In case you’re in New York and get stuck on a street corner because it has been ‘frozen’ due to VIP movement, as French President Emmanuel Macron did this week, turn around and head towards something much calmer and far more scenic.
During a recent trip to the US, we realised that New York (the state) has so much more to offer than New York (the city).
But you need a car, and in this land of Ethan Hunt, we picked up the second-most famous British icon after James Bond – the Land Rover Defender 130.
The car
The Defender is available in three body types – two-door 90, four-door 110, and four-door but three-row seating 130. Our unit, the biggest, was powered by 5.0-litre V8 petrol engine, perfect for blasting along open American highways.
The destination
Located in the northern part of New York state, just south of Lake Ontario and east of Niagara Falls, Finger Lakes is a group if 11 slender lakes stretching north to south – they look like fingers when you see them on a map. The biggest ones are Seneca and Cayuga, and each lake is surrounded by lush vineyards, historic towns, and state parks. West to east, these lakes are: Conesus, Hemlock, Canadice, Honeoye, Canandaigua, Keuka, Seneca, Cayuga, Owasco, Skaneateles, and Otisco.
The road
You can use Google Maps, or your car’s navigation system – Land Rover uses HERE Maps – for the fastest route, and choose any interstate highway it suggests. The distance is 250-350 miles (400-560 km), and the travel time is 4-5 hours, depending on the destination. The journey will take you from the skyline and chaos of Manhattan to rolling hills, picturesque vineyards, and pristine lakes surrounded by idyllic towns. A reason we suggest taking the interstate highway is that you will realise how quickly New York transitions from metropolitan rush to serene wilderness.
Ithaca is Gorges
Visiting all lakes and 100-odd vineyards around them, as well as discovering quaint towns, can take a lifetime, and so if you’re on a weekend trip – or till those VIPs leave New York – the best place to stay is Ithaca, on the southern tip of the Cayuga Lake.
The city’s unofficial motto is ‘Ithaca is Gorges’, because there are many gorges and over 150 waterfalls within minutes of downtown. Must-see falls are Triphammer, Buttermilk, and Taughannock (taller than Niagara Falls).
Ithaca is also a lively city, as it’s home to Cornell University (an Ivy League school) and Ithaca College – and there are numerous cafes and local-food restaurants that serve platters you’ll unlikely find in a big city such as New York.
If you love wine and beer, the Cayuga Lake Wine Trail is the oldest organised wine trail in the US, offering easy access to dozens of wineries and breweries.
The return trip
For the return trip, you can explore alternate routes – maybe go east via Catskill Mountains. A good idea is to set the destination as Manhattan, and choose ‘avoid tolls’ in route options. You will automatically skip the straight interstate highways, and return via scenic, winding roads, through small towns, hills, and forests. The route will be long, but the memories will linger far longer.
(In the US, the Defender 130 starts at $73,000, or about Rs 65 lakh onwards. In India, however, it’s far expensive, possibly because of high taxation, and is priced from Rs 1.4 crore to Rs 1.82 crore, ex-showroom.)