The Finger Lakes Region is one of New York's great pride and joys.  A fun four season playground, this lake region also is famed for its great wineries, delicious foods, many notable historic museums and locations, and quirky roadside attractions.

Populated with beautiful large (and small) villages and towns, historic museums, fantastic wineries and craft breweries, delicious restaurants, and quirky roadside attractions, the Finger Lakes remain one of the Empire State's great treasures.

As a travel writer and veteran road warrior, I have visited the Finger Lakes Region an uncountable number of times. Here is a list of 35 reasons why this writer just loves the region. Obviously the list could have hundreds of points of interest on it. But here are 35 of my favorites. I have stayed at these inns, written about the area's history, enjoyed the wineries and breweries, and devoured the many great foods offered throughout the region.

Maybe there will be future lists, but lets start with these favorites. (Note: I have tried to feature places that are close to the actual lakes themselves, rather than say Corning, or Syracuse or Rochester, which somehow manage to always be geographically linked to the Finger Lakes Region).

Enjoy!

35 Reasons Why Everybody Loves the Finger Lakes

There are several great "destination pockets" in the area we call Upstate New York. Whether it be the historic mansions along the Hudson Valley, the small ski towns of the Catskills, the majesty of the Adirondacks, the diverse history of Central New York, or the beautiful region shrouded in Niagara's mist out west. And then there is the Finger Lakes! These 11 "finger like" lakes, spread out from (roughly) just west of Interstate 81 out through the Genesee Valley in Western New York This area is one of the state's great playgrounds.

Gallery Credit: Chuck D'Imperio

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