Being forced to stay close to home for a honeymoon doesn’t have to be a bummer. Roadtrips can be very romantic if you’re in the right place. If life hands you lemons, make lemonade, right? Or, just drive your lemon down the highway. Yeah. We weren’t sure what was up with this one either…

Happy Friday everyone!

The Finger Lakes region offers so much for mini-mooners and travelers who need some time to relax and unwind. 38-mile long Seneca Lake, the biggest of all the lakes, offers shores packed with activities. There’s obviously the wine we’ve been mentioning, but there’s also plenty of hiking, antiquing, history, boating and fishing to keep you busy, as another couple Mark & Christi discovered.

Getting tired of wine? Check out the Crooked Rooster Brewery in Watkins Glen, at the southern tip of Seneca Lake. With eight varieties of their own beer, they’re a great alternative to the wineries. Their Wildflower Cafe next door offers a great range of foods to suit burger lovers and vegetarians alike.

If you’re up for a sail, check out Schooner Excursions which runs boating excursions from Watkins Glen June through October. Morning, afternoon and sunset sails are available and you can BYO favorite wines.

All of the wineries we visited had spittoons on the counter for tasters to spit out their samples. This avoids any change of dangerous driving.

But let’s be honest, most of us want the full experience. Hiring a limo or bus to do the driving for you is a great way to relax and taste all you want and be responsible. Consider some of these companies to haul you and your sweetie around:

• Finger Lakes Winery Tours
• Caz Limousine Service
• Finger Lakes Limousine & Coach
• Grapevine Country Tours

Our last stop of the day was Rock Stream Vineyards in Rock Stream, NY. Tim loved this place because they server complimentary cheese with your tasting. Can’t go wrong with free cheese!

This place is best known for their grappa, a Pomace brandy liquor made from grape skins. It’s meant to be served chilled and sipped slowly, so it’s not for the novice. The 80-proof liquor will put hair on your chest. It wasn’t for me, but Tim’s now a fan.

We took home a bottle of Cabernet Franc which didn’t last the week at our house. It went great with the Italian dinner we cooked a few nights later.

As you drive down Rt. 14 along Seneca Lake, there are wineries lining either side of the road. Some offer free tastings, others charge a small fee per pour. Our next stop was Torrey Ridge.

We each chose six wines to taste. The staff at all of the wineries are helpful in picking what you might like. The more questions you ask, the more you learn about their particular varieties.

This stop is actually two tasting rooms in one. Adjacent to the Torrey Ridge building – which houses the huge, two-story tasting facility seen at the top of this post – is the Earle Estates Meadery.

Legend has it, the term “honeymoon” originates from an old Irish tradition in which newlyweds drank honey wine, or mead everyday for one full moon (a month) after their wedding. That makes Earle Estates a must-see for any honeymooning couple. We may not have been “just married,” but it made us happy anyway.

During our day of wine-tasting in the Finger Lakes, Tim and I started out in Geneva, NY, at Belhurst Castle. Built in the 1880’s, it’s a place with a long and rambling history, including its use as a speakeasy and casino during prohibition.

Like most many of the wineries in the region, they’re probably best know for their Reislings. Belhurst consistently receives awards for their wines.

It goes without saying, that one must be careful when tasting and driving. So we loaded up on lunch before we began to imbibe. Stonecutters is one of two restaurants at Belhurst. In good weather, you can sit out on the patio and enjoy the amazing lake views across the lawn.

The food is reasonably priced and wine parings are suggested with each item. We started with a cheese platter featuring Upstate New York cheddar and some tasty mustards. My mozzarella-tomato-pesto panini and Tim’s catfish sandwich were great. He especially loved the fried pickle that comes on the side.

Without drinks, our bill was less than $30 for two. Not a bad way to start the afternoon.

Then it was on to the good stuff: the vino. Belhurst recently completed construction on a new wing at the hotel, below, that houses the tasting room and gift shop.

We sampled some of their reds and whites and spent some time chatting with the dude who was pouring. He told us about the grapes used, some from Upstate and others from Long Island. Tim and I both love dry wine, so we decided to take home a bottle of their semi-dry riesling. It was a little pricey, but quite good.

As our readers know by now, we’re just as fond of 90+ day epic journeys as we are of staying close to home for a honeymoon. One place my husband and I love to travel to is the Finger Lakes wine region .

