I'm back from a wonderful waterfall trip in the Finger Lakes region of New York.

Together with two prior trips this year that included waterfalls, I can say I am hooked!

You might think it would get repetitive after a while, but that didn't happen, as each setting was unique. Some involved rigorous hikes of several hours, starting at the top and ending at the bottom (of course you had to climb back up to where your car was parked), while others could be seen from the road and still others involved a 10-minute hike. 

It's really tough to choose one favorite as I loved them all, but if pressed, I would have to say that Watkins Glen was my favorite because of all the rock formations and falls, which carved fantastic caverns and amphitheaters made of soft shale, black shale and siltstone formed from ancient ocean muds deposited about 380 million years ago. I kept thinking of hobbits, wizards and elves.

What made this trip even more fun is doing it with an old friend from my Cape Cod days whom I hadn't seen for over 30 years! And my earlier trip to Bushkill Falls, PA, earlier this year was with "Dido" of SA fame.

Here are just a few photos representing 7 waterfalls in 3 trips this year:

This was part of a solo trip I made to Muckross State Park in Vermont this past spring. It wasn't established as a park until 2016, so it wasn't around when I lived in this town in my 20s, which made me curious to see it. There were only spaces for about 5 cars in the small parking lot and I had the place to myself.

Above is Bushkill Falls, which Dido and I visited earlier in September.

I think Watkins Glen was my favorite. It is a long series of waterfalls (not just one) as you climb MANY stairs. There are so many fascinating formations etched in the stone. Unwordly. Holy. Awe-inspiring. Stunning. These are all words I would use to describe Watkins Glen.

This is Shequaga Falls in Montour Falls, NY. When viewed from Main Street, these falls appear to be flowing directly into the backyard of this stately home. (They aren't.)  Can you imagine being able to give your visitors directions by telling them to just look for the waterfall?

Havana Glen, Montour Falls, NY.

Taughannock Falls, Trumansburg, NY.

These photos don't really do it justice, because what you can't see here is a natural amphitheater of stone surrounding this waterfall, carved and etched in a layered sequence of sedimentary rock about 380 million years ago when the entire Finger Lakes region was submerged under a prehistoric inland sea. It's jawdropping.

Butternut Falls State Park, Ithaca, NY.

I would have liked to see the Cornell campus in Ithaca, but by the end of this hike on our last full day there, we were both worn out. You start at the top of the falls and work your way down, seeing multiple falls from every angle. But then you either have to climb all those stone stairs you descended or hike back on a somewhat easier trail, minus the stairs. It took us about a half day, but it was so worth it.

Aside from waterfalls, we fit in a leisurely cruise on Seneca Lake and a few nice meals. We bagged the visit to the Corning Musuem as the weather was so perfect, we both agreed our time was better spent outdoors. The drive up and back was blissfully uneventful and was a little less than 4 hours each way not including breaks. The side-by-side rooms we booked were clean and totally functional. My only mishap was leaving some squash I'd purchased from an Amish family farm in the little fridge when I checked out.

Everything grown at these farms were the best I've seen, with much better prices than back home. There are also many vineyards hugging both sides of the lake.

Because this is a personal finance forum, I will tell you I spent $654 for a 5-day trip. Very affordable.