More Fingers

Heading south from Cheerful Valley RV Park got us to Waterloo, New York, this morning. We were trying to get to the east side of Seneca Lake. We sorta got lost, and ended up driving south on US96 instead of US96A. The error had a good side, though, as we found the Muranda Cheese Company.

All of their cheeses are made in house from Holstein cows milked and tended daily onsite. All the cheeses are made from unpasturized milk, giving the cheese a bit harder texture than expected. The office has a great tasting bar set up, so we stopped in for a bit of information on cheese. Our tasting lesson led us to buy a small block of Red Buddy, a semi-hard cheese so named because it goes well with red wine. We may not make that pairing, but the snacking possibilities are endless! We also bought some of their signature smoked Gouda, Bel Ceillo, and Blue. Donna tells me two are for snacking, and two are for cooking….I'm glad she knows which is which!

We finally found US96A, which is closer to Seneca Lake, and therefor prettier, so we headed south again. Just south of Lodi, we stopped to take a photo of Seneca Lake.

Known primarily for its farmland with corn and soybeans, this area east of Seneca Lake is fast becoming a premier grape growing area. These pictures, taken from the balcony of the Lamoureux Landing Winery, show just how beautiful the countryside is.

We were starting to run out of time, having gotten a late start this morning, so we decided to turn east toward Cayuga Lake. The map showed that County Road 143 was the one we wanted….
Glad to have a Jeep!

Finally finding the lake, we turned north toward Seneca Falls, where a state park provided access to the water.

Cayuga and Seneca are the largest of the Finger Lakes, being 400 and 632 feet deep respectively. They are roughly 37 miles long, and cover an area about 100 miles across in a region where farm stands still work on the honor system and the sleepy Main streets of 19th century towns like Geneva, Skanateles, and Hammondsport invite a stroll and some antique hunting.

We'll be leaving the Finger Lakes region for awhile, but hope to return to the southern part of the lakes in a few weeks. Note to self: the weather is changing as we speak. The nights are cool and damp, and the trees are beginning to look a bit stressed. Winter is on the way, so find the Big Boy Pants and the sweatshirts soon!