Around this time last year, we decided to plan a family vacation with our children and grandchildren. It would be our first vacation since our Utah trip in 2010 where all three of our kids could attend. Since then, we've gone from 5 to 11 family members. As we wanted to be able to drive to our destination, I settled quickly on the Finger Lakes in NY. My husband and I had been there twice, so we were familiar with the area. The Finger Lakes consists of 11 long, skinny lakes. I was able to rent a house for a week that was large enough to accommodate everyone.
We left on a Sunday morning in three separate cars and met up at Letchworth State Park which is rated as the #1 state park in the USA. It features three tremendous waterfalls:
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Upper Falls is located near the southern entrance to the park. We hiked to the top of the falls upon arrival and then drove to this lookout point.
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| Middle Falls |
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Letchworth is also known as 'The Grand Canyon of the East' and this picture demonstrates that.
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| Lower Falls is closer to the middle of the entire park. There is a 7-mile gorge trail that you can walk to see all the falls, but we did a lot of driving to the various spots where you could park and walk. After spending 4 hours at the park, we were ready to hit the road again. We were about 90 minutes away from the house and we still had to stop at a grocery store to stock up on food for the week. |
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| The back of our house that faced Seneca Lake. This was a 5 bedroom/5 bath beauty. The deck and windows that overlooked the water really made this house a dream. |
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| Our own personal dock (no, we did not have a boat). The chairs and table bolted at the end of the dock made it the perfect spot to watch the sunset. |
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Or the sunrise! Seneca Lake is the longest of the Finger Lakes and is also the second deepest lake in the USA, which I was surprised to learn. At its maximum depth, it's 618 feet. It's known as the lake trout capital of the world.
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| I enjoyed the peace and quiet at the end of the first day in the beautiful family room. |
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| The next morning, we headed to Watkins Glen State Park. It's a 3-mile roundtrip trail along a gorge to see 19 waterfalls. |
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| This is my grandson behind the waterfall pictured above. |
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| Another waterfall |
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| As you can see on the left, there are quite a few stairs that you have to climb. The website says that there are 832 stone steps along the way and that's not counting when you have to turn around and come back. It was a little nerve-racking with the kids, but they are troopers and used to hiking. |
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| Bridge over waterfall |
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The following day, we headed to Cayuga Lake to see Taughannock Falls. This is from the viewpoint above the falls. It is the highest 'single drop' waterfall (215 feet) east of the Rocky Mountains.
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| We drove to the bottom of the park to get to the gorge trail. More waterfalls! |
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| You can walk on the wooded path, or you can take the wet route for the most of it. |
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The trail takes you this close to the bottom of the waterfall. The park reminds me a lot of Zion National Park in Utah. This was our last waterfall of the trip. I will do a follow-up post about all the other activities we did that week.
Do you have a favorite waterfall that you've visited in the past? |
*Just a friendly reminder that as we enter this election season, I won't be commenting on posts that mention politics/candidates and will delete comments on this blog related to politics. Thank you for understanding*
Isn't New York state beautiful? When I lived in Manhattan, I visited that area a few times with my partner who was originally from Long Island.
ReplyDelete"The deck and windows that overlooked the water really made this house a dream."
It most certainly does look like a dream. WOW! Love the deck! And what gorgeous views of both the sunset and sunrise! The interior photo of the family room is incredible. You picked the perfect house! I would love to see what that area looks like in AUTUMN. I bet it takes on a real "cozy" feeling.
Each and every one of your photographs are just beautiful. Especially the ones you captured of the waterfalls. Don't you love the sound of a waterfall? I also love how the air smells around a waterfall - so clean!
And speaking of 'The Grand Canyon of the East', I was surprised to find out that here in PA they have a grand canyon as well. It's called PA Grand Canyon. I googled it and it looks gorgeous!
So glad you and your family had this wonderful time together. And thanks so much for sharing. Totally enjoyed it. Looking forward to your follow-up post!
Have a fab holiday weekend, my friend! X
Yes! So much to see and do in NY State. I did not know that you had been to the area in the past. We have only been there in the summer, but with all the trees, it must be gorgeous in the fall. While we love it there, I'm not sure we will go back, only because there are so many other places we'd like to explore while we are still limber!
DeleteHow have I never heard of the PA Grand Canyon?? I just looked it up and it's actually closer to the Finger Lakes than to where we live. I bet it's spectacular in the fall, too!
Thanks for your early bird comment, Ron. I hope your weekend is relaxing and COOL! I'll try to post again with more pics in a week!
It sounds like you had an amazing family vacation in the Finger Lakes! Letchworth State Park is indeed a gem with its stunning waterfalls and scenic views. It must have been great to explore the park and experience its beauty with all your loved ones. Renting a house that accommodates everyone is such a thoughtful way to ensure that everyone can enjoy the trip together. I hope the rest of your stay was just as enjoyable and filled with wonderful memories.
