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Yahoo
7 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Explore 5 lesser-known spring destinations in the Finger Lakes. See the list
The Finger Lakes is home to many lakeside towns and wineries that draw in visitors yearly. Spring is known to be one of the best times to visit the region, but it can also sometimes get flooded with visitors looking for a spring getaway. Here are five lesser-known spring getaway spots in the Finger Lakes to enjoy a peaceful and relaxing trip: The small village of Aurora, which is home to under 1,000 residents, is located on the eastern shore of Cayuga Lake in Cayuga County. Aurora is full of historic charm with its notable shops and attractions like the Village Market, Morgan Opera House and Wells College, which for years was a women-only liberal arts college and closed in 2024. The lakeside village offers plenty of inns and estates to stay in including the historic Aurora Inns. There are also many lakeside activities visitors can enjoy on Cayuga Lake. Located at the northern tip of Seneca Lake, the City of Geneva sits on the ancestral lands of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. Geneva's downtown area offers plenty of antique and gift shops, and Linden Street is full of cocktail bars and restaurants. The city is also home to many historic landmarks including Belhurst Castle, Geneva On The Lake and the Smith Opera House. Visitors can enjoy Gevena's lake life at the Seneca Lake State Park which has a swimming beach, playgrounds, a disc golf course and two marinas. The Village of Hammondsport is located at the southern end of Keuka Lake in the town of Urbana, Steuben County. It was the birthplace of Glenn H. Curtiss, a pioneer in aviation, and a museum in his name within the village contains a collection of artifacts relating to the history of early aviation. The village's main street offers art galleries, cafes and boutiques. Being that it is located in the heart of Finger Lakes Wine Country, Hammondsport is home to many beloved wineries and breweries, including Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery, which is one of the first vineyards to introduce Rieslings into the region. More: World Atlas names 7 of New York's 'little-known' towns in the Finger Lakes. See the list Home to the beloved Naples Grape Festival, Naples is located in the southwestern corner of Ontario County, around 45 minutes south of Rochester. Naples offers beautiful sites during all four seasons with its stunning vineyards, waterfalls, forests and streams. Grimes Glen Park is located in the heart of the Village of Naples and is known for its waterfalls and the oldest fossilized tree in New York. The village also has plenty of wineries, local cuisines and of course, its famous grape pie. The Village of Montour Falls is located south of Seneca Lake in Schuyler County. Known for its natural beauty and rich history, the village is surrounded by hills that rise to 1,000 feet, seven natural glens and stunning waterfalls. Montour Falls was once the site of the Seneca Tribe which was home to the Iroquois Long House, the Council Chambers and Queen Catharine Montour, the village named after. Her burial spot is located on the mound sacred to the Seneca Nation in Cook's Cemetery, just south of the village. Visitors can enjoy the many parks, a marina, a business district and the Greek Revival Civic Buildings. — Madison Scott is a journalist with the Democrat and Chronicle who edited our Weld Street Project and also did reporting for it. She has an interest in how the system helps or doesn't help families with missing loved ones. She can be reached at MDScott@ This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Explore 5 lesser-known spring destinations in the Finger Lakes
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
German wine region already excited, bracing for potential Trump trip
Germany is already preparing for a potential US presidential visit, even though it hasn't yet been scheduled, with officials dusting off recipes and considering conversational topics. After all, Chancellor Friedrich Merz has already sent out an the invitation, saying he will travel to the idyllic Palatinate region to host US President Donald Trump - an area known for its wines. Trump is unlikely to be impressed by the region's fine Rieslings, as it is well known that the US president is a teetotaler, preferring to consume numerous Diet Cokes during the day. But Merz might like a glass of the well known local wine and the prospect of bringing Trump to the place where his ancestors came from might draw the Republican to accept. "I have invited him to come to Germany and visit us in his hometown of Bad Dürkheim," Merz said. The chancellor would travel there with him for a visit of great symbolic significance, for Germany, for trans-Atlantic relations as well as for the personal relationship between the two politicians. The invitation, amid global tensions, is friendly, but not without calculation. Merz knows the Palatinate from his military service, Trump knows it – if at all – only