Upstate New York is a huge area. We were at the Adirondack and Catskill Mountains in the spring. Now we are on our way to Finger Lakes and Niagara Falls.
Herkimer Diamond Mines KOA
Herkimer diamonds are quartz crystals. Its a great family activity to dig for them when visiting Upstate New York. Our site pulled in with a stunning view of the river. 30 amp service, 50 psi water pressure, sewer, very slow internet, and too many trees to use the satellite. We enjoyed a fire with a glass of wine while Jake enjoyed watching life along the river. Lots of Squirrels!
Canadian Geese were everywhere.
Finger Lakes
The area is known for its numerous wineries around Seneca and Cayuga Lakes. Driving around Seneca Lake took about 2 hours.
Waterloo Harbor
We had a pull through site with 50 amp service, 50 psi water pressure, no sewer and no internet. The satellite picked up a couple channels, too many trees to get them all. It was a good location to explore the Finger Lakes wine region.
Wineries
There are a lot of wineries in the Finger Lakes region. Upstate New York is known for its wines. Many wineries had amazing views of the lakes. Unfortunately we went on a weekend and it was extremely crowded. Most the wineries could only accommodate a small crowd, so there were waiting lists to taste. Lessons we learned were; 1. If there is a tour bus, limo, or if there are more than 6 cars at a winery, don’t stop. 2. This is a white wine region so don’t expect good dry reds. 3. We try not to wine taste on a weekend, its too crowded. 4. We don’t only go to the wineries on a “wine trail” map. They pay to be on it and thats where the crowds go. There are very good wineries not on the maps. 5. Most people pouring the tastings know very little about the wines. 6. Fridays and Saturdays are either bridal parties or weddings. 7. If its the weekend, we wine taste when the wineries first open at 11:00 am. Then go to lunch. By the late afternoon, the crowd is loud and drunk. 8. We don’t expect more than 4 tastings and its become rare to taste for free, even if we buy a bottle or two. 9. We rarely stop at more than 2 wineries in a day.
Watkins Glen State Park
Its located at the southern end of Seneca Lake. They claim to be ranked the 3rd most scenic state park in the country. The Glen River cut a 400 foot gorge through rock creating 19 waterfalls. There are a few trails, but the Gorge Trail is the most scenic for waterfalls and shear granite walls.
There are a lot of stone stairs on the Gorge Trail and it can get crowded. It is a beautiful State Park and worth the visit.
Niagara Falls
The Niagara River drains Lake Erie into Lake Ontario. The average depth of the Niagara River is approximately 16 feet and flows at 4 to 8 miles per hour. The Niagara River does not freeze over. The name Niagara is believed to originate from the local indians who called it “Onigiara” meaning “thunder of waters”. The Niagara Falls are composed of the Horseshoe Falls, American Falls, and Bridal Veil Falls. Combined, they form the highest flow rate of any waterfall in the world and have a vertical drop of 165 feet. The Canadian/American Governments, control the water flowing over the Falls at 100,000 cubic feet per second. Each night during the tourist season, the water flow rate going over the Falls is reduced to 50,000 cubic feet per second. This allows the Hydro-Authorities to draw more water for hydro-generation. At night, both Ontario Hydro and the New York State Power Authorities divert water into reservoirs. During the day, the water flow is returned over the Falls for the tourists.
15 people have gone over the falls between 1901 and 1995. Five have died.
Maid of the Mist
Maid of the Mist operates on the USA side and Hornblower on the Canada side of the falls. Both tours go into the dense mist of spray inside the curve of the Horseshoe Falls. The original Maid of the Mist was launch in 1846. She was a ferry, but years later tourism became its business. The boats leave every 20 minutes and take passengers into the intense winds from the falls. It was a wet, windy, fun ride. Rain ponchos were a must. Many passengers recorded some of the trip with their wet phones.
Ontario, Canada
The boundary line regarding the falls between the United States and Canada was last determined in 1819, based on the Treaty of Ghent. The Canadian side offers some spectacular views of the 3 falls. Its an easy walk over a bridge, through customs, then along a scenic pathway providing the best views of Horseshoe Falls. 90% of the Niagara River flows over Horseshoe Falls. The falls are absolutely stunning. There are plenty of hotels, restaurants, bars, and casinos when done with the views. Jake enjoyed the views also; (black) squirrels!
Branches of Niagara Campground Resort
This was a nice campground, and the best we stayed at on this trip in Upstate New York. 50 amp service, 40 psi water pressure, good satellite reception, sewer, but poor internet. Like most campgrounds, no spa/hot tub. They allowed us to receive Amazon packages. We ordered new water filters for our water filtration system.
The spaces were large. They have 2 pools, miniature golf, kayaks, zip lines, volleyball, basketball, and close to Niagara Falls.
Driving around the city of Niagara Falls was colorful. Ate a traditional roast beef and horseradish on a weck bun(sea salt & caraway seeds on top). Delish! Sandy added extra horseradish and really cleared out her sinus’ and tear ducts. LOL.