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We had SUCH a great time on the trip. My oldest daughter is so excited for us to do another family trip next year. We hope to do another trip where we can stay on the water. Thanks for your comment!
DeleteIt looks like you had a fabulous family vacation! It's always good to make lasting memories with our family. I love all of the photo's and the house does look like a dream house. When I saw the family room photo the first thing I thought of was how cozy and gorgeous this house must be in the fall and winter. Waterfalls have always mesmerized me. They're so calming. I hope you have a wonderful Labor Day weekend.
ReplyDeleteI've been homesick for that house! LOL! It was just so nice! I love waterfalls, too. Big or small, they are just mesmerizing. I hope your weekend is a good one, too.
DeleteWell, isn't this wonderful! How great to take the whole family for a vacation. That's the dream! I love waterfalls. We saw a really fabulous one recently in Quebec. And of course we went to Niagara Falls, so what else can I say? I don't know much about that area of the world - is it a very long drive for you?
ReplyDeleteI've heard of people doing these extended family vacations and always thought it sounded fun. We actually did a few with my in-laws and my husband's siblings back in the early 2000's when my kids were little, but it was always just a long weekend and not that far away. Honestly, it was too many people (25) and lots of tension. Fortunately, my kids get along fairly well and enjoy spending time together. I hope that you get to do a trip like this with your sons and their spouses/kids some day.
DeleteIt was a 4.5 hour drive for us, so not bad at all! You were actually only about 2 hours away from the lake we were on when you were at Niagara Falls.
Seeing all those waterfalls is my dream vacation! Letchworth State Park has been on my travel list for a long time because of the fantastic waterfalls! Upstate NY is so beautiful! The house you rented is gorgeous! Isn't it fun to vacation with the whole family especially the grandkids? I would say that my favorite waterfall so far is Bond Falls in Michigan's UP. It's beautiful and you can take stairs to the top and go along a trail for quite a ways with small waterfalls along the way!
ReplyDeleteI was thinking about you because I know you do family vacations with your grandkids. We had such a great time with them. The house had lots of games, so that was fun to do new things with the kids. I have never been to the UP of MI. The closest was Sleeping Bear Dunes. I hope I get to go some day and I hope you get to see Letchworth.
DeleteThat looks like a really spectacular trip. So many waterfalls! And as you say, a beauty of a house. We don't have any dramatic waterfalls in Northern Ireland but there are plenty of stunning landscapes and mountains.
ReplyDeleteEveryone I know who goes to Ireland talks about the landscapes, how green it is, and Guinness!
DeleteThose waterfall pictures are gorgeous. Wow.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Mary. They were really cool to see.
DeleteWow. Great pics. This area looks beautiful. I"ve never even heard of it. There are so many hidden gems to visit. I'd say my fav waterfall was probably in Yellowstone. I so appreciate the info on this vacation spot. We do want to get back to Yellowstone, (we tried 5 consecutive years, I think. Who's counting though? Covid, floods, and more covid? all interfered with our plan), but I'm interested in other great places to visit. I like the beach/lake vacations, but having hikes and waterfalls nearby is really appealing.
ReplyDeleteWe took our kids to Yellowstone in 2007 and loved it, but I might have loved the Utah parks even more. But totally different scenery. Yeah, I’m still bitter about our cancelled trip to the Rocky Mountains and Colorado Springs in 2020. I had it all planned out. Boo! Hope you get to go back again soon!
DeleteI love your political comment---I stand with YOU on all the rhetoric!
ReplyDeleteMy friend, this looks like such a lovely trip. Time with your family is so precious and to be able to have them ALL in one place is such a blessing! I've never heard of the Number One State Park and that is a shame as it sounds amazing! Since I'm such a southern girl, traveling from Ohio to NY sounds like a long trip, but you made it seem short. How long did it take you total? Remember it takes me almost six hours just to depart Florida. 🤣
The rental house looks like a perfect place to gather with your nearest and dearest and I can't wait to read more. The waterfalls are beautiful and I'm sure the kids were delighted to see them all.
I’m glad you are like-minded on the rhetoric. It’s become so cringey.😵💫 The travel time was relatively short. The drive home, from house to house was 4.5 hours, not including two stops. So definitely better than your house to house drive!
DeleteI’ve been homesick for that rental house and its view. It was just perfect.
What a fabulous trip! I love these photos and that house looks incredible. It's so cool that you were all able to travel together.
ReplyDeleteI saw some beautiful waterfalls in Switzerland many, many moons ago during a European vacation. And I love the falls in Yosemite National Park.
When I saw that you were in New York, for a second I thought you might be close to the city. Then I checked the map and learned you were about five hours away. Oh, well, some other time...
I bet those Swiss waterfalls were magnificent. And I still want to get to Yellowstone some day. Yes, the Fingerlakes would only be the halfway point between NYC and the CLE. Isn’t that crazy?
