Hammondsport in the NY Finger Lakes

[Zola]

It’s been another great day to ride in New York’s Finger Lakes everybody. LT and I rode the ninjettes from Victor, NY to Hammonsport and the Glenn H. Curtiss Museum.

Glenn Curtiss is widely known for his enormous contributions to aviation including making the first official public flight in America (the Wright’s flights at Kitty Hawk were never open to the public) in 1908, winning the first international air meet in 1909, being recognized as the Father of Naval Aviation, and producing over 6,000 “Jennys” for use in WWI between 1914 and 1918.

But before this work, Curtiss honed his design, engineering and manufacturing skills in motorcycling. As a pioneer motorcycle designer and racer, Curtiss was the first American motorcycle champion in 1903, invented the handle bar throttle control in 1904, set world speed records for 1, 2, and 3 miles in 1905 and was crowned “The Fastest man in the World” in 1907 riding a Curtiss built motorcycle 136.36 mph.

Take NY 444 south out of Victor to NY 5 & 20. Go east on 5 & 20 for about 1.5 miles and turn right onto Rt. 64. Follow 64 south to Bristol Springs and bear right onto County Rt. 12 for a spectacular view of Canandaigua Lake.

Rt. 12 merges with Rt. 21 and takes you to Naples, a great stop for coffee and grape pie.

Take Rt. 53 South out of Naples for a 12 mile run through northern Steuben County. Turn left on County Rt. 13 for a run through Pleasant Valley and follow the road signs into Hammondsport.

Whether you cruise to take in the scenery or ride hard to enjoy the road, you won’t be disappointed.

Take time to walk through the village business district. There are interesting boutiques, restaurants, coffee shops, and pubs for all tastes and budgets.

The Curtiss museum is on NY 54 just north of the village. You’ll be amazed at the collection of early motorcycles and airplanes. The more time you have, the more you’ll be captivated. The museum provides a 15 minute multimedia biography of Glenn Curtiss and should not be missed. If you can catch the movie at the beginning of your visit, do so. It provides a great context for the exhibits and brings the displays to life, organized chronologically beginning with The Cycle Shop, 1901 – 1912.

For a history of Glen Curtiss and a preview of the museum visit www.glennhcurtissmuseum.org

[Alex]