Whenever we travel near a body of water, one of the first things that we look for is a lighthouse. They are always so beautiful and have this beacon of hope to them that is unlike any other structure. They literally shine light into darkness, and help vessels on the water navigate where they would not be able to otherwise. While visiting the Finger Lakes in New York, we knew that we would have to find one near where we were staying in Ithaca. Luckily, after some searching, we found a really beautiful lighthouse right on the Cayuga Lake called the Myers Point Lighthouse. If you are staying in Ithaca, it is a little less then a 20 minute drive to get to this location, and it is right on the lake in the town of Lansing. (This is on the east side of the Cayuga Lake and north of Ithaca.)

When we arrived at Cayuga Lake to see the lighthouse, there was a parking lot right next to it, and also a decent sized dock where people stored their boats. Immediately as we stepped out of our vehicle, we noticed very strong gusts of wind. This could honestly just be due to the weather conditions of the day and also we went in early October, so autumn was definitely starting to set in. If you are traveling to New York, or really any where in the Northeast in the autumn season, you will want to pack a variety of clothing items, because our days can range from very temperate and sunny, to more windy, brisk, and a bit rainy. On this day, it was mostly sunny but very windy and refreshing.

As we walked up to the lighthouse, I did happen witness one of the coolest nature moments ever. It was literally so windy when the seagulls were flying by the lake, they literally looked like they were standing still mid-air because of the incredible wind power. It felt like a scene in a movie where time just slows down, and while their little wings were moving, they were not going forward at all! Luckily, I did snap some photos of them mid flight, and you can see that they mostly just stayed in one spot. It was very cool moment.

To give you all a little history on the Myers Point Lighthouse, it was actually built by volunteers back in 1998 utilizing about 3,000 bricks that were paid for by individual donors. It produces strobe-style light white flashes every six seconds from dawn to dusk between April 1st and November 1st every year, and can be seen from 10 miles away. Originally, around the year 1792, Andrew Myers and his family settled in the area and built a cabin and mill there.

Cayuga Lake itself is the second largest of the Finger Lakes and runs over 38 miles (about 61km) in length, and is one of the deepest lakes with a maximum depth of 435 feet (132.5 meters.) It is also used as an important source of drinking water to the local communities. There are also salt mines under parts of the lake which have been a source of the local economy over the years. In addition to this, there is a great fish community that is home to the region such as rainbow and brown trout, largemouth bass, pike, and landlocked Atlantic salmon.

Overall, we found this area to be refreshing and relaxing at the same time. The lighthouse is absolutely gorgeous as well as the lake itself, and we really enjoyed our visit to it. I highly recommend a stop here if you are in the area, and especially if you are a fan of lighthouses! Let me know in the comments if you have visited this spot before, and what you thought of it. I hope that you are having a wonderful day, and remember to click the like and subscribe button!

If you are traveling to the New York area, and are interested in hiking or viewing spectacular waterfalls, a book that I would highly recommend and also own myself is “Hiking Waterfalls New York.” This literature reviews a variety of hikes, from the famous Niagara Falls, to even more less known hikes, but spots that you will not want to miss! At the beginning of the book, I really like that the author categorized the trails from her favorites, best waterfalls for fall foliage, best gorge hikes, roadside waterfalls, best historical falls, and even waterfalls that may draw in more crowds versus less crowded waterfalls. There is also a very nice map that lays out where the locations of them are, and that can be an amazing tool when you are planning your trip. This is great so that you know how far of a distance you can expect to travel from where you are lodging, and you can really make the most out of your time and itinerary. With each hike and waterfall listed there is a full color photo, trail distance, difficulty, and even information about the actual surface that the trail is made out of in addition to so much more!

For more information regarding this book, click on the Amazon Affiliate link below!

https://amzn.to/3PwXroL

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https://www.tompkinsweekly.com/articles/myers-park-the-coolest-thing-in-lansing-2/

https://www.visitithaca.com/attractions/cayuga-lake

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NortheastAllie

For generations, my family has lived in the Philadelphia area, and my writing reflects these influences. This blog explores perspectives on life, encouragement, travel, health, and local living.

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