from stories. His paternal grandparents came from Kallstadt in the district of Bad Dürkheim before they emigrated at the end of the 19th century. Meanwhile in the area itself, known as the Wine Route, locals are fairly relaxed about the possible visit by such a celebrity. Kallstadt's mayor, Thomas Jaworek, is matter of fact about the possible visit. "I know nothing about any current plans," he says. Sure, a trip is conceivable but - ever practical - he notes that the former Trump houses on Freinsheimer Straße are now privately owned. "If we go there, the owners would be the first people we ask," says Jaworek. He would show the US president the "pretty wine-growing village" and take him to the church where Trump's grandparents were baptized. "I don't know if that means anything to him," says Jaworek. Visually, Kallstadt is appealing, with picturesque garden restaurants and half-timbered hotels. "We've already planted the flowers and spruced everything up for all the guests in the summer." If it comes to a chat, the mayor would like to talk to Trump about sustainability – especially since Kallstadt, with its Strategy 2030, is a model community in the Palatinate Forest Biosphere Reserve. "Among other things, a new rainwater retention basin: these are issues that are of concrete concern to us locally." There is a world of difference between gestures and realities on the ground. The political dimension of such a visit is difficult to grasp, says David Sirakov, a political scientist. He sees potential for symbolic politics, saying any visit could have an impact "if the personal relationship between the chancellor and the president develops." But Sirakov, director of the Atlantic Academy Rhineland-Palatinate, notes that with Trump in particular, it's questionable whether "soft factors" such as places of origin or family history have any political relevance. "He appreciates clear statements and media-effective appearances," says Sirakov. Flower beds and village churches - not so much. US foreign policy under Trump is characterized by transactional thinking, says Sirakov, with less about a community of values, and more weighing up of interests. Germany must anticipate this – without currying favour. It is a balancing act: there should be no German appeasement policy, but European realism, he says, firmly. Merz's invitation, including a regional aspect, recalls former chancellor Helmut Kohl's "saumagen diplomacy." Saumagen is a pig's stomach that's been stuffed with pork, vegetables, herbs and spices and was Kohl's favourite meal. He invited state guests to his traditional dish in his native Palatinate to negotiate world politics in a pub. This time, the region is sorely worried about the tariffs threatened by Trump, which would be a severe test for the Rhineland-Palatinate economy. Meanwhile a partial withdrawal of US soldiers from the Ramstein air base – according to plans not implemented in 2020 – is also worrying to locals. Ramstein, also in the state, serves as the headquarters for the United States Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA) and NATO Allied Air Command (AIRCOM). It plays a key role in supporting military operations, particularly those deploying to Eastern Europe and Africa. Losing it would have serious consequences for the region. "The economic power of the US military presence can be estimated at more than $2 billion per fiscal year," says Ralf Hechler, mayor of the municipality of Ramstein near the base - including wages, rents and contracts for local companies. "If Trump lands in Ramstein, I would of course be happy to meet him," says Hechler. He has met Merz personally, he says. "And he knows Ramstein because he also served in the German Armed Forces in Kusel and Zweibrücken." A meeting with a mayor is probably not a priority for Trump. "But it would be important to improve German-American relations," says Hechler. Sure he says, you have to put up with a few things in long-standing friendships. "But you also have to nurture and cultivate them from time to time." The Rhineland-Palatinate state government notes that Kallstadt is home to the ancestors of both the Trump family and the Heinz family, known worldwide for Heinz Ketchup. They fled the bitter poverty of the Palatinate to the US in search of a better life and both families founded very successful companies. "This shows that successful integration can make an immigration country strong." Meanwhile state premier Alexander Schweitzer would take Trump to see Hambach Castle, the cradle of democracy. "He is also happy to offer his services as a Palatinate German/English translator." Plenty of US presidents have come to the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, from Ronald Reagan in Bitburg to George Bush senior in Mainz, to Bill Clinton in Ingelheim and Barack Obama in Landstuhl. Trump himself made refuelling stops in Ramstein in 2018 and 2019. Now, though, he could stop and visit a new US hospital being built not far from the air base. It is due for completion in 2027 - perhaps in the presence of Trump with Merz at his side - by then, surely at the latest.
