Finger Lakes Region
Hammondsport and Keuka Sightseeing
Keuka Lake is one of the most beautiful lakes in Upstate NY. It’s tree branch shape, unique terrain, optimal soil, and climate allows wineries in the area to produce fantastic wines. But it also has fun places to see with Penn Yan at one tip and Hammondsport on the other. Here are our recommendations for things to see and do on your Keuka Lake Daycation!
(Click on the map to navigate to all locations on your phone or computer)
Lodging
Breakfast - If you stay at The Mansion, we recommend that you go to the Penn Yan Diner for breakfast. Housed in a Dining Car since 1925, the iconic restaurant has been serving great breakfast standards for almost 100 years! You can’t go wrong with that. If you stay at the Beekman House or the 18 Vine Inn, your lodging includes a free and very tasty breakfast, so you are all set there.
Morning Itinerary
Glenn Curtiss Museum - Hammondsport
You would be wrong if you said that the Wright Brothers had the first pilot’s license in the U.S. or were the first Americans to win an international flying event. Those honors go to Glenn Curtiss. He also held the motorcycle speed record, built the first seaplane and was an incredible inventor. You can learn more about his life at one of our favorite museums in the FLX the Glenn Curtiss Museum.
Finger Lakes Boating Museum - Hammondsport
Since there are a bunch of lakes that comprise the Finger Lakes, it makes sense that you would have a Finger Lakes Boating Museum. Located in the former Taylor Winery headquarters that was built in 1886, the museum has over 200 boats on display. You can learn how wooden boats are made while you watch talented craftsmen building them, then peruse beautiful wooden boats from eras gone by. The museum also has a 16 passenger boat tour on Keuka Lake that teaches you about the history of the lake.
Lunch - Hammondsport Burgers & Beer - they don’t leave you guessing about what you will be getting to eat and drink, that’s for sure. But, if you do something well, you don’t need a pooh-pooh frou-frou name. There are numerous burger and beer options and sandwiches as well. If you imbibed too much the night before, they even have a Hangover Burger to cure your woes. The Lakeside Restaurant and Tavern is another great lunch option. This isn’t Diner Fare here folks, it is great creative concoctions served in a casual environment. Tuna Sashimi with sweet and spicy relish, Thai Curry Clams, Short Rib Gnocchi with Spinach and cream sauce?!? After we had lunch here we had to take another great local restaurant off the list because this place is that good!
Afternoon Itinerary
Finger Lakes Seaplanes - Hammondsport
Unless you ate too much at lunch or have a very queasy stomach, we recommend going to Finger Lakes Seaplanes for a 30 minute aerial tour of Keuka and Seneca Lake for you and one or two of your closest friends. Seeing the lakes from the air gives you a whole new perspective of the beautiful sights and scenery in the area.
Pleasant Valley Wine Company - Hammondsport
Pleasant Valley was one of our favorite things do to on Keuka Lake because it was “The History of Wine Museum”, the story about the oldest bonded winery in the U.S. that began in 1860, a tour of ornate and extremely large production facilities from the era when Taylor Winery was one of the biggest wineries in the U.S., and - oh yeah - a great wine tasting when it was done. Make sure to book the tour which takes you to 4 different facilities on the compound, then finish with a great tasting with numerous varietals and about 10 different sparkling wines.
Bully Hill Vineyard - Hammondsport
Bully Hill Vineyard is a must stop on your Keuka Lake Daycation because the story, comedy, and history of the winery is unlike any other in the Finger Lakes region, or anywhere else for that matter. We won’t ruin the story for you, but the vineyard’s founder Walter S. Taylor was the grandson of the founder of Taylor Winery which was sold to Coca Cola in 1977. Coke had a problem with another Taylor using the trademarked name that they owned, so a lot of lawsuits, chicanery, and funny stories evolved from it. We will leave you to find out the rest of the story when you go there. Bully Hill is located on the original vineyard of the Taylor winery and it also has a separate building that holds many of Walter’s original paintings. Some of those were painted using a brush in his mouth, but we won’t spoil the story on that one either.
Heron Hill Winery - Hammondsport
Heron Hill was rated one of the 5 Best Wineries in our 2021 Top Ten Wineries in the FLX. Their winery, property, and wines are all fantastic and this is a must see on your Daycation. The winery has events throughout the summer that are both informative and fun, including special pairing events with in-depth information about the wines.
Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery - Hammondsport
Our other must see and also Top 5 Winery in the FLX is Dr. Konstantin Franks Winery. Founded in 1962, Dr. Franks was the first FLX winery that focused on making high quality vinifera wines and is still one of the best wineries in the Finger Lakes and all of the U.S. Their most popular wines are the award winning Reislings, but they have a lot of other great cold climate vintages as well.
Dinner
The Park Inn is the best restaurant on Keuka Lake and it serves gourmet food at very reasonable prices. Both the Chef and Sommelier have extensive pedigrees in the industry and it shows in the food and wine quality. The Timber Stone Grill has great locally sourced foods and unique favorites like Cider Plank Salmon and Cider Braised Roasted Pork Mac and Cheese. If that doesn’t get your mouth watering, I don’t know what would! With Union Block Italian Bistro you get 2 restaurants instead of 1 since they have Keuka locations in both Penn Yan and Hammondsport. The cuisine runs the gamut from pizza, pasta, and great apps, to very tasty fish and meat entrees.
Evening Itinerary
OnKeuka! Boat Tours - Hammondsport
There is no better way to relax after a great dinner than to saunter around the lake on a pontoon boat guided tour with OnKeuka!. If you want to play your own music, they will give you a bluetooth speaker. If you want to jump in the lake, they have towels. If you want to have a couple of digestif beverages, well you are on your own to provide those, but you can still have them. You can even get a stargazing tour later in the evening. Your knowledgeable guide/driver will tell you everything that you need to know about the area, and if you want to schedule a wine tour the next day, they have you covered with that as well.