As a photographer wannabe I love to discover new things to photograph and new ways to photograph them. Recently I have discovered that there is a world of beauty inside the petals of a flower or hidden in the tiny imperfections of a rock. That Macro setting some of you are discovering on your new digital cameras enable you to get right in close to the tiny bouquet of miniature yellow flowers lined up on the stem of a simple golden rod that grows in every field of the Northeast. It’s kind of like a hidden world within a world more visible but it’s hidden because we never take the time to lean over and zoom in close. That's kind of what I felt like when my girl friend and I spent the day together driving through the beautiful winding hills of the Finger Lakes Region last Saturday.
My daughter tipped me off with a phone call that a musician that I knew was playing at the Heron Hills Vineyard. We started our day listening to some great music from Jared Campbell and enjoying a spectacular view of Keuka Lake. The summer flowers of dozens of colors and varieties filled the fields, the puffy luminous thunderheads dominated the skies. The beauty of the lake with all of its boating activity seemed to accentuate the breathtaking view.
From there we decided to take an indirect trip home and head around the lake. The winding roads surrounded by beautiful vineyards, scenic farmlands and more lake frontage reminded me of how grateful I am to live in such a picturesque area. With no pun intended it’s just like the thing I had discovered about photography. Sometimes the most interesting, fun and beautiful things are so close we don't stop to enjoy them. People travel from all over the World to enjoy what we have so near to us in the Finger Lakes Region
With a brief stop at Esperanza Mansion to enjoy another view of the lake and scout for Bald Eagles we took a brief stop into Keuka Lake State Park. With a brief walk along the waterfront and a mini walk through the park we then headed into Penn Yan for dinner. I have learned that if a restaurants parking lot is full it’s a real good sign that they have good food. For me the simple things in life sometimes are the most fun. The picnic type atmosphere of the park left us hungry for some good fried chicken. I must say if you are in the area there is no better place to satisfy that craving than at Seneca Farms just on the outside of town. Make sure you have some of their homemade ice cream on the way out. It will be easy on your budget and really hit the spot any afternoon or evening.
Back through the hills and heading for homes I warned my girlfriend to be ready for frequent stops for photo op's! The beautiful glows of the setting sun on the rolling fields had me turning the car around more than once to go back and get out the camera. They say that photographers aren't addicted to photography we are just addicted to that one good shot! Well last Saturday I became intoxicated by the beauty of a region that was so close it nearly was not a consideration. I almost missed out on taking some time out of my busy schedule and discover it again for the first time. Whether your thrill is discovering the inside of a blooming Tiger Lilly, or seeing so far you swear you can see the curvature of the Earth you will never disappointed taking a day, a week, or a season traveling in the Finger Lakes Region.
