Happy Camper

Got home last week from a wonderful camping trip to New York state. I've always wanted to go to Watkins Glen but since the gorge trail isn't dog friendly, I'd never been. This year two of my sisters and their husbands were able to join me there.  It's quite a drive for me to do in one day so my youngest sister, her husband and I made a stop at Westcott Beach State Park that's located on the US side of Lake Ontario.  I made it there before my sister and brother-in-law though they had a much shorter drive, an issue at US Customs delayed them a little. 

My site at Westcott Beach wasn't very deep but it was wide, so I pulled in across the site facing away from the road. I probably could have backed in as there was lots of room and no ditches on either side of the road. But pulling in the way I did gave more privacy on my site. I had an electric site; my sister and her husband were just the other side of the bathrooms on a non-electric site. 

Westcott Beach isn't really a destination campground but it seemed to be well used by locals and boaters. The trails in the park are located on the other side of the highway so we didn't bother with those. We did drive into Sacket's Harbor to see some of the sites and enjoy a beer at a brewery, even though it was a tad chilly.

Wescott Beach

          

Westcott Beach Marina

Sackets Harbor Battlefield

Teddy enjoying the fire.

We were only there for two nights then it was onto Watkins Glen State Park. We had breakfast in the morning and took our time getting packed up, we arrived in Watkins Glen just after 2pm.  My other sister and her husband arrived from Ottawa just after we did, they might have even got to the park before us, but they went to the dump station to fill up with water. We would be in Watkins Glen for 4 nights. We had nice sites on the inside of the first loop quite close to the bathrooms. 

The first full day we went to a couple vineyards. Both were very dog friendly, ones I had been to before allowed dogs outside on the patio or deck but in the Watkins Glen area they were allowed inside. The first winery was Castel Grisch, here we shared a couple wine flights and took advantage of their Wifi.  This location also had many displays of various sculptures and we wondered of it had been a separate business venture at one time.

The next vineyard was Lakewood. Dogs were allowed inside at this venue too but as they had dogs themselves, we thought my dogs would be more comfortable outside. Here, we bought a bottle of wine to share and enjoyed the view. 

We stopped in the town of Watkins Glen and walked the main street on the way back to our campsites. The main street is the state highway and there was lots of truck traffic, Teddy and Liam were not happy with that. 

The next day, I went with one of my sisters and her husband to hike the gorge, Teddy and Liam stayed back at camp with my other sister and brother-in-law. We would have a late brunch when we got back.  The gorge trail is amazing but somewhat strenuous, 832 steps, one way so if you go back through the gorge you have to do them twice.

After brunch, we all went and did our own things. I took the dogs to see some other local waterfalls.

The next day, breakfast was French toast with apple crisp, whipped cream, syrup and sausages.  After breakfast, the guys drove to the Curtiss Museum to see airplanes and motorcycles, while we girls had another day of vineyards ending up at a creamery for a flight of ice cream. Teddy and Liam were again welcome inside the wineries and got to meet some cows. Liam liked the Hazlitt Winery because there was free popcorn and dog biscuits.

French Toast

Hazlitt 1852 Winery

Inside Hazlitt waiting for more popcorn.

Leidenfrost Winery

Outside at Leidenfrost

Shtayburne Farm

Teddy watching cows.

At Hazlitt, we shared two flights, one cider flight and one wine flight. At Leidenfrost, we bought a bottle to share and sat outside to again enjoy the view. At Shtayburne Farm, you could have cheese, ice cream or mixed flights. Our favourite ice cream flavour was carmel kettlecorn. It was a vanilla based ice cream but you could really taste popcorn with burnt carmel.

The next day was again a travel day. My youngest sister, her husband and I were heading back the way we came to Selkirk Shores on Lake Ontario while my other sister and her husband were heading east as they were going to New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.

At Selkirk Shores, we had nice electric sites that backed into the tree line and weren't too far from the bathrooms. Most of the other sites, were in open fields or only backed onto the tree line. The beach at Selkirk Shore wasn't dog friendly but we did find a spot on the shoreline were Teddy and Liam could wade.

We would again be here for only two nights. On our one full day, we went to the Salmon River Falls, then drove around trying to find a brewery that must have closed some time ago and a winery that did exist but doesn't make their wine at that location anymore. We then tried a brewery co-located with a restaurant, but dogs weren't even allowed on the patio. It had been calling for rain all day but we were able to enjoy supper and a fire before the rain did come. I was even able to tear down and pack up the next morning while it was only sprinkling.

Salmon River Falls

Town Square Pulaski, NY

Last Fire

All in all, a very good trip.  The next one is a little closer to home at Bon Echo Provincial Park where there is a nice dog beach.