While we visited the Seneca Falls/Geneva areas of the Finger Lakes in February, we made it a point to visit the lovely Montezuma Winery store in Seneca Falls. It is a marvelous little place!

I really liked the carved wooden eagle in front of the store.

The store is filled with the crafts of the winery. The founder of Montezuma Wines, George Martin, had been a beekeeper for 30 years. He tried his hand at making mead (which I’d love to try someday!) and progressed into making fruit wines from the abundant fruits of Upstate New York. This is a snippet of history from the Montezuma Winery website:

In 1998 with dropping honey prices and increasing costs the family now with son Bill, began niche marketing their honey. Bill had always dabbled in mead making and home brewing. The Martin Family applied for a farm winery license in 1999 and commercial production of honey wine began. Soon after Martin’s Honey Farm and Meadery in Sterling, New York was born.

In 2001, the Martin’s realized the importance of their location in the fruit belt of New York and decided to try their hand at making fruit wines. The concept of Montezuma Winery was then formed. Montezuma Winery quickly took off and was a great success, so much so that we moved the production facilities and gift shop to our 14,000 square foot building in Seneca Falls. Although we do produce high quality grape wines, the focus of our product line is still towards fruit and honey wines.

The store is very pleasant to peruse. The shelves are filled with all sorts of wine-related and New York-related accessories and knick-knacks. We picked up a lovely Montezuma Winery cork opener and are pleased with the quality.

The young gentleman who worked there, Kevin, was exceptionally friendly and poured us some complimentary wine to taste. Oh, everything is SO good. The blueberry wine is very, very good. It would be all too easy to spend a great deal of money there. We had to restrain ourselves with three bottles.

Montezuma Winery is so named for the nearby Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge. I have a personal connection with Montezuma, as my ancestor assisted Dr. Peter Clarke in founding Howland’s Island and caring for the Montezuma estate in the 1800′s.

The Montezuma Winery is very accessible, right on Route 20. The area is very scenic and it’s a wonderful drive.

2981 U.S. Route 20
Seneca Falls, NY 13148
(315) 568-8190

Note: I was unfortunately not compensated in any way for this post about the Montezuma Winery, nor did I receive any free products for it. Rats, maybe next time!

Did you know that the circular saw was invented by a woman? Tabitha Babbitt, in 1812. The dishwasher was invented by Josephine Cochran. Kevlar- the material used for life-saving bullet-proof vests was invented by Stephanie Kwolek in 1966. Isa Forbes invented the electric hot water heaer in 1917. Anna Anna Connelly invented the fire escape in 1887. And Ruth Wakefield invented chocolate-chip cookies in 1930. (Source: FactMonster)

Not to mention, a woman invented a blog about New York Travel.

As a history buff, I find it very fitting that the National Women’s Hall of Fame is in Seneca Falls, NY. Seneca Falls was the birthplace of the women’s rights movement. According to Fame inductee and suffragist Paulina Kellogg Wright Davis (Susan B. Anthony gave the eulogy at Davis’ funeral, by the way), the women’s rights movement (as well as the abolition movement) was the direct result of the stunning wave of religious revivals in Upstate New York. Charles Grandison Finney, a lawyer from Adams, NY, was converted to Christianity and began a blitz of revivals named the “Second Great Awakening” that converted hundreds of thousands of people throughout Central New York. As a matter of fact, Central New York from Utica to Rochester was nicknamed the “Burned Over District” because people closed bars and gambling places, attended churches, cleaned up their lives, and became honest businessmen and women.

Charles Finney permitted women to pray in public in mixed-gender prayer meetings, a scandalous move at the time. He was extremely outspoken in his support for women’s human rights, for the abolition of slavery and for the removal of bars and other places where men got drunk. Finney was president of Oberlin College in Ohio, the first American college to allow women to learn alongside blacks and men. One of the ladies who attended Oberlin College, Antoinette Blackwell, who became the first woman minister of a recognized denomination and led a pastorate for a Congregational Church in Wayne County, NY.

With Upstate New York ripe for change, the first Women’s Rights Convention was held in Seneca Falls. Lucretia Mott, that famous Quaker women known for her amazing speaking abilities, joined with Elizabeth Cady Stanton and others to petition and organize the women’s rights movement.

The National Women’s Hall of Fame is on 76 Fall Street. It’s a tall, narrow building, almost inconspicuous.

The National Women’s Hall of Fame was started in 1969, to honor American women for exceptional achievements throughout history: “to honor in perpetuity those women, citizens of the United States of America, whose contributions to the arts, athletics, business, education, government, the humanities, philanthropy and science, have been the greatest value for the development of their country.”

