Decided to wait a week before posting, but here's my third and probably final trip to the Southern Tier and the Finger Lakes.
July 5th started off lazily - my dad returned home from a late night shift, meaning we couldn't leave until 3:30 PM. Oh well, that's how life is; we got started up I-81, to US 15, US 11, PA 147/I-180 to Williamsport. Nothing much to say aside from copious amounts of closed adult stores on US 15, one ironic case being located underneath those "God saves" billboards (I think they covered their bases well, giving you a choice: relief or religion?). The CSVT bridge looks almost complete, with all the piers placed but lacking roadway to sit on them. Still no pavement laid for new US 15.
Williamsport itself was dead for a Sunday, likely due to two colleges closed for the year. Although there's nice neighborhoods and houses along Fourth Street, and there's good restaurants, nothing beats a good hole in the wall. It was a chicken place also serving lamb gyros (I got one) near the corner of Market and Fourth Streets, just off I-180 exit 27A. In my eyes, Williamsport felt like a smaller Pittsburgh, considering its surroundings - overall an unremarkable city.
To spice up the drive, we took US 15 north to PA 14, staying on that until New York. Arguably a better choice than US 15 - there's even less traffic than US 15, and isn't much more windy (still has its share of curves), allowing us to sustain 55+ MPH speeds. It's also more scenic north of US 6, going through some pretty countryside near the NY state line. By the time we made it to NY, the sun was setting, enhancing the countryside. I clinched PA 14, and arrived at our hotel in Big Flats (near Elmira) by 8:15. That was the entire day; we decided to buy ice cream at King Kone in Elmira to close the day, noting the at times shoddy neighborhoods and late July 4th celebrations. What can I say about Elmira? It's got Mark Twain's childhood home, I guess.
Time to head to Watkins Glen. News hit this morning that Ennio Morricone died, so guess what we listened to?
From the hotel (a Country Inn, it was clean and it was cheap, so it was perfect), I used Chambers Road, Caitlin Hill Road, Morehead Road, Schuyler CR 18 to NY 414 north. Not a spectacular drive, though what was spectacular is Watkins Glen State Park; this blew Buttermilk Falls out of the water. I won't spoil the experience, but know that the glen keeps things cool, even in summer. The only strenuous parts was the stairs, and there are moments where there's a lack of shade - especially near the entrance. Definitely worth the $8 for parking, although getting through the town is a drag.
Lunch was in Watkins Glen's former railroad station, right on Seneca Lake. Scenic, yes, but also surprising - a tourist rail line runs in front of the restaurant. It was one of the lucky days that I got to see a train; apparently the line is used infrequently enough to warrant a STOP sign. The food was also okay - it's not New England seafood but it isn't terrible. Onwards to Stony Brook State Park.
I used NY 14 north to NY 54 west. On NY 54 I visited the Spotted Duck Creamery, notable for using duck eggs to create creamier ice cream. You also get to feed the ducks, hens, and turkeys; the turkey was the biggest bird there, and scared off all the other birds (but it didn't want food?). It's probably my favorite ice cream place ever, considering they also put effort into making the cones taste good. In Penn Yan I turned onto NY 364 west, continuing on that to Italy Valley Road. I made my way through the Italy Valley - it fit the Ennio Morricone music with the operatic landscapes, but still paled in comparison to northern PA's mountains. That ended on NY 53, which I took north to NY 21 south, taking that to NY 63, then to NY 36. All of that effort and a two hour drive for...it's closed.
Oh well. I guess I'll get my waterfall showers. Onward to Treman State Park. I-390, NY 17, NY 226, Schuyler CR 23, CR 28, NY 414, NY 79, NY 327. Have I mentioned that there's no data coverage except in major towns like Watkins Glen, Elmira, Ithaca, and so on throughout the Southern Tier? And radio reception is intermittent? I'd hate to live out there.
Paid another $8 for Treman. I hadn't swam in a while, so to warm up I practiced a bit. I noticed that the waterfall is near the diving board - so why not dive, then swim there? So I then attempted the diving board; fear overcame me and I bowed out. My dad was also filming me, making it more embarrassing. Okay, round 2; a bit more swimming, I feel confident. I ask how deep the watering hole is; it's 18 feet. I was never used to the deep end, but I was encouraged by a girl telling me to just tread my way there - easy enough. I forget to tell my dad, and I jump; I managed to make it to the waterfall and grasp onto the rocks. My fingers slip, and I begin to sink - I panic and call for help, along with reaching out to somebody. That same girl (who told me that I'll be okay) supports me for a moment while a lifeguard saves me from drowning. I escaped with a nosebleed, numb legs, and a rapidly beating heart.
