Ontario premier Doug Ford has unveiled a massive billboard-size ‘Lake Ontario’ sign in response to Trump ordering US federal agencies to refer to it as ‘Lake America’ amid a trade war between Canada and the US. Ford said Trump can ‘call it whatever he wants’ but that the world will keep using its original name.
Aug. 29 (UPI) — Ontario Premier Doug Ford on Saturday erected a massive sign saying “Lake Ontario — Now and Always” in a rebuke to President Donald Trump‘s move to rename the body of water Lake America.
The sign in Hamilton sits on the shores of Lake Ontario and measures 18 feet tall, nearly two stories. It also says in French, “Lac Ontario — Aujourd’hui et pour toujours.”
“I’m here on the shores of beautiful Lake Ontario, a crown jewel of our province and our country,” Ford said in a video statement posted on X. “You may have heard that President Trump is trying to rename this lake, all because he doesn’t like Ontario and Canada standing up for ourselves.”
“But let’s be serious,” he added. “Long before President Trump, this lake was called Lake Ontario, and long after President Trump is gone, it will still be called Lake Ontario.”
He called Canada “entitled” and repeated claims that the country has ripped off the United States for years.
Canadian Prime Minister said it would be called Lake Ontario “now and always.”
J. Conrad Sence, president of Seneca Nation, said, “The president cannot assert ownership over our culture or erase it through irresponsible political action.”
“His order should be rescinded and the name Lake Ontario should be left as it is, reflective of the Seneca people, other Haudenosaunee nations and all Indigenous people surrounding the lake,” Seneca said in a statement shared with WIVB.
“To us, Lake Ontario is not a political pawn,” he added. “It does not separate the countries of the United States and Canada. It is all Indigenous land, which has been occupied by Indigenous people since time immemorial.”
Aug. 28 (UPI) — The leader of the Seneca Nation on Friday called on President Donald Trump to reverse his decision to rename Lake Ontario as Lake America.
Trump on Thursday signed an executive order renaming the body of water amid a trade dispute with Canada.
J. Conrad Sence, president of Seneca Nation, said, “The president cannot assert ownership over our culture or erase it through irresponsible political action.”
“His order should be rescinded and the name Lake Ontario should be left as it is, reflective of the Seneca people, other Haudenosaunee nations and all Indigenous people surrounding the lake,” Seneca said in a statement shared with WIVB.
“To us, Lake Ontario is not a political pawn,” he added. “It does not separate the countries of the United States and Canada. It is all Indigenous land, which has been occupied by Indigenous people since time immemorial.”
Jérôme Marty, executive director at the International Association for Great Lakes Research, said the lake was named by indigenous people.
“They gave the name of Lake Ontario, and then this name was then used to give the name of the province of Ontario, so it’s certainly not the province of Ontario that gave the name of the Lake Ontario, but it’s the opposite,” Marty told WIVB. “It’s prior to Canada, the creation of the United States, it’s been there for a really, really long time.”
Conrad told WGRZ the people of the region will continue to call it Lake Ontario, and urged others to do the same.
In a statement, a White House spokesperson pushed back against the criticism.
“As the president said yesterday, the majority of the great lake’s volume sits in United States territory,” the spokesperson told WIVB. “Thanks to President Trump’s bold action, its name will now reflect its place in America and her heritage.”
Lake Ontario is called sga:nyodai:yoh in the Seneca language, meaning “beautiful lake,” WGRZ reported.
Trump has also changed the name of Alaska’s Mount Denali, an indigenous name, to Mount McKinley after the 25th president of the United States.
He also renamed the Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America.
Nepal and China have paused rescue efforts for survivors of the devastating flash flood that hit the border region two days ago as a “barrier lake” formed during the disaster began to overflow.
Chinese rescue teams and vehicles were forced to pull back to safe ground, state broadcaster CCTV reported, as the risk of the lake bursting rose. Nepalese authorities also paused search operations for 90 minutes, an army officer confirmed.
The “barrier lake”, formed as Wednesday’s flash flood carried huge volumes of mud and debris down a steep valley, is threatening to unleash another huge and destructive wave.
In Nepal’s Rasuwa district, on the border with Tibet, residents were seen scrambling up hillsides to escape potential surges in the river level, according to the Reuters news agency.
The barrier lake adds a new threat to communities devastated by Wednesday’s flash flood [EPA]
The disaster unfolded as a glacier collapsed and sent a huge torrent of ice, water, rock, and mud down Himalayan river valleys, burying entire villages and destroying roads, bridges, and hydropower plants.
In its wake, leftover debris trapped water to form a barrier lake, a natural dam created when landslides block a river.
With water continuing to pour into the lake, the threat to downstream communities of another wave of flooding is rising.