When you first walk in, you see a bell. It’s the original bell from the old Seneca Falls Knitting Mill, off the Erie Canal.

The lady who greeted us as we entered, Christine, informed us that the organization had purchased the knitting mill and plan to relocate the Hall of Fame to the knitting mill in the near future. The knitting mill, a short walk from the current Hall’s location, employed many of the Seneca Falls women who fought for equality. We walked down the street to see the mill. It is definitely larger and will be able to contain larger displays.

Doesn’t it look like a scene from a Currier and Ives painting?

Back to the Hall of Fame. We meandered the narrow halls, checking out the displays of the inductees. There are hundreds of inductees. Most ladies I knew or had heard of. However, there are some ladies missing, women who I believe should be on the walls (such as Phyllis Schlafly and Shirley Temple Black).

There were very few displays in the building, just a few here and there. I liked this one, filled with Votes for Women paraphernalia.

It’s nice to know that the National Women’s Hall of Fame is growing. They do take submissions for inductees! You can nominate a woman through the online nomination form at their website. Additionally, you can pay $100 to nominate a women (such as a mother or sister) to be included in the Hall’s Memorial and Tribute section.

I look forward to seeing the new location with new displays at the Knitting Mill. I’ll definitely be back for that!

That’s me. After staying at the Three Tree Inn Bed & Breakfast in Geneva, NY, I seriously doubt we will ever rent a hotel room again. Bed & breakfasts are phenomenal. They are even better when they are affordable. That’s the Three Tree Inn.

I heard about the Three Tree Inn on Twitter, following a number of people from the Finger Lakes region. The Inn is located in the beautiful village of Geneva, NY. We were last here a few years ago. Geneva sits atop a slight knoll overlooking the beautiful Seneca Lake. The city is lovely, with many well-preserved older homes and quiet neighborhoods.

The Three Tree Inn is a Tudor-style house, built in 1929. It’s not far from the lake and the commercial district (within walking distance), but the area is very secluded with magnificent trees, wide streets and sidewalks and rows of hedges. The area is very well maintained, and the Three Tree Inn seems like the jewel of the neighborhood.

It’s owned by Paul and Marcia Swenson, native New Yorkers who owned a larger inn in Missouri for a while. The couple has a unique talent for hospitality and decor. The Three Tree Inn is gorgeously decorated, yet the atmosphere is friendly and relaxed.

We got the Catalpa Room for one night. I was quietly glad that we were the only residents (our stay was on a weekday during the off-season; even so, Paul and Marcia had hosted a houseful just a few days previously). The room is very inviting.

As soon as we unloaded our gear, we plopped on the bed and fell asleep! The room was THAT relaxing.

Our hosts exhibited the perfect blend of checking in on us to see if we were happy, with leaving us alone to relax and unwind. I was pretty impressed with their panache. They were relaxed and friendly and offered suggestions on local dining and a few “off the beaten path” attractions (like the white deer along the lake– more on that later).

The design and decor of the home just wowed me. This is the living room.

The husband and I spent a few hours here, in front of the fire, relaxing after a nice meal at the local Cobblestone Restaurant. Marcia directed us to the fridge and wine glasses and library of books if we wished any, then left us to relax in the room. It was SO GOOD to read together; we hadn’t done that in so long. No TV, no computers, no distractions. It reminded me of the “old” days when we just enjoyed each other’s company. I really regret staying only one night… a person could really unwind after a few days here.

Breakfast is served at 9am in the sun-drenched dining room.

Paul is the chef, and my husband exclaimed when he saw this:

Coffee was served from little French presses, and there was orange juice, too. The breakfast was extremely hearty, and the sauce was perfect. While we ate breakfast, Paul and Marcia hung out with us for a while and we got to know each other a little better. I really enjoyed this time. We discussed Twitter and social networking, the tourist and bed & breakfast industry, blogging, kids and travel. Paul and Marcia really made us feel at home. Our stay was especially important for my husband, who needed a little “down” time. I was glad we made the trip.

