A Perfect Fall Weekend in the Finger Lakes
I recently spent the perfect fall weekend in the Finger Lakes of New York with my two friends and wanted to share what we did! It was so much fun and we ended having amazing weather for the first weekend in October. We rented the cutest little Airbnb on the Eastern side of Canandaigua Lake. Two bedrooms, one bath. My personal opinion: ideal for a few girls but not great for two couples just based on the size of the second bedroom and the shared bathroom. Check in was super easy! The outside space was great and the owner provided firewood for the fire pit. They also left us an incredible welcome basket (that I forgot to take a pic of) with tons of snacks and two bottles of wine!
After check in we made the 40 minute drive to our dinner reservation. I had recently come across a post about the cutest hotel on Seneca Lake called The Plum Point Lodge and that is how I discovered Sapalta. We had a great table on the patio, heaters all around us for when the sun went down and the most delicious dinner. We drank local brews, had soup and salads, entrees and split two desserts. Everything was wonderful and we agreed we would definitely go back. Keep in mind, a reservation is required. After dinner we drove back to our Airbnb to relax and get rested up for the next day.
Saturday morning we were up bright and early for coffee and laughs. One of my favorite things about planning girls trips is having fun matching items!
Since our Designated Driver wasn’t picking us up until 11 am, we decided to drive to Naples to visit Plenty the Bakery. This was my second time there and I was just as impressed as the first time. They offer a pre-order option or you can take your chances and see what’s left in the case. We got lucky!! My favorite was the Fluffernutter cookie and of course, the cinnamon roll.
We knew we didn’t want to bother with a limo or trying to Uber so I booked us the Finger Lakes Designated Driver Service. They require a minimum of three hours at $42 hour and they drive your car. We had reservations at four wineries and ended up stopping at a fifth so we had our driver just over seven hours. He was so nice and we felt totally safe.
Here are the wineries we visited:
I preordered a bunch of different salads, two sandwiches and a quiche from Tabora for us to take back to our Airbnb for dinner. I love that there was such an extensive menu and a huge market. You could easily just stop in and see what they have available! Plus the wine was great!
What a great fall day!!
While the wineries are always a good time, my favorite thing we did was the Finger Lakes Rail Ride. It is a beautiful hour long ride on a rail bike along the tracks in Yates County. The tours do go rain or shine so be prepared if inclement weather is in your forecast. The tours are located in Penn Yan and it was about a 20 minute ride from our Airbnb. It currently looks like tours will run through the end of October.
Our last stop before we started the drive home was for a latte and croissant from the adorable Amity Coffee Shop in Penn Yan. It was exactly what we needed after being in the rain on the rail ride. Worth the stop if you’re in the area!
Each time I visit the Finger Lakes I am amazed at how much each season has to offer. In 2021 I’ve visited in the Spring, Summer and Fall. Looks like I’ll be making plans to see what winter activities I can find! Stay tuned!
Drop me a comment with your favorite Finger Lakes Fall activity!
x, Julie