April 27, 2026
Florence with our daughter, Hammondsport's hidden history, and the Finger Lakes as a coolcation destination
Five pieces this week, all with a Finger Lakes thread running through them — plus a personal one from Florence. The Hammondsport piece is a genuine discovery: a small town where American aviation and Finger Lakes wine history overlap in ways most people don't know. The coolcation piece explains why the Finger Lakes keeps showing up in 2026 travel trends. And the Florence piece is personal.
Hammondsport: The Town Where American Aviation and Finger Lakes Wine Were Both Born
Hammondsport received a rare village-wide National Register designation on December 13, 2024, making nearly the entire village eligible for state historic rehabilitation tax credits of up to 50% for wineries and agricultural properties.
Beyond the Tasting Room: Wellness Travel in the Finger Lakes
Wellness tourism is the fastest-growing travel category in 2026 — and the Finger Lakes is one of the most quietly well-positioned destinations to receive that traveler.
A Week in Florence Visiting Our Daughter Who Was Studying Abroad
The Campanile climb Julia saved specifically for our visit — at 414 steps it is one of Florence's more expensive single attractions, and she wanted to share it.
Seneca Lake East Shore Wine Trail: The Side Most People Skip
The Seneca Lake east shore runs along Route 414 south of Geneva and holds some of the trail's most distinctive wineries — Atwater, Lamoreaux Landing, Wagner, and Penguin Bay — with a fraction of the west shore's crowd
The Finger Lakes as a Coolcation: Why the Hottest Travel Trend of 2026 Leads to Upstate New York
Trip.com data shows a 237% jump in searches for cooler summer destinations in 2026 — the Finger Lakes is one of the best coolcation options in the northeast and almost nobody outside the region knows it.
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