About the amenities and other details, here are some of the highlights:

• There are three rooms, each named for the trees in the yard: Catalpa, Mulberry, Mountain Ash. All rooms have their own bathrooms. Ours in the Catalpa Room was a little quirky– the sink and shower are in one room, and the toilet is in another. The fixtures were modern, squeaky clean, and operated beautifully.
• There is free wireless Internet, cable TV, and a DVD player. The TV screen is actually a widescreen computer monitor tucked into a little armoire cabinet.
• The rooms and the house and yard are marvelously decorated. I hope Marcia starts her blog because she has just GOT to reveal her secrets for decorating so well. And Paul should definitely write down his recipes. Yum.
• The bed is SPECTACULAR. I’m fussy about my mattress because of herniated disks and sciatica. The mattress is just right. The pillows are made of down, and there’s a down comforter, too. I LOVED the pillows, and there were loads of them (I am a pillow fanatic).
• The wooden floors are lovely, but a little squeaky. My house was built in 1855, so they have the ugly old pine plank floors (concealed by thick layers of paint and laminate and etc). I am jealous of the wood floors of the inn.
• Check in is at 3pm, check out at 11am.
• The Catalpa and Mulberry rooms can hold 1 to 2 guests; the Mountain Ash can hold up to 4 but will accommodate extra guests for an additional fee.

A little trivia:

• The Three Tree Inn was named for the three lovely trees that overlook the side yard: Catalpa, Mountain Ash, Mulberry. In 2009, the Mountain Ash died and had to be removed. Rather than rename the inn the “Two Tree” inn, Paul and Marcia located a replacement Mountain Ash, shipped from Vermont.
• The antique desk in the front entry was bestowed to Paul and Marcia by the previous owners. It holds a collection of movies that the guests can pick from to watch in their rooms.
• The rooms have a three-ring binder filled with local menus and information about the local restaurants and bistros. Paul and Marcia were very knowledgeable about the eateries, so if you need advice, you can ask them.

Contact information:
Three Tree Inn
Paul & Marcia Swenson
164 Washington St.
Geneva, NY 14456
Phone: (315) 759-5442

Note: I was given a reduced rate in exchange for a review for the Three Tree Inn. All opinions expressed in this post are 100% mine. I personally recommend this inn as a great place to stay!

About 20 miles south of all this activity, we we driving along the Thruway, and it looked like this:

Not a snowflake in the air. Absolutely frigid cold temperatures, and the wind was wicked. We could see the clouds to the north– the lake effect clouds blasting the area north of us. Lake effect is so strange and so fickle! As we continued to drive west, we could see dark blue clouds broiling in the horizon. They were white and puffy on the top, but underneath, they were gray and blurry and looked like they were shooting down toward the land. It was like someone with a great big thumb came and smudged the clouds down to the earth. It was the lake effect at work, far, far away to the west over Lake Ontario. We could see it forming and watch it crashing down, but we never experienced a snowflake. I so wished to get a photo of the clouds, but we were traveling too fast. We sped westward.

Geneva, situated at the northern tip of Seneca Lake, is a lovely little city. It reminds me somewhat of Little Falls, but the buildings and streets aren’t as crowded. Population is under 15,000. Geneva is the original site of an old Seneca Indian village. The site is beautiful. The city sits on a slope, and the houses and roads clamber up the hill from the lake. Between buildings, you can see the lake glittering below.

Geneva is part of an area renowned for its great political and social movements. Elizabeth Blackwell, the first woman to graduate from a medical school, studied in Geneva, because it was the only place that would allow a woman to study medicine. Seneca Falls (haven of the suffrage movement, teetotalers, and abolitionists) is nearby.

Geneva is a well-established, wealthy city. I love the architecture. Here are some photos of the local rowhouses.

They are painted so vibrantly and have been maintained so well.

Below is the old Geneva Hotel, established in 1796. The street is brick.

Here’s the Presbyterian Church. It’s newer than many of the buildings, but the architecture is so clean and pristine.

Seneca State Park runs along the northern brim of the lake. I thought it would be great to venture out on the pier and take some photos out toward the center of the lake. Everyone else was silent and looked at me strangely. The temperature had risen to a balmy 11 degrees, and the wind was whipping wildly. I begged the boys to come with me, and, being the devoted boys that they are (plus risking being grounded for life), they came along.

It was f-r-e-e-z-i-n-g. Almost unbearable. My camera was freezing up and my hands were red and painful. We did run out to the pier to snap a few photos, and ran right back to the waiting van. Brr! See what the New York Traveler does for a blog photo-op?

The photos turned out rather nice, considering the overcast skies.

Here, the Episcopal Church towers over this section of the city. It looks like a castle, doesn’t it?

Geneva was beautiful. We’d wanted to see some of the historical homes in the area, but they were all closed for the winter. I guess heating those old beasts is too difficult. I wouldn’t have minded walking around in them without heat. Oh, well. Maybe someday.

We drove out of Geneva down Route 14 south. This route runs parallel to the western side of Seneca Lake, and the views are beautiful.

