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Skaneateles

If you’re getting sick of the traffic and smog of Syracuse, or you just want to look at a clean lake for a change, it may be time to escape to small-town Skaneateles. It’s a scenic 30-minute trip southwest from ‘Cuse to a relaxing getaway where you can eat at a historic down-home diner, drink vino on a gorgeous lake, or chow down on some famous fish.

Distance: 23 miles

Driving: 30 minute trip southwest

Population: 2,700

Main Attraction: Skaneateles Lake

Where to wake up: Willow Glen Cafe

A friendly crowd of locals will greet you in the morning at Willow Glen Cafe. It’s a bit outside of the town’s main stretch, so you can start your day relaxed, well fed, and ready to explore the quaint shops and sights downtown.  Local folk are the biggest customers because the building has been a gathering spot for years; first a restaurant and then a tavern. The owners, Cindy Elderedge and her husband, work hard to keep the history it holds alive.

Location: 3981 Jordan Road, Skaneateles, NY

Food: Breakfast all day: fresh local eggs, baked goods made daily

           Lunch until 2: burgers, calzones, sandwiches

           Dinner until 8 Wednesday - Friday

Drink: coffee, water, juice

Price: $2 - $8 (breakfast)

What to do: Visit Anyela’s Vineyards

The perfect way to enjoy Skaneateles lake is to pair it with a glass of wine. Anyela’s Vineyards is a new winery with a breathtaking view of the lake as well as the vineyards that grow the grapes you’re sipping on. A tasting sample of 5 wines is only $2 - or bring a crew for $5 a head to try more. If you go in the summer or fall, be sure to explore the gardens and gazebo outside. But they’ve got you covered in the wintertime with a fireplace in a room walled completely with windows so you don’t miss the view.

Location: 2433 West Lake Road, Skaneateles, NY

To Do: Wine tastings on the lake, group tastings, tour the gardens, relax by the fireplace

Price: Tasting (5 samples): $2

           Group tasting: $5 per person

           Bottles: $12 - $22

Where to eat: Doug’s Fish Fry

What? You haven’t heard of Doug’s Fish Fry? Doug Clark has become a local celebrity known for his fresh fish -- caught five times a week from places like Maine. This classic eatery has been acclaimed by Esquire Magazine and National Geographic. The food is inexpensive, famous, and fresh. You can even pick out the lobster you want to eat from the tank.

“You know how we make our french fries?” owner Mark Edwards asked. “We take a potato, we slice it, and we fry it. Some people are shocked to hear that.” Doug and Mark both take great pride in the quality food they serve each and every customer.

Location: 8 Jordan Street, Skaneateles, NY

Food: Fresh fish, clams, shrimp, lobster, oysters, chicken, freshly cut french fries, sandwiches

           Ice cream and desserts

Drink: Soda, coffee, beer, wine

Price: $2 - $13

Going out? Head to the Red Rooster Pub first

If you’re hoping to catch some live music, hit up the Red Rooster Pub on a Wednesday or Sunday night. Or if you happen to like eating steak before drinking, you should go any other night of the week. This classy yet homey bar has a variety of both food and drink and is number-one-recommended by the locals. Start a night in Skaneateles here.

Location: 4618 Jordan Road, Skaneateles, NY

Drink: Full bar

Food: Bar munchies: chicken wings, nachos, potato skins, quesadillas, burgers

           Lunch: sandwiches and wraps

           Dinner: steak, pasta, chicken

Price: Munchies: $7 - $12

           Dinner: $15 - $20

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