China has deployed an engineering team to conduct aerial surveys and 3D modelling of the site. By Friday, the lake’s volume had swelled to more than 2.5 million cubic metres, up from the estimated 1.5 to 2 million cubic metres recorded just a day earlier.
Downstream in Nepal, officials received warnings that the lake had begun breaking its bank, according to Narendra Pariyar, the top administrator in the hard-hit Rasuwa district.
“We can see that the level of water in the river is rising,” he said, adding that the exact height of the surge remains unclear.
Relief supplies blocked
The death toll from the disaster has surpassed 470. On Friday, the Nepalese prime minister’s office reported 469 confirmed deaths, with 977 people still missing. About 1,550 people have been rescued.
Chinese authorities reported on Friday that the death toll in Tibet has now risen to at least five, with 558 missing.
Bishal Nath Upreti, president of the Nepal Centre for Disaster Management, told Al Jazeera that conditions are “extremely difficult” for those trapped in the disaster zone, as destroyed roads have left them completely cut off.
So far, about 800 people have been rescued by helicopter and 700 by land, with airlifts delivering vital aid to survivors.
Al Jazeera’s Katrina Yu, reporting from Beijing, said the number of missing is expected to rise. China has deployed about 500 military and paramilitary personnel and sent Premier Li Qiang to supervise operations on the ground, while Nepal has deployed 30,000 security personnel to search remote, cut-off valleys, she said.
More than 90,000 people are estimated to have been affected by disaster, the Red Cross said on Friday, adding that the delivery of relief supplies has been blocked by the overflowing lake.
“We’re of course very concerned about the secondary flood,” said David Fisher, head of delegation for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in Nepal.
WASHINGTON — President Trump said Thursday he is renaming Lake Ontario to be known as “Lake America” in the United States as he exacerbates his trade war with Canada.
The Republican president signed an executive order directing the Interior Department to update the lake’s name in the U.S. geographic naming service. Trump cannot force Canada to follow his preferred naming convention, however.
Trump has been floating the idea of the name change in recent days as the U.S. announced it was imposing 50% tariffs on $20 billion worth of Canadian goods over the weekend after talks between the countries broke down. Trump has been needling America’s northern neighbor since he returned to the White House last year, suggesting the ally with whom the U.S. once had warm relations instead should be absorbed as the 51st state.
Canada responded to Trump’s import taxes this week by imposing retaliatory tariffs on $20 billion worth of American goods, including steel, dairy products, appliances and farm equipment.
Trump, who signed the order as he was sitting at the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office, had a large sign behind him propped on a stand with a map of the Great Lakes. Over Lake Ontario, in big red letters, the map read “Lake America.”
On the other side of the president was another map with the words, “MAKING THE GREAT LAKES EVEN GREATER.”
The lake is one of multiple Great Lakes that the U.S. and Canada share borders along.
The office of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
There is no single international body that determines names of international bodies of water, and Trump has wide latitude over how the U.S. government recognizes geographic places and landmarks.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who has traded insults with Trump, this week brushed aside the prospect of Trump changing the lake’s name as “a lot of rhetoric.”
The name Lake Ontario comes from the Huron Indigenous people’s word “oniatarí:io,” that means “lake of shining waters.” The province of Ontario, founded in 1867, took its name from the lake.
Trump said that while his action was not meant to send any particular geopolitical message, “Canada’s been ripping us off for a long time” on trade and military issues.
“They wanted to be treated like a state and they’re not a state,” the president said. “We just can’t do that anymore.”
“We love the people of Canada,” Trump added. “I don’t think their representatives do an appropriate job. Maybe they’ll change. I really don’t know. It doesn’t make much difference.”
The move is reminiscent of his move last year to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America.”
Trump scribbled his name with a Sharpie pen on the executive order, then held it up for the cameras, offering, “And we filed all the necessary papers, documents, everything else.”
“We’ve notified all of the various people that we have to notify. So, we’ve done everything that you have to do,” he said. “And this is official, effective immediately.”
The executive order Trump signed shows that the changes, in fact, are supposed to be made within 30 days.
He also suggested his push to rename bodies of water may not be finished.
“So, if you think about it, we have a gulf and we have a lake. Now, all we need is an ocean,” Trump said. “So maybe we’ll have to change the name of the Atlantic and or the Pacific. Maybe we’ll change them.”
Price and Weissert write for the Associated Press. AP writer Rob Gillies in Toronto contributed to this report.
1 of 3 | A poster shows the name change from Lake Ontario to Lake America, as President Donald Trump signs an executive order on the renaming, amid a recent trade war with Canada, in the Oval Office of the White House on Thursday. Photo by Al Drago/UPI | License Photo
Aug. 27 (UPI) — President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday to rename Lake Ontario as “Lake America” after his dispute with Canada over tariffs last week.
