Weddingbee Blog

Go to Ithaca!!! And join the Fingerlakes Wine Country fan page on Facebook. And go to Americana Vineyard - they make wine slushies there. Seriously. They just pour wine in a slushie machine. It will change your life. My non-wine loves of Ithaca include the Ithaca Farmers Market and the Hangar Theatre.

I’m a Finger Lakes native (and miss it terribly.) Here are a few suggestions for you:

-Ithaca is fun (and gorges, as the t-shirts say.) If you like waterfalls (who doesn’t?), go to Buttermilk Falls State Park just outside of town. It’s lovely–you can hike up the gorge, go swimming beneath the falls, and take lots of lovey-dovey anewlywed photos! Downtown Ithaca is also very nice- there is a nice walking mall, and there are plenty of awesome food opportunities. I highly recommend Sammy’s Pizzeria and Moosewood (yes, the famed Moosewood is actually a restaurant in Ithaca: http://www.moosewoodrestaurant.com). Near Ithaca there is also Taughannock Falls, yet another gorgeous waterfall, this one on the west side of Cayuga Lake.

-Like Mrs. Trail Mix said, Skaneateles IS a beautiful town. It’s small, though, so you may not want to stay there for more than a day. It’s also in the OTHER direction of Niagara Falls–bummer. If you’re into fancy, the spa Mirbeau is right on the edge of town. I hear it’s nice, but it’s not my thing. Good eats in town include: Doug’s Fish Fry- legendary, down home fried fish (and other stuff, too, but nothin’ fancy) and Rosalie’s Cucina-highly recommended! Amazing Italian food. There are also a lot of B&Bs in/around Skaneateles, so if you go there, you may want to stay in one rather than a motel/hotel (of which there are only a few in the area.) There also are not a ton of wineries right around Skaneateles–there tend to be more on the lakes further west (Seneca, Cayuga, Keuka, Canandaigua, etc.) because of a slightly different microclimate.

-Hammondsport is also an ADORABLE little town on the south end of Keuka Lake. Several wineries right around it, too: Bully Hill, Pleasant Valley, others that I can’t think of at the moment… And there is (or was, last time I was there) an awesome bakery right on the town square.

-Naples is another nice little town famous for its grape pies (which are highly recommended, by the way.) There is also a grape festival every year–I think in September or early October.

-And finally, this is not a place, but the Finger Lakes are chock full of roadside ice cream stands. Seriously, there are more ice cream places there than I’ve seen anywhere else. It’s kind of ridiculous and pretty amazing at the same time. Hope you take advantage of it!

I’m from Hamilton which is 30 mins from the Canadian Niagara Wine region, and we’re getting married at Cave Spring Vineyards next month! If you’re coming to the area, definately check out the towns or Niagara-on-the-Lake and Jordan Village, and wineries I’d suggest… Vineland Estates, Pelee Island, Hernder Estates, Eastdell (they have a GORGEOUS view and a lovely restuarant - including a fab brunch I believe), Kacaba vineyards, Josephs estate wine, Colio Estates, Jackson-Triggs, Chateau des Charmes…. there are also a million little vineyards if you just drive around, and amazing roadside fruit stands, luxury cheese shops, etc.!