Seneca Lake is one of New York’s Finger Lakes– so named because they are long and thin and stretch across the state like fingers of a hand. Seneca Lake is the second-longest Finger Lake. Trout are abundant here. Because the lake is so deep, it has been used for submarine testing!

The Seneca nation of the Iroquois Indians lived here, until they made the mistake of siding with the British during the Revolutionary War (they lost). They were driven from their lands. The fertile land is now home to dozens of vineyards and wineries. The Seneca Wine Trail (something the Mr. and I hope to experience someday) is one of the larger tourist attractions in the area. The views of the vineyards drifting down toward the glassy blue water was exhilarating and left me breathless and trembling. Or, it might have been because it was 10 degrees. Whatever.

One of the finest views of the lake is at the Glenora Winery on Route 14.

None of the lake that we could see was frozen at all (save a tiny portion we saw in Geneva around some rocks and pamphas grass). The lake looked just as fresh and perky as if it was June. There was really no snow in the area from Harmony Beach (just south of Geneva) until Watkins Glen, and the southernmost tip of the lake. These slightly warmer conditions are favorable for grape-growing.

We drove to Corning (south of Watkins Glen), to a little hotel that I’d found on TripAdvisor. As you regular readers know, we do not stay overnight anywhere very frequently, as we prefer daytrips. However, we got a terrific deal on accommodations and sightseeing in Corning, so we made a night of it.

We stayed at the America’s Best Value Inn: Lodge on the Green in Painted Post, NY. I have my full review at my page on TripAdvisor.com. It was a wonderful place and the cost just couldn’t be beat– it was a fraction of what other places were asking. We enjoyed our stay and wish it could have been longer! If we decide to return to this area (no doubt we will), we’ll reserve another room at the Lodge.

I’ll be posting about our jaunts around the Corning, NY, area soon. I’m preparing photos and a few videos, so stay tuned!

Seneca Lake is one of the Finger Lakes. The Finger Lakes are a cluster of eleven lakes in New York’s central/western area. Seven of these lakes are considered “Finger” Lakes, so named because mapmakers thought they looked like a handprint on New York’s geography.

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.

Seneca Lake is the second-longest of the Finger Lakes, but it has the most volume: 4.2 trillion gallons (16 km³). It’s deepest area is (gulp) 618 feet (188 m) deep. The lake is fed by underground springs, which keep the lake from freezing during the cold winters. The surface of the lake may even reach 70-80 degrees, due to its tremendous depth.

And the lake is a looooong one– 38 miles long. We traveled from Geneva to Watkins Glen (top to bottom) and it seemed to take FOREVER. The views were very nice, though. We stopped off at a few places to snap some photos. There’s a lovely park in Geneva with a magnificent view of the lake.

Seneca Lake has loads of wineries up and down its fertile shoulders. The views are just spectacular. This is a photo of Seneca Lake behind Glenora Winery. You can see how narrow the lake is.

Seneca Lake has a quirky phenomenon, as I mentioned: lake farts. The locals call it “Seneca Drums” or “Guns of the Seneca” (yah, I’d be ashamed to say I lived near “lake farts,” too). The sound is reported to be that like cannons booming, or a sonic booming, or distant thunder even though the entire sky is clear of clouds. The booms can be so loud as to produce shockwaves that rattle dishes in the cupboards.

People have NO IDEA where the noise comes from. It’s been going on for centuries. The Iroquois tribes, who lived here over 200 years ago, have a whole legend around it. The Seneca Indians believed the sounds were from the Great Spirit, who was still shaping the earth after creation. Another legend says the god of thunder is grumbling about something.

There’s been some speculation that perhaps the sounds come from the natural gas under the lake, when the gas bursts forth from cracks at the lake’s bottom (New York State has enormous deposits of underground natural gas). But the problem with that is natural gas emissions usually show bubbles, and sometimes even flames, on the surface of the water. Seneca Lake remains calm when the lake far– oops, “Seneca Drums” starting bongo-ing. Other explanations are that the lake sits on shifting tectonic plates, but there is no evidence at all for that explanation. So the Seneca Drums remains a strange mystery. Seneca Lake is a beautiful lake. I wouldn’t let the threat of indigestion keep me away.

And just for the record– these booms occur in other areas of the world, too. They have been heard in India, in the Ganges Valley– the Indians call them “Barisol Guns.” They are called “uminari” in Japan, and “brontidi” in Italy. Here in the U.S.A., they can also be heard in Connecticut, on the North Carolina coast, and in another one of New York’s Finger Lakes, Cayuga Lake. Weird!

To learn more about tourism at New York’s Finger Lakes, see this site.