Trump threatened to rename the lake Tuesday on Truth Social, saying, “The United States is giving serious consideration to changing the name of Lake Ontario to Lake America in that we don’t expect to be doing much business with Ontario any longer.”
“We’re going to be changing the name of Lake Ontario, effective immediately, to Lake America,” the president said just before signing the order.
“No message,” he said. “As you know, Canada has been ripping us off for a long time on trade, very, very sadly. Even the military. You know, we defend Canada for nothing.”
Canada is a founding member of NATO.
The order says that within 30 days, Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum will update the Geographic Names Information System. The GNIS works with the U.S. Board on Geographic Names to standardize geographic names for federal use.
Trump renamed the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America and Mount Denali to Mount McKinley on his first day in office in 2025. He can’t force other countries or private entities to use the new names, but he can force the federal government to.
Because it’s an international boundary water, Canada and the U.S. jointly manage Lake Ontario through the International Joint Commission under the Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909.
The ferry cuts across the waters of Lake Biel, creating soft ripples, as if someone has taken a brushstroke to a blue canvas. To starboard, as we approach St Peter’s Island, are gentle mountains; to port side, lie golden fields. Straight ahead, the isle looks empty and Crusoe-esque.
On the jetty, Max Frey, a boatman, historian and guide, is waiting for me. He’s a man of dates and paperwork and pulls a handful from his satchel as he greets me, thrilled at the prospect of leading a tour; Switzerland’s Jura and Three Lakes region, this idyllic nook on the French border, is often overlooked by visitors.
Illustration: Guardian Graphics
“Welcome to paradise,” he says, raising his voice above the ferry engine thrum. “That’s how Jean-Jacques Rousseau felt about the island when he came in 1765. He was always running away from places, but spent the happiest days of his life here.”
Beach-fringed St Peter’s Island is now actually a peninsula (in the mid-19th century the level of the surrounding lake was lowered, creating a land bridge to the mainland) but it is still best reached by boat, and is car-free. With golden light falling on the sand and silver zander ghosting through the clear water, it undoubtedly feels heavenly. Rousseau – the philosopher, writer, composer, rebel who spent six weeks on the island in exile – wasn’t the only one to fall under its spell. “Alexandre Dumas and Goethe stayed, too,” says Max, proudly. “So did Joséphine Bonaparte, the first wife of Napoleon. When she arrived, it is said that more than 1,000 boats sailed on to the lake to see her.”
Home to the country’s gentlest summits, the Jura Mountains, and the glacial-blue lakes Biel, Neuchâtel and Murten – linked by the beautiful Zihl and Broye canals – the region is connected by regular ferries (perhaps it could offer an alternative to Greek or Croatian island hopping, only with better cheese). It’s also wine country, the lakesides fringed by tidy vineyards, and small towns such as Ligerz, La Neuveville, Le Landeron and Erlach contain dozens of understated family cellars.
I’m here on a three-day, DIY ferry-hopping trip, travelling from Biel to Murten, hiking, swimming, birding and wine tasting along the way. It’s a wholly different side to the Switzerland I’m used to – low on pomp, lower on price, but high on novelty.
The medieval square in Biel. Photograph: Stefan Weber
The ferry journey to St Peter’s takes just 15 minutes from the mainland towns of La Neuveville or Ligerz (or 55 minutes from Biel, where I’d arrived from), and Max and I are as good as alone as we explore. Paths slalom through chestnut trees to empty coves. Butterflies flit by. A farmer cycles past to tend to an Angus herd grazing beside swans and reed-bed warblers on the shore. An information panel gives notice that St Peter’s was once home to Romans, then Benedictine monks who, it is said, with free rein on the island lured in the most beautiful girls from around the lake.
We explore the western side on foot, and vineyards take over from forests and sandy coves as we cross to the east. I arrive at my accommodation for the night, Hotel St Petersinsel, housed in a beautiful monastery dating back to 1127, complete with a restaurant courtyard, sarcophagi, Roman-era columns and a museum-piece bedroom where Rousseau slept. As dusk approaches, I dine alone on zander with lemon risotto and summer tomatoes with burrata from nearby Fribourg, paired with local wine.
The next morning, I start the day with a swim by the jetty as a heron flaps overhead. The Three Lakes are full of easily accessible swimming spots and beaches, but I’m alone apart from a family of ducks watching me from the sand. Afterwards, I hop on a ferry to Ligerz, a wine village halfway along Lake Biel’s northern banks on the Franco-German linguistic border.
Ligerz’s name is said to come from an ancient Roman settler, Ligerius, and it turns out to be a village bursting with grapes and bacchanal bliss. Every house seems to have its own vineyard plot leaning towards the shore, which is ideal if it’s lunchtime and a hike around pretty-as-pie St Michael’s Chapel has helped you work up a thirst.
