Book your stay between a Sunday and Thursday before October 31st, and pay for two nights at the regular rate, and get a third night FREE! The package includes queen rooms and deluxe suites but does not apply to lakefront cottages.  Choose from rooms and cottages with internet access, flat screen TVs, refrigerators and microwaves in all of the rooms, and easy access to Geneva and Watkins Glen, New York.  Customize your package to include an in-room massage, have flowers delivered to your room, enjoy arts and entertainment, or let The Savannah House know what they can do to make your visit your ideal.

Contact The Savannah House for more information or to reserve your room or cottage for your spring or summer lake house vacation.

Spring migration is particularly exciting in the Finger Lakes, as the region is located in the Atlantic flyway—a key migratory route for North American birds.  Birders and nature lovers will not want to miss the fantastic variety of migrants making appearances all over the Finger Lakes region this spring.

Save the date to celebrate spring and the return of the songbirds at the annual International Migratory Bird Day Migration Celebration on Saturday, May 12, from 10:00 AM-3:00 PM at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Sapsucker Woods Road, Ithaca.

The event is free and includes fun for the whole family.  Learn about bird migration, check out the Cornell Lab’s research projects, and have fun with crafts, games, face painting, bird banding demos, live birds of prey, and more!  Join a guided bird walk between 10:00 AM and noon or a nest-monitoring walk from 1:00-2:00 PM.

For more information, or if you wish to volunteer for the event, sign up at www.cornell.birds.edu/birdday.

For a taste of the excitement at Sapsucker Woods this spring, check out the incredible live cam of a Great Blue Heron nesting on five eggs above the pond outside of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology–from nighttime encounters with a Great Horned Owl to gorgeous daytime views of the wildlife on the pond below her nest.

Come, join the fun!

Enjoy food vendors offering a taste of Finger Lakes fair–from Good Life asparagus, the locals’ favorite The Piggery and Crooked Carrot, Ithaca’s first Community Supported Kitchen (CSK).  Sip on cider from Redbyrd Orchards, enjoy live music by the talented six-piece band Toivo from Trumansburg, NY, and play some games on the green!  Entry is free!  Rain date: Sunday, May 6.

Photo: G. Knight

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Spend a night in Geneva, New York, in a beautiful Stickley suite at the gorgeous resort that sits on a bluff overlooking Seneca Lake.  Enjoy a complimentary bottle of Finger Lakes wine and flowers upon arrival and free tasting passes at two nearby wineries.  Take a bike ride through Geneva’s Historic District on one of the resort’s bicycles built for two.   The package also includes an impressive four-course candlelight dinner and live music in the Lancellotti Dining Room, as well as a full breakfast overlooking the resort’s formal gardens and beautiful Seneca Lake.  Friday guests are welcome to enjoy a Wine & Cheese party from 6-7PM.   For more package details, visit Geneva on the Lake.

Come and get a taste of spring in the Finger Lakes!

While we embrace life in winter, spring in the Finger Lakes is an experience not to be missed.  Restaurant tables spill onto the sidewalks and stretch out onto decks overlooking vineyards and lakes.  The wineries offer sips of their latest harvest, and the produce booths at the farmers’ markets grow more colorful as the weeks pass and temperatures rise.

If you have visions of visiting the Finger Lakes this spring or summer, our friends at Finger Lakes Premier Properties have put together several reasons why you should start planning your vacation sooner rather than later!

