HUDSON RIVER AND WATKINS GLEN

October 4 - Hudson River Valley
Although the weather was rainy and foggy, we took a 2 hour river boat ride from Kingston, NY through the beautiful Hudson River Valley.  We cruised by a couple of light houses in the river and several huge mansions, including the Vanderbilt mansion built in the late 1800's.  If it hadn't been so foggy, we would have been able to see the estate where Chelsea Clinton was married.

Restored light house on the Hudson River

October 5 - Watkins Glen
Today we continued west and, with the recommendation of Joan and Tom, our destination is Watkins Glen in the Finger Lakes Region of New York.  The fall foliage is at its peak and the mountains are blazing with orange, gold, rust, red and yellow colors.  It looks like a patchwork quilt of fall colors, and where the forests are carved out, green pastures, farms and vineyards dot the mountainside.

The mountains are full of color!

This weekend is a big deal. Thousands of leaf peepers are out and about enjoying the beautiful fall colors. It's also the last hurrah for the camping season; the campgrounds are packed!  We got a heads-up from the campground owners when we were in Saugerties, so I called the Watkins Glen campground and made a reservation for the weekend.  Lucky I did, or we would of been camping in the Wal-Mart parking lot!

October 6 - The Gorge and Wine
Watkins Glen State Park is home to one of nature's breathtaking landscapes.  Today we hiked the spectacular, narrow, rugged, water sculpted gorge where 19 waterfalls cascade through the steep gorge.  After climbing the 800+ stone steps to the top of the gorge, we were pooped-out and my back was starting to complain and get crabby.  It wasn't much of a debate to pay the $3/person to take the shuttle bus back down to the lower parking lot.

Connie, hold on to your hat!  Getting some spray from behind the waterfall.

There he is!  Jim waving from behind Rainbow Falls.

After lunch, we headed to the Finger Lakes Wine Trail along the east side of Seneca Lake.
We stopped at the first two vineyards we came to  (Catherine Vineyard and Silver Springs Vineyard); both places were packed with wine tasters.


The view from Catherine Vineyard looking across Seneca lake.

You only want 2 bottles of wine? 

Tonight our Pennsylvania camping neighbors invited us to join them at their campfire.  Since we are heading to northwest PA tomorrow, we asked these "locals" what areas we should see.  They said "the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania".  Who knew there was a Grand Canyon outside of AZ?  More later!