DeleteFalls Creek Falls in Washington state is far and away my favorite (though there is no shortage of stunning waterfalls in the PNW). Another blogger I follow recently visited Watkins Glen, and both your photos make me want to plan a visit there myself.
ReplyDeleteYes, I’m totally envious of the massive waterfalls in the PNW. Some day!!!
DeleteOh, friend, this looks absolutely beautiful! I've heard of this area, but I've never seen pictures. I love waterfalls. When I go someplace new and hear that there are waterfalls nearby, I always search them out. So this was magical. Thank you for sharing. 😘❤️
ReplyDeleteYou’re welcome! It was an amazing trip of fun experiences.
DeleteSo beautiful landscapes, It looks like a very relaxing place.
ReplyDeleteIt was definitely that. Thanks for stopping by.
DeleteYou certainly had a great family vacation (understatement) in not only a beautiful location with so many natural wonders, especially those waterfalls but in a lovely house too. We have never taken a road trip to the Finger Lakes Region, but maybe some day we will do so. There are some nice waterfalls in NH, especially Avalanche Falls. This 45-foot waterfall creates a roaring sound in the Flume Gorge in Lincoln, NH. We hiked to it a few years ago and it was quite magnificent.
ReplyDeleteI just looked up Avalanche Falls and it is absolutely stunning! Looks like a great way to spend a day in New England. We highly recommend the Finger Lakes region for its vast variety of activities.
DeleteWhat a beautiful vacation! I'd like to go there someday. And how great is it that you got your whole clan there together! We've done the extended-family vacation thing a couple times, and it's just rich.
ReplyDeleteWe spent a week on Otsego Lake years ago (don't know if that's one of the Finger Lakes or not?) - Cooperstown, and a whole lot of family history.
Of course, Niagara Falls is spectacular, if more than a little tourist-trappish. We have several pretty amazing waterfalls in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Tahquamenon Falls (both Upper and Lower) are beautiful. Ane there are a bunch lof lovely little falls around the Pictured Rocks. I think my favorite is Miner's Falls, where you walk a mile or so into the woods, and then go down a stairway to an observation platform about halfway up the 50-ft falls. There's a lovely little place in the Lower Peninsula called Ocqueoc (OCKY-ock) Falls. It's only about 5ft high, but they've dammed off a little pool at the bottom of the falls, so the kids can jump and dive into a 'natural' swimming pool.
I would imagine getting every single member of your family together these days would be nearly impossible? But what fun for all those cousins! We talked about going to Cooperstown as a day trip from our house, but it was just too far. You have so many falls in Michigan that it would difficult to choose where to go first. And of course, I’d love to see Pictured Rocks some day. My son and his wife kayaked there in 2021 and the pictures were fabulous.
DeleteWow. What a wonderful trip, Bijoux. Thanks for sharing and it must have been awesome having everyone together under one roof again. We have a place about 2 hours east of us called Shoshone Falls Park that is pretty spectacular.
ReplyDeleteIt really was great to all be together again. Shoshone Falls looks incredible! I’ve been to Idaho Falls, but it was really just a dam, if I’m remembering it correctly.
DeleteSo beautiful! What a great trip. SO Many FALLS!!! That's terrific. And my gosh that house. Wow. I would live there for sure. That chairs and a table are bolted into the dock is utter brilliance. Love it all. :) ~Betsy
ReplyDeleteThanks, Betsy. It was an epic trip! I loved that the chairs were bolted to the dock. Made it much safer for the grandkids to sit out there with an adult (I was still nervous, but that’s me🤓)
DeleteI've never heard of Letchworth and it looks beautiful. The house you stayed in is stunning. I'm happy to read about how fun this vacation was. How could it not be with all the beauty and family around!
ReplyDeleteLetchworth is definitely worth a side trip if you are driving through New York State. Happy weekend!
DeleteWhat a wonderful summer trip! Glad the kids were troopers and were able to do all of the hiking and exploring. The rental looks quite cozy and relaxing!
ReplyDeleteI love hunting for waterfalls. I'd say my favorite in the US is probably Multnomah Falls. Iceland has beautiful waterfalls. My favorite there was Skogafoss.
I’m amazed by my grandkids sometimes. My own kids would have been complaining about how hot they were 🤣🤣🤣You’ve seen some great waterfalls!
DeleteI love waterfalls :D
ReplyDeleteMe too!
DeleteYour family vacation sounds amazing! The views and waterfalls are beautiful, and it looks like everyone had a great time together.
ReplyDeleteThank you for visiting!
DeleteWow what wonderful vacation! The #1 state park that is impressive and the AirBNB you stayed in was on another level. What a great experience you created for your family. Love this!
ReplyDeleteAllie of
www.allienyc.com
Thanks, Allie. It was all so wonderful!
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