Finding Autumn in the Finger Lakes

On NY 414 Heading to Watkins Glen

It took a five hour drive--but I finally found autumn yesterday. On the drive to Ithaca autumn appeared in the hills, known by some as mountains. 

The trees have seemingly found their color as the season progresses. I hope these colors soon find their way to Maryland.

Looking on Seneca Lake from a Winery

The day was perfect. The trip from Maryland to upstate NY was uneventful and punctuated with stops at four new Seneca Lake East Shore wineries. I actually found some NY State red (yup RED) wines worth buying. I'm going to disguise them as being from Sonoma to get people to try them. They were from Silver Springs Winery,  a great new find on the eastern side of Seneca Lake. The Bold Merlot was especially stunning in its depth of color and rich flavor.  It had a solid nose of dark fruit. And since this was the first winery I visited--I'm pretty sure of my assessment.

It was good to enjoy the colors of autumn, but even in the Finger Lakes the colors are muted in response, I believe, to the weather conditions which have been experienced across the region since autumn began. 

I wonder what today will bring?

-- Bob Doan, writing from Ithaca, NY