Wine drinking in Switzerland has its challenges. The Swiss keep nearly all they produce and it’s pricey compared with German or Italian wine. But I arrive at Andrey Schafis, a fifth-generation family cellar overlooking the water, where drinkers on the restaurant terrace enjoy chilled lemony chasselas for 15 Swiss francs (£13.50) a bottle, accompanied by charcuterie and cheese. The feeling is less Alpine, more Amalfi.
The steamboat Neuchâtel sails between the lakes. Photograph: Mark Bachmann
“Almost everything we make is drunk here,” says Arielle Andrey, uncorking a bottle. We chat over a glass before she dashes off into the wood-beamed cellar to bring out more fresh-baked bread, cheese and wine.
With a spring in my step, I take the village’s Vinifuni – a short, steep funicular through the vineyards – all the way through a cleft in the limestone to the Tessenberg plateau and the petite village of Prêles in the shadow of Chasseral, Jura’s flat-topped mountain. This is a country of preposterously beautiful summits, and although this crest is a gentle one, the view from it is still one of the most dazzling; the fields below look like a gigantic eiderdown of gold and green stitched around three enormous patches of blue.
I follow the lonely path to the highest point through a forest of pine, then stand awhile on its observation deck beneath a 120-metre telecommunications tower that has all the exposed platforms, gantries and satellites of a rocket launch pad.
From here, I zigzag downhill to the village of Nods, as sleepy as it sounds, and then take a bus back to Prêles and the family-run Hôtel de l’Ours Prêles, sitting high above the lake. It isn’t the most celebrated address in the Alps, but it quickly becomes one of my favourites, because of its delightful hosts, Mélanie and Marcello Pigozzo. Marcello cheerfully brings me a cold BLZ beer from nearby Orvin and Mélanie serves an entrecôte steak and profiteroles on the terrace. My meal is soundtracked by bell-rattling cattle in the next-door field.
The writer found boats to be an ideal way of exploring Switzerland. Photograph: Mike MacEacheran
On my final morning, I take one last boat ride, a three-hour journey from Lake Biel via the Zihr canal to Lake Neuchâtel, and on via the Broye canal to Lake Murten and its lakeside fortress town. The ferry putters past radiant sunflower fields and fruit crops. While the verges are scattered with campsites, cycle paths and bird reserves, including La Grande Cariçaie, the country’s largest marshland, the medieval town of Murten is a time capsule.
Church spires soar, swifts nest in the towers and the battlements can be patrolled, offering a Mary Poppins view of old rooftops and stone chimneys. Beyond the ramparts, beneath a vivid blue sky, vineyards gather on the hazy hills and I watch the ferry depart on its sailing back to Biel. The horn blows. A heron takes flight. A dozing fisher stirs on the jetty. A different Switzerland is out there. You simply need to take the slow boat to find it.
The Glen Canyon Dam is shown releasing water into the Colorado River at the Grand Canyon in Page, Ariz., on March 5, 2008. Water levels in Lake Powell, the reservoir created by the dam, fell to their lowest levels on record over the weekend amid continuing severe drought. File Photo by Tami Heilemann/Department of the Interior/UPI | License Photo
Aug. 16 (UPI) — Lake Powell, a vital man-made water reservoir on the Colorado River, has fallen to its lowest level on record as the U.S. West endures a severe, long-lasting drought, official statistics show.
The lake’s levels fell to 3519.91 feet on Saturday — low enough to break the record of 3,519.92 feet set in April 2023, according to a reading published Sunday by the Bureau of Reclamation.
Federal officials say the effects of long-term drought had reduced Colorado River Basin system storage to about 36% of capacity as of April. This was due to a combination of the lowest snowpack on record last winter and record-breaking heat in March, which intensified drought conditions across the river basin.
The situation has set off widespread concerns over elevated risks to the essential water and power infrastructure that supplies more than 40 million people across the West.
The lake, which spans Utah and Arizona, is a reservoir created by the Glen Canyon Dam in Page, Ariz.
The Bureau of Reclamation in April predicted Lake Powell’s water year minimum probable inflow at just 2.78 million acre-feet — only 29% of historical average and one of the lowest on record.
It also warned lake could decline to below 3,490 feet — the minimum power pool level — by this summer without major intervention.
If Glen Canyon Dam declines below that level, water releases would be restricted, creating “uncertainty for users, downstream impacts, instability in regional power and water supplies, and a reduction in power generation.”
Another vital reservoir in the Colorado River Basin, Lake Mead, is also currently at its lowest level since it was created in the 1930s.
