Nice lil Saturday

We are really lucky here in WNY, to have so many wonderful destinations within close proximity - it makes for some awesome day trips and activities. This past weekend we took a Saturday and went down to the Fingerlakes region with our friends Jeff and Andrea, and had a simply amazing time!

We started out with a morning hike up the Barnes Creek Falls at Onanada Park along Canandaigua Lake.

The boys complained for most of the hike, they would have rathered we started wine touring at 10am instead of doing any sort of physical activity. Needless to say they survived ;o)

It was a nice hike, about 2 miles total in length and moderate difficulty - there were a couple hills that gave a few out-of-shape mid-twenty-year-olds a run for the money lol but we made it. The trails were clear and even, and there were some nice lookout points along the creek. It was a beautiful and perfect day for a hike, a lovely way to start our Saturday in the Fingerlakes.

After the hike, we went across the highway to the other half of Onanda Park along the lakefront. We pulled out our picnic lunch, cooler and blanket and setup for a lovely picnic right on the shore.

Andrea and I took a moment to dip our toes into the water before we headed off to our next adventure, while the guys sat on a nearby picnic table - they really just wanted to get to the wine touring lol But the water was beautiful, even the temperature was nice. The view was spectacular, a perfect backdrop for our lil picnic along the lake :o)

It wasn't long before we were on the road again, and following the Canandaigua Wine Trail - or first stop, Heron Hill Tasting Room... this is a newer addition to the Canandaigua Wine Trail, as the actual Heron Hill Winery is actually on a neighboring Fingerlake - Keuka Lake.

We also stopped at the very southern point of the lake in the little town of Naples to try a few more wineries, one of which comes highly recommended by my in-laws (who are self-proclaimed wine-o's) Imagine Moore Winery.

This was a lovely little family-owned winery, and they had some great wines!

We continued our way along the wine trail and eventually made it back up to Canandaigua, where we ended our wine tasting adventures at the New York Wine and Culinary Center.

We did one last tasting, and Jeff even got to do a flight of local beers (he was very excited about this). This establishment does cooking classes, which we were able to peek in on while we were there and we are planning to return later this month to take a class!!!

After our last tasting and visit to the NYWCC, we took advantage of the beautiful weather and walked along the pier. It really was just an absolutely perfect day.

Then we made our way to a local restaurant for some dinner. While we were there the waitress informed us of a concert being put on at the local Music and Arts Center (CMAC) by Maroon 5, so we figured we would see what kind of prices the box office was offering for last minute tickets. Unfortunately it was more than we were willing to pay (even at the last minute), so we decided to just head home for the night.

However, we did make one last impromptu stop along the way. Bryan and I had never been to the Fingerlakes Racino, so Jeff and Andrea took us on a quick tour. The race for the day was already over by the time we got there, but we got to see the track and played a few slots.

Afterwards we headed home, opened a bottle of wine and turned on some music. It was a perfect ending to a perfect Saturday :o) Good friends, good food, good wine - great times! What more can you ask for?!