How to Hit the Wine Trails Without Getting Any Wine

And other useful tips for doing the Finger Lakes with kids

Step One: Bring five children along… Actually, I think that pretty much covers it.  Bring five children and you will feel the need for much, but have the opportunity to consume very little, wine.  Nothing goes as planned when you have multiple tiny people. 

It turns out, the Finger Lakes are beautiful and the surrounding area offers a lot of neat experiences for families.  In addition to time for wine, I wish we’d had more time for waterfalls – they’re everywhere in that area! If you want to hang around the wine trails, with the knowledge that the trip won’t be all about the wine, here are some things I suggest for an accessible Finger Lakes with kids.

1. Waterfalls.  Let’s talk amazing waterfalls in abundance.  We started at Watkins Glen.  If you have a family member with mobility issues do not go here.  There is no view of any water before climbing steps.  The falls are lovely, and worth the hike if you’re able to climb the 832 steps.  We happened to run into Santa… I can’t make this stuff up… and he helped carry Jaden up the steps.  We probably wouldn’t have made it to the top, otherwise. This does not mean you have to cut out waterfalls from your accessible Finger Lakes with kids itinerary. If you’re not able to make the hike, no sweat.  There are other, equally glorious options. The Taughannock falls have a packed dirt path that lead up to the bottom of the falls (the rim path still involves steps) and you can even drive up to the base at Buttermilk Falls (also has a rim path with steps).  We didn’t have time to do Taughannock, but I’m really sorry we didn’t. Don’t leave the Finger Lakes without seeing at least one waterfall.

2.  Dairy Farms and/or Cheese Tastings.I didn’t realize before we went that there are also several cheese tasting spots.  We had planned to go to Lively Run Dairy because it’s known for being kid-friendly.  They even offer goat cuddles and the opportunity to bottle feed the goats.  We didn’t actually make it out… because… well… nothing went as planned… but it’s a great way to savor new tastes as a family!

3.  Stay in Ithaca.  I’m not really sure how we ended up here, but I’m glad we did.  It was an easy hub for dining and kid-friendly activities. We were able to hit the Sciencecenter ($1 if you have an Access card for a disability) and spend some time in the children’s gardens (free).  Both were great places for exploratory play.

4.  Be a Foodie.   When I googled restaurants near the wine trails, not a lot came up.  Ithaca, however, had a delightful array of culinary options. I thought we’d be eating hot dogs and BBQ the whole trip, but we were able to mix it up with some nice local treats.  Also worth noting, many of the local restaurants carry the local wines and brews… so if you don’t make it the wineries as planned, you can still sip a sample. We especially enjoyed Ithaca Bakery and Luna Inspired Street Food.  We were disappointed that we couldn’t make it to Ithaca Beer Co., since several locals recommended it.  If you need further inspiration, look here.

5.  Ice Cream.  Ok, the Finger Lakes are just killing it on flavors.  Wines trails, cheese trails, and… wait for it… ICE CREAM TRAILS.  I kid you not.  We LOVED Purity Ice Cream in Ithaca, but there are several options throughout the area.  In fact, maybe next year we’ll see if we have more success with the kids on an ice cream trails tour…  

6. The Wineries.  Ok, yes, kids threw our schedules and we didn’t make it to many wineries, but there’s no real reason you can’t take the kids to a winery.  Many of the wineries are set up to accommodate families just like ours. We went to a standard winery, but the staff was phenomenal with our kids and everyone had a nice time.  Obviously, know your kids and their limits. Without some serious screen time (for the kids) and some serious spitting (of wine, by you, so you can safely care for your crowd), you’re not going to breeze through ten wineries in a day.  You can, however, sample new wines in a family-friendly way. Here is a list of wineries that go out of their way to make it a family experience. Most wineries are ADA for an accessible Finger Lakes experience.

7. Go late in the week.  Ok, this is huge.  Most of the wineries, and many other tourist spots, are only open Wednesday – Sunday.  We didn’t know this. We missed out on a bunch of places because they just weren’t open when we were there.  You’re welcome.

Nothing went as planned on this trip, but it was still pretty perfect.  We loved the experiences we had… and we’ll just have to go back again for the things we missed!  There was so much to explore that it couldn’t have really been covered in three days even under the best of circumstances.

**Accessible Finger Lakes with Kids – Tips and Tricks**

Check out our journeys for other accessible trips for kids!