We’re trying something new with the boat this year. After a year on Oneida Lake and five in the Thousand Islands, we’re keeping it in dry storage at the northern end of Canandaigua Lake southeast of Rochester.
Canandaigua Lake, looking south, as the glaciers advanced and pushed material southward to form hills
Canandaigua reminds me a lot of Skaneateles, with a little more variety and a little less charm. The New York Culinary and Wine Center is within walking distance of the marina. Good thing because it’s a terrific asset that I wish we had in Syracuse.
It’s a combination restaurant, wine tasting center, kitchen auditorium for cooking demonstrations and cooking school for hands on lessons using the best appliances and prep tools.
There is also the Inn on the Lake, a hotel and event center with an outdoor restaurant and bar right on the water and the longest line of adirondack chairs on the sea wall that I’ve ever seen; perhaps 30 or more. That’s at hand too.
And some restaurants and a park and a beach. There are wineries nearby, and the city of Rochester for evening entertainment.
Tom, Natalie, Parker and I spent the afternoon cruising down the west side of the lake, then cutting over to the east side and cruising on back, but by then we were getting hungry so our tour of the east side was spent windswept at about 25 miles per hour.
I took some photos of beautiful properties for you, wondering which one might be the Wegman’s summer estate. Each one was more lovely than the next so it was difficult to tell, but by far the grandest site of all was a gigantic and tasteful wooden lodge, large enough that we wondered at first if it was a hotel. There’s a covered boat dock with six slips, a cluster of adirondack chairs encircling a copper fire pit at the water’s edge, and hidden amongst a grove of trees, the coolest tree house you could ever dream of. The “house” itself was worthy of Architectural Digest, of course. But darn, I didn’t take a photo! And as we traversed the lake, Natalie took out her iphone, googled “Wegman house on Canandaigua Lake”, and the lodge popped right up. We had found it! Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, right from our boat.
The funniest part of our inaugural adventure on Canandaigua was the system to remove the boat from the water. A regular old John Deere tractor waited at the launch. Before we could even get out, we were told to just drive right onto the trailor while he pulled us out and drove us around the parking lot to our permanent space.
Tractor meets boat
Something about the whole thing seemed unsafe and really illegal in Big Brother New York State, but I knew these people had a lot more experience riding people around in boats on a parking lot than we had in the riding. It was the most daring part of the day.
Our sketchy ride around the parking lot
We’re just getting started with the summer. I’ll take you along, including the rides around the parking lot.
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{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
Great pics, thanks for sharing. We don’t own a boat, so those pictures are something we would never see otherwise.
Thanks for coming along Ken. I’ll take us all around this summer.
Good Day Maureen, What great pictures. I was fortunate enough to take the Oneidan Nation Elders to Canandaiguea New York Culinary and Wine Center last year and also Sonnenberg Gardens. Don’t miss a chance to visit there. The gardens and history of the estate are outstanding. You can get great pictures there.
Love the pictures. Haven’t been on the lake yet this year. Stayed at the Inn for my granddaughter’s birthday back in late March. I love the area and would like to have my nephew see your pictures. I’m not sure if I can E mail them to him. Hoping to get on his boat soon. Thanks for sharing. It was a perfect day for boating. My Syr.granddaughter danced in a Feis at East SyracueMinoa High School. She placed 3rd in the Championship level. No AC, hot in the gym but great Irish Step dancing. I’m ready for a boat ride on any of our lakes.
My nephew E mailed me last night and invited me over for Sunday party and boat ride on Canandaigua. I’ll be looking for those beautiful homes.
Hi Carol, Congrats to your dancing granddaughter! I must watch her one of these days. Hot week ahead. Water will be called for.
Unlike Skaneateles, with beautiful homes clustered along the village waterfront, in Canandaigua, you have to cruise south for the trophy homes. It’s quite shallow and a little commercial on the north end. A very lovely area nonetheless. We’ll compare notes!
A lazy afternoon cruising one of the beautiful Finger Lakes sounds lovely. When you’re on land, check out a new “foodie” store on Main Street in the historic downtown devoted entirely to oils and vinegars. It’s called F. Oliver’s (www.folivers.com). If I understand it correctly, dozens of oils and vinegars are stored in tanks. Tastings are offered and bottles of oil and vinegar are filled to order. This place is on my summertime “bucket list!”