Man, oh man! Hiking, boating, laking, waterfalling, and nature lovers, put this place on your travel bucket list. This area is a must visit because of the pristine waterfalls, the amazing Summer weather, and all the wonderful wineries, breweries, and distilleries peppered throughout.

What a geological phenomenon this place is! Formed during the ice age, the glacier carved deep slices into the land and when the ice receded it left behind beautiful lakes and shale valleys with the most amazing waterfalls.

One such waterfall is Taughannock Falls. Pronounced tuh-GA-nick, this waterfall plunges 215 feet past rocky cliffs that tower nearly 400 feet above the gorge, this is a sight not to be missed! In fact this waterfall is the highest single-drop waterfall east of the Rocky Mountains. And what’s even better is the hike back to it is very easy. All ages even disabled family members can join in the fun. You can even camp at Taughannock State Park putting you right there and overlooking Cayuga Lake. A perfect spot to enjoy all the activities the area has to offer!

Another must see in the area is Watkins Glen. Located at the base of Seneca Lake, the town is a sleepy tourist spot where you can enjoy a boat ride or a good meal lakeside. Be sure to set a couple of hours aside to hike Watkins Glen State Park. This is a bit more intense of a hike but worth every sore muscle the next day. Talk about pristine, natural beauty. Hiking the gorge trail throughout the park takes you on an endless adventure of waterfalls.

“Within two miles, the glen’s stream descends 400 feet past 200-foot cliffs, generating 19 waterfalls along its course.”

Every corner you turn is one amazing photo opportunity after the next. So many waterfalls you lose count. It’s truly a one-of-a-kind natural experience. You can also camp at Watkins Glen and just like Taughannock, it’s a beautiful spot to enjoy all the activities in the area.

Another thing we enjoyed about the area is it’s wine country! JC being a wine geek and all, it’s befitting we find ourselves immersed in an area where the variety of libations are endless. You could spend everyday of the week hopping from one tasting to the next and not be able to visit them all. Never have we seen so many wineries, breweries, and distilleries within such close proximity of one another. If this is your thing, you definitely want to add the area to your travel bucket list.

We visited the city of Ithaca which is home to Cornell University and located at the base of Cayuga Lake. The Ivy League campus founded in 1865 can be toured easily and is also peppered with beautiful waterfalls and hiking trails. You can find the Cascadilla Falls, Ithaca Falls, Buttermilk Falls, and many more throughout the campus and city. Click for more waterfall information.

There was so much more to do than our time would allow for. So many other lakes to see and too many wineries missed this time. We spent 1 week and felt as though we could stay months. This is definitely a place we need to see a repeat of. So anyone out there that wants to visit, hit us up and maybe we could do a camping meetup. What a gorges area! <– see what we did there?

This area post has us classically inspired listening to this gorgeous melody.

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