We took a car ride last Sunday and visited Watkins Glen, a little village located at the southern end of Seneca Lake, the largest of the Finger Lakes. Watkins Glen will always be a special to me as I often came to the Glen on weekends when I was working in Endicott, NY. Usually it was only for dinner on Saturday night, or maybe for a quick tour of the wineries on Sunday, but it was a haven of relief from the cares of my job, and a place where I could get away and dream about my retirement.
The little red house at the end of the pier is the icon of the village. Tourists use it to take shelter from the sun or wind as they rest a bit from walking along the boardwalk where the Seneca Legacy is docked. Fishermen use it to try their luck in the shallow waters off the pier and the rock wave breaker.
The genius of this design becomes readily apparent when one looks to the north and sees an uninterrupted view of Seneca Lake and your mind begins to freely roam. How can you introduce someone to living in the Finger Lakes in less than 10 minutes? Just let them visit this little red house and they will fill in all of the blanks by themselves!
Several fishermen were trying their luck off the deserted docks. Normally at this time of year, they would be ice fishing, but not this winter. The sail boats are still in their winter shrink wrap, but can the real spring be far behind? I noted a grandfather taking his granddaughter for a walk along the docks. My daughter will turn 40 this week and I ask my self, “Where did all of the time go?” Fortunately for me, I have spent my last twelve years living in the Finger Lakes – the place of my dreams and a place that I love.
