up a shadow puppet film.

THE ARTIST’S PROCESS

Making Shadow Puppet Films

ingerter creates a rough storyboard to work out composition, scene cuts and what action each puppet will do. She will draw three to four iterations, refining them each time. Once she’s set on what the film will look like, she researches and sketches to solidify the settings and characters. Because shadow puppet films are backlit, Wingerter builds backgrounds by hand-cutting and layering translucent materials into collages that allow light to come through, like a stained-glass window. She designs simple mechanics for the puppets to keep her hands hidden and to create more movements than two hands alone could achieve. These are typically designed with cardboard levers, string and rubber bands for features like blinking eyes or the raising of an arm. Hand-coiled thin copper wire is used for each joint. Wingerter modifies puppet designs many times before she hand cuts final figures from thick black cardstock. When she films, Wingerter arranges the sets and puppets on horizontal glass with a light box underneath and a camera above. She performs the puppets flat against the glass, using all of her fingers to operate the mechanisms. She edits the film using Adobe Premiere Pro, adding music, sound effects and dialogue.

After college Wingerter started her illustration career and did well right away. She was solidly booked as a freelancer, illustrating children’s books for major publishing companies and taking on editorial, stationery, publishing, and licensing work. From 2004 forward, transitioning from illustrator to puppetry artist evolved over time. At first, Wingerter continued worked simultaneously as an illustrator and in puppetry but after she broke her hand from a fall in 2006 she stopped illustration entirely. Wingerter had become less satisfied by that art form anyway. “I think puppetry was always the thing that would make me happy,” she says. “I just didn’t know it.” By then, she wanted her art to move, make sound and she wanted to be physically engaged rather than hunched over a desk. Under the tutelage of her Puppetsweat Theater mentors Weinberg and Bresnick, she learned to make all types of puppets, write shows for stage (and later film) and perform behind or alongside puppets. “They set the foundation of my understanding of puppet theater and everything I do comes from them in some way,” says Wingerter. “Linda was a great asset right from the start,” says Bresnick. “She brought with her a trained eye, an openness to experimentation, an understanding of process, a concern for detail, a desire to push herself and a love and enthusiasm for the work.” Wingerter became an essential Puppetsweat Theater troupe member. Later, Wingerter studied with esteemed master puppeteers from all over the world during the annual National Puppetry Conference at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center in Connecticut. Eventually she began teaching her own workshops and classes and building puppets on commission for schools and theater companies. Wingerter continued with

Puppetsweat on and off, plus her own projects. In 2011, in collaboration with Gasteyer, her boyfriend and theater collaborator, she revived her grandparents’ Stringpullers Puppet Company with Luna’s Sea, a full stage feature production. The sophisticated aquatic-themed adventure featuring puppets, five puppeteers and two dancers was produced for the Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut and later debuted in New York City at the American Museum of Natural History.

Life in the Finger Lakes

After two decades of a romantic and professional partnership, Wingerter and Gasteyer parted amicably in 2016. Wingerter and her future husband, both students of the same meditation teacher, met during a pilgrimage to Konya, Turkey. The couple married in 2017 and moved to Ithaca, New York, to be closer to their teacher at the

Right: Luna’s Sea, a full stage production with puppets, puppeteers and dancers at the American Museum of Natural History, 2012

~ FingerL akesM agazine.com

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Ithaca Zen Center. Wingerter considers puppetry and her meditation practices linked. “Both cultivate physical and mental training, calmness of mind and body, and focus,” she explains. Besides meditation and marriage, the other benefit of moving to Ithaca was being part of a community that embraces and supports all types of art-making, including puppetry. Since the move, Wingerter has mostly focused on marionettes, but recently on shadow puppetry as well. Shadow puppets are flat figures made from cardboard or other materials that are placed between a light and a screen. Moving them projects illusions such as walking, talking, fighting or dancing. Wingerter makes short films of her shadow puppet shows (see sidebar). This past July, she conducted live online shadow puppetry workshops during the Chicago International Puppet Theater

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off the easel

Wingerter and her marionettes during a performance workshop with renowned marionette artist Phillip Huber at Eugene O’Neill Theater Center in Connecticut. Photo by Richard Termine

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Festival. Wingerter’s Ithaca studio is located in Artist Alley across from artist Alice Muhlback. “I’m a huge fan, so enthralled with her creations,” says Muhlback. “Linda is a masterful puppeteer, artist, sculptor, animator and cardboard artist. We both love cardboard, but she has an amazing stash!” That cardboard will no doubt be put to good use for Wingerter’s new shadow film project, a 2021 microcommission for Heather Henson’s Handmade Puppet Dreams (HPD). Henson is the daughter of master puppeteer Jim Henson, best known as the beloved creator of the Muppets. HPD is a film series of collected or commissioned real-time-performed puppetry films. Wingerter was one of eight puppetry artists selected for the micro-commission. All will receive grants to produce a short film, as well as ongoing educational resources including a puppet film-making workshop to help to refine their films. The films will premiere online in November 2021. Her grandparents would be incredibly proud.

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Learn more about Linda Wingerter and puppetry at stringpullers.com.

~ FingerL akesM agazine.com

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human interest

A Twilight View

of Cayuga Lake by Brooks Mencher

“There is a fifth dimension beyond that which is known to man. It is a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity.

don’t know what I expected of Rod Serling’s grave marker. Nothing elaborate, certainly. I wanted just to see it, mention how much I admired his pioneering work and dwell for a bit on why his writing and his presence were so magnetic. The granite stone wasn’t easy to find, almost hidden. It was flat, but not overgrown with grass. I think it was loved. It’s in G section of the Lake View Cemetery, a tract well in and unmarked at the time of my visit. The gate’s on County Road 150 off 96 outside Interlaken, a Cayuga Lake village of a few hundred inhabitants and a Main Street library complete with a genealogical research room. The Finger Lakes Region gave us the man who wrote and produced The

Twilight Zone television series. And, in many ways, it never let him go. It was with him in Los Angeles in the guise of his production company, Cayuga Productions. And it remained with him here, in a cottage on the west bank of Cayuga Lake, to which he returned every summer, a cottage that remains in the family today. “When we lived in California,” remembers his daughter Anne Serling, “we would fly east as soon as school was out. These were joyful days for my parents, my sister and me. We couldn’t wait to return. It was an opportunity, particularly for our dad, to escape the mayhem and grind of Los Angeles, a place where he slowed down.” Between profuse oak and maple

It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition, and it lies between the pit of man’s fears and the summit of his knowledge. This is the dimension of imagination. It is an area which we call the Twilight Zone.” — Introduction to Rod Serling’s The Twilight Zone Season 1, Episode 1, 1959

Above: Rod Serling’s studio, just off the old cottage on Cayuga Lake’s west bank, where he wrote and built model airplanes. Photo courtesy of Anne Serling.