The Bureau of Reclamation and the Department of the Interior remain “committed to reducing the collective risk of both Lake Powell and Lake Mead falling below critical elevations to protect critical infrastructure to continue to meet the water and hydropower needs of the basin,” a spokesman told CNN on Sunday.
Bardsea Alpacas and Llamas is a Cumbrian experience with a difference and if you’re visiting the Lake District, take a trip away from the tourists for this not to be missed day out
18:25, 15 Aug 2026Updated 19:29, 15 Aug 2026
There’s more to Cumbria than you’d expect
There’s no denying the Lake District is one of the most popular holiday destinations here in the UK.
From the majestic and ever popular Windermere to the atmospheric Derwent Water, year after year millions of tourists flock to Cumbria to take in the splendour and beauty of the landscape and chocolate box villages.
But with the stunning scenery and quaint villages comes another problem – especially in the school summer holidays – overcrowding from the sheer volume of tourists.
What you think will be an idyllic trip to, arguably, the most beautiful part of Britain can quickly turn into a race to find the last table at the cafe or the last spot to pop your picnic blanket down on the shore of a lake.
However, the Lake District isn’t all Cumbria has to offer – full disclaimer I was born and bred in this county – and if you step outside the National Park, a world of wonder could be waiting for you.
I spent the weekend in Cumbria and found one of these hidden gems, the Bardsea Alpacas and Llamas, nestled close to the picture perfect village of Bardsea in the Furness area of Cumbria.
Run by local couple, Ste and Laura, this is home to one of the largest herds of alpacas and llamas in Cumbria (and this year, also home to 13 baby alpacas, known as crias). It’s clear from the get go this is a real labour of love and passion project for the dedicated couple.
Once a day, the farm is open for pre-booked visits – either a walking experience, or a feed and meet – and after taking part I can honestly say this tops anything I’ve done in this wonderful county.
Since acquiring their first alpacas in 2019, Ste and Laura now have an impressive herd of 53 and you can tell these animals are absolutely adored. The farm is only open to the public on a booked experience, held just once a day to make sure everyone gets plenty of time with these lovely creatures and – most importantly – the animals themselves are happy.
I was given the walking experience as a Christmas present – this one will be hard to beat – and before we set off we were carefully matched with the alpaca or llama best suited to each person.
I was lucky enough to be paired with Rocky, a five-year-old fawn alpaca, described as “cheeky” but was the goodest boy you could ever meet.
Both alpacas and llamas are incredibly calm and placid animals who love nothing more than a gentle guided stroll through through the lush farmland, with many stops so you can give them treats – all included in the price of the experience. It’s fair to say Rocky loved his snacks (and I loved feeding them to him).
The sun was shining and it was an utterly idyllic experience. If you think the end of the walk would be the end of the experience, you would be wrong. Next you have some time interacting and feeding the boys of the herd – they’re kept separate from the ladies for obvious reasons – and it was unbelievably joyful.
Then, off we went to meet the ladies of the herd for another wonderful time feeding and watching them as they strolled around their huge home. We could also get up close to the babies (crias) although there’s a strict no touch policy until they’re old enough to be comfortable around humans. Animal welfare is paramount for Ste and Laura, who hold a 5-star animal welfare licence.
The couple explained the alpacas and llamas really enjoy their once a day visits from humans – they love the gentle walk and, in my experience, they clearly love the treats.
If you’re lucky enough to be visiting Cumbria this summer – or indeed at any time, other than the few months the farm is closed completely to visitors in the depths of winter – this needs to be top of your list. Quiet, off the beaten track, something completely different and absolutely enchanting.
At least 200 people have been evacuated after a wildfire broke out near Italy’s Lake Garda. Authorities said the fire started in the municipality of Tignale on the western shore of the lake. Lake Garda is one of the country’s most popular tourist destinations.
THE FAMILY behind one of the UK’s most-loved piers has opened a luxury holiday park.
The team behind Clacton Pier – which is Europe’s largest pleasure pier – has launched a new holiday park on the Essex coast with luxury lakeside lodges.
The owners of Clacton Pier have opened a luxury holiday parkCredit: GettyMany of the lodges sit next to a lake in the parkCredit: The Tideaway
Called The Tideaway, the holiday park is set across seven acres, which includes woodland and a lake.
According to its website: “The Tideaway is a new approach to holiday home ownership and coastal getaways from the family behind the award-winning transformation of Clacton Pier.”
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There are a variety of different lodges available to book at the park, all sleeping up to six people.
For example, you could stay at The Victory Lakewood lodge, which has an open-plan layout inside, sits by the lake and also has a hot tub on the decking.
The lodges aren’t cheap though, costing around £651 for two nights – working out at £54.25 per person per night, if six people are sharing.
