After our trip to Rochester, we were treated to some time in the beautiful Finger Lakes region of New York, which I’ve gotta say, is some of the most beautiful landscape I’ve ever seen. Gentle rolling hills, fantastic lakes for recreation and a variety of activities and entertainment for families make the Finger Lakes a great place to vacation as a family. Here are some of my favorite family-friendly places for families in and around Elmira, Harris Hill and Mark Twain Country.
National Soaring Museum located in Elmira, known as the Soaring Capital of The World, based on the 80-year history of soaring at Harris Hill in Elmira. Inside the museum, you’ll find out about the evolution of sailplanes, how they were constructed and how the sport of soaring has evolved from its beginnings until now. The National Soaring Museum is home to a glider previously used by the USA Army to deliver supplies, large gliders, small gliders and everything in between. There is also a nice display dedicated to Eileen Collins, a female astronaut who grew up in Elmira. Something most of us don't think about is that a spaceship is not self-propelled, making it a glider.
Located on Harris Hill beside the National Soaring Museum is Harris Hill Soaring Corporation, the best place to go soaring in all of the USA, and arguably the world. The weather improved while we were there, so I was lucky enough to go soaring on our first day in Chemung County. Once we were buckled in, the pre-flight check list was completed and the pilots gave the thumbs up to the pilots to begin our ascent. Once we got to right around 2,500 feet above Harris Hill they released the retractable line from the top lane, turned slightly away from the tow plane and we were gliding. As soon as we were away from the tow plane it became peacefully quiet. It was easy to find the Elmira Regional Airport, Tanglewood Nature Center & Harris Hill’s runway from the sky. Both times, the pilots pointed out where hang gliders take off from, where kayakers can often be found on the river, the wind turbines that are 28 miles away and are in a great flight plan between ridges to fly south towards PA and further and more. It was honestly one of the most amazing experiences of my life - outside of babies and marriage. I usually get motion sick very, very easily, but my stomach didn’t get upset even once during our flight. It was smooth and calm the whole time, even more so than a commercial flight, especially during take-off and landing. There are no motors on a glider, so if a pilot happens to get too low to land easily at Harris Hill or needs to land due to changing weather and the runways are full, there is an auxiliary runway at the bottom of the hill open at all times. Both of my pilots Evan & Mitch and all pilots at Harris Hill are FAA-certified commercial glider pilots. I really like that they take young pilots and those with an interest in learning more under the wing of more experienced pilots. Evan’s younger brother was there assisting with balancing the gliders during taking off and explaining what to expect during our rides. Tickets are open to the public on a first come, first served basis and are entirely dependant on the weather. As young as eight can go soaring, but it is not only up to the child & parents, but the pilot’s discretion after meeting your child. I would recommend this as an activity probably better geared for teens and up. Some other things to consider, passengers must weigh under 245lbs (including clothes/phone) and some of the flight controls will be between your knees so while skirts or dresses are ok to wear, you may not be comfortable in how you need to sit to allow the controls to move easily so it’s best to stick with shorts or pants.
Chemung County is also known as Mark Twain Country since it is where Samuel Clemens, who wrote under the pen name Mark Twain, spent his summers, wrote many of his masterpieces and is buried along side his wife and family. We hopped aboard the Trolley Into Twain Country Tour to go see Twain’s famous octagon writing study located at Elmira College and the cemetery where Twain, his wife, and known children are buried at inside Woodlawn National Cemetery and through the Elmira, NY area. Seeing the black iron fence from the family home of Olivia Langon Clemens, Twain’s wife, now on the grounds of Elmira College mere feet from the study where Twain wrote some of his most famed works was stunning. The tour into Woodlawn National Cemetery was nice, which sounds like an odd way to describe a cemetery, but Woodlawn was laid out similar to Central Park in a park-like setting with plenty of trees, trails, and hills and is a very peaceful and beautiful place. In fact, when the cemetery was first in place, families would often picnic inside the cemetery. Twain’s family is all together with simple, unassuming markers. The thing that sets this area apart from the other markers is the monument, that’s mark twain, two fathoms or more commonly described as 12 feet in height. The tour is very family-friendly and accommodating of all ages, and runs during July and August.
Tanglewood Nature Center is a true gem of Elmira and Chemung County. The Nature Center is home to a variety of rescued animals, some come from pet surrenders and some come from animals who have been rehabilitated but for one reason or another can not be re-released back into the wild. There is even a rock wall garden outside where some of the animals like turtles are given outside time to graze and enjoy the sunshine. The inside of Tanglewood is geared for kids, everything is meant for kids to be able to see it, touch it and ask questions about it. Outside offers a family friendly 1/8th mile walk that features a story with pages that go along the trail, a hidden fairy village, gate to a secret garden, bug house, sound chimes and more. Tanglewood Nature Center also offers fun classes and programming for kids throughout the year. Admission to Tanglewood Nature Center is free year-round, making it not only fun, but an affordable option for families.
A big thank you goes to Cynthia with Mark Twain Country for hosting and planning our trip to Elmira, Harris Hill and Chemung County. CLICK HERE to request a visitors travel guide for the area to help you plan the best vacation for your family.
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