Boat Ride on Seneca Lake

The waterfront at Seneca Lake

There's lots to see and do around the hotel, including the waterfront and the quaint shops along historic Franklin Street. A short walk by the pier and we're at Captain Bill’s Harbor Station Restaurant, sporting 16-foot ceilings, a mahogany bar and original hardwood floors that are remnants of a train station constructed in 1876. It's popular with the locals and tourists alike.

While we enjoy fish and chips, and watching the boats come and go, we learned “Captain Bill” (a.k.a. William Simiele) also runs tour boats on the lake. What better way to start our visit than an excursion on the lake, so we bought tickets for an hour-long, sightseeing trip on the Stroller IV, a 50-foot mahogany vessel. They also operate the 270-passenger Seneca Legacy for those seeking a dinner cruise.

On the ride, we heard about the working salt mines on the lake and the geology that shaped the region. The huge salt deposits underground are the result of a prehistoric ocean that evaporated millions of years ago. The mines have been in use since the early 1800s, and at one time, supplied the needs of most of the country via the Erie Canal.

We also got an impressive view of Hector Falls, which cascades over 150 feet on the lake’s east side. While you can get a close-up, partial view of the falls as you drive Route 414, you can only see the full height of the falls from the water. At over 600 feet, the lake itself is one of the deepest in the country, 

There’s another famous boat that calls Seneca home — the historic schooner True Love. Commissioned in 1925, you might know her from the 1956 movie, “High Society,” where Bing Crosby serenaded Grace Kelly onboard.

After the boat, we took a stroll down Franklin Street, the main thoroughfare in the village and a short walk from the hotel, where you’ll find restaurants, pubs, wine tastings and shopping.

Later, we had dinner at the Watkins Glen Harbor Hotel's Blue Pointe Grill. The menu is identical to what we had at Chautauqua Harbor, which offers a selection of appetizers, salads and entrees, along with daily specials. We found the salmon excellent, and enjoyed the pasta dishes as well. Service was uniformly good at both locations.

It had been another full day, and tomorrow we plan to hit the winery trail. After all, it’s the top wine-producing region in New York, and someone’s got to do it, right?

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Photos/Video by North Palm Beach Life