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human interest

A DAUGHTER’S MEMOIRE The second edition of Anne Serling’s book, As I Knew Him: My Dad, Rod Serling, was released in May 2021. It is available online, at storefront retailers and at rodserlingbooks.com

was a view of the lake. There was a dock. Serling, an avid water skier, kept a motorboat. Boating along the lake to the Taughannock Inn Restaurant was an annual tradition, marking their return. Anne also recalls piling into the boat and motoring across the lake to Hibiscus Harbor for early dinners. Beside the house was a small cabin where Serling wrote using a manual typewriter – and employing the twofinger method – in the early days, and later relying on a Dictaphone, which allowed him to voice the dialogue. Anne recalls watching “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet,” one of the most well-known of the 156 Twilight Zone episodes, as a child at their lake cottage, built by her grandfather and great-grandfather. “A few years ago, I unearthed a beautiful stone retaining wall built by my grandparents,” she says. “Because I appreciate the skill it takes to create these walls, I was particularly delighted at the discovery.” The Twilight Zone premiered on

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AN ACTOR’S STAGE CBS in October 1959. The series spawned reruns, movies, books, magazines and series revivals. It’s still streaming in this internet age, 60 years later. Although historians may cite Serling’s award-winning teleplays Requiem for a Heavyweight (1956) and A Town Has Turned to Dust (1958) as the apex of early TV drama, The Twilight Zone remains his hallmark. It tackled issues like prejudice, poverty and nuclear war, baring it in public while cloaking it in genre to avoid censorship. Serling’s fight against the racism of the ’50s and ’60s, and the ensuing contest of wills between him and timorous execs and sponsors was his life battle, a fight in which he was known as “TV’s angry young man.” Born in Syracuse, Rodman E. Serling grew up in Binghamton, about 70 miles southeast of Interlaken and 50 miles from Ithaca, where his daughter Anne currently lives. His hometown sentiments inspired the classic Twilight

Zone episode “A Stop at Willoughby,” while long ambles near the lake inspired “Walking Distance.” During the latter part of his entertainment career, Serling lectured and taught writing and master classes at Ithaca College, which today maintains the Rod Serling Archives, a notable collection that includes the 92 Twilight Zone scripts he wrote. The settings, characters and storylines varied greatly, from American westerns to space chronicles, but it was the series’ introduction that unified this eclectic body of work and exemplified Serling’s fine art of writing for the voice, his weighted tenor lulling the TV audience into his personal dreamscape. The introduction began mutating in its first season, when 29 seconds of Serling’s original narration were reduced to 10. Though I may never know for certain, I interpret this as a restless search for perfection on Serling’s part, with a measure of interference

The Twilight Zone provided a formula for plot depth and character dimension that changed the television industry. But it also gave us actors who were or would soon become legends, including William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, George Takei, Burgess Meredith, Ron Howard, Vera Miles, Charles Bronson, Jack Klugman, Jonathan Winters, Cloris Leachman, Ida Lupino, John Carradine, Art Carney, Agnes Moorehead, Dick York, Elizabeth Montgomery, Buddy Ebsen, Gig Young, Cliff Robertson, Lee Marvin, Buster Keaton, Robert Redford, Anne Francis, Martin Balsam, Roddy McDowall, Carol Burnett, Donald Pleasence, Mickey Rooney, Telly Savalas, James Coburn, Richard Basehart, Ann Blyth, Martin Landau, Dennis Weaver, Andy Devine, Joan Blondell, Peter Falk, Dennis Hopper and Robert Duvall.

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human interest

Rod Serling’s stone at the Interlaken Cemetery is as simple as many of his “Twilight Zone” storylines. Photo by Brooks Mencher.

from broadcast brass. Lost were the poetic contrasts of the original. But the fourth season arrived with a new introduction, providing a stronger dose of the surreal amid images of a floating door and clock, a breaking window. “You unlock this door with the key of imagination. Beyond it is another dimension. A dimension of sound. A dimension of sight. A dimension of mind. You’re moving into a land of both shadow and substance, of things and ideas. You’ve just crossed over into the Twilight Zone.” Twenty seconds was a victory for Serling’s poetic prose. Once again, we had dimensions and opposites in parallel. Once again, we had Rod Serling and his magic. The series ended in 1964. Serling died in 1975. His grave marker has eroded to some degree. Others found it long before me – offerings like little

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rocks covered it, coins foreign and domestic, figurines and painted stones. Strangely, the inscription on the stone has nothing to do with his life’s work in entertainment. It doesn’t reflect him as a father and husband or humanist. It seems as simple as his storylines and as to-the-point as the tales themselves. On the first line is just his name. The second and third lines are “Tec 5, US Army, World War II,” meaning he was a corporal. On the last are the dates of his time on Earth. He was born on Christmas Day and died at age 50, an epitaph as brief as his life. Serling had trained as a WWII paratrooper, boxed in the Army and was awarded the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star in the Pacific theater. Back home – back here – he was a loving prankster of a father who gardened, boated and relaxed along a lake. When he wasn’t writing, he made model airplanes in his lakeside studio. He was

a teacher. He was a modest man, when you consider his successes and his courage. For me, finding his nearly invisible marker was like catching the twist he put near the end of his stories: unexpected and yet halfway predictable if you knew the man and his work. Still, based on his endeavors in a Cold-War America still

tainted by racial prejudice, I’d have to say he was quietly brilliant and brilliantly multifaceted, much like the universe of stars at the end of every introduction through all five seasons. The same stars, misty and unfocused, that he saw rise above the maples and oaks at Cayuga Lake, which you’ll see right before you cross over, into the twilight zone.

PLACES TO VISIT Interlaken Public Library: The Interlaken Historical Society maintains a genealogy room in the library on Main Street. Library information at 607-532-4342. Open for browsing. Further information on this and other Historical Society sites and collections can be found at interlakenhistoricalsociety.org/ about-us. The Rod Serling Archives: A collection of television scripts, movie screenplays, stage play scripts, films, published works by Serling, unproduced scripts and secondary materials. Ithaca College Library, 953 Danby Rd, fifth floor. Archive currently closed due to the pandemic, but may open by fall. Hibiscus Harbor: Seasonal and transient boat slips, food and supply store, restaurant and bar. Contact numbers at tradeayacht.com/central-new-york-marina/ The Inn Restaurant: At The Inn at Taughannock Falls, Gorge Road in Trumansburg, a fifth of a mile from Taughannock Falls State Park Gorge and trail. inntfalls.com, (607) 387-7711.

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creature comforts

DOG G Agility Life in the Fast Lane by Nancy E. McCarthy

gility is not just a fun, competitive dog sport for Joel and Lori Basa, it’s their shared passion. Through the sport, they’ve connected deeply with their dogs – and with each other. And true story: The couple actually met at a dog agility training class in 2006! This fortuitous encounter turned romantic after Joel mustered up the courage to ask Lori out. “Our dogs liked each other, too,” says Lori. They married in 2010. In 2016, after teaching agility for several years and competing with their own pups, the Basas opened Five Points Training, their training facility in Rush, New York.

What is Agility? Dog agility is a sport where you direct your dog through an obstacle course within a certain time limit using verbal cues and body language. In competitions, also called trials, points are given or taken away

for speed and performance. Agility made its unofficial debut at an English dog show in 1977. Rules were later defined by The Kennel Club in England in 1980. Its popularity spread worldwide, and in 1986, the United States Dog Agility Association (USDAA) was founded to promote international standards for dog agility, patterned after the British rules. Other similar agility organizations in the U.S. followed suit. In the Finger Lakes Region, agility competitions hosted by local dog clubs tend to be sanctioned primarily by the American Kennel Club

Joel and Protocol, the Basa’s Border Collie, recently started competing in agility competitions.

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Tackle, the Basa’s Golden Retriever, competed at the 2019 AKC National Agility Championship where he was a finalist in the 24” class.

(AKC) and Canine Performance Events (CPE). While rules vary slightly depending on which agility organization is involved in a competition, the course obstacles are standard to the sport. It is the variation in equipment placement that presents different challenges to handler and dog (referred to as a “team”). Obstacles include jumps, weave poles, tunnels and more. Equipment is stationary, with the exception of a teeter totter that tips when the dog sprints up the board and down the other side. Speed counts, so herding dogs such as Collies and Shelties, and sporting dogs like Golden Retrievers or Labrador Retrievers typically excel at agility. However, any breed and mixed breeds, regardless of size or age, can successfully participate because competing dogs are grouped according to height, class and skill levels. “At the core, any dog sport, but especially dog agility Macie, a mixed breed, is training with owners Erik and Kathryn Baker at Five Points Training with the goal to start competing in 2021.

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Dealer, their Golden Retriever, and Lori running a fast course at Countryside Agility in Erie, Pennsylvania.

