The Finger Lakes

I recently returned from visiting family in Rochester NY and made a side trip to scout out some spots for autumn photography along the Finger Lakes.  A chain of lakes in the west-central section of upstate New York, the Finger Lakes consist of 11 long, narrow, roughly parallel lakes, aligned north to south as fingers of a pair of outstretched hands.  Two of the lakes,  Seneca and Cayuga,  are among the deepest in North America with depths  below sea level. These lakes all formed over the last two million years by glacial carving of old stream valleys. With names derived from early their Iroquois roots, the area is rich in history and culture, education and art.

Today the Finger Lakes area is New York's largest wine producing region with over 100 wineries and vineyards centered around Cayuga, Canandaigua, Conesus, Hemlock  Keuka, and Seneca  lakes. A leisurely drive through the drumlins reveals the neat rows of ripening grapes waving down to the lake.  Farming is a way of life in this part of the state.  Neat rows of corn and alfalfa stand beside tumbledown barns, as testament to the state of the economy and how it has especially hit American farmers.  Yet among the decline stand proud homes with grand porches boasting of more prosperous times.

I love visiting the Southern Tier, as it is called,  and often wish for more time to explore in depth the many towns and villages;  coffee shops and museums.

Comfortable lake homes along Conesus Lake

Crystal clear waters of Canadice Lake

Red Barn near Letchworth

Corn field in winter