As for things to do nearby, you can of course head to Clacton Pier, which is a historic Victorian pier with arcades, a soft play,tenpin bowling alley and funfair rides.
After exploring the pier, take a stroll along Clacton seafront and beach.
For a fun family day out, Hasty’s Adventure Farm is also near the holiday park, with a huge outdoor play area, go karts and a number of farm animals.
It isn’t cheap though, costing around £651 for two nightsCredit: The Tideaway
And then there’s also St Osyth Priory, just a few minutes from the holiday park.
This country estate is over 1,400 years old and is home to gatehouses and historic gardens.
Millions visit the Lake District every year but those who help look after the national park in Cumbria say overtourism tensions are threatening to boil over
Local residents living in the Lake District National Park have complained about visitors’ behaviour(Image: United Utilities)
Wild campers visiting the Lake District are ignoring the long-standing Countryside Code – with human excrement, fly-camping and irresponsible behaviour surging this summer, campaigners say.
Those who manage the national park, which attracts millions of tourists every year, claim some guests are making life hell for locals. They say brainless parking, inconsiderate camping and mass littering is making a mockery of the “leave no trace” government guidelines to protect the environment. Paths blocked by campervans, discarded tampons and nappies and dogs let loose are just some of the other issues reported.
Judith Derbyshire, a Westmorland and Furness councillor, has referenced a report made by patrol officers who are responsible for tackling anti-social behaviour. She says, as enforcement officers and volunteers battle to preserve the stunning national parks, problems are only increasing.
Tourists risk huge fines in Lake District
She says the council has very few officers and a round-the-clock response service is a thing of the past. Local laws were tightened earlier this year in response to resident complaints.
Those causing environmental damage such as littering, starting fires, or the inappropriate use of motorhomes can now be fined up to £100 – but according to many locals, the rules are being flouted regularly.
Ms Derbyshire, who is responsible for community safety, says since Covid there has been a huge increase in visitors with many arriving without plans for accommodation. That leads to “fly-camping” – taking spots away from designated camp sites.
‘You shouldn’t be doing that’
Reading the report, she told the BBC: “Fifty-plus members of the public engaged with, 10 overnight campers spoken to, eight bags of rubbish collected and they had the joy of seeing one man using a bush as his toilet. I’m going to lower the standard of the conversation here but the issue is to do with human poo.
“Don’t feel you can just come up, park up on a lay-by and then go and put a tent up down by the lake shore – you shouldn’t be doing that.
“Putting it bluntly, we are going to have strong cutbacks from our funding as a local authority, we’re not going to have the staff to be able to put that sort of thing in place.”
She says people can contact police if they see anyone behaving in a dangerous way – such as lighting a bonfire that could spread to a large area. Working together with residents and visitors is vital to getting the situation under control.
Ms Derbyshire added: “We want people to come to Lake District and it’s good that there’s a wider range of people coming here, it’s just that we need to get them educated so they know what they can do and what they can’t do.”
‘It really saddens me to see’
Earlier this summer, footage showed the moment dozens of cars were covered in slurry after they parked in a private field just yards away from Rydal Water, one of the country’s prettiest beauty spots.
One unhappy local wrote in this year’s survey: “Some people have no social conscience and do not care about the impact of their behaviour on the environment or other people. We see litter on the fells, on lakesides and thrown out of cars onto grass verges. We even saw someone having a BBQ sat right next to a sign prohibiting it on Ullswater last year.
Another added: “I’m from the Lakes and have always appreciated the tourism and what it does for the area. However, I feel we have now got to the stage where tourism is over capacity and negatively impacting the area and the quality of life for residents and animals. Frequent traffic jams, poorly parked cars, and most upsetting of all, litter.
“Today we came across a discarded used nappy and a tampon. My children and I frequently go out with our litter pickers. It really saddens me to see the Lake District in environmental decline.”
After spending decades collecting clean-lined Midcentury Modern furniture and accessories, stylist Wendi Weger felt it was time to give her Silver Lake apartment a playful update.
“Everything was brown,” Weger says as she sits on a plush sofa covered in pink and chartreuse striped Christian Lacroix fabric. “It looked like a UPS truck in here. I mean, look at me,” she adds, fluffing the ruffles of her Accidente Con Flores dress, her intricately manicured fingers decorated with colorful Zuni Toons rings. “That is not me.”
In this series, we spotlight L.A. rentals with style. From perfect gallery walls to temporary decor hacks, these renters get creative, even in small spaces. And Angelenos need the inspiration: Most are renters.
Indeed.
Weger, who grew up in Madison, Wis., studied cinema during graduate school at NYU and later moved to Los Angeles to work in Hollywood as a producer and stylist, is no minimalist. Always expressive, she describes her style as more akin to a “Victorian parlor meets hunting lodge.”