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can be such a relationship-building activity for you and your dog. It’s very enriching for dogs that love to work or play,” says Joel. “There’s also such a rush when you run a course without error and fast with your canine teammate. It’s almost like a choreographed dance when you run totally in sync.” While running with your dog requires a level of human athleticism, the sport attracts dog owners of any age or ability. You can learn to direct your dog without running alongside of them at all.

Getting Your Show on the Road Three-and-a-half-year-old Macie is a busy, high-energy mixed breed who loves learning. Erik and Kathryn Baker of Webster adopted Macie as a puppy, and it was their obedience class instructor who saw the pup’s potential for agility. Erik and Macie started their agility training as a team with Helene Juice at Chance of a Lifetime in Honeoye Falls. In 2021, they began working with Five Points Training. It’s commonplace for dog owners to cross-train or work with different instructors. Joel refers to this as getting “your show on the road,” as in preparing your dog to compete in agility trials. He also recommends practicing in different environments and competing in various venues. If a dog achieves titles, multiple trainers or handlers may have helped along the way, but it’s the dog that earns the titles. Erik and Macie take weekly group classes to keep fundamentals and handling skills progressing. Kathryn comes along and will substitute as Macie’s partner if Erik is unavailable. A monthly private lesson with Joel focuses on specific course obstacles. “Joel’s advice and constructive criticism helps to better guide my handling,” says Erik. “Dogs understand body language, so Joel teaches us how to communicate with our dog via body language and verbal cues.” Erik’s goal is to start competing with Macie later this year.

Training and Trainers Five Points Training attracts new clients mainly by word-of-mouth and from other owners at agility trials who see Joel and Lori compete with their own dogs. The Basas currently have a pack of five, although their Golden Retriever Bomber is almost 12 and retired now. Their training credibility is based on how they – and their clients – perform

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creature comforts at competitions. Julie Symons, owner and trainer at Savvy Dog Sports (SDP) in Honeoye Falls, is also a Five Points client with her two-year-old Belgian Tervuren, Moxie. At SDP, Symons trains clients and also competes in a variety of dog sports, including nose work, herding, tracking and agility. “Going to Five Points has helped keep me relevant and competitive, specifically in the area of handling,” says Symons. “Joel and Lori have a good eye for handling and provide clear instruction for a variety of teams and skill levels. They seek out continuing education, which is a critical part of all training growth.” Symons says that agility remains popular, but doesn’t feel as intense as it was when it exploded in the 1990s. Joel acknowledges the sport’s growth has slowed somewhat due to a glut of other options such as rally, barn hunt and nose work, which requires less training time. Looking to promote the sport by introducing younger dog owners to the joys of agility, Five Points Training offers clients who are 18 years old or younger a 50% discount on group and private lessons. Because once you start training and bonding with your high-energy pup, “it’s addictive,” says Lori. “Most people get hooked right away.” That’s a win-win for any team. Visit fivepointstraining.com for more information.

Upcoming Local Agility Competitions September 4-5 – CPE – Ithaca Dog Training Club Groton, New York – Paws for Thought Farm September 18-19 – USDAA – Happy Tails Agility Club Walworth, New York – Sherburne Road Park September 30-October 2 – AKC – Finger Lakes Kennel Club Romulus, New York – Sampson State Park October 15-17 – AKC – Syracuse Obedience Training Club Syracuse, New York – Central New York Family Sport Centre November 5-7 – AKC – Dog Obedience Training Club of Rochester, New York – Webster, New York – Webster Soccer Association November 6-7 – CPE – Paws for Thought Farm Groton, New York Competitions are generally open to the public but check ahead with the local dog club host for more information.

naples | marketplace

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enterprising

by Bethany Snyder, with Dawn Larson

Elsewhere F

hen Kelly Lane and Dawn Larson purchased their nearly 40-acre farm in Bloomfield, New York, it was with the intention of giving their horses – former foxhunters who had been living at a boarding facility – a permanent home. Over the course of the next nine years, that home evolved into a business called Elsewhere Farms. The partners started off simple, with a vegetable garden, fruit trees and perennials, and then – as Larson and Lane became interested in natural health, wellness and herbalism – shifted to growing plants that can be used for food and wellness. “Foraging on the land and learning about the plants we discovered was eye-opening,” Larson says. “We learned about regenerative agriculture as we explored our land and considered what we wanted to do as stewards of it.”

While incorporating permaculture and regenerative agriculture practices on the farm, Lane and Larson added medicinal plants and pollinator-friendly flowers, shrubs and trees. And central to Elsewhere Farms is the elderberry orchard. American elder, or Sambucus canadensis, is native to the area and can be found in roadside ditches and near streams and creeks. Elderberries like water and spread fairly easily. They are easy to spot in June and July, when their white flowers are blooming, and again in August and September, when tiny berries form. Why elderberries? “Wellness is an important aspect of why we farm,” explains Lane. Elderflowers and elderberries can be used as food, and are well known for boosting the immune system. They are used in overthe-counter supplements and made into syrup and gummies for daily use. The vast majority of elderflowers and elderberries used commercially are grown in Europe, and American makers

are clamoring for American-grown elders. The demand is much higher than what’s available; only 2000 acres are currently in production in the United States, compared to about 25,000 acres in Europe. “The need is there, we enjoy growing plants that can be used to promote wellness and we have available land,” Larson says. “So why not elderberries!” Elsewhere Farms prides itself on being a chemical-free operation. “Starting our farm was about respect for the land on which we live, the desire to grow chemical-free food and wanting to share local food and wellness products with others,” Lane explains. They added skincare products to the mix thanks to Larson’s 20 years’ experience making natural soaps, and now sell balms, salves, soaps and other skin care products made with all-natural ingredients and infused with oils from farm-grown herbs and flowers. Even the horses are in on the regenerative agriculture practices of the farm. “The boys eat chemical-free hay grown here,” says Larson, “and we use their manure waste hay and bedding to make compost, thus recycling and reducing our waste stream.” What does the future hold for Elsewhere Farms? Larson is now a Master Gardener, thanks to Ontario County Cornell Cooperative Extension, and hopes to continue learning – and passing her knowledge along to others. “We have our sights on opening the farm to agritourism, too,” says Lane. For now, the elderberry orchard continues to grow under the watchful eyes of George and Hawthorne, munching their hay at their forever home. For more information, visit elsewherefarms.com.

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e Farms

Dawn Larson and Kelly Lane in front of 3 year old elders

Left to right: Elderberry orchard row with 2 year old plants; Elderberries forming on the plant; Elderflower in bloom

September/October 2021 ~

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chef’s delight

New Food Crew

at the Zoo

The Rosamond Gifford Zoo hires an esteemed local chef to help expand its role as a premier special-events venue. by Tina Manzer

here else in the Finger Lakes can you snack with a pachyderm or join a Crested Coua for cocktails? Recognizing its unique ability to provide an unforgettable experience, Syracuse’s favorite global wildlife attraction is upgrading its event spaces, complete with a top-notch culinary team. “It’s a venue with a purpose,” explains Dan Hudson, the zoo’s new executive chef of catering. “We provide great food and a beautiful backdrop for events here and the proceeds go to support the care of the animals.” The zoo is home to more than 700 of them representing 216 different species – from tiny poison dart frogs to 8,000-pound Asian elephants. Many are threatened or endangered. The zoo is one of only 240 institutions in the country accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums. It signifies that it meets the highest standards of animal care and welfare, wildlife conservation education, and guest experience. Events like weddings, corporate retreats, company picnics, and fundraisers generate revenue for the zoo. Dan is employed by Catering at the Zoo, a subsidiary of Friends of the Zoo, a nonprofit organization specifically created to provide financial support for the welfare of the zoo’s animals. Event capacity ranges from a minimum of 50 people to 2,000 or more when the entire zoo is rented. Chef Dan Hudson prepares dishes for customers at the zoo.

