Mountaintop Resort with Golf Course Next to Canandaigua Lake

From the highest point on Bristol Harbour Resort's championship golf course—the fifth hole's putting green—golfers may want to take a moment to soak in views of Canandaigua Lake and the Bristol Mountain forests. But after that, it's back to the task at hand: trying against odds to break the course record of 67, set by golfing legend Jack Nicklaus in 1978. Though it may be best known for its woodlands golf course, Bristol Harbour Resort also makes use of its more than 3 miles of alpine terrain for cross-country skiing and tubing.

Bristol Harbour's lobby feels like an extension of the outdoors, with antler chandeliers, natural-stone floors, and cedar furnishings. Traditional guest rooms conform to this lodge-like style with faux-tree-branch bed frames, a fireplace, and framed pictures of the forest's best dirt. The Lodge restaurant reflects its rustic surroundings with a fieldstone fireplace and knotted-wood walls. Guests can use their $20 dining credit toward an eggs-benedict breakfast on the terrace or linger fireside with a roasted-half-chicken dinner. Around the corner at the Life Path Spa Retreat, health professionals help visitors relax with a 25-minute body brushing.

Canandaigua, New York: Wineries, Ski Resorts, and Fishing in Finger Lakes Region

Upstate New York's aptly named Finger Lakes consist of 11 narrow bodies of water that resemble an outstretched hand on a map. Year-round recreation is common, with skiing at Bristol Mountain in winter, and fishing or boating along the lake during warmer months. Resting on the banks of scenic Canandaigua Lake, Canandaigua is worth a visit for its art galleries, antiques stores, and the award-winning New York Wine & Culinary Center, a nonprofit group offering samples of New York beer, wine, and cuisine. There are more than 100 wineries throughout the Finger Lakes region, making vineyard tours, wine tastings, and vine-swinging competitions popular activities.