Phillip Bonn
Red spires rise eerily above the shoreline like remnants from a lost city, as the waters of Lake Ontario hiss and sigh over rocks worn smooth over the ages. While boats drone on in the distance, seagulls hang like kites in the sky, occasionally plunging into the restless waters to fish.
Lake Ontario’s bluffs are a great place to spend a summer day. Here one can enjoy a refreshing dip, beachcomb or just soak up the sun.
Chimney Bluffs, east of Sodus Bay, is known for its towering knife-edged cliffs, sculpted by nature into otherworldly shapes. McIntyre and Coopers Bluffs are between Fair Haven State Park and the Sterling Nature center.
Phillip Bonn is a freelance photojournalist. You can see his work at www.philbosphotos.com.
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Shari Stratton
My favorite part of summer is my family’s annual trip to the Finger Lakes to visit my sister and brother and to relax in the natural beauty that seems boundless there. I grew up with a close connection to nature, so it is easy to feel at home in the Finger Lakes.
It is my hope that my son Max, and children everywhere, have the opportunity to learn and grow in the natural world. Max loves hiking through the tunnels and beneath the waterfalls in the Watkins Glen gorge, and hearing stories of how it was formed by glaciers during the Ice Age.
Of course, our trips would not be complete without multiple visits to our favorite restaurant, The Grist Mill Café. Fortunately for Max, Aunt Deb owns the café, which seems to have an endless supply of chocolate chip cookies!
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Cindy Ruggieri
I’m a planner. When I take off on a photo road trip, my camera rides shotgun and my destination is planned.
But it’s the unexpected finds along the way that have me hitting my brakes and changing my course. A field of wildflowers, the quirky roadside display, a produce stand filled with abundance, a waterfall flowing down the hillside, the perfect picnic spot, all are scenes that bring a smile to my heart.
Take some time this summer for a road trip to a place you haven’t seen before in our beautiful Finger Lakes Region. Go with a plan, but be ready for the unexpected. Be prepared for what you see to bring a smile to your heart!
