Travel Log: Waterfalls, Wine, and Whimsy in Watkins Glen
We rolled into Watkins Glen with snacks in the backseat and stress still clinging to our sleeves. After a long day of errands (including M getting her driving permit, cue mild parental panic), we finally arrived at the Corning/Watkins Glen KOA Resort.
Journey gave her signature rattle (reassuring or ominous—depends on your perspective) as Ariel delivered judgmental side-eye—her standard review procedure. I quietly hoped I’d remembered everything this time (spoiler: I did not.). And just like that, we were back on the road—home and not-home, all at once.
Welcome to Watkins Glen. This KOA will always have a special place in our memory. It was our first stop on the summer 2020 trip. After aggressive lock-downs due to Covid, we were finally free here at this campground on June 11, 2020. And this time, they let us into the campstore!
Travel Log Snapshot
- Location: Watkins Glen, New York
- Duration: 7 days
- Miles driven from last stop: 117
- Must-see attraction: Watkins Glen State Park Gorge
- Ariel’s rating: 🐾🐾🐾🐾✂️ (once she stopped being mad she couldn’t go to Slammin’ Jammin’ BBQ with us)
Highlights and Trails
The day started with a stop at the DMV to get M’s LEARNER’S PERMIT!!! After that, we ran some errands, and finished loading the camper, which took ALL DAY, so we didn’t event leave until 5 PM, which is the latest we have EVER hit the road. By the time we reached Watkins Glen, it was 8 PM, and the KOA office was closed so we had to go to the Late Arrivals desk – we’ve never had to do that before. Fortunately, since we’ve been to this site before, we knew our way around and were still parked and set up before dark. The drive was beautiful, and it all worked out so…And I was so proud of myself for dealing with errands and remembering everything.
Until we set up, which is when I realized I didn’t forget one thing – I forgot MANY things. Trash bags, bottled water, hair conditioner, a flyswatter, a flashlight, kitchen towels, and our internet hot-spot. Yeah.
Day 2 – A Quiet Campground Day
After leaving Lewisburg yesterday like we were Thema and Louise and the FBI was on our trail, we decided to relax. We slept in, until we were awoken by the sounds of the nearby Watkins Glen International Raceway – which is surprisingly loud. Fortunately, we know that most campgrounds are near train tracks, airports, and highways, so while this morning alarm sound was new, it wasn’t entirely out of our wheelhouse.
We ended up spending the day doing some work, some crafts, and just relaxing. A good way to spend our first day on the road. Even Ariel seemed grateful for the break, sleeping in the grass all day.
Day 3 – The Corning Museum Of Glass
We don’t spend ALL our time at the camper though, and on our second full day, we headed over to CMOG for our 9 AM appointment to blow our own glass! It’s something we’ve seen done, but M was always too young to participate. Now that she’s sixteen however, we were eager to try, and let me tell you, it was FUN. M is, of course, a natural artist, but I like to think I did pretty awesome myself. It went pretty fast, taking only about half an hour each for us to make some drinking glasses. After cooling off (who would’ve guessed molten glass was hot?), we even went back for more, making necklace pendants.
After our fun and creative morning, we headed over to The Diner in Horseheads, NY, a classic vintage diner with sliding wooden train doors and…possibly, I’m not sure, but I think it was in a refurbished old train car! I got a tuna melt – yum! – and M, with her deep and unconditional love for BLTs, went for her classic order. She’s had BLTs all over the country, and claims the best is at the Capitol Diner in Washington D.C., but this one – it’s a tie for first place. Congrats, The Diner – you’re tied for first in a contest you didn’t know you had entered.
After lunch, we headed back to CMOG and made sandblasted glasses – more relaxing than blowing but still fun. Then we headed to downtown Corning and wandered for a while before we went to dinner at Slammin’ Jammin’ BBQ with a friend. It was good, not mind-blowing, but decent. Ariel is pretty sure she would have loved it – dogs are actually allowed there, but since we had the full day at CMOG, she had to stay home at the RV – a fact she’s still a little grumpy about.
Day 4 – Nature, Shopping, and Seneca Lake
We started the morning with a quick detour to Aunt Sarah’s Waterfall, which is basically plunked down beside a regular road like it’s no big deal. It is a big deal. A waterfall that dramatic shouldn’t be allowed to just exist behind someone’s mailbox, but Watkins Glen has no chill when it comes to natural beauty.
Our actual destination was The Windmill Farm and Craft Market, which is open Saturdays and draws quite a crowd. But first—breakfast. We stopped in Dundee at the Classic Café, which looked like a time capsule from a 1950s sitcom. Total Mayberry vibes. And the food? Genuinely great. I had a fried egg sandwich and Michaela had chocolate chip pancakes with bacon. We both left happy and full, which is all you really want from a diner.
At the market, we spent about 90 minutes wandering through the booths. It reminded me of Englishtown Auction back home—but smaller, less chaotic, and more Finger Lakes-y. Lots of handmade crafts, winery signs, and carved wood everything. We picked up a couple small things, but mostly just admired the creativity.
From there, we drove the Seneca Lake loop and made a few choice stops:
- Geneva Gelato, where M got her cone and I people-watched what turned out to be a graduation crowd
- Zugibe Vineyards, where I finally got a moment to just sit
M sketched. I read. The view was unreal. It was maybe my favorite moment of the week so far.