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So it’s no surprise that her one-bedroom apartment, in a Storybook-style fourplex built in 1922, is just as dramatic as she is.
Wendi Weger views her Silver Lake apartment as her creative studio. “I don’t mind a lot of frenetic activity,” she says.
A wall covered in hollyhock wallpaper from House of Hackney stands out in Weger’s bedroom, along with a handmade quilt signed by Grace Verburg that includes crochet, beadwork and hundreds of ribbon rosettes.
Weger thrives on “kinetic energy,” be it color, texture or a pair of bedazzled Italian loafers. In her bedroom, she mixes floral textiles and modern art with a quirky stepstool shaped like an ear of corn. In the dining room, vintage Doyle Lane ceramic beads dangle from a Mission-style wooden clock while designer handbags are draped over chairs and hat racks.
On her fireplace, an ornate gilded mirror from the 1940s she found at Sunbeam Vintage is flanked by porcelain figurines. A porcelain Capodimonte lamp nestled under vintage Japanese prints is described as “Rococo on acid.” Nearby, a handmade chandelier by artist Helen Stickler, decorated with vintage Swarovski crystals and beads, adds to what Weger describes as her “Candyland vibe.”
Weger twirls in a pink taffeta Batsheva dress. “My apartment is basically how I dress — like an Edwardian ghost in a prairie dress who wandered into a circus and decided to keep everything,” she says.
“That’s where I am right now,” she says about the apartment she has called home for 17 years. “I feel like I can finally play. I’m trying to bring in a candy theme without making it too grandma. At this point in my life, I don’t care what anyone thinks about me.”
Her friend, creative director Dana Sidell, says self-expression is central to how Weger lives her life. “Wendi has the unique ability to bring nostalgia, whimsy and individuality all together into maximalist style,” she says in an email.
In 2020, as the film industry slowed down because of COVID-19, Weger took a chance and opened the Curatorial Dept., a vintage and designer resale shop in Atwater Village. Popular with celebrities including Lake Bell, Nick Thune and politicians Nithya Raman and Laura Friedman, the store is known for Weger’s signature “clothing sculptures,” where she layers mannequins with dozens of pieces of clothing and accessories.
“Styling is my art,” she says. “To me, clothing is sculpture.”
A silk Gucci skirt hangs alongside artworks in Weger’s bedroom. “Whether it’s producing a film, building a boutique, styling a room or a mannequin, it’s about assemblage and synergy,” she says.
To demonstrate, Weger starts layering a mannequin in her bedroom, picking from racks of clothes, handbags, color-coordinated shoes and jewelry nearby. She layers an “I’m With Stupid” T-shirt over a dress shirt and Yohji Yamamoto linen pants, then keeps adding more. “It needs a ruffle,” she says, caught up in the process, before adding a frilly collar and glittering vintage brooch.
A bright blue first-place ribbon materializes and becomes the perfect accessory. “It’s not maximalist enough,” she says with a sigh.
Weger says her apartment reflects the way she dresses, with layers of art, vintage clothes and accessories, each with its own story. She jokes that it looks like one of her clothing sculptures has “exploded across a room.”
When asked if there’s such a thing as too much, she shakes her head with conviction.
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1.Weger holds a pair of sparkling JVB X Nomasei ‘Nono’ loafers. 2.The hollyhock pattern from House of Hackney appears throughout Weger’s apartment, even on this fabric lampshade.
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1.A Gucci cashmere bunny cape hangs like an artwork in the bedroom. 2.Doyle Lane ceramic beads hang on a wooden clock above a collection of $2 bills.
“I’ll wear a baby cup as jewelry,” she says, picking up a small silver cup from a cabinet to show her point. What’s one more charm on one of several necklaces already heavy with lockets and hearts?
Weger’s home decor follows the same idea. Some pieces, like a pink silk pleated Gucci skirt by Alessandro Michele, hang on her bedroom wall next to vintage artworks, including a framed cross stitch by a friend that reads “Live. Laugh. Toaster Bath.” Others are neatly arranged in her butler’s pantry. Clothing racks fill the hallway, living room and even her bedroom. “Clothing and handbags are art to me,” she says.
Then there’s the cashmere embroidered rabbit cape by Gucci, which she purchased secondhand.
“People chase me down on the street whenever I wear it and ask me where I got it,” she says. “To me, it’s art.”
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Humor is important to her too. In the living room, a blue resin coffee table shaped like a candy wrapper adds to the playful feel, along with vintage candy dishes.
“There’s a lot of absurdity and comedy here,” she says, pointing out the Spanish angels with guns, a series of artworks from the 1600s.
