So, how do you get on Skaneateles Lake anyway?

Good question. Skaneateles is the Eastern most of the Finger Lakes, and although they are all quite nice, the most pristene of all of them. This is in part due to topograpy and geography and part because it is quite difficult for "tourists" to get on it. Take heart, it is equally difficult for locals.

When I was growing up here visitors had a choice of two places: Jones Beach and Sandy Beach. As an aside, I recently ran a Google Map and found they are still showing Jones Beach, 50 years long gone. Jones Beach became a Marina [I worked there, but that's another story] and then The SailBoat Club [still is] but you have to be a member.

Sandy Beach charged by the carload, had an actual sand beach and a place to buy a soda. But it too went away, victim to I-don't-know-what. Next to it was, still is, BAB [email me for what that stands for] actually private property, but an enormously popular place for boaters to congregate and "nest" their boats. Currently a local family is building a home there, however, NYS Law says the people own the water, so I expect boaters will continue to drink and pee in the water as they have for decades.

When I was a teenager, we would go there at night to drink and you-know-what. I expect that tradition continues as well, but I am in bed by 10:00PM so I don't know for sure.

As an aside, ten years ago the owner offered the property for sale, giving the Town first refusal. But we, in our myopic just-say-no history, did just that. Said: "NO". Geeze, we amaze me sometimes.

Meanwhile, how do you get on the lake? Not easily.
1. Dig deep and buy a waterfront home, they are only a million or two or three dollars. Or rent one from us for a week. Look for the "Dockside's" at our webpage.

2. Buy a boat and trailer it to the State launch, cruise around, go to the Village Community Docks for access to the Village. By the way, they really are community docks, meaning a group of us got together, built them, put them in and take them out every year.

3. Rent. The Sailboat shop www.thesailboatshop.com, and we www.skaneatelessuites.com rent pontoon boats [but we only rent to our Guests, they rent to the public.] Also www.thesailboatshop.com and The Boutique Hotel www.skaneateleshotel.com rent kayaks and canoes. But, you have to "trailer" them on a little set of wheels to the Community Docks to launch. Guests often raise their eybrows at this, but, oh well.

4. Cruise with Mid-Lakes www.midlakesnav.com. They have an assorment of ways to enjoy the water. Take the Mail Boat Cruise [yes, they actually deliver the US Mail] or the Dinner Cruise [my choice] or a 1 hour shoreline cruise. Look for them in the park, or at 11 Jordan Street. Tell'em Curt sent you [I used to work for them, back before the War of the Eskimos]

5. There is a public swimming area in Cliff Park, but it is not very user friendly. You will see what I mean when you get here. But at least you can get wet.

6. Look for me in the Park, I often stop there in one of my wooden boats [some of which actually float] and offer rides to total strangers. That's because I too, want to get you on the Lake.