Worth a 30-mile detour north of Geneva on Route 14 is Sodus Point, which overlooks Lake Ontario. The village boasts gorgeous views, an inviting public beach, and the handsome 1870 Sodus Bay Lighthouse Museum (7606 N. Ontario St., 315/483-4936, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Tues.–Sun. May–Oct., $3 adults, children 11–17 $1).

The real reason to venture up here, however, are the Chimney Bluffs. Located on the eastern side of Sodus Bay, the bluffs rise 150 feet above the lake like some giant confectionery delight. All pinnacles, spires, and peaks, they’re part of a glacier-created drumlin that has been eroded, carved, and shaped by water, wind, and snow. Atop some of the pinnacles sit lone trees; below them extends a stony beach. Scuba divers exiting Lake Ontario are another unexpected sight on the beach.

Dozens of other drumlins (minus the pinnacles and peaks) can be found throughout this part of the Lake Ontario region. The only other places to view drumlins in North America are the areas bordering Lake Superior in Minnesota.

The Chimney Bluffs and its beach form part of the undeveloped Chimney Bluffs State Park. The park can be reached by taking Route 414 north to the end of Lake Bluff Road.