Thanksgiving and Black Friday and Cyber Monday—oh, my! Each year, the fourth weekend in November kicks off the start of the holiday season, and here at Finger Lakes Visitors Connection, we want to be sure you’re ready. 

Think you need to be a pro photographer with lots of gear to capture awesome memories of your travels? Not today! Following these simple steps with your smartphone to help improve your personal photo library and gain followers. Although I am a professional photographer, I use my phone all the time for personal photos and social media. These are just some of my best tips for photographing on the go!

As most New Yorkers know, our state has a rich and storied history—from the 13 colonies to a state with one of the country’s largest populations. A couple of times a year, New York likes to celebrate that history through its Path Through History weekends.

But what does Path Through History mean, exactly? 

The summer months bring sunny-skied vacations, long laughing nights and rambling road trips, but when it’s time to hunker down and gather ‘round the dinner table, there’s no better place to grab ingredients for a fresh meal than a local Finger Lakes farmers market.

Often viewed as a great alternative to eating out, farmers markets provide a venue for farmers to sell directly to consumers, which translates to the freshest fruits, vegetables, meats and cheeses in town. Need some arugula for that salad? Check. Some cheddar for Mom’s mac and cheese that you traveled hours for? No problem. How about some juicy strawberries for an afternoon snack? The farmers market has you covered.

It’s here!

After a year of planning and constructing, the Finger Lakes Welcome Center in Geneva is open to the public. And let’s just say—it’s worth the wait. 

The Finger Lakes isn’t only a beautiful place to make new memories with your loved ones. It’s also an area filled with nostalgic bliss—a place to share deep-rooted memories with the people you care about most. And historically speaking, the older generation tends to be responsible for carrying family legacies and holding the keys to a past long ago, but never forgotten. There’s a lot to learn from them to be sure, and many experiences to pass on and share together. But who says memories can’t be passed from kids to adults, too?

With Ontario County starting to defrost, it's a sure sign spring has reached the Finger Lakes! From outdoor adventures to indoor hideouts, there's something happening to get you psyched for spring. 

Spring is finally here—which means it’s time to start easing out of your self-induced wintertime hibernation. What better time than spring to plan that girlfriend getaway you’ve always talked about? But where to begin? So many things to do and so little time. I’m here to make that choice a little easier—if you stick with the four S’s of the Finger Lakes region.

It’s March, folks. That means 2018 has come and if you haven’t already, it’s time to crumple that old crinkled list of last year’s to-dos, skyhook it straight to the trash and trade it in for this brand-new, shiny list for a whopping price of $Free.99! That’s right, it’s 2018 (aka TwentyGreatTeen) and adventure is out there. It’s time to giddy-up and go. Here are 18 things to do in 2018.

When Paula Jankowski from England sent us a message, wondering what there was to do in winter in the Finger Lakes, we couldn't wait to share all our favorites spots! Carol and our intern, Taylor, got right to work, putting together a list of "must see" stops. Paula and her husband enjoyed their vacation in the Finger Lakes, and then sent Carol a lovely note, describing the fun adventures they found. We couldn't pass up the opportunity to ask Paula if she would take some time to put her thoughts in a blog for us, as well as share some of her travel pictures. She agreed! Read below and enjoy our world from the perspective of someone who lives thousands of miles away.