Day 1
Our adventure
begins when you meet your guide to travel back in time
to the arduous days of travel before modern roads. Our
first stop is the Harriet Tubman home. Harriet Tubman
was born a slave, but she escaped via the “Underground
Railroad” and later helped over 300 slaves escape to
freedom. We will see a video on Ms. Tubman followed by
a tour of the first floor of the home she started for
aged blacks.
From here, we
head into the charming lakeside village The downtown
district houses shops and galleries in restored
buildings dating from 1796. Our lunch today is at an
historic stagecoach inn, built in 1807, which has been
meticulously restored to the beauty of a bygone era.
There will be free time to browse the town or sit by the
lake and watch the activity.
Next, we are
on to tour the Seward Mansion. William Seward was
chided for purchasing a wasteland near the Yukon which
we call Alaska, a land of wealth to the United States.
His home is a step back in time as it houses his
collection intact from the four generations of Sewards
which lived there from 1816-1951. Seward hosted many
gatherings of distinguished people from to Ulysses S
Grant to Elizabeth Cady Stanton.
Our final visit of the day is to the
Willard Chapel, a rare example of the work of Louis
Comfort Tiffany. This chapel is the only existing
location where Tiffany placed his work. It consists of
opalescent paneled windows and chandeliers which will
leave you in awe. A short video will detail the history
of the chapel.
Our dinner
this evening will be along a portion of the Erie Canal
system where the boats depart the canal and enter
beautiful Seneca Lake. The sun sets behind the far side
of the lake as we dine waterside.
After a hearty
breakfast, we travel along beautiful Seneca Lake with a
stop at a Mennonite Farm Store. The store has a
multitude of handmade quilts by local Mennonite ladies
as well as jams and jellies, soup mixes, and pastries.
The store has a little of everything. This is a family
business and the children are present, quietly lending a
helping hand. The buggy sits outside the barn door and
the family pet is always happy for a scratch behind the
ear whether it be a puppy or a bunny.
Just a bit
further down the lake, we stop at a winery for a tour of
the winery processing plant and an opportunity to sample
wonderful Finger Lakes wines. From here we continue
traveling beside the shimmering waters of Seneca Lake
with a stop at another award-winning winery before our
lunch stop overlooking vineyards and the lake. We’ve
viewed the water all day, now we have an opportunity to
be on the lake with a scenic and informative boat ride.
From here we travel to the hilltop for a stop at a
winery/restaurant for a homemade strudel dessert before
traveling to our hotel for the evening in Corning, New
York. Here the group will be able to relax and have an
evening on their own for dining, shopping or browsing
the city of Corning.
Next morning,
we visit the Corning Museum of Glass for a glass-blowing
demonstration and an unguided tour of the museum. We
drive through the historic district of Corning where the
Chemung River flooded the town in 1973 and on to the
town of Elmira, the summer home of Mark Twain. We visit
the Mark Twain study and exhibit and take a tour of the
historic area. We follow this with lunch overlooking
the valley with the Chemung River below. Mark Twain’s
inspiration for “Tom Sawyer” came from this dynamic
view.
Throughout your stay, your guide will
entertain with rich stories of the past and present from
the Underground Railroad to the antics of Mark Twain.
Your life will be enriched by the experience.