Spend a Day With Me in Sodus, New York
You might ask where the heck is Sodus, NY? And why would I want to go there? Well Sodus is a small town located about fifteen minutes from the shores of Lake Ontario, forty minutes east of Rochester and two hours east of Buffalo. The area is small and adorable and worth exploring. Situated near the Sodus Bay, anyone who visits can expect to find plenty of activities. Whether it's fishing, boating, hiking or simply strolling along the waterfront, there's something for everyone to enjoy. Venture further into the town's outskirts and discover acres of apple orchards, vineyards, and farmlands. I will start by saying I know I only scratched the surface with what the area has to offer! Wish we had more time to explore!
Our first stop in the area was to hike the Bluff trail in Chimney Bluffs State Park. There is a $5 fee to park unless you have the Empire Pass (which I highly recommend if you visit lots of state parks). The main parking area for the park is located along Garner Road. This is a fairly large paved lot and offers tons of parking. There are bathrooms here and a paved trail that heads towards the lake. The second lot is located at the end of East Bay Road, just a few minutes down the road. There is also a small bathroom here. If you park in this lot, you will have to climb lots of stairs to get to the top to see the bluffs. In my opinion, the first lot is better if stairs aren’t your thing, but it’s closer to the lake and beach if you want to see the bluffs from below. The trail is 2.9 miles out and back and details can be found here on All Trails.
One of my favorite things to do when I’m in a new area is to stop and see whatever we can see while driving. On our way to lunch, we passed this little house on the side of the road that sold bread, baked goodies and cheeses so we had to stop! Brick Schoolhouse Cheese is located at 9204 Ridge Road in North Rose, NY and was about ten minutes from the park. Stop and check it out if you pass by!
For lunch, we went to Burnaps Farm Market and Garden Cafe, located at 7277 Maple Ave, Sodus, NY 14551! Such a cute place and a huge lunch menu.. Soups, salads, sandwiches, burgers, you name it. They also have a little play area for kids, some farm animals you can feed, apple picking, baked goods, produce, mums and tons of pumpkins! Our food was great and it was a beautiful day to sit and eat outside.
After lunch it was time to check into our accommodations for the night!! We booked a cabin at the Finger Lakes Treehouse, located at 4766 Pilgrimport Rd, Sodus, NY 14551. Our room was $300 for the night. The treehouses are new to the area and just opened in August. I want to share my experience about our stay! After I saw the cabins on Instagram, they became the reason my friend and I decided to visit the area.
Let me start with with what I loved!
Perfect for a relaxing, quiet getaway. Currently there are only five cabins on the property.
The cabins are super clean and well decorated. Linens and towels were high quality. Cabins come with robes normally but unfortunately ours didn't have any. We didn’t notice until the morning we were leaving and it was too late to request them. So make sure yours are in there!
It felt private and cozy. Loved that each cabin had their own wood fired hot tub and there is a sauna on the property.
If you love the outdoors, you will love it here. There are friendly goats that roam the property and we saw deer and other wildlife.
There is a refrigerator, dishes, microwave, cooktop, pour over coffee, wine glasses/mugs and a detailed booklet about what to see and do in the area. Everything you would need for a cozy stay.
They offer the option to book massages and to have a private chef come and cook you dinner!
Some things I noticed that would be important to know before arriving!
The check in is a very hands off approach (could be a pro for some)
No parking in front of your cabin. You have to either carry your luggage or use a wagon that they provide to transport your belongings. The path is gravel.
The fire pits are $25 to rent for the evening and the unlimited firewood is $15. In my opinion the fire pit should just be part of the experience and included with your reservation. If you rent one, bring your own fire starters and matches or lighter with a long handle. They do provide these items but we struggled with the small lighters and large wood fire starters.
If you plan on using the hot tub that comes with your cabin, you have to start the fire at least ninety minutes to two hours before you want to use it. There is also a sauna with beautiful views of the woods. This also requires you to turn it on about an hour before use. There are links to Youtube videos in the welcome booklet in your cabin to explain how everything works.
There are no food or beverages on site so bring what ever you need to be comfortable for the evening. The closest restaurant is about 10-15 minutes away. There is a small basket in the club house with snacks to purchase.
Each cabin can only hold two people. Also, there appears to be one pet friendly so keep that in mind when booking if you want a pet free experience.
Overall we had a great time and I would recommend the property for a weekend getaway. We loved exploring the area and would love to see what else we could find in the different seasons.
Here are a few of the other places we visited (and some we didn’t get to, but would like to next time)
Lagoner Farms and Embark Cider - an adorable farm market, bakery & taproom serving craft cider. Stop here for a flight and snacks! The menu was huge!
The Apple Farm Stand - such a great stop! They have apple cider donuts, baked goods, apple slushees and pantry items like salsa and pickles. They are also open for u-pick apples in the fall.
Imprint Coffee - we absolutely loved this little coffee shop. There are a few locations but the one right in Sodus even has a drive through. I ordered a pumpkin chai and it was 10/10.
Sodus Bay Lighthouse and Museum - the lighthouse is beautiful and the grounds around the museum are worth visiting.
Colloca Estate Winery and other wineries located on the Ontario Wine Trail. Also check out Sip Back and Relax Tours for a car service option if you're planning on hitting multiple wineries.
The Salthouse Smokebox - we didn’t get a chance to eat here but I wish we did! The menu looks great and the restaurant is recommended by locals so you know its good!
Captain Jack’s Goodtime Tavern - A great place to visit in the summer with outside decks, but also a cozy setting for the winter months with a welcoming bar and dining room. Open seven days a week with all the yummy bar food you could ever want.
My friend and I had such a good time on our little overnight trip. I hope that the things I shared inspire you to check out the area and all it has to offer. Each season brings something different to see! I also think the Finger Lakes Treehouse is such a unique place to stay and really worth checking out. Let me know if you decide to take a trip there!
x, Julie