Why The Finger Lakes is the Best Fall Getaway near Buffalo, New York!
As you guys know, I’m finally back in the States! (in Buffalo, to be precise) We’re here for the fall and could not be happier. This is my favorite time of year here – there’s truly nothing like it!
In the spirit of the fall season, this week’s blog post is actually a major throwback from 2020. I’ve been wanting to share about this magical place for 2 years now, so before another autumn passes us by – let’s talk about Why The Finger Lakes are the Best Fall Getaway near Buffalo, New York!
As much as Buffalo is chock full of fall activities (as you may remember from this post), I get it, sometimes you just want to get away for the weekend. Well, I know the perfect place to send you – so let’s get into it!
Seneca Lake, Finger Lakes
There have been few places I have fallen in love with as fast as I fell in love with Seneca Lake. It was a perfect weekend getaway filled with hikes, wineries, breweries, charm, gorgeous scenery, and complete serenity.
We traveled here from September 19th – 20th, 2020. The leaves still hadn’t fully changed yet, so if you want the full autumnal experience (color scheme-wise) I would suggest waiting until October! But also, book early because people do not mess around when it comes to Fall.
From Downtown Buffalo, it only takes approximately 2.5 hours to drive to Seneca Lake. So not too long at all!
I definitely recommend Seneca Lake for couples, bachelorette parties, special occasions, or just a fun getaway with friends! You will most definitely have a lovely time here.
Listed in this article are all of the activities we did in Seneca Lake. I would highly recommend anyone to replicate this exact trip because, clearly, we’re still talking about it two years later.
Hiking Trails:
Watkins Glen State Park
Watkins Glen State Park was the most commonly recommended trial and it did not disappoint! Due to its popularity, it was very crowded even in 2020! So that’s just something to be aware of.
The hike itself included a variety of sights and terrains. It had creeks, waterfalls, cliffs, and grottos. It was quite chilly even in mid-September but, in my opinion, that makes hiking even easier because you’re not sweating! We really enjoyed this trail and all of the beautiful views and photo ops it had to offer!
Taughannock Falls
Going to Taughannock Falls was another stunning hike that I was absolutely in love with. So much so that we were out there for 4 straight hours! We started at the very top and had a view looking down at the gorge. (which was gorge-ous… ha!!)
We took the South Rim Trail through the forest, which was really peaceful and beautiful. Then we transitioned over to the Gorge Trail itself.
We hiked and jumped from rock to rock and finally made it to the actual Taughannock Falls! The waterfall was mostly dried up at this point in the season but the canyon was so beautiful. As steep as it was going back up the trail, I felt so accomplished afterward. It was 100% worth the hike!
Wineries:
Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard & Winery
Steven’s Mom and her husband recommended Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard & Winery for us to check out and they did not steer us wrong! I am 100% confident in recommending it to all of you, too! It had a really rustic and elegant open-air atmosphere. We got to do a tasting of 5 half glasses of all different wines. They also gave us some popcorn and nuts for snacks! The Riesling was my absolute favorite, so much so that I bought a bottle to take back home! I would definitely return here whenever we get back to Seneca Lake someday!
Atwater Vineyards
Atwater Vineyards was our second vineyard stop! We specifically chose to come here because they had an optional add-on for a chocolate pairing with the wine, which was a treat. (as of 2020) It’s a family-owned winery so it had a very homey feel to us! There were direct views of the lake and they had a very calm atmosphere. As expected, the wine was wonderful!
Breweries:
Two Goats Brewing
As Buffalonians, we love a good brewery. Two Goats Brewing was widely talked about so it was a must-try while we were in the area!
This was a really unique brewery because it was elevated super high up, but for that reason the views were fantastic! Steven got a Goatgasm IPA to drink. For food, I got a Beef on Weck which, if you haven’t heard of, is a sandwich found primarily in the Western New York region consisting of roast beef on a kimmelweck roll! Everything was wonderful and I would absolutely go here again!
Grist Iron Brewing Co.
Before we hit the road, there was one more brewery we wanted to check out called Grist Iron Brewing Co. It was neighboring Two Goats so it was perfectly convenient! I absolutely loved their branding and aesthetic here, the design was beautiful and cohesive. The brewery offered a ton of open space where you could sit indoors or outside. And they had a pretty hefty on-tap menu and food menu as well. We could have hung out here all afternoon! We got a beer flight to split while sitting in the warm sun, just soaking up all of the feels of how beautiful this little trip was!
Accommodations:
The Burdett House Bed & Breakfast
I could honestly write a whole blog post on The Burdett House Bed & Breakfast, but before fall completely slips away from me again, let’s get into it right now!
The Burdett House was another recommendation from Steven’s family and now I can’t imagine staying anywhere else in The Finger Lakes! It’s a quaint little B&B with four themed guest rooms. We stayed in the Roosevelt room, but there are also the Knickerbocker, Excelsior, and Empire rooms. Their website explains the meaning behind all of the different rooms’ names.
Not only was our room beautiful, but the common areas were just stunning. There were so many places to sit, whether it be indoors or on the wrap-around porch. It was a dreamy little place to stay in wine country and there were so many touches of home! They had decorative throw pillows and blankets, books and games, and comfort everywhere you looked. It was decorated beautifully. Right upon arrival, we were already saying we wished we could have stayed longer!
Also, the hosts were absolutely amazing. We met Ashley and David and they made our stay so wonderful. They were so conversational and hospitable. We told Ashley how we met (and mind you, this was in 2020 so we were still in our first year of dating) and she said she just loved our story. I hope we get to circle back with her someday and tell her about all of the adventures we’ve been on since!
One last thing I want to rave about before we go too – the BREAKFAST! To take a direct quote from my journal: “We had fruit cups with whipped cream, tea and coffee, orange juice and water, eggs and sausage, and THE MOST DELICIOUS WAFFLES EVER!” And on top of all that, the hosts’ dog, Hudson, sat with us as we dined! What a little angel.
I’ll always look back on our stay at Burdett House very fondly and would recommend it to anyone going to the Finger Lakes! Definitely book in advance though because, with only 4 rooms, this place books up pretty quickly!
We Love the Finger Lakes!
As you can see, with all of the reasons listed within this post, this is why I truly think The Finger Lakes is the best fall getaway in Western New York. We were barely here for 48 hours and still look back on it this fondly, I can’t even imagine how many other amazing things there are to explore there!
Between all of the hiking trails, hundreds of wineries, and gorgeous views of the lake, you are truly guaranteed to have a wonderful time here.
As far as next time… we’ll be getting back into our international blog post schedule! I have some really exciting stuff lined up so stay tuned! 🙂
Here’s to doing what makes our souls shine! 🥂☀️
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