FINGER LAKES

I stayed at Flint Creek Campgrounds in Middlesex, New York in the fall of 2017 and was really happy to have the opportunity to return for a week. The owner Beth is wonderful and makes everyone feel at home. If you recall from my previous visit here, I have a friend living in the area and I had a great time visiting her again. Christine and I were neighbors in New Jersey and our daughters are close friends. She owns a Bed and Breakfast in Penn Yan and works part time in the wine industry here so we spent much of the week wine tasting and relaxing on the porch of her beautiful Victorian home.

It was a little tight getting into my site at Flint Creek Campgrounds.

 
A elevated view of my trailer from the road next to the campground.

My friend Christine owns the Aubergine Bed & Breakfast in Penn Yan, New York.

The Lady of the Manor keeping the grounds looking good.

The side porch is a lovely spot for an afternoon cocktail.

At the Finger Lakes Welcome Center in Geneva, New York.

A couple views of vineyards that overlook Seneca Lake.

A rental cottage on Seneca Lake.

The view of Seneca Lake from Boundary Breaks Vineyard.

Sampling wines at Standing Stone Vineyards.

I discovered this dairy that makes really wonderful artisan cheeses on my last visit and I brought Christine for her first time. $5 let me taste about a dozen cheeses and $80 let me take some home. Their cow’s milk Blue Cheese is AMAZING!!!

The spectacular barn at Muranda Cheese is available for rental.

The marina at Watkins Glen, New York.

Christine and I had lunch at Graft Wine + Cider Bar in Watkins Glen. They specialize in craft beers, local wine, and small plate menus.

There’s a tiny little local bar down the road from the campground—Smuggler’s Corner— where I quickly became a “regular” on my last visit. I made friends with a new bartender this time—Sue was great to talk to as we had a lot in common.

Christine and I spent a beautiful afternoon touring Sonnenburg Gardens and Mansion State Park in Canandaigua, New York. This former private estate and botanical gardens are spectacular.

The woodwork in the mansion is magnificent.

One of many beautiful leaded glass windows.

A cherub guards the stairs that lead into the formal garden.

The pond and foot bridge at the Japanese garden.

The cutting garden outside the greenhouses.

Mammillaria species of cactus.

Hot house orchids.

I haven’t sketched anything in decades but the orchid photo inspired me to try my hand.

Old barn near the campground.

THOUSAND ISLANDS

From the Finger Lakes, I moved north to the Thousand Islands area on the St. Lawrence River and border with Canada. I spent a week at 1000 Islands Campground in Alexandria Bay. It had rained a lot here this spring, as it had everywhere else in the U.S., and Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River were running very high. The docks at many area marinas were under water and the campground was soggy. There was a patch of dirt right outside my door with no grass. It was so muddy I had to put my outdoor rug down to keep my feet clean but whenever I stepped on it, the water would come up through the weave of the rug and get my feet wet.

My campsite at 1000 Islands Campground.

The road leading to Tibbetts Point Lighthouse was an adventure. This is the point where Lake Ontario empties into the St. Lawrence River and the high water levels and northwest winds caused the waves to break over the sea wall. Click on the linked photo for a ride to the point.

Tibbetts Point Lighthouse in Cape Vincent, New York.

Also in Cape Vincent is the Cape Vincent Lighthouse, which has been relocated to stand in front of the municipal building.

I took the Clayton Island Tour around the islands and to Boldt Castle.

There are literally thousands of these small islands in the St. Lawrence River. There are actually more than a thousand and plenty of small rocks sticking out of the water. They have a rule that a rock must be able to support at least two trees to be called an island.

Nearly every island is privately owned and most have a house on them.

Like I said, the water is high this year.

Boldt Castle was built by hotel magnate George C. Boldt as a gift to his wife but she died before it was completed and he never finished it.

This is just the power plant for the mansion. It originally housed two generators.

From a third or maybe fourth floor balcony (I lost tract of where I was) I could see some of the intricate ornamentation that adorns every roof peak. Looking up, I couldn’t help but think of the fight scenes at the end of Beauty and the Beast and Enchanted.

Rock Island Lighthouse as viewed from the tour boat.

Sunken Rock Lighthouse is nearly completely sunken.

A lake freighter, also known as a “laker”, is a cargo ship that works the Great Lakes. This one is heading east on the St. Lawrence, from Lake Ontario toward the Atlantic Ocean.

When my week was up, it was time to cross the border and spend a month in Ontario, Canada.

My route from New Jersey to Thousand Islands, New York.

Next post:
Ontario

My name is Lindsay Reed and I’m a photographer and retired graphic artist with a passion for both lighthouses and road trips. I am living as a full-time solo RVer in my 33 foot Grand Design Reflection Fifth Wheel trailer ( I spent my first two years in a 31 foot Coachmen Mirada motohome) and plan to spend the next few years traveling the U.S. and Canada photographing not only lighthouses, but everything else there is to see in this wonderful land. I hope you enjoy my blog and will follow my adventures in the months and years ahead.