~ FingerL akesM agazine.com

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chef’s delight

Cocktails and hors d’oeuvres are served on the zoo’s new elephant pavilion overlook.

A 2008 graduate of Syracuse University’s hospitality management program, Dan has worked in area kitchens since he was in high school. “I always wanted to be a chef,” he explains. “I got my degree from SU but I really wanted to go to culinary school.” Instead, he learned the ins and outs of preparing food at Fayetteville restaurants Arad Evans Inn and Papa Gallo, and then joined Phoebe’s in Syracuse. He moved to the Sherwood Inn Restaurant in Skaneateles where he spent 10 years, progressing from sous chef to executive chef to director of food and beverage. In 2019 he went to the Marriott Syracuse Downtown as chef. Dan joined the Rosamond Gifford Zoo this May. A California transplant, Dan came to Canastota, New York, when he was a teen. The Finger Lakes has become his inspiration. “Great things come from all parts of the area, from the agricultural innovation at Cornell University to the variety of wine from our wine trails. Everyone is passionate about what they create, but don’t take themselves too seriously. “In addition to events here at the zoo, plans include opening a restaurant that will operate during zoo hours,” he reveals. “It will be more fast-casual than sit-down. As we develop the concept and plan the menu, our focus will be

on local produce, meat, cheeses and baked goods so that what we serve is really fresh and healthy. I’m an ingredientdriven chef focused on high quality and keeping it simple.” If Dan had to name his signature dish or cuisine, it would be “elevated home-style cooking” or “regional American cuisine.” “Think comfort food like pot roast, mac and cheese, and prime rib,” he says. “I like using what most people have in their pantry and showcasing what’s in season.” So far at the zoo, customers have responded well to the food options and price points he’s presented, and to the zoo animals that join the festivities. While Dan has nothing to do with the “animal encounters” – they’re orchestrated by the zookeepers – he appreciates what they bring to the table, so to speak. “Two camels attended the most recent cocktail hour, which was held on the courtyard. An owl, a sloth, and a porcupine have also made guest appearances there. “I like the people that I work with – the Friends of the Zoo organization, the zookeepers,” he adds. “Everyone here is passionate about what they do, and dedicated to the mission of sustainability and conservation. Because the Rosamond Gifford Zoo is such a worthy cause, I feel that what I do here is more than just making dinner.”

~ FingerL akesM agazine.com

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real estate | marketplace

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Watkins Glen, NY MOVE-IN READY! This 1458 sf, 2 bedroom, 1.5 bath ranch-style home is situated on 8.47 private wooded acres on a quiet road. It is surrounded by nature outside and offers quality and comfort within. The large front porch invites you to sit, sip, and relax. There’s a 10x16 outbuilding for storage too. Whispering Winds feels secluded but is five minutes from shopping, restaurants, and Seneca Lake. Visit wwr14891.com for photos and details. To request a showing, contact: WhisperingWinds14891@gmail.com or 607-535-4883. Offered for $249.900.

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7404 Wildflower Way, Bath, NY www.wildflowerhills.com 315-729-1905 September/October 2021

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enterprising

Creative

READING

by Bradley Butler, Executive Director and Gallery Curator, Main Street Arts

t was at some point during the middle of our renovation that I was struck by what we were doing. I turned to my wife Sarah – operations and financial director at Main Street Arts in Clifton Springs – and said, “This really looks legitimate.” We both laughed because we realized that we were so focused on the minute details of the project that we were overlooking what was really happening. Two 200-square-foot rooms on the second floor of Main Street Arts were turning into

a library right before our eyes. What began as a vague idea two years ago was now taking shape and becoming an important part of our programming. “My idea of heaven would be to sit in that beautifully lit room and just turn pages,” Francie Marx said when I spoke with her recently about our plans for the library’s grand opening. “One of the first things that you’re aware of when you walk into the library is the sunlight coming through the windows. It’s like (Continued on page 82)

The Robert & Francie Marx Art Resource Library Address: 20 West Main Street, Clifton Springs, NY 14432 Hours: Tuesday–Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Thursday–Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Website: mainstreetsrtscs.org

~ FingerL akesM agazine.com

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culture & attractions | marketplace Home of the World’s Largest Herd of White Deer

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culture & attractions | marketplace

enterprising

TOUR OUR FARM & BROWSE OUR GIFT SHOP Our alpaca farm is the largest in the Finger Lakes area. You will have the opportunity to meet our herd of 60+ alpacas. Learn alpaca history & care while touring the vintage barns. Individual and group tours.

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Additional Info

Come Explore The 1800’s Country Kitchen, Parlor and Bedroom Dairy Room, Blacksmith Shop, Antique Tractors and Farm Equipment Exhibits on Industries of Cayuga County, Maple Syrup, Logging, Tobacco and much more Interactive Children Exhibits and Play Area See Website or Facebook For More Information Special Tours and Viewing By Appointment

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being on a beach. That’s the place to spend a day, especially if you are looking for inspiration.” Some of the first books to be donated to the library were the hundreds that came from Francie and her late husband, Robert. The Robert and Francie Marx Art Resource Library was named for them, two people who are very near and dear to us at Main Street Arts. Robert was a prolific artist who remained devoted to his life’s work throughout his seven-decade career as a painter, printmaker and sculptor. He passed away last September – less than two months from the opening of what would have been his 95th birthday exhibition at Main Street Arts. “Robert was a voracious reader,” Francie explained. “He read biographies and fiction, and enjoyed well-written science fiction, but he loved reading biographies of artists. He believed that getting ideas from artists he admired and looked up to could assist him in his own innovation as an artist.” The library contains a collection of 1,500 books – and counting – on a wide variety of art subjects, including individual artists, art movements, architecture, craft, design, art instruction, art philosophy and more. As a whole, the collection ranges from historical to contemporary and collectively illuminates the impact of the arts on culture, society and the human experience. Our goal was to create a comfortable, approachable and inviting space. Whether you’re conducting research for your master’s thesis, reading up on painting techniques for beginners or just like taking in the beauty of printed images, we want to be sure the library felt accessible. The library will also have a tie-in to other programming at Main Street Arts. During exhibitions, artists will select books that relate to their unique artistic practice or artists who have inspired them. You will be able to see an exhibition and then go up to the library to dig deeper and see the broader context of how artwork in the gallery relates to the continuum of art making. The collection will also be an asset for workshops. (Continued on page 84)

~ FingerL akesM agazine.com

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culture & attractions | marketplace

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The library wouldn’t exist without the community that has formed around Main Street Arts since the organization opened in 2013. All of the books were donated by people we’ve gotten to know through our operations over the last eight years. We’ve also had volunteers help in the building, painting, organizing and finishing stages. It’s amazing to see people so interested in what we’re doing, and we’re humbled by their willingness to help out. One of our biggest volunteers has been Charlotte Cooper, member of the Main Street Arts board of directors. As a retired librarian, her expertise has been invaluable. “My husband and I have been coming to Main Street Arts since its opening in 2013, and I was honored to be asked to join the board in 2020,” she says. When Charlotte asked us how we planned to organize the books in the library, she found her role as a volunteer. “I could immediately see how the creation of an art resource library at Main Street Arts would benefit visitors to the gallery, students and the community at large,” she says. “These books will be an enriching addition.” Main Street Arts has always embraced a natural evolution, with new programs or events developing as ideas strike. Over the course of our history, we’ve held well over 100 exhibitions; hosted numerous

~ FingerLakesMagazine.com

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enterprising

accommodations | marketplace

workshops, film screenings, artist talks and other art events; and developed youth programming. From June 2016 through March 2020, we welcomed 75 resident artists from 19 states and two Canadian provinces through our artist residency program. The art resource library represents a sharper focus on arts education, which is integral to our mission as a nonprofit. The space will also be a venue to continue showing the works of Robert Marx, whose estate is represented by Main Street Arts. Small rotating exhibitions of his work in the library will preserve his legacy as an artist. Pairing Robert’s work with this collection of books – many of which came from his studio – visually ties the written word together with the visual image and underscores the important connection between the two. You never know what will catch your eye walking through this space. That’s one of the great things about the library – I’m still finding books that I didn’t know were a part of our collection. You can also access and search the entire catalog online to know what books we have. The library will be available during open hours, and you are encouraged to come and spend as much time as you’d like. We look forward to your visit.