We wrapped the day with the most glamorous stop of all: a $200 Walmart run. Trash bags, bottled water, some better groceries…
Dinner was Hamburger Helper back at the camper, made by Michaela. Honestly? 10/10. No notes.
Day 5 – Mass, Chain Restaurants, and Driving Practice
We slept in a little later than planned this morning, which meant the usual “quick, get dressed!” scramble before making it to Mass at St. Catherine of Siena in Ithaca. It was a peaceful service—simple, lovely, and exactly the reset I didn’t know we needed.
Afterward, we drove around Ithaca a bit, but honestly? I wasn’t wowed by the restaurant options. Lots of bar-and-grill fare, which makes sense for a college town, but I had steak on the brain and nothing else was going to cut it.
So, we headed back to Corning and landed at the Outback Steakhouse. Yes, it’s a chain. No, I do not care. That steak-and-shrimp combo hit the spot, and Michaela’s chicken alfredo looked (and smelled) amazing. Favorite moment of the day? That first bite of steak. Zero shame.
After lunch, we had our now-daily driving practice session, which Michaela approaches with a mix of enthusiasm and mild frustration. She’s doing great—taking campground loops, handling neighborhood turns—but is desperate to break free onto a main road. Not yet. She’s still earning her stripes.
At one point, I was literally walking next to the Jeep, hand on the passenger window, helping her visualize curb distance while she crept along. Parenting: the high-stakes, low-speed edition.
We wrapped the day with another grocery run (because we always need one more thing), and had leftovers back at the camper for dinner. Simple, quiet, and a little meat-sweaty. All in all, not a bad Sunday – except for Ariel’s judgy looks. I couldn’t figure out if she was overly critical of M’s driving, or if she was mad we didn’t bring her back steak.
Day 6 – Masterpieces, Mudslides, and a Movie Night Queen
We started the day back at the Corning Museum of Glass to pick up our freshly fired creations from earlier in the week. They turned out beautifully—slightly uneven, slightly lopsided, and 100% ours. After that, we spent a few hours wandering the museum itself. The glassblowing demos were amazing, but we also caught exhibits on glass melting and glass breaking (which is weirdly satisfying to watch if you’ve had a rough morning).
Speaking of rough mornings…
Ariel, in a mood, decided she needed an adventure during her morning walk. The campground was still slick from a few days of rain, and while she trotted merrily across the grass, I slid and went full cartoon-style mud wipeout. Nothing hurt but my pride—and my pants, which had to be changed before we even got in the car. Ariel looked back at me like, “Try to keep up.”
The best moment of the day for me came later: once the car was parked for the day, sitting outside the camper with a glass of wine, warm breeze blowing, just breathing. Michaela’s favorite? Her first-ever short drive on a main road—cruising a mile at 55mph like a boss. I was nervous, but she handled it like a pro.
We ended the day with family movie night in the camper, which means Ariel is allowed on the couch, gets snacks, and pretends she’s the star of whatever we’re watching. Honestly, she might be.
Day 7 – Chipmunks, Chores, and a Camper-Side Send-Off
We didn’t go anywhere today—and honestly, it was exactly what we needed.
We stayed around the campground, reading, writing, drawing, and just being. It was peaceful in that rare way that only a truly unplugged travel day can be. I slept in (again), which always feels like a small personal victory. Michaela handled laundry like a pro—including driving the car to and from the laundry room and parking it. She looked entirely unimpressed by her own progress, but I was beaming.
Meanwhile, Ariel spent the entire day in a one-dog vendetta against a chipmunk.
The chipmunk lived under the little cabin near our campsite. Every time it popped its head out, Ariel lost her mind. Full bark, full-body lunge, full how dare you exist out here in nature energy. The chipmunk was unbothered. I think it actually started teasing her on purpose by the afternoon.
We ate dinner at the camper, listened to the sounds of other travelers coming and going, and let the last light of Watkins Glen fade behind the trees.
A soft landing to a full week.
Ariel’s Paw-spective
Let the record show: I was not invited to dinner.
Nor was I offered even a nibble of steak, bacon, or BBQ despite clear opportunities to share. Michaela had pancakes with chocolate chips, and did I get even a crumb? No. No, I did not.
That said, the week wasn’t a total loss.
I did get to:
- Supervise multiple unpacking and repacking attempts (you’re welcome).
- Watch Mom slip dramatically in the mud. 10/10 comedic timing.
- Judge Michaela’s driving from the passenger footwell with unwavering intensity.
- Star in movie night, where I am allowed on the couch and receive popcorn if I stare long enough.
- Bark at one extremely bold chipmunk who dared to exist under a cabin. Repeatedly. For hours. Justice was not served, but I did my part.
Would I have liked to hike more? Yes. Would I have liked my own flight of BBQ samples? Obviously. But was there grass for naps, woodland creatures to interrogate, and plenty of judgment to dish out?
Absolutely.
Final Paw Rating: 🐾🐾🐾🐾✂️ (4.5 paws — deducted half a paw for the no-bacon policy)
Until next time, Watkins Glen. Woof with love,
—Ariel 🐶✨
Queen of the Backseat, Witness of the Mud Fall, Protector of Snacks (Denied), Chipmunk Security Lead
Favorite Snapshot
