Things to Do in Ithaca in November

A guided tour of Keuka Lake's wineries follows the lake's odd Y-shaped arm through hills painted late-autumn gold and brown. You will stop at family estates that pour small-batch Rieslings and sturdy reds. Inside, stone fireplaces crackle and glasses clink while the guide explains the microclimates that make this ridge different from the next.

This run covers the southern end of Seneca Lake, the deepest Finger Lake, where slate soils give backbone to Cabernet Franc and Gewürztraminer. You will look over dormant vineyard rows that roll right to the water, hear corks pop, and smell oak barrels in cellars gone quiet after harvest.

A private walking tour examines Ithaca's bricks, not its gorges. You will study Cornell's rough-cut stone, feel the buckled sidewalks of Dewitt Park, and hear how industry gave way to ivy. The guide will flag Art Deco façades and Gilded Age mansions most visitors stride past.

This scavenger hunt turns Watkins Glen village and its state park into a live board game. Using your phone, you will decode clues under 19th-century storefronts on Franklin Street, learn how auto racing started here, and hunt for exact gorge views. Empty sidewalks echo your steps. Each solved puzzle delivers a quiet jolt of victory.

A customizable Keuka Lake tour hands you the keys. You might chase sparkling producers for the sharp pop of méthode champenoise, or head to a barn winery for earthy Lemberger. The car smells of leather, conversation drifts, and no one rushes.

The Seneca Lake version lets you curate a half-day of sipping. Compare mineral whites from the east shore against the west, or pick wineries with lounges big enough for a slow glass by the fire. Geese linger on the water. The car stays warm.