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happenings (Continued from page 14)

September 25...Naples Grape Festival The grape festival is held every September to celebrate the area’s grape harvest, talented artisans, wine makers, local and regional music and cuisine. The festival is held at the Naples High School Grounds and across the street at Memorial Town Hall from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., rain or shine. Enjoy wine, food, arts, crafts and local/regional music. Bake a pie for the World’s Greatest Grape Pie Contest and sample everything “grape.” Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Naples Memorial Town Park Main St. Naples, NY 14512 naplesgrapefest@gmail.com September 25...3rd Annual Fall NYS Yoga Festival at Letchworth State Park Enjoy the 3rd Annual Fall New York State Yoga Festival in breathtaking Letchworth State Park. Known as the “Grand Canyon of the East” for its beautiful gorges, waterfalls, and trails, the park will provide the perfect backdrop for a day of yoga, hiking, meditation, music, and exploring the work of local artisans. Ease into the fall season and recharge your soul as we practice yoga, learn new ideas, and make new friends in the great outdoors. Event will occur rain or shine. Tickets are $25. Ticket Sales will close prior to event. No ticket sales at the door. nysyogafestival.com September 25...Riot Run 5k — Prison City Pub and Brewery 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Prison City’s Mass Riot has been recognized as one of the best IPAs in the country. Race to a finish line that features a free Mass Riot for every adult finisher. The Riot Run starts and finishes right at the brewery. A nice, fast run through historic downtown Auburn, that finishes with live music, lawn games, and, of course, beer and pub fare. Nestled in the Finger Lakes Region, this is the perfect fall race for runners to make a whole weekend. Prison City Pub and Brewery 28 State St, Auburn, NY 13021

OCTOBER October 1-2...Pack Basket Making Workshop The traditional Adirondack pack basket is as functional as it is treasured. With expert guidance from an experienced basket maker you can weave your own medium-large pack basket that is certain to become an heirloom. Participants will use both flat and flat oval reed to create a 22” high pack basket. A leather harness strap will complete the basket. All materials and necessary tools are included in the cost of the program. Students will need to bring their own lunches, water, and snacks each day. Most students will not finish in two days but will need to stain their basket at home. Staining

will be demonstrated during class. Previous basket making experience is helpful, but not necessary. Price is $165. 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Cumming Nature Center 6472 Gulick Road Naples, NY 14512 585-374-6160

The P. Tribastone Fine Art Gallery 32 South Main Street Canandaigua, NY Open 10-6 Tues-Sat

THE ES LIFE? E V K L ER LA G N I F

October 2-3...Naples Open Studio Trail Naples Open Studio Trail (NOST), a group of dynamic, innovative artists who invite the public into their studios every October, announced that several new artists have joined its annual free, selfguided art tour. There will be over 20 artists at 15 locations scattered around Canandaigua Lake and centered in Naples. Studios are open both Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. A downloadable map is available on its site; people are also welcome to contact them for a brochure. 585-749-2248 or 585-967-3348 naplesopenstudiotrail.com

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October 9...Finger Lakes Half Marathon & 5K One of the premier Willow Running events. Take in the peak fall foliage, and enjoy a recovery beer along with a wonderful post race meal and live music at Fleur De Lis Brew Works in Seneca Falls. The field is limited to 250 Half Marathon and 150 5K participants. 8:15 a.m. to 12 p.m. Fleur De Lis Brew Works 3630 NY-414, Seneca Falls, NY 13148 runsignup.com/race/ny/senecafalls/ fingerlakeshalfmarathon5k October 30…Trick or Treat at The Windmill Bring the kiddos out to the Windmill for trick or treating. Maybe the Dancing Witches will make an appearance too. 2 p.m. Admission is free. The Windmill Farm and Craft Market 3900 State Route 14A , Penn Yan NY 14527 thewindmill.com

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~ FingerL akesM agazine.com

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canandaigua | marketplace The Finger Lakes Choice For

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Visit us online at folivers.com

www.uniquetoyshop.com

Original Artwork Paintings, Mixed Media, Drawings, Pastel, Jewelry, Ceramics, Sculpture, Hand Executed Prints

Workshops & Classes 71 S. Main Street, Canandaigua, NY 585-394-0030 www.prrgallery.com

Enjoy a delectable meal on the shores of Canandaigua Lake.

Sun/Mon. Closed; Tues-Sat. 11-5pm.

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nautical

What Lies Below

Conesus Lake

Livingston County Sheriff’s Marine Patrol Clark Young inside the boat that’s equipped with sidescan sonar abilities.

by lake historians Loré and Vince DiSalvo

s the warm months of summer draw people to participate in the many activities on Conesus Lake, the subject of what must be on the bottom of the lake will certainly find its way into many a conversation. A catalyst to many of these discussions is the story of the propeller that now sits at the entrance to Vitale Park, belonging to the McPherson/Starrucca Steamboat. The well-recorded story of the largest boat ever operated on Conesus Lake and its demise is just one of many. But other stories abound – many unverified – as to what may be on

the bottom of the lake. Thanks to advancing technology in the hands of the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office, some of those questions are being answered. Two years ago, the Sheriff’s Office acquired highly technical marine sidescan sonar equipment for use in cases relating to submersed objects. Divers with the Underwater Search and Recover Team (USRT) note that, with visibility almost nonexistent in many areas of the lake, this unit helps them locate objects before they dive into lowvisibility areas.

~ FingerL akesM agazine.com

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shopping & services | marketplace Free Finger Lakes wayﬁnding app

DayTripping. Yeah! Over 500 Finger Lakes destinations! Try it at m.trailbuddi.com

Manchester Mission

Furniture

Custom Furniture From My Designs Or Yours Traditionally Made with Mortise and Tenon Joinery

USE COUPON CODE DORILAKE20 FOR 20% OFF WHEN ORDERING ONLINE

www.manchestermissionfurniture.com CALL FOR APPOINTMENT

585-289-6976 • 585-489-5024

BIRD DETERRENT HUMANE AND EFFECTIVE

4382 Shortsville Rd. Shortsville NY & BOOKS OFFICE SUPPLIES LONGS’ CARDS

Residential • Commercial

Carpet • Vinyl • Ceramic • Laminate Hardwood • Luxury Vinyl Interior & Exterior Paint & Stain

Professional Installation & FREE Estimates! (607)687-0181

ahwagapaintandfloorcovering.com 9-11 Lake Street, Owego, NY 13827

Mon-Fri 8:30-7 • Sat 9-6 • Sun 10-3 115 Main St, Beautiful Downtown Penn Yan, NY 14527

Ph 315-536-3131 • Fax 315-536-6743

Lukacs Pottery Shop for unique, functional art and other fine handmade items 7060 State Route 14 • Sodus Point, NY 14555 315-483-4357 • lukacspottery.com

September/October 2021 ~

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nautical

Images taken by the Livingston County Sheriff’s Department last July indicate a two-boat collision and an “errant ambulance” (below). – Photo courtesy Livingston County Sheriff

