On our way back from a road trip this weekend to help some family move, we added a little adventure (as we are known to do). A little work; a little play. That brings us to this installment of Rochester Day Trippin’. This time to Skaneateles, NY.

First of all, I must say that I love the challenge of learning how to spell a town name that no one can spell correctly. Hailing from Albuquerque for so long, it is a badge of honor that my kids know how to spell that one. So, hats off to you and your spelling, Skaneateles. It means “Long Lake” in Iroquois.

Second of all — WHY AREN’T MORE PEOPLE AROUND HERE TALKING ABOUT SKANEATELES?! (I admit, I just had to check the spelling again.) I know nothing about what it is like to live there, so I am only speaking as a tourist. But every town needs tourists, and I am all in!


We rolled into this beautiful little town on a sunny spring afternoon. Having never been, I had no expectations. We had one kid who needed a quiet spot by the lake to finish homework, a dog who needed to be out of the car, legs that needed walking and minds that needed clearing after several hours on the interstate.

And here is what we saw — A quaint historic town established in the late 1700s and oriented along the lake (that’s right — people could stroll right from a restaurant safely to the lake and sit in common greenspace). Pedestrian signs and crosswalks EVERYWHERE. Shops, bars, restaurants, homes, inns, parks — all available by foot. Butterflies fluttering, people leaping, children singing, cats and dogs getting along… (Okay, I totally made that last part up, but it did feel like there should be music piped in throughout the streets so we could all happily do a musical number together).

Now let’s talk about the lake. The town is on the north shore of the 16 mile long lake. And Skaneateles Lake is one of the cleanest in the country (some say “in the world”)! I didn’t take a taste test, but I believe them. It supplies drinking water to Skaneateles and part of Syracuse.

The Town of Skaneateles and the Village of Skaneateles (the village lies within the town) have worked together to assure that both the historic urban character of the Village and the rural character of the Town remain connected and protected. I know nothing about the political climate there, but the citizens and leadership clearly think the character and history of both are worth preserving. And the result has been something quite unique and treasured for those of us visiting.

I’m not implying there aren’t challenges to preserving that character. The town was recently in the news for division over a 100 acre medical sports complex that many felt would adversely impact the water quality and character of the town.
And in 2008, the town went head-to-head with the trucking industry over the use of village roads to bypass tolls on the Thruway. Most of that traffic was hauling garbage from downstate to landfills near here. The trucking industry staged a protest during the popular Dickens Festival in the village. [Read more about the efforts to reduce truck traffic in Skaneateles.]


As we strolled through town, we noticed signs for our old friend, Route 20 (which cuts off so many of our favorite Finger Lake towns from their waterfronts). Here Route 20 respectfully rolls through town, letting both cars and people travese and is not a multi-lane thoroughfare. It hardly seems a place for someone else’s garbage. Well, it seems that we all should take care of our own garbage, but that’s a post for another time.

Next time you are jonesin’ for a little adventure just outside Rochester, check out Skaneateles. It’s a place so nice that we literally got a warning ticket for not feeding the parking meter. That was a first. (See I wasn’t so far off with that whole “cats and dogs getting along” schtick.)