The list nobody Instagrams. Where to grocery-shop on a Saturday afternoon. Which gas station's open at 11. Where the pharmacy is at six on a Sunday. The closest urgent care if the kid hits the dock the wrong way.
We list the boring stuff so the vacation works.
Between Keuka and Seneca Lakes — a specialty bulk-foods store with deli, cheese counter, baked goods, fresh-roasted coffee, and the on-site Oak Leaf Cafe. Worth the drive from anywhere on the lake.
Watkins Glen's in-town grocery — the one-stop for the week's essentials on South Franklin. Deli, bakery, seafood counter, and everything else.
Watkins Glen Supercenter — groceries, household, pharmacy. The late-night fallback when the cottage is missing something.
Horseheads Supercenter — larger selection than the Watkins Glen store, about twenty-five minutes south.
The great Wegmans on South Meadow Street — Ithaca's grocery standard. Open 6 AM–midnight. Worth the thirty-five-minute drive for a serious provision run.