The USRT was originally called the Sheriff’s Scuba Team. It was founded by then Deputy Clark Young and Deputy Wesley Van Gee, under the leadership of Sheriff Martin Gilbride, after a youth drowned at the gravel pit in Avon in 1968. Early marine sonar technology, on loan from Connecticut State Police, was first used in 1991, in the case of two teenage boys who disappeared near the south end of Conesus Lake. After a shoe containing bones was found on shore in 1995, another effort to find the boys was attempted by the Sheriff’s Office in 1995. Sidescan sonar technology, perfected by then New York State Trooper Karl Bloom, became a new tool for the USRT. In 2015, Bloom joined the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office as a deputy sheriff assigned to marine patrol; he also serves as a member of the SONAR Unit, comprised of specially trained Sheriff’s Office members who assists the USRT with searches in open bodies of water. The Marine Patrol was formed in August of 1947 by Sheriff H. Donald McColl. Two “What’s down there?” questions have answers thanks to the SONAR Unit and their new technology. One confirms a story of a “hearse” that had gone through the ice. Deputies were able to verify the story by capturing a picture of the vehicle – actually an ambulance – using their new technology. [You can read Vince and Loré’s 2016 article about it in The Livingston County News by visiting thelcn.com. Keywords in the search bar are “errant ambulance.”] After the discovery of the sunken ambulance, Deputy Clark Young asked if we knew about an accident involving two Chris Craft boats on the east side of Conesus Lake. During the search for the two missing boys in 1991, the search team discovered the wreckage of the boats, connected together, apparently, as the result of a head-on collision. We were able to confirm that the accident occurred in July of 1945; occupants of both boats were rescued by cottagers. Thank you to the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office and deputies for keeping Conesus Lake safe for the cottagers, residents and all lake visitors.

Conesus Lake is the westernmost Finger Lake. It is 8 miles long and has a maximum depth of 66 feet.

~ FingerLakesMagazine.com

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shopping & services | marketplace

The Red Bird Café and Gift Shop

You don’t need to cross the big pond for Afternoon Tea. Five Course Afternoon Tea $35/pp. plus tax and gratuity. Saturday only 2-4 reservations required. Entertain in style with our April Cornell beautiful linens. If we don’t have what you need we will gladly order it for you!

The Red Bird Café Bakery Gifts

Open Tues./Sat. 11-4 25 Main St., Brockport, NY 14420 redbirdcafeandgiftshop.com • 585-637-3340

Recollections Antiques

Because Art Moves! Because Art Moves!

Canandaigua • 585-394-7493 Text: 585-303-6857

Chair Caning

Over 50 years of professional experience in boat sales, service, rentals and storage.

Call Chris or Paula • All types of chair re-weaving • 35 years experience

Daily & Weekly Boat Rentals • 585-394-0918

Because Art Moves!

AMISH COUNTRY STORE at Weaver View Farms Overlooking Seneca Lake

Because Art Moves!

Naglee Fine Arts has service packages available. Fine Arts has service packages transport available. it WeNaglee will install/deinstall your artwork, We will install/deinstall your artwork, transport it to our secure warehouse, and store it for however to our long secure warehouse, and store it for however you are away. Peace of mind. long you are away. Peace of mind.

Used by major museums and institutions, as well as Used by major museums and institutions, as well as private collectors. References available. private collectors. References available.

386 St. Rt. 14, Penn Yan, NY 14527

315-781-2571

Naglee Fine Arts Naglee Fine Arts 1525 Grand Central Avenue, Elmira,NY NY14901 14901 1525 Grand Central Avenue, Elmira, Tel. Arts.com Tel.607-733-5725 607-733-5725 •• NagleeFine NagleeFine Arts.com

Naglee Fine Arts has service packages available. We will install/deinstall your artwork, transport it to our secure warehouse, and store it for however S e p t e m b e r / O c t o b e r 2 0 2 1 ~ 91 long you are away. Peace of mind. Naglee Fine Arts has service packages available.

We will install/deinstall your artwork, transport it

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Used by major museums and institutions, as well as to our secure warehouse, and store it for however private collectors. References available. 8/11/21 2:04 PM

long you are away. Peace of mind.

shopping & services

Arena Cabinets of the Finger Lakes KITCHENS & BATHS Fast, affordable, personal service for homeowners

Romulus, NY • (607) 280-0064 ArenaCabinetsFLX.com

Believe in Magic 142 South Main St. • Canandaigua, NY 14424

585-394-3115 • mycrowndowntown.com 47755_HorningWoodworking--BC 4c

CustomCusCabinetry tom Cabinetry DesignDes & ign Build & Build

Custom Cabinetry diver for hire Design & Build

FINGERLAKESDIVER.COM 62 Route 14-A Geneva, NY 14456 Painted cabinetry with glazing and cherry Island, all with solidhorningwood@emypeople.net surface counter tops.

Option 1

Fine Women’s Clothing... where your favorite outfit is waiting! 315 - 364 - 7715 • Mon.-Fri., 10-5pm

www.janemorganslittlehouse.com

Fat Hat•Clara S•Habitat

IC Collection•Maggy London• Ursula

•Alex Evening•Joseph Ribkoff•Brighton•

378 Main St., Aurora

• Comfy•Andria Lieu•Joules•Slimsations 92

585-526-6100

horningwood@emypeople.net

607-592-2443

Pipeline - pumps - filters moorings & more horningwood@emypeople.net

62 Route Geneva, NY

585-526-

Option 2 - logo at 3/8 wider (Green box is wider as well showing less of the pictu

Brazilian Wax for Men & Women

(585) 394-1499 | FingerLakesWaxStudio.com 2375 State Route 332, Suite 800 Canandaigua, NY 14424 (Formally HoochiCoochi Wax Studio)

~ FingerLakesMagazine.com

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20TH ANNUAL

FREE ART EVENT

Restoring and Servicing Your Favorite Classics Full Service Rotisserie or Partial Restorations

1789 County Rt 50 | Arkport, NY 14807 | rjcars.com | 888-324-8325 Enjoy the fall colors and landscapes of the Finger Lakes on this self-guided art tour and explore one-of-a-kind treasures in each artist’s studio.

15 locations

20+ artists

Vintage Lighting, Antique Furniture, Oriental rugs, and so much more

October 2 & 3, 2021 10am-5pm

antiquerevival.com

naplesopenstudiotrail.com Call 585-749-2248 or 585-967-3348

New Hours

10am - 5pm Daily Closed Tuesday Masks Required

HARDY MUMS ARE NOW IN!

90+ Vendors

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All Sizes and Colors are Available • Order online mayflowernurserygarden.com Celebrate the seasons at ...

2505 NY 332, Canandaigua 585-396-9660

Open 7 Days

✭ FINGER LAKES GOODS ✭ THE GENERAL STORE OF THE FINGER LAKES GIFTS FOR ALL OCCASIONS UNIQUE & LOCALLY SOURCED

Complete Repair, Restoration and Conservation Services for Antique and Fine Furniture. 585-226-6730 Avon, New York

www. JFRestoration.com

www.fingerlakescoffee.com 800-420-6154

Visit our locations. Farmington Pittsford Plaza Corner of Routes Monroe Ave. 96 & 332 (CVS Plaza) (Next to Shear Ego) 585-742-6218 585-385-0750 Strong Memorial Hospital Thompson Hospital Destiny USA Mall (Syracuse, NY)

Gift Boxes • Bath & Body Charcuterie • Sweets • Jewelry Arts & Crafts • Customized Boxes Shopping redefined on-line, in-store Free delivery (over $59) 40 Linden Street, Geneva NY www.flxgoods.com

September/October 2021 ~

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advertisers September/October 2021

The Best of the Finger Lakes!

