Visiting Ithaca and the Finger Lakes

August 10, 2025

I went to college at Cornell in Ithaca, NY. I loved the Finger Lakes area because of its beautiful waterfalls, good food, and inclusive culture. This summer, my girlfriend and I went back for the first time since graduating in 2022. Everything is really accessible when you have a car and no classes :). Here’s a short list of some of our favorite spots by category.

Nature

• Robert Treman State Park - still my favorite Ithaca state park because Lucifer Falls is cool and the hike goes from the bottom to the top, so you can admire the falls and then wade through the water at the base (it was unfortunately a bit dry this time)
• Watkins Glen State Park - lowkey used to think this was overrated but I realized it’s not and it’s very beautiful; not too crowded either (4pm, Sunday)
• Buttermilk State Park - was a bit dry this time, but also there’s was trail construction, so not as nice as I remembered
• Taughannock State Park - there’s a nice overlook with the view that’s on tourist brochures, but you can also hike along the trail
  • [new] kayak Cayuga Lake from Taughannock State Park - you can admire all the nice houses
• go look at the stars (message me for a secret spot)

Food

• Cayuga Lake Creamery - THE FUCKING GREATEST ICE CREAM OF ALL TIME BLUEBERRY CHEESECAKE BUSY BEE PISTACHIO CHERRY JUBILEE COFFEE SENECA SALT CARAMEL LAVENDER GOT IT ALL WE WENT HERE EVERYDAY (Dewitt Mall location in downtown Ithaca is more accessible, but the OG Interlaken location has some flavors that you can’t get at the mall)
• Moosewood
  • this really surprised me because we went there in 2022 and it was kinda ass, but they switched ownership and really stepped it up
  • bread from Woodpepper was fantastic, good Moroccan stew thing
• Saigon Kitchen
  • my girlfriend’s favorite pho (ever?), and I didn’t expect/remember it to be this good
  • get the pho, fried pork rolls; don’t get the fried chicken (too bready, not good)
• [new] Cellar d’Or - fantastic selection, didn’t buy anything this time (bc we took the bus up), but I wish I did
• [new] Hazelnut Kitchen - never made it this far while in school, pretty solid food (a lot of people’s favorites), but service was a bit slow and not sure it’s entirely worth the hype
• Cornell Dairy ice cream - classic Cornell ice cream, and I’ll always get it, but not as good as Cayuga Lake Creamery
• [new] The Honeybee Embassy - cool hexagon barn building thing in the middle of nowhere where you can sample a bunch of different kinds of honey and enjoy a refreshing drink
• [new] Two Goats Brewing - beautiful view of Seneca Lake, free popcorn, and probably good beers, but I didn’t get to try because I had to drive
• [new] Cayuga Shoreline - we randomly chose this spot because we wanted to be along the lake during sunset, and we were pleasantly surprised by the food; it’s right along the west side of Cayuga Lake (downside: you don’t face the setting sun, but still nice to watch the sky change); has docks, some grass/beach area and some cabins, so you can walk around after you eat

Things to do

• Ithaca Farmer’s Market
  • classic spot, get some food, sample all the vendors, admire the produce, enjoy the vibes, chill by the lake
  • I like the maple syrup from Schoolyard Sugarbush, mango (purple) sticky rice from the Cambodian place, crab apple cider from one of the stands (but also check out all the different cider stands)
• [new] pick blueberries at Wolftree Farm in Burdett
  • there’s a nice U-pick fruit/vegetable farm down the road too
  • my friend also went to Mangus Farms and liked it
• browse Dewitt Mall
  • we were really concerned about the long-term viability of this place in college, but it’s pretty lively now
  • get some brunch at the Dewitt Cafe, browse Ithacamade, the antiques store, and the fabrics store
• Inns of Aurora - bit far up Cayuga Lake and pretty expensive, but good place to chill (with the day pass) or get massages (esp. after hiking)

Travel tips

• if you have a Cornell friend, ask them to book you a ticket on the Campus-to-Campus (C2C) bus service - it’s very comfortable (2-1 seating arrangement), has refreshments (soda, water), and stops on campus
• lots of good Airbnb options in Ithaca
• you need a car to get around, but it’s pretty convenient and very little traffic (in my experience)

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Thanks for reading :)

Last updated September 09, 2025