July 5, 2016

We made a few more stops before we left the Finger Lakes to head to Lake George.  Here they are.Rose Hill Mansion.  The tour focuses on the Swan family who lived here from 1850 to 1890.A Greek Revival house built in 1839.Good view of the Belvedere.  The architectural feature at the peak of the roof.  They opened the windows in the belvedere for ventilation.There is a skylight at the top of the stairs.There are several pieces from the Swan family.  The wallpaper and the carpeting is all reproductions.Each piece that was from the Swan family has a little swan on it.The view of Seneca Lake from the front window.These 2 daughters, Maggie and Agnes, are the only children that survived their parents and lived into adulthood.  Mrs. Swan had 3 sons to die within 4 years of each other.  1 died at child birth and 2 died from illness when they were adolescents.  The eldest daughter Mary died at 33 during childbirth. Maggie lived to 44.  Agnes lived to 87. Agnes was a well known artist in her day.  This is a wood rug.  It was made of thin veneer and rolled up.  When it was brought to the house, it was unrolled and set in the floor.  This is original to the house when the Swan’s lived here.  It is over 150 years old.A Swan family piece.This is also from the Swan family.Staircase from the 2nd floor.Agnes married Waldo Hutchins in Geneva, NY in October 1894.  They had 2 children, Waldo Jr. and Margaret (named for Agnes’ mother). Margaret owned a 1916 Ford Model-T that is on exhibit in the visitor center.  Waldo Hutchins, Jr purchased Rose Hill for the Historical Society and donated considerable funds for the restoration.  For more information about the Swan family, click here.The view down the driveway with Seneca Lake in front of you.  I really enjoyed this tour.  The guide was very knowledgeable and you could ask a lot of questions.  If you are ever in the area, you should go to this mansion.

July 6, 2016 – Canandaigua, NYBeautiful village west of Waterloo and Geneva.  The town sits on Canandaigua Lake.  This is the fourth Finger Lake that we saw.  We did not get to all of them, but we think we hit the highlights.These little boat houses line these short streets on the water.They park their boats under the living space.It is so cute.This is right at the center of town on the waterfront.Beautiful lake view from the point.I love the sailboats.Very cool Ice Cream place.  The chairs are darling. I never did see the name of this place, but you know what they sell.Cool looking Restaurant.The Ontario County Court House.  Gold statue on top of the dome.St. Mary’s ChurchThe first baptism recorded in this church was November 26, 1848. The church was much smaller then. The front and part of the sidewall were incorporated into this structure.The first wedding recorded in this church was December 9, 1849.  The church was expanded around 1861.Beautiful homes in this town and another look at a belvedere.Tree lined streets.Such a beautiful town.So Patriotic. We should have spent more time in Canandaigua.

This is in Geneva, NY.We also learned what these are for.  When the snow piles up, these break the snow as it thaws so that it does not fall off the roof in large chunks.  That could kill someone.  These spike like things are everywhere.The bar at the Finger Lakes Moose Lodge.  You can purchase a mug and have your name engraved on it.  So every time you come in, you get to use your own mug.  Kind of cool. We really enjoyed our stay at the Finger Lakes.  We saw a lot of sites and missed a lot too.  Very cool place with lots of lakes and beautiful country roads.  We never knew what to expect and were totally overwhelmed by the beauty.

On to Lake George, NY.