ACCOMMODATIONS

DINING

Apple Country Retreat..............................http://www.applecountryretreat.com........................ 85

F. Oliver’s Oils and Vinegars...................http://www.folivers.com............................................... 87

Belhurst http://www.belhurst.com/winery-at-belhurst.html..............................................................14

Lynnie Lou’s...............................................http://www.lynnielous.com.......................................... 73

Best Western Vineyard Inn......................http://www.vineyardinnandsuites.com..................... 85

NY Kitchen..................................................http://www.nykitchen.com............................................13

Colonial Motel....................................................................................................................................... 85

Pat’s Pizzeria...............................................http://www.patspizzas.com.......................................... 46

Nolan’s on Canandaigua Lake...............http://www.nolansonthelake.com.............................. 87

Finger Lakes Premier Properties............http://www.flpplake.com.............................................. 85 Miami Motel...............................................http://www.motelmiami.com.......................................61

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

CAMPING

MJ Peterson................................................http://www.mjprental.com..............................................7

Juniper Hill Bed and Breakfast...............http://www.juniperhillbnb.com................................... 79 Clute Memorial Park/Campground.......http://www.watkinsglen.us........................................... 84

Quiet Country Estates..............................http://www.quietcountryestates.net........................... 79

Hartleys Auto & RV....................................http://www.cortlandrv.com.......................................... 84

Whispering Winds Retreat.......................https://wwr14891.com.................................................. 79

Hejamada Campground & RV Park.......http://www.hejamadacampground.com.................. 84

Wildflower Hills..........................................http://www.quietcountryestates.net........................... 79

Holiday Hill Campground.......................http://www.holidayhillcampground.com.................. 84 Junius Ponds Cabins & Campground http://www.juniuspondscabinsandcampground.com........................................................ 84

SENIOR LIVING Ferris Hills at West Lake...........................http://www.thompsonhealth.org................................ 37 Kendal at Ithaca.........................................http://www.kai.kendal.org...................................Cover 3

CULTURE & ATTRACTIONS

Keuka Comfort Care Home....................http://www.keukacomfortcarehome.org.................. 63

Antique Wireless Museum......................http://www.antiquewireless.org.................................. 82

St. Ann’s Community................................http://www.stannscommunity.com............................ 35

Artizanns.....................................................http://new.artizanns.com............................................. 73

The Highlands at Pittsford.......................http://www.highlandsatpittsford.org...........................16

CNY Living History Center.......................http://www.cnylivinghistory.org.................................. 83 Colonial Belle.............................................http://www.colonialbelle.com..................................... 82

SHOPPING & SERVICES

Corning Museum of Glass......................http://www.cmog.org.................................................... 27

Ahwaga Paints & Coverings....................http://www.ahwagapaintandfloorcovering.com...... 89

Cortland County Historical Society........http://www.cortlandhistory.com................................. 83

Antique Revival..........................................http://www.antiquerevival.com................................... 93

Deer Haven Park.......................................http://www.deerhavenpark.org....................................81

Arena Cabinets of the Flx........................http://arenacabinetsflx.com......................................... 92

Finger Lakes Boating Museum...............http://www.flbm.org.......................................................81

Canandaigua BID......................................http://www.downtowncanandaigua.com..................91

Finger Lakes Food Tours..........................http://www.flfoodtours.com........................................ 83

Cayuga Landscape Company.................http://www.cayugalandscape.com..............................41

Granger Homestead & Museum...........http://www.grangerhomestead.org............83, Cover 2

Consort Display Group............................http://www.consortdisplaygroup.com....................... 89

Harry McCue Studio.................................http://www.harrymccue.com........................................41

Corning Building Company....................http://www.corningbldg.com...................................... 63

Historic Geneva.........................................http://www.genevahistoricalsociety.com.................. 83

Cottone Auctions.......................................http://www.cottoneauctions.com............................... 55

Historic Ithaca.............................................http://www.historicithaca.org...................................... 82

Cricket on the Hearth...............................http://www.cricketonthehearth.com.......................... 20

Historic Palmyra.........................................http://www.historicpalmyrany.com............................ 83

Crown Jewelry...........................................http://www.mycrowndowntown.com....................... 92

History Center in Tompkins County......http://www.thehistorycenter.net................................. 68

Culligan Water...........................................http://www.watertreatmentbyculligan.com.............. 64

Iron Vine Studio.........................................http://www.ideacollectivelearning.com..................... 83

Downtown Ithaca Alliance......................http://www.downtownithaca.com.............................. 33

Jay Seaman.................................................https://jamesseaman.com........................................... 26

Dudley Poultry...........................................https://www.dudleypoultry.com................................. 92

Kayak Time - Guided Tours....................http://www.kayaktimetours.com.................................81

Early Owego Antique Center..................http://www.pickowego.com......................................... 93

Lazy Acre Alpacas/Alpaca Country Clothing & Gifts http://www.lazyacrealpacas.com............................................................................................. 82

Eastview Mall..............................................http://www.eastviewmall.com......................................11

LeRoy Historical Society...........................http://www.jellomuseum.com.....................................81

Finger Lakes Coffee Roasters..................http://www.fingerlakescoffee.com............................. 93

Memorial Art Gallery................................http://www.mag.rochester.edu................................... 39

Finger Lakes Diver.....................................http://www.fingerlakesdiver.com................................ 92

National Women’s Hall of fame............http://www.womenofthehall.org.................................81

Finger Lakes Tram.....................................http://www.ankomdevelopment.com....................... 59

North Star Art Gallery...............................http://www.northstarartgallery.com........................... 72

Finger Lakes Wax Studio.........................http://www.fingerlakeswaxstudio.com...................... 92

Pat Rini Rohrer Gallery.............................http://www.prrgallery.com........................................... 87

FingerLakes Bell Co..................................http://www.flxbells.com................................................ 32

Rochester Folk Art Guild..........................http://www.rfag.org........................................................81

Fireplace Fashions.....................................http://www.fireplacefashions.com.............................. 72

Rosamond Gifford Zoo............................http://www.rosamondgiffordzoo.org..........................21 Seneca Lake Guardian.............................http://www.senecalakeguardian.org.............................5

Fitch Construction / Rochester Skylights http://www.fitchconstruction.com.......................................................................................... 69

The P. Tribastone Fine Art Gallery.........https://p-tribastone-fine-art-gallery.business.site.... 86

FLX Goods..................................................http://www.flxgoods.com............................................. 93

The Windmill Farm & Craft Market.......http://www.thewindmill.com........................................81

Foodlinkny.org...........................................http://www.foodlinkny.org........................................... 67

Evolved Home Furnishings LLC........................................................................................................ 34

Ward O’Hara Agricultural Museum.......http://www.cayuganet.org/agmuseum..................... 82

Gold Silver and Diamond Store.............http://www.goldsilverdiamondstore.com................. 26

West End Gallery.......................................http://www.westendgallery.net....................................13

Hartleys Auto & RV....................................http://www.cortlandrv.com.......................................... 92

~ FingerL akesM agazine.com

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Horning Woodworking https://justplainbusiness.com/horning-woodworking....................................................... 92 Jack Greco Custom Furniture.................http://www.jackgreco.com............................................21 Jane Morgan’s Little House.....................http://www.janemorganslittlehouse.com................. 92 Johnson Furniture Restoration...............http://www.jfrestoration.com...................................... 93 Joseph’s Wayside Market........................http://www.josephswaysidemarket.com................... 73 Kinecta Federal Credit Union.................http://www.kinecta.org....................................................9 Lake Country Dental.................................http://www.lakecountrydds.com................................ 32 Lakeside Building Products.....................http://www.lakesideroofingandsiding.com.............. 66 Long’s Cards & Books..............................http://www.longscardsandbooks.com....................... 89 Lukacs Studios Pottery.............................http://www.lukacspottery.com.................................... 89 Manchester Mission Furniture................http://www.manchestermissionfurniture.com......... 89 Mayflowers Garden..................................http://www.mayflowersnurserygarden.com............ 93 Naglee Fine Arts........................................http://www.nagleegroup.com......................................91 Naples Open Studio Trail........................https://www.naplesopenstudiotrail.com................... 93 New Energy Works TimberFramers......http://www.newenergyworks.com....................Cover 4 Rasa Spa......................................................http://www.rasaspa.com............................................... 59 Recollections Antiques.........................................................................................................................91

Why am I holding this sign?

