In an effort to experience some of the fabulous fall colors that October in the Finger Lakes Region can bring, the Finger Lakes Chapter (FLC) of the Antique and Classic Boat Society Board of Directors has scheduled a different kind of fall outing for FLC members and their guests.
The outing will begin at 11 a.m. on Saturday, October 14, with a guided tour of the Finger Lakes Boating Museum (FLBM) in Hammondsport, which is located at the southern end of Keuka Lake. The late starting hour should allow adequate time for most participants to drive to Hammondsport that morning. The museum is located at 8231 Pleasant Valley Road, just south of the village.
The FLBM is a fairly young museum, located in buildings once occupied by the Taylor Wine Company. Although they are not all on display at once, the museum has about 160 boats under its roofs. One of the items on display is the impressive rebuilding of the Skaneateles tour boat, the Pat II, a 39-foot wooden launch. When completed, it will be the museum’s sightseeing boat on Keuka Lake.
To help the museum with its constant need for funds, there will be a $6 per person charge payable at the door. And to help the museum prepare for the event, please let Dick Sherwood know (585-265-1518; flcboats@aol.com) how many to expect in your party not later than Tuesday, October 10. The tour will take about two hours.
Following the FLBM tour, participants can find lunch in any of the area’s restaurants and in several wineries, with individuals or groups making their own reservations ahead of time (and as late as the 14th). See below for a listing of area restaurants. If the weather cooperates, Bully Hill Vineyards offers a spectacular view from high above the southwest side of the lake.
After lunch, if participants make their way to Depot Park on the southwest shore of Keuka Lake, there might be a couple of old boats waiting to give rides. By the same token, if participants want to take their boats to Hammondsport for the weekend, boats on trailers can be parked along side the museum’s Building 5 during the tour and lunch. Building 5 is located on the east side of Pleasant Valley Road opposite the museum. If launching a boat is part of your weekend plans, be sure to let Dick Sherwood know – arrangements have been made for us to use the launch in Depot Park.
For those wishing to make a weekend of it, there are numerous B&Bs in the area plus there is the relatively new Best Western motel just east of town on Route 54. More information about lodgings is readily available on Hammondsport web sites.
Other things to consider during a weekend stay include a visit to the Curtiss Museum across Route 54 from the Best Western, and any number of area wineries. New York State Rieslings are getting very high marks in the culinary world, and justly so.
For more to do in Hammondsport, visit the Visitor Center Website hammondsport.org
RESTAURANTS IN THE HAMMONDSPORT AREA OPEN FOR LUNCH
Bully Hill Restaurant
8843 Greyton H. Taylor Memorial Drive, Hammondsport
Innovative Cuisine – pizza, smoked barbeque, salads, seafood $$
Village Tavern Restaurant
30 Mechanic Street, Hammondsport
European style cuisine – seafood, steak, salads $$$
Burgers and Beer
41 Shethar Street, Hammondsport
Casual fare – burgers, sandwiches, wings $
Timber Stone Grille
70 Shethar Street, Hammondsport
Locally sourced ingredients, meats and regional cuisine $$