“There’s something about these Spanish archangels with weapons,” she says. “They look tough and unisex to me, with mild expressions, beautiful clothes, tights, ruffles and sleeves, plus a firearm. It’s a great symbol for being a warrior, especially as a small business owner.”
Nearly everything in her apartment is secondhand, from the vintage Audubon prints arranged salon-style in the living room to the Navajo rugs and David Shrigley print she found at a garage sale. Mixing old and new is important, she says, referring to the House of Hackney hollyhock pattern she recently added to the walls of the living room and bedrooms, as well as the dining room lampshade.
Handbags are draped over dining chairs.
Her place settings are also layered, including Weger’s grandmother’s Wedgwood china.
Her apartment is essentially her atelier, or as she calls it, “the creative engine behind” the Curatorial Dept. She often does intake for her store at her kitchen table, surrounded by needlepoint pillows made by her Great-Uncle Elliott, who was also an entrepreneur. “This is not cluttered to me,” she says. “This is just where everything gets sorted.”
“Wendi’s style has a touch of the harlequin to it — playful, theatrical and always ready for an occasion,” writer and former NYU classmate Josh Rothenberger says in an email. “Her world is a warm pastiche of vintage and bespoke, histories inherited and histories invented on the fly. Her furniture invites the kind of existential frolic that pairs best with Cuvée — only to remind us, hours later, that true beauty should never be too precious to dance on.”
Although Weger says she isn’t a “woo-woo person,” she believes her apartment and store came from asking the universe for what she wanted. “Tell people what you want,” she says. “Especially in L.A. People support you and help you reach your dreams. I said I wanted this apartment, and because of that, my friend thought of me when she was moving. The same thing happened with my shop. I was in a different industry when I told a shop owner friend I’d always wanted a shop, that I intended to have a shop, and she thought of me when hers became available.”
She’s already thinking about what she wants next: “I’ll be sure to tell everyone I know.”
Son Heung-min scored a goal for the second consecutive game, Denis Bouanga added a goal, and LAFC beat Real Salt Lake 3-1 on Wednesday night.
Hugo Lloris, who leads MLS with nine shutouts this season, had six saves for LAFC (9-5-3).
Son, who scored his first goal this season Friday in a 3-0 win over the Galaxy, opened the scoring in the 11th minute. The 34-year-old forward pushed the ball wide to his left to create space from a defender and then blasted his next touch inside the near post from the end of the penalty arc.
Mathieu Choiniere played a ball ahead, the last of four consecutive first-touch passes by LAFC, to Bouanga, who raced to the center of the area, cut back to evade a defender and fired a shot into the net to make it 2-0 in the 40th.
DeAndre Yedlin’s own goal capped the scoring in the 68th minute.
Lukas Engel, a 30-year-old defender in his second MLS season, scored his first career goal in the 86th minute for RSL (8-5-2). Rafael Cabral had one save.
The Lake District and the Peak District have been notoriously known as England’s walking hotspots, but a picturesque destination with rolling hills has emerged as a new favourite
With rolling hills and river valleys, this region is the best destination for a walking holiday (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
England’s best walking destination has been named – and it’s not the Lake District or Peak District.
Every year, thousands of Brits flock to the Lake District for a rambling retreat, thanks to its pristine glacial waters against its dramatic mountain backdrop and rolling valleys. Meanwhile, the Peak District offers scenes of purple heather moorland, rugged rocks, and winding river valleys, making it a haven for hikers.
They are undoubtedly two of the most popular places to venture around during a scenic walking holiday, with ramblers rewarded with spectacular views. However, they’ve now been outshone by a new region – and it has its own renowned walking trail.
The Cotswolds has been named as the ‘best place to go walking in England’, by Responsible Travel, thanks to its scenes of ancient woodlands, tranquil river valleys, rolling hills and honey-coloured cottages. Spanning across 800 square miles, measuring around 90 miles in length and 25 miles in width, there are ample walking trails to explore in England’s largest Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).
In its guide, Responsible Travel said: “It is not surprising that great writers from Shelley to Waugh have been inspired by the Cotswolds. Like their literary worlds, walking here transports you to a serene and soothing place.
“Walk through ancient towns such as Stow-on-the-Wold or Bourton-on-the-Water, where even the names evoke time gone by. Well known for its slow food ethos, you won’t be short of fine inns and food as you wander through village and vale.”
As the Cotswolds span six counties, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, Wiltshire, Worcestershire, and Somerset, there’s a plethora of charming towns and idyllic villages to visit while on one of the many routes and trails. And of course, a bundle of cosy country pubs and beer gardens to stop by for that refreshing restbite.
A major walking route in the region is the Cotswolds Way, which stretches 102 miles from Chipping Campden in Gloucestershire to Bath in Somerset. Following the western edge of the Cotswold Hills, the trