Natural Wonders of Finger Lakes Wine Country - The Overlook at Tanglewood Nature Center

Tanglewood Nature Center in Elmira offers some of the best hiking trails in the region.  Located atop a hill in West Elmira, Tanglewood's scenic overlook at the top of the red trail offers some of the best views of the Chemung River Valley.

 

The red trail is considered a more advanced hiking trail, but the reward is spectacular.  Tanglewood offers hikers a variety of trails at a range of levels.  Tanglewood Nature Center has a museum where families can visit with live animals and learn about the ecosystem of the region.  

 

With a beautiful view like this, there is no question why Tanglewood Nature Center is a Natural Wonder of Finger Lakes Wine Country.  

Natural Wonders of Finger Lakes Wine Country - Watkins Glen State Park

Stu Gallagher Photography

Named the Most Beautiful Wine Region by Budget Travel in 2010, Finger Lakes Wine Country is a wonderful place to appreciate the splendor of the great outdoors.  Many would agree that the region is a perfect place to relax and rejuvenate while drinking in spectacular views (and a few glasses of Finger Lakes wine!).  What is more invigorating that hiking among gushing waterfalls, kayaking down a peaceful river, or soaking up the sun and diving into a refreshing lake? Finger Lakes Wine Country is home to many natural wonders that offer visitors the opportunity to retreat to the simple pleasure of Mother Nature's beauty. 

Over the course of the next week we will be exploring some of the natural wonders of Finger Lakes Wine Country.  Today we celebrate arguably one of the top attractions in the Finger Lakes region, Watkins Glen State Park.

Watkins Glen State Park offers visitors a beautiful hike among breathtaking waterfalls and gorges.  The steam descends 400 feet over 200 foot cliffs, creating the falls along the trail.  The gorge path even wanders behind the waterfalls where visitors will enjoy the light mist and spray of the cascading waters.  Watkins Glen State Park has a great camping area complete with tent and trailer campsites, a picnic area, and an Olympic size swimming pool.

Stu Gallagher Photography

 
Watkins Glen State Park is most certainly a must-visit during any trip to Finger Lakes Wine Country as it is, without a doubt, an incredible natural wonder.

The Coolest Road Trip Heads to Hammondsport!

Over the course of the next week, blogger Will McGough of WakeAndWander.com will be wrapping up his road trip to the four Coolest Small Towns on the East coast.

Earlier this year, Budget Travel magazine named Hammondsport, NY and Beaufort, NC the Coolest Small Towns in America.  Cape May, NJ and Damascus, VA also were named among the top ten Coolest Small Towns.  What better way to celebrate a win than a great road trip? Will was up for the challenge. 



You can follow Will's journey on his blog WakeAndWander.com and follow him on Twitter.com/WakeAndWander.  Join the conversation on Twitter using the hash tag #CoolTrip. 

We look forward to welcoming Will to Finger Lakes Wine Country when he arrives in Hammondsport later this week.

Fireworks in Finger Lakes Wine Country

Get out your red, white, and blue and head to Finger Lakes Wine Country for some Independence Day fun next week! The Fourth of July holiday falls on a Wednesday this year, so if you're like me you're looking forward to a week-long celebration of picnics and events complete with multiple firework displays. 

For those of you planning to spend the holiday in the region, here is a list of places to catch some
great fireworks!

Saturday, June 30th

Elmira, Eldridge Park - Dusk

Hammondsport, Champlain Beach - 9:15 p.m.

Wednesday, July 4th

Branchport, Fire Department - 10:00 p.m.

Corning, War Memorial Stadium - Dusk

Hornell, Veteran's Park - Dusk

Friday, July 6th

Dundee, Black Rock Speedway - Dusk

Saturday, July 7th

Watkins Glen, Clute Park - 9:30 p.m.

For personalized assistance planning the perfect Fourth of July getaway in Finger Lakes Wine Country, give us a call at 800.813.2958. 

The Glen and CMoG Develop One-of-a-Kind Trophy for 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race

Watkins Glen International and TheCorning Museum of Glass announced a strategic partnership Thursday morning and unveiled the trophy for the  2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at The Glen race . The unique trophy designed and created by Corning Museum of Glass artist Eric Meek encompasses key aspects of the Finger Lakes Region, including The Glen’s iconic blue guardrail, the Finger Lakes and, of course, glass.

The trophy is an elegant cylindrical glass piece made of clear glass encasing a solid blue core in the shape of The Glen’s unique winding racetrack. The blue reflects The Glen’s signature guardrail color, as well as the color of nearby Seneca Lake and the Watkins Glen gorges. The piece is slightly curved, showcasing the fluidity of glass in its molten state.

"The Corning Museum of Glass has provided Watkins Glen International a truly unique and beautiful trophy for our NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race in August,” Watkins Glen International President Michael Printup said. “This distinctive work of art captures the essence of our partnership and the spirit of the region, uniting the world of art and speed. I cannot wait to see it held high in Gatorade Victory Lane by race winner for the world to see!”

Long before the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season started, the challenge to create this piece began. The trophy is the result of several meetings, numerous prototypes and sketches, and leverages years of glassmaking experience by the talented team at The Corning Museum of Glass. The core racetrack form was handshaped by the artist.

Meek, who likes to draw upon glassmaking traditions and fine craftsmanship to realize modern, elegant  works, said, “In forming this piece, we were faced with challenges that we don’t typically face day to day, with new ways of shaping glass. That’s what made it exciting to make and that’s what makes it a really unique trophy, something that could only be made here in Corning.”

The Corning Museum of Glass is home to the world’s most comprehensive glass collection, and offers live glassmaking demonstrations and classes, featuring some of the best glassmakers in the world. Watkins Glen International is the premiere road racing facility in North America and New York’s only home to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. This truly unique piece showcases two of the most prominent regional tourism attractions.

Tickets for the 2012 season at Watkins Glen International are on sale now! Fans may purchase their tickets and camping by contacting the WGI ticket office in person or by phone at 866.461.RACE (7223) or logging on to the official website, www.TheGlen.com. Gift certificates, daily Thunder Road Tour passes, event tickets and track merchandise are available for purchase at The Shop located at 2 North Franklin Street in Watkins Glen. The Shop is open 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Monday-Saturday and 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Sunday. Keep up with The Glen on Facebook and Twitter. Download The Glen’s free mobile app from iTunes or for your Android mobile device.

Trolley into Mark Twain Country Tours begin July 3rd

The Chemung County Chamber of Commerce’s Trolley into Mark Twain Country begins its 2012
summer tours on Tuesday, July 3. The trolley is operated as a joint effort between C TRAN (formerly Chemung County Transit) and the Chemung County Chamber of Commerce, providing tours each summer to promote tourism in our area.


Guided tours aboard “The Elmiran” depart on the hour from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesdays through Saturdays from July 3 through September 1, with the exception of July 4. Riders may board from the lobby of the Chemung Valley History Museum, located at 415 East Water Street in Elmira. Opening Day riders will receive a limited edition Mark Twain poster.

During the tours that depart from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., the trolley offers a 60-minute narrated tour of Elmira and its rich history including the Mark Twain Study, where the author wrote his most famous books; the Civil War Prison Camp site; the Arnot Art Museum; the Chemung Valley History Museum;the Clemens Center; the beautiful Maple Avenue District and Near Westside District with their lovely “Painted Lady” homes; and historic Dunn Field. The last trolley tour of each day (at 2 p.m.) offers a different route featuring the Mark Twain Study as well as Twain’s grave site.

Sign-ups for the trolley tour and ticket sales are at the Chemung Valley History Museum information
desk, (607) 734-4167. Adults are $4 and children 12 and younger are $2 when accompanied by a
parent or guardian. For more information about the trolley, visit www.MarkTwainCountry.com or call the Chamber at (607) 734-5137.