*Adirondack Mountains, New York - February 2021*

The Empire State. Known for being a hub of business, economics, and more for the entire Eastern Seaboard of America. While New York City undeniably claims the spotlight, there is so much more to this state. From the Finger Lakes to the Adirondacks, there is something for every type of outdoor enthusiast.

I grew up in Rochester, a city about 90 minutes from Niagara Falls. After spending roughly 20 years living here in two stints, I’ve had the opportunity to explore much of the state's outdoor offerings. I won’t be discussing Downstate/NYC in this blog post. I haven’t spent a lot of time in that part of the state and I want the focus of my Travel Series to be more on outdoor related travel than urban exploration. Anyways, I’m sure there are hundreds of other bloggers who have written about NYC. There is no point in beating a dead horse. As with my Utah article, there is so much more to explore in New York than what I’ve decided to write about here. Let’s get started.

Buffalo

Known for sports and wings, Buffalo is the hub of Western New York. While nature tourism may not be its claim to fame, people often forget that Niagara Falls is just outside of the city. Admittedly, the Canadian side of the Falls is better. Regardless, Niagara Falls is still the biggest attraction on the American side in this portion of the state. One of my earliest photographs was from Niagara Falls (posted above). My skill level has vastly improved since my trip there in 2016 so don’t judge me too harshly.

Allegheny State Park is the other large-ish attraction in Western New York. Sadly, this park has evaded me thus far. There is excellent skiing nearby (forgive me for not remembering the name of the resort) and the state park has some nice lakes.

Letchworth could arguably be included in this section, but it seemed more fitting to be in the Finger Lakes portion of this blog.

Finger Lakes/CNY

I have a special appreciation for this part of New York. Even though I don’t live there currently and never will again, I hold the photographs from my time there in high regard. The Finger Lakes are home to so many spectacular waterfalls and waterfront views. Watkins Glen and Letchworth may be the most familiar parks to many. While these two definitely sit above the rest in terms of visitors, other parks and waterfalls offer scenic views and excellent hiking as well.
While Watkins Glen may draw the biggest crowds, Ithaca takes the crown for the best place in the Finger Lakes as far as I’m concerned. The town itself is worth spending a week visiting. Cornell University is located here as well as Ithaca College. Aside from academics, Ithaca prides itself on having the ‘Gorges’ hence ‘Ithaca is Gorges’.

Buttermilk Falls, Taughannock Falls, and Triphammer Falls are all worthy places to check out if you pass through Ithaca. Of course, there are countless other places in the region to check out, but it would be unfair to reveal all of this area's beautiful secrets. Go out and explore, you’ll surely stumble across something magnificent.

Adirondacks

It would be unjust to claim I could cover the entire Adirondacks region in a short blog post. Fittingly, there will be a future story that covers this in more detail. This large chunk of upstate New York is vastly different from the rest of the state. Small communities are scattered around the fringes of wilderness areas. Places like Saranac Lake and Lake Placid are tourist havens. The rest is as wild as it gets on the East Coast.

My only experience in this region came in February 2021. Slated as a four season destination, I’ll admit that winter may not be the best time to visit the Adirondacks unless your preferred activities are either snowmobiling or snowshoeing. It’s not uncommon to see a foot of fresh snow on the ground. Hiking the peaks, which is arguably the region's biggest attraction, becomes considerably more difficult with the addition of snow and ice.

Regardless, I spent a week hiking on various trails in the area. For a perfect experience, I also stayed in a rustic log cabin, and not one that you see on luxury instagram pages. Being a mountainous area (hence the name), the obvious draw for many would be hiking the peaks. I can’t say I’m an avid mountaineer, but I did successfully summit a handful of the peaks in the Eastern portion of the park. Due to snowy conditions, I failed to summit Giant Mountain, but places like Mt. Jo and Rooster Comb turned out to be great hikes, even with a foot of snow on the ground.

Aside from the mountains, there are plenty of lakes to explore in the Adirondacks. During warmer seasons, canoeing or kayaking can provide some excellent photographs or just time away from everyday responsibilities, if that’s more your thing. I have made a point to return to the Adirondacks during Autumn so I can canoe or kayak for a couple days. Given how stunning the area looks in Autumn, I’m sure it will be incredible.

Conclusion

Compared to other places I will cover, my perspective on New York is skewed. Like many around my age, I don’t love where I grew up. But, I owe a lot of my early success as a photographer to New York, and the Great Lakes as a whole. Ithaca in particular is where some of my best early shots were taken. Because of that, the Finger Lakes will always be important to me. If you are planning a trip to the East Coast/New England, it may be worth spending a few days in New York State. While the city will always claim the spotlight, the rest of New York has plenty to offer to those who prefer a more relaxing environment.

Travel Series - New York

Travel Series - Minnesota (North Shore)

Travel Series - Utah