As conferences go, TBEX ranks as one of the most vibrant and entertaining either of us has attended. This held especially true for the recent TBEX hosted in the Finger Lakes region of New York. But at the end of the day, conferences are still work. So, as a surprise and a thank-you for Luke – who enjoys the business end of blogging a lot less than I do – I booked us a romantic, sunset Seneca Lake schooner cruise on historic True Love.
Neither of us has much (read: any) experience sailing, but how could meandering around a beautiful lake, surrounded by vineyards and views, not be amazing? It’s truly the perfect special night out with your special human, and we can’t wait to go back.
About Schooner Excursions and the famous True Love on Seneca Lake
As a history buff and lover of old movies, True Love’s story had me from the get-go. Designed as a racing vessel – and one of the strongest of her kind – True Love ended up making a name for herself in films. According to Schooner Excursions’ history, she appeared as a model of herself in A Philadelphia Story, and was the ship Katherine Hepburn so iconically described as ‘yar.’ She also appeared in High Society, with Bing Crosby and Grace Kelly. She really gave Bing the perfect, romantic backdrop to woo Grace with a Cole Porter ballad 🙂
Boyfriend Perspective: PSA: ‘Yar’ comes up more than you might think as a word in Scrabble.
Today, True Love takes private tours and groups of up to twenty out on Seneca Lake, with theme sails (beer and sailing, anyone?), lunch sails, and sunset sails, just to name a few. With their skilled, personable staff, Schooner Excursions provides everything you’ll need for a fantastic, safe few hours on the water. And the reviews are stellar across the board, which helped to put my mind at ease before booking. Plus, at its location right across from Watkins Glen State Park (just a few minutes from Corning, Hector, and most other lovely towns in the area), the convenience and appeal is just too much to pass up.
Our romantic Finger Lakes sunset cruise
Boyfriend Perspective: Parking at the Seneca Lake Harbor is dicey, since there are lots of restaurants, a hotel, and not a lot of parking lots. We had to jockey around a bit to get a spot. So get there early for your sail.
Once parked, we walked past restaurants on the left and a hotel on the right, and made our way down the dock towards the iconic Seneca Lake Pier. Schooner Excursions has a setup on the left side of the dock where you can check in for your sail and get all the information you’ll need. While the staff prepared the boat, we loitered on the dock and sat in a couple of the adirondack chairs overlooking the water.
Once we got the green light and boarded the schooner, we immediately noticed how spotlessly clean she was. Everything is either a bright white or beautiful shiny burle. We slid down towards the bow on the surprisingly comfy bench seating, and watched as the mates untied us from the dock so we could get underway.
After chatting with the couple next to us, we found that they take a sail on Seneca Lake every year as a treat and a tradition. They gave us the lowdown on a bunch of local restaurants, wineries, and breweries to try. They also gave us an idea of what to expect on the sail by regaling us with tales of their past excursions on True Love, and showed us pictures of some fantastic sunsets they’d taken in on the lake in previous years. The night we chose to sail ended up a bit cloudy, but they assured us we’d have fun, regardless. They were right.
We skirted the eastern shore of the lake, checking out sights like Painted Rocks and Hector Falls. About 30 or 45 minutes in, the mates circulated with local cheese and fruit boards for us to choose from. They also offered champagne, local Seneca Lake wine/Finger Lakes wine, and beer aboard ship for an additional cost. So, we enjoyed sips, snacks, and amazing conversation with our shipmates.
Boyfriend Perspective: Make no mistake, Finger Lakes cheese is really, really good. Don’t miss out on it. Seriously.
Finally, as the sun descended past the horizon, the captain turned us broadside towards the sunset for a perfect view. Even though it did end up the magnificent fiery sky we might’ve hoped for, it was absolutely beautiful, and such a low-key romantic way to spend our evening together. Once we got back to the harbor and docked, we all meandered slowly off True Love – and literally everyone was smiling.
TL;DR: To say that we highly recommend Schooner Excursions would be an understatement.
Practical information for your visit to Schooner Excursions
- Address: Seneca Harbor Park Pier, Watkins Glen, NY 14891
- Parking: On-street (may be a charge) and limited lot parking (free)
- Hours: Dependent on the cruise you choose!
- Cost: starting at $39 per person, also dependent on activity selection
- Accessibility: accessibility isn’t openly advertised, but please contact the company to see what they may be able to offer.
- Website: https://www.schoonerexcursions.com/
- Additional information: plenty of hotels and AirBNBs are located near here, whether you want to stay within walking distance in downtown Watkins Glen, or perhaps within driving distance of the Watkins Glen area but closer to some of the wineries a few miles up the coast.
Pin this goodness for later!
This Seat’s Taken interview series: Cat & Kev of For Two, Please