RJ Cars Inc..................................................http://www.rjcars.com................................................... 93 Route 96 Power & Paddle.......................http://www.powerandpaddle.com............................. 55 Roy’s Marina Inc........................................http://www.roysmarina.net...........................................91 Seager Marine............................................http://www.seagermarine.com....................................14 Sensenig’s Landscape Supply................http://www.sensenigs.com...........................................15 Show Place Cabinetry..............................http://www.showplacecabinetry.com...........................3 Signlanguage Inc.......................................http://www.signlanguageinc.com............................... 27

To demonstrate the power of advertising

Silver Lake Marine, Inc.............................http://www.silverlakemarine.com................................10 Sutter’s Marina...........................................http://suttersmarina.com..............................................91 Sweet Expressions.....................................http://www.sweetexpressionsonline.com................. 89 The Red Bird Cafe & Gift Shop..............http://www.redbirdcafeandgiftshop.com...................91 Timber Frames Inc....................................http://www.timberframesinc.com...............................47 Timberkrete................................................http://www.timberkrete.com..........................................6 TiverBuilt, LLC............................................https://www.tiverbuilt.com..............................................4 Trailbuddi Smart Trail Network...............https://trailbuddi.com................................................... 89 Unique Toy Shop.......................................http://www.uniquetoyshop.com................................. 87 Weaver View Farms..................................http://www.weaverviewfarms.com.............................91

TOURISM Cayuga County Tourism..........................http://www.tourcayuga.com.........................................61 Clifton Springs Chamber of Commerce http://www.cliftonspringschamber.com.................................................................................47

Your business deserves the same attention ... learn how to get started.

WINE, SPIRITS & BREWS Dr. Konstantin Frank Wines....................http://www.drfrankwines.com..................................... 77 Lamoreaux Landing Wine Cellars..........https://lamoreauxwine.com......................................... 77 Long Point Winery....................................http://www.longpointwinery.com............................... 77 Sheldrake Point Winery...........................https://sheldrakepoint.com......................................... 64 Ventosa Vineyards.....................................http://www.ventosavineyards.com............................. 77

Contact Darlene Ryan (315) 789-2475 darlene@lifeinthefingerlakes.com

Wagner Vineyards.....................................http://www.wagnervineyards.com............................. 33 Zugibe Vineyards.......................................http://www.zugibevineyards.com............................... 77

September/October 2021 ~

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finger lakes regional map

Areas of Interest in the September/October 2021 issue 1 Auburn (p.53) 2 Bloomfield (p.74) 3 Clifton Springs (p.80)

4 Corning (p.56) 5 Cortland (p.40) 6 Hector (p.25)

7 Ithaca (p.22) 8 Marathon (p.40) 9 Montour Falls (p.38)

10 Moravia (p.14) 11 Naples (p.18) 12 Penn Yan (p.33, 36)

13 Seneca Falls (p.51) 14 Skaneateles (p.54) 15 South Bristol (p.32)

16 Watkins Glen (p.38) 17 Williamson (p.45)

From Oswego

Lake Ontario

Hilton

104

Sodus Bay

Sodus Point

MONROE Webster Brockport

104

Sodus

Baldwinsville

Rochester

490

E. Rochester Macedon

490

From Buffalo

Caledonia

Honeoye Falls

390

Avon

Geneseo

LIVINGSTON

Geneva

Cayuga

SENECA

Penn Yan

Branchport

14 10

Union Springs

Bath

10 Homer Cortland

Lansing

SCHUYLER

McGraw 81

Marathon

From Binghamton

Montour Cayuta Lake Falls TOMPKINS Odessa

STEUBEN

Rexville

Candor

Spencer 86

Painted Post

Elmira C H E M U N G Heights

Elmira

Addison

TIOGA

Waverly

The Finger Lakes Region of New York State

Finger Lakes 1 Conesus 2 Hemlock 3 Canadice

Newark Valley

Van Etten

Horseheads

4 Corning

Owego

CORTLAND

Dryden

Cayuga Heights

Ithaca

Burdett

Watkins Glen

86 17

CAYUGA

Lamoka Lake

Hammondsport

ONONDAGA

Groton

Waneta Lake

Trumansburg

Dundee

Prattsburgh

Canisteo

Auburn

Interlaken

Cohocton

Hornell

Ovid

YATES

Wayland

Avoca

Moravia

390

Manlius

Skaneateles

Aurora

Fayetteville

Naples

From Jamestown

Seneca Falls

Dansville

20A

390

Nunda

Waterloo

Honeoye

690

Syracuse 481 Marcellus

ONTARIO

Solvay

Weedsport 90

Clifton Springs Phelps 20

Newark

From Utica

481 90

Jordan

Manchester Shortsville Canandaigua

Bloomfield

Livonia Hemlock

20A

Mt. Morris

Lima

Victor

Clyde

Lyons

Palmyra

North 11 Syracuse

WAYNE

Fairport

490

Oneida Lake

104

Spencerport

From Watertown

Wolcott

4 5 6 7

Honeoye Canandaigua Keuka Seneca

From Binghamton

8 Cayuga 9 Owasco 10 Skaneateles 11 Otisco

~ FingerL akesM agazine.com

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83488 Kendal Dance AD for LiF

T: 8.125” x 10.875”

B: .125” all sides L: 7.625” x 10.375”

4c process

A sunset dance in the gazebo is so much more than a perfect ending to the day. It’s also the perfect place for Bayonne, a competitive dancer, to practice the smooth steps of her newest routine. The 105-acre campus of Kendal at Ithaca provides the perfect backdrop for waltzing through retirement and staying connected to the care one may need someday. Until then, Bayonne takes it one graceful step at a time. And, from here, the story just keeps getting better. Come for a visit and tell us your story. Call 1-800-253-6325 or go to kai.kendal.org to learn more.

2230 N. Triphammer Rd., Ithaca, NY 14850

83488_Ads_LifeFingerLakes.indd 3 Cover2and3.LIFL_SEPOCT_2021.indd 3

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LIFE IN THE FINGER LAKES

Cover1and4_V1_LIFL_SEPOCT_2021.indd 1

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021 • VOL. 21, NO. 5

5 8 5 .924 . 3 8 6 0 | N E W EN ER GY WO R KS .CO M | SERV IN G THE N ATIO N FRO M N EW YO RK & O REG O N

THE AMAZING FALL HARVEST • KAYAKING THE FINGER LAKES, PART 2 • AREA’S CAR CULTURE

POINT OF THE BLUFF VINEYARDS OVERLOOKING KEUKA LAKE, RECLAIMED TIMBERS PHOTO: DON COCHRAN

30 YEARS BRINGING DESIGN & BUILD PROJECTS TO LIFE IN THE FINGER LAKES SEE MORE OF THIS PROJECT AT: NEWENERGYWORKS.COM/POINTOFTHEBLUFF

Kayaking the Finger Lakes, Part 2, p. 48 • Grasping Grape Pie, p. 18

20 YEARS

The Region’s Premier Lifestyle Magazine Since 2001

LIFL

September/October 2021

Amazing Autumn! Enjoying the Finger Lakes’ Famous Fall Foliage

FingerLakesMagazine.com

GREAT PRICE! $3.95

DISPLAY THROUGH NOV 2021

On the Road: Car Culture, p. 56 • Fall Harvest, p. 42 • Chef at the Zoo, p. 76 8/11/21 5:00 PM

Life in the Finger Lakes SepOct 2021

Articles inside

letters

my own words