The Finger Lakes is a 9,000 square-mile region of New York State. The area includes 14 counties, 11 lakes, over 200 wineries and countless waterfalls and gorges.

I've traveled the Finger Lakes region - both as a travel writer and as a regular tourist - and every trip just leaves me wanting more. With this guide, I hope to help you plan your perfect Finger Lakes vacation, so when you get home, you can tell your friends what you liked best about New York's Finger Lakes.

Maybe it will be the lakes. There's 11 of them, plus Lake Ontario to the north. Lakes with plenty of opportunities for boating, canoing, or just sitting by.

Or maybe it will be the shopping. There's the cheerful and colorful home furnishings of MacKenzie-Childs in Aurora. Or the bargains at the Waterloo Outlet Mall.

It could be the variety of attractions. I loved touring Rose Hill - a restored 1839 Greek Revival Mansion - all 21 rooms. Willard Chapel in Auburn will dazzle you with its Tiffany interior.

Perhaps it will be the hotels, like the Inn at Glenora Wine Cellars, where you receive a glass of wine at check-in. Or Geneva on the Lake, an Italian villa on Seneca Lake. You'll also find charming inns, bed & breakfasts, and rentals in the Finger Lakes.

The list goes on and on. Read through this guide - and have fun planning your perfect Finger Lakes getaway!