On a drive home from visiting my in-laws in Syracuse, Tim and I decided to take an afternoon tour of the Finger Lakes to remind all us East Coasters that we can find a bit of Napa-esque charm nearby. Our friends Mark and Christi absolutely loved their long-weekend mini-moon here. With it’s stunning lake views, charming B&B’s, and award winning wines, the Finger Lakes is the perfect place for a short stay or a week-long retreat for a new couple. A five-hour drive from Boston or New York is all it takes to get away. And don’t worry, we were parked for the shot above.

You can find lots of trip planning info here and here. A great B&B list is here. Foodies will want to check out this list.

Mark and Christi’s favorite meal of the trip was dinner at Moosewood Restaurant in Ithaca, NY. Chances are if you’re a vegetarian like me, you own at least one – if not six – Moosewood cookbooks. They’re like the bible for non-meaties. And the collectively owned restaurant has been around since 1973, making it something of a trendsetter. The menu changes daily, offering the best seasonally available foods. I know some fellow vegetarians who say this place is overrated, but Tim and I make a point to stop in whenever we’re in Ithaca and have never been disappointed. Mark and Christi were blown away with their meal, which that night included eggplant parmesan, salmon and these huge desserts. Mark’s review was just one word, “PHENOMENAL!” and said it “made it nice little date night.”

Their favorite dish was the oven poached salmon baked with leeks and tomatoes and a lemon-herb broth. It was served with potatoes, carrots and brussels sprouts tossed with horseradish butter.

RH Note: Gift certificates to a restaurant in the area a couple will be visiting on their honeymoon is such a thoughtful and practical gift. If you’re not sure of their food preferences, try asking a close friend or family member what they love.

I’m so happy Mark and Christi shared their NY mini-moon with us. The Finger Lakes region makes a great destination for an affordable domestic honeymoon. Stay tuned for more on this area from Tim and me in February!

While in the Finger Lakes region of NY, Mark and Christi wanted to do more than just drink wine. The hiking in this area is remarkable. Watkins Glen State Park displays the natural power of water. The stream running through the has carved out 200-foot cliffs and spills over 19 waterfalls along its 400-foot course.

The newlyweds loved the natural beauty of this spot, as well as it’s welcoming attitude to their dashund/terriers Rusty and Trouble who tagged along for the honeymoon.

The topography in Watkins Glen, much like Ithaca, is – as they say – gorges.

The park’s three main trails – Indian Trail, South Rim Trail and the Gorge Trail – wind through the rock and are easy to manage with several man-made bridges and staircases. Honeymooners of course have to check out Lover’s Lane (top photo) along the Gorge Trail. Late spring, summer and early fall are the best times to visit. Otherwise, expect snow!

Lots of steps make this a good workout. Pack a picnic lunch, pay the $7 to park your car and enjoy a cheap day for two. (or 4!)

Mark and Christi were super excited to check out some of the fantastic wineries that New York State offers in the picturesque Finger Lakes region. Most of these wineries have tasting rooms that will give you samples for free or for a small fee. They’re cozy and not at all pretentious. The staff is always willing to share their knowledge and help you discover the varieties you like best. (Can you tell I’m a huge Finger Lakes fan as well?)

They discovered some of their favorite spots easily. The got a free bottle of sparkling wine because they were honeymooners at Arbor HIll Winery in Naples, NY.

Also in Naples, they thought Imagine Moore Winery, above, was “a very cool winery with generous pours.”

And it wasn’t just wine Mark and Christi were tasting. They also checked out the local still at Finger Lakes Distilling where $2 buys you three whiskey samples. Christi calls their Glen Thunder “moonshine, pure and simple.”

After all the tasting, food was in order. These honeymooners had lunch at Stonecat Cafe in Watkins Glen. Mark says the food “was fantastic.” Christi is a collector of some amazing things, including vintage typewriters and super-cool Pyrex bowls. So you know they had to also wander into several antiques shops and check out the General Store.

These two sadly just missed the annual Grape Festival, which took place the following week in late September.  But they were eager to learn more about it. Christi says, “Henry, our innkeeper at Bristol Views, told us that grapes grown in the Canandaigua Lake region are mostly used for grape jelly, grape juice, and, of course, the local fave – grape pie.”

What a sweet way to spend a few days in the Finger Lakes! Check in tomorrow for the newlyweds’ more adventurous activities.