• Availability–while plenty of lodging options are available in the Finger Lakes, vacation rentals book up early.  Reserving early gives you a wider range of options to choose from and a greater likelihood that you will find an ideal place to stay.
• Payment–most vacation rentals require final payment 60 days prior to the start of your vacation, which means the sooner you book, the more time you have to budget and save for a vacation home that will accommodate you and your travel mates.
• Special Requests–if you or your group have special preferences in regards to your stay, your requests can be accommodated more easily if you make your reservations as early as possible.
• Itinerary Options–if you’ve scoped out your ideal Finger Lakes vacation rental, be sure to take time to research what the region has to offer within reach of your getaway location (i.e. waterfalls, wine tastings, lakes, boat rentals, music, museums, parks, dining, and more!).  Consider the places you may like to visit, and plan ahead for your car rentals, flights, and gas mileage.
• To-Do List–check “getaway” off your long spring list of things-to-do!   In the shuffle of ordering seeds, working, gardening, spring cleaning, summer planning, and packing away your cold-weather gear this spring, smile to know that you already have a Finger Lakes getaway waiting for you!

Start planning your Finger Lakes vacation!

Photo (Cayuga Lake): G. Knight

Daylight Savings Time is this weekend (March 11)! Turn your clocks ahead and start planning your Finger Lakes vacation! Longer days mean less time to book your Finger Lakes vacation!  Rentals for spring and summer book early!

Photo (Cayuga Lake): G. Knight

Speaking of cool towns and hidden gems, I visited Corning with my family today.  I live in Ithaca and pass by Corning often, but I’ve never actually visited the Corning Museum of Glass or spent much time in the downtown historic district.  A museum showcasing glass may not have seemed like a venture fit for my one and three-year-olds (partly because I assumed “hands-on” to mean non-toddler hands, and mostly because I imagined one of my children bumping into a tall display of casserole dishes) but I am relieved to report that we were all pleasantly surprised at how kid-proof the glass (and how friendly the staff!) was.

We arrived just as the museum opened at 9AM and had most of the place to ourselves to roam at our own pace.  For $6 (for local residents and kids and teens are free!), we spent the morning exploring the galleries and glass demonstrations, watched a woman mold hot glass into the shape of a mouse, and purchased a set of 12 drinking glasses on sale for $9.99 in the museum’s Glass Market.  Fun for everyone!

In search of snacks, we headed to Corning’s historic district and stumbled upon the charming Soul Full Cup on Market Street—a local coffee roaster that has been roasting organic beans and making fancy coffees for nearly 18 years!

My little ones and I settled into big comfy chairs near the window with a banana-nut muffin, a blueberry scone, small milks, and a Mexican Mocha, while we watched the steady stream of locals pop in for a mid-morning cup.  We chatted with the friendly barista and bought a bag of Soul Full Cup House French Roast beans to-go before heading back to the street to stroll the shops.

With Wegmans at one end, the Rockwell Museum at the other, and several hip salons, cute shops, a brewery, patisseries, and parlors in between, all encouraging passers-by to “Shop Local,” I decided I definitely would add Corning to my list of “cool places to recommend.”

By the time I buckled us all in and turned off Market Street, the little ones were fast asleep (and likely would be for a couple of hours!), which inspired my next detour (30 min. away!) to one of Budget Travel’s newly declared “coolest small towns”—Hammondsport, NY, on Keuka Lake.

The description of the tiny town being cradled by gentle hills and a jewel of a lake is as accurate as its supporters claim, and the clever shops, pubs, and well-kept homes that surround the village square have as much charm and character as its history suggests.  Unfortunately, I took in the town by car this time —the drive-by version—not wanting to wake sleeping babes,  but I saw enough to confirm its “cool small town” status and to warrant another trip when my travel mates have some energy to spare.

This leads me to the hour-drive back home to Ithaca—and how I never fail to marvel at the many “hidden gems” along the way.  One of my favorite things to do in the Finger Lakes is to drive between the Finger Lakes—winding and sloping along open roads, past hill-top farms, grazing animals, apple orchards, wineries, small uninhabited lakes, and miles of vines.  It is shocking how much open and natural land still exists as you cruise from one magnificent lake to the next, following a patchwork of tiny and charming towns along the way and adding to your ever-growing list of “cool places to recommend.”

It doesn’t matter if you are a life-long local—in the Finger Lakes every outing feels like a getaway and every new town, a hidden gem.

Blog & Photos: G. Knight