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 Corning, Keuka Lake, Hammondsport and Steuben County.
Keuka Lake, our first stop of the trip is one of the few Y-shaped lakes in the world and the only lake in the Finger Lakes region to not be long and skinny. On the south end of Keuka Lake sits Hammondsport, a quaint and cute little town with a population of fewer than eight hundred residents. Hammondsport may be small in population, but it boasts an adorable town square, great shopping, a variety of restaurants & wineries, the Finger Lakes Boating Museum, Glenn H. Curtiss Museum and more. Keuka Lake is also easily accessed from multiple spots along Hammondsport for water sports, swimming and fun on the lake.
Champlin Beach is where we met the folks from Keuka Watersports who had paddle boards and kayaks waiting for us to get on the lake with. I’ve kayaked before, so I was excited to give paddleboarding a shot on Keuka Lake, especially since the lake was calm and I could see probably 7-8 feet deep into the water. Once we got our life jackets on and were given the basics on how to paddle we were off. Even though my balance is awful and I ended up in the lake half a dozen times, it was still such a fun experience. There were a bunch of families also enjoying the lake, we saw plenty of boaters, jet skis, kids swimming in the lifeguarded beach and a lot of picnickers. I could easily see spending the better part of a day on Champlin Beach and out on Keuka Lake.
Bully Hill Vineyards, located on the hillside overlooking Keuka Lake was about as picturesque as it comes. All of the grounds, buildings, tasting rooms, views, just everything about it was gorgeous and welcoming. I was slightly worried that my wet-from-the-lake hair would be out of place in the tasting room but was pleasantly surprised with how laid back and casual it was. Some folks were dressed in more of a Sunday Best, while others were in t-shirt, shorts & flip-flops. Everyone is welcome and laughter is encouraged along the bar in the tasting room. The menu they give you to choose from shows the label/picture from the bottle as well as organizes it by sweetness and type (red, white, pink, boxed) to make it easy to slide up or down from a wine similar to one you already enjoy. Tastings are family-friendly, they even offer a grape juice for kids to try out so they don’t feel left out. At Bully Hillthere is also a restaurant, gift shop, wine shop and tours available.
Park Avenue Sports, located just outside downtown Corning, is a great place to head as a family to check out a wide variety of activities for all ages. Park Avenue Sports is open seasonally, Memorial Day through Fall with mini-golf, a driving range, Water Wars, climbing wall, batting cages, laser tag & homemade ice cream. It truly has something for everyone in your family. The laser tag very closely mimics very popular video games and are programmable by the staff at Park Avenue Sports. When you make a visit, I highly recommend the Strawberry Daiquiri ice cream!
Downtown Corning is home to the Rockwell Museum, the only Smithsonian affiliate in upstate New York, meaning they can display Smithsonian quality artwork and one of a kind treasures right there in the museum. At any given time, only 12% of Rockwell Museum’s permanent collection is on display while the rest is kept in archival storage to be brought out periodically or for new displays. The Rockwell Museum is the perfect stop for families, especially when it comes to tickets - it’s always free for kids ages 17 & under and tickets are good for two consecutive days so. One of my favorite parts in Rockwell Museum is the ability to unplug with electronics and to connect with the artwork through the magnet board scavenger hunt. Once kids complete the entire hunt, they can stop by the museum shop to pick a prize out of the basket.
Stop by Atlas Pizza to grab a slice, specifically a slice of white pizza, crab pizza or the Atlas pizza, all of which are delicious. If you’re looking for some of the best breakfast you’ll have, Poppleton Bakery & Cafe is where you want to head. I’m not normally a breakfast person, but the breakfast there was amazing, filling and just so darn good. The inside of Poppleton’s is cute as a button and the staff is as sweet as could be.
Radisson Hotel in Corning is a great place to rest your head at night, especially with its close proximity to the downtown Corning area. Almost any restaurant, cafe or museum is easily accessed from the hotel. I loved our rooms, they were really nice, comfortable and a great place to rest after a busy day in the Keuka Lake & Corning areas.
Corning Museum of Glass was a great experience in not only seeing live glassblowing demonstrations, but in getting to make our very own flowers out of glass and seeing glass art in every shape and size, including hanging from the ceiling. It’s hard to believe after walking the entire museum, that it started as a single room museum in 1951. The scavenger hunt via the smart phone app, displays that are on levels kids will be able to easily see them and the volunteers located throughout the museum to answer kids all make it somewhere kids feel welcome. As a parent of three kids, taking them to a museum full of glass isn’t exactly what I’d probably think to do, but after our visit, Corning Museum of Glass is definitely somewhere I’ll bring my kids.
A big thank you goes to Dave with Corning and the Southern Finger Lakes for hosting and planning our trip to Corning, Hammondsport, Keuka Lake and Steuben 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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