Alright, I deserved that. I shouldn't have pushed myself to jump off if I couldn't do it the first time. We get dinner in Ithaca, at a street food place near Cornell. Dinner was scrumptious - duck fat fries with Korean short rib tacos. Pair that with some donuts and that was a full meal. I return to Elmira via NY 13 to I-86.
July 7th began with us packing up and finishing leftover dinner for breakfast. With the trunk packed, we decided to revisit Watkins Glen, because it's just that good. Took the same route as yesterday. Next was to visit Rochester, with cheesy songs to accompany us (specifically, Taylor Swift and "We Are the World" - do they really need to repeat that to fill eight minutes? Felt like a waste of time). NY 14 wasn't a terrible drive, except near Geneva. Do wish the Seneca Lake views were more frequent.
I hit the Thruway and was welcomed with a boring 23 mile drive. At the very least, I saw diverse plates on trucks (the farthest being Wisconsin). I took exit 45 onto I-490 west towards Rochester. I took exit 18 there onto NY 31 west to Dogtown! A venerable Rochester institution, where I enjoyed their version of the garbage plate - two hot dogs on top of a bed of mac salad and home fries. Paired with a bottle of Stewart's, I felt like I was truly a New Yorker. The food was good and cheap enough that we ordered two hot dogs to go - their Golden Retriever (bacon and cheese) and some other hot dog with a litany of European topping (Greek?).
Next stop in Rochester was the abandoned subway; the best way to view that was the Broad Street Bridge. I took Monroe Avenue until it curved into Chestnut Street, and turned left onto Broad Street. As for the bridge - architecturally interesting yes, considering the arches and double decker design (apparently it once held the Erie Canal?). I didn't feel like climbing, so I stayed near a platform that let me look into the lower level; the subway quickly faded into a dark tunnel, but the bridge was full of graffiti. It may have continued across the bridge and under the Library of Rochester. There was also construction equipment present, signifying the possibility that the subway may be sealed soon. Oh well.
I decided to check out Ontario Beach; I turned right onto Lake Avenue and passed through Rochester's...less desirable neighborhoods (didn't have time to check out the cool stuff, like High Falls..but I've already been to Letchworth, which is the best the Genessee has to offer). I also passed by Kodak Labs and Kodak HQ, surprised at their continued existence. In fact, I feel like I passed by all of Rochester's tall buildings, including an apartment complex and Rochester's main hospital on NY 104 that webny99 pointed out. Anyways, as Lake Avenue curved into Beach Avenue, I snapped quick photos of Lake Ontario. Satisfied, I turned back south on Lake Avenue and east on NY 104 to leave Rochester. Onwards to Chimney Bluffs!
NY 104 was a pain in the rear to get through; 2 lanes east of Webster, for the 50 miles to Oswego? With traffic lights? Ugh. I stayed on NY 104 for 25 of those miles, exiting onto NY 14 and immediately exiting onto Ridge Road. I turned onto Lake Bluff Road and entered Chimney Bluffs nearing sunset. Foolish mistakes were made, namely not bringing water and not applying sunscreen. But hey, parking was free due to a broken ticket machine.
Now to hike to the bluffs. The first hour was easy thanks to the forest providing shade, along with providing dramatic views of the bluffs below. The area was also eerily silent, the only sounds being wildlife and Lake Ontario. There were some people playing music, but that was few and far between. We viewed the bluffs from above, and then hiked back for a way down to the lakeshore. Now began a hellish hike along the lakeshore. The wind and the water couldn't cool us down, and there was zero shade; and temps were still 90 degrees even at 6 PM. We took pictures of the bluffs from the bottom; while worth the hike, our return to the car meant a change of shirts and copious amounts of water consumption. We even had to buy more water - and after that hike, cold water tasted sweet.
Time to head home, but instead of slogging through US 15 (and dealing with deer because of less traffic), we decided to detour to I-81. We also needed dinner, so onward to Syracuse. NY 104, NY 370, NY/I-690. Notable about the journey is the missing NY State Fair signal on I-690 (no clue where it went), and tailing a car on NY 104 all the way to Syracuse; my dad bet that they were going to the same place as us, Dinosaur BBQ. I bet the opposite, and I won that bet when said car exited at exit 8. Dinner was also Dinosaur BBQ, on the corner of North Franklin and West Willow Streets. I was surprised to find good BBQ here in New York - surely not the first state I think of to have good BBQ, especially outside of NYC. Packing leftovers was also harder than necessary, when the vinegar sauce used for the greens made a mess of the boxes.
We took I-81 all the way south home from Syracuse, arriving home at 3 AM on July 8th and exploring more of the state that most New Yorkers probably have in their entire lives.
