2018 Exploring New York - Final 2 - Watkins Glen and Lake George

The 4th stop of our Exploration of Western and Central New York State found us at Cool-Lea Campground just outside of Watkins Glen, NY and once again in the beautiful Finger Lakes Region.

Upon our arrival we were surprised to find Watkins Glen and surrounding towns under a State of Emergency due to heavy flooding from a recent stretch of torrential rains. Roads and bridges were collapsed or at risk for collapse and many homes were surrounded by water. Having survived flooding myself, my heart went out to the folks who would be piling up their damaged items for the insurance adjusters to evaluate. It's a sad feeling to lose precious belongings. Money can replace the necessities, but mementos and photos, while being the least expensive, are priceless gems that are gone forever.  

The video below shows the "water-fall" spillover in Montour Falls gushing water at a tremendous rate. Many people were stopping along the road to capture the site.

It was fortunate that we were booked at Cool-Lea, opposed to the nearby KOA, because they were preparing to evacuate due to their close proximity to the overflowing banks of Lake Seneca.

Cool-Lea was a pretty, rustic, immaculately groomed park situated directly on Cayuta Lake (not a Finger Lake). There were many seasonal RVs situated all along the coastline and we were very happy to have a site poised at the top of a rise, well away from the encroaching water of the little lake. As we experienced throughout our entire journey, we found ourselves with a lack of cell service and extremely limited park WiFi.

That didn't bother me too much since I was able to get my final "fix" at a couple more wineries. We found a terrific store in town where I was able to find a great pair of Sketchers to wear on the Disney Trip. I am constantly looking for that perfect pair of "wonder shoes" - the shoes that are so comfortable you don't want to take them off. The Sketchers seem to be working fine so far. My feet are spoiled by 12 months inflip flops and sandals.

While walking through the cute town of Watkins Glen, I was able to snap two interesting photos....definitely unexpected and interesting. 

The Smallest Diner

A 1956 Suburban Wagon.

One of my prerequisites for this trip was that we would NOT eat in any chain restaurants. We often ventured out in search of restaurants throughout the 

Our dinner at Jerlando's. 

State either with or without the help of Yelp and Trip Advisor. This time, without any assistance, George found a great place right in Watkins Glen, Jerlando's Pizza. It looked good from the outside and we were able to find a parking space, so Jerlando's it was. We were quite surprised to find the place packed with many locals and a short wait found us perusing an interesting menu. George opted for the pizza, which is always risky business whenever my cousin, Maurizio, is not creating one of his mouth-watering creations. The pizza, while very good, could not hold a candle to what we know pizza should taste like, but it sufficed in a pinch. My Steamed Clams were just okay, but my Caprese Salad was perfect.

The two wineries I got to visit here were Barnstormer and Lakewood. Both had highly rated wines worthy of adding to my growing collection. The Glen Iris Inn served the Lakewood wines so I was already familiar with them.

Lakewood was a large winery that offered indoor and outdoor tastings. We opted for the outside tasting, despite the heat, and were glad we did because the view of the vineyard was amazing. I didn't snap any photos at Lakewood, but we won't forget meeting the owner's dogs - two very wet chocolate brown labs who had just been hosed down due to the hot and humid day. 

Barnstormer - nice tasting room

Barnstormer was a young winery who was just releasing their first red wine ever. It takes a vine five years to produce a "drinkable" wine. While their Cabernet Sauvignon was going to be amazing in about five years, I had to pass on getting a bottle. Living in an RV is not condusive to long-term wine storage. Naturally, I wouldn't leave empty-handed, so I opted for their tasty un-oaked Chardonnay that was crisp and light, and a Pinot Gris, again, light, but full of flavor.

Montour Falls

Lake Seneca from the south

As I was editing photos and uploading videos, I noticed that neither George or I had many photos of Lake George. The lack of pictures started in Watkins Glen and from that point on, except for the unforgettable one below, we will have to rely on what I write here.  

Floating Tiki Bar on Lake George!

We stayed at King Phillips Campground in Lake George and it was another of many campgrounds that catered to seasonal campers. It was a nice, quiet place, close to the main drag (yet far enough away) and served the purpose of a place that provided full hook-ups and the place to come "home" to each night.

Lake George is a beautiful area. The lake is clean and provides a multitude of water sports like kayaking, jet skis, boating and parasailing. The restaurants have begun to scale back on their menu options and quality of food. Most provide lots of fried items, burgers and pastas. Even my favorite restaurant overlooking the lake, which at one time had been more "exclusive," downgraded to plastic silverware, paper plates and paper cups. No offers for free drink refills and help was either in short supply or lazy. The only thing they didn't scale back on were the prices.

A funny coincidence occurred when I received a text from friend, Kathy, who wanted to know if we were still in Croton, because she was walking her dog at the park and wanted to visit. When I told her we were up in Lake George, she texted back that she would be in the area the next day to bring her daughter to college. What a terrifically, unexpected surprise. 

We decided to pick her up at her motel in Bolton Landing and take a chance at getting a table in that area on a Saturday night. Bolton Landing is a town just a bit north of Lake George where we discovered nicer restaurants and got much better quality food for the same price. So, on our next visit, I believe we would look for a campground closer to Bolton Landing to enjoy that quaint, little, less commercialized town.

The end of our journey began a day earlier due to the weather forecast that was predicting heavy rains the following day. Neither of us were disappointed - I think we were "away" long enough. 

I'll end this adventure with an epilogue to follow in a future post.

Deep thought for the day: Expect the unexpected and when you least expect it, it will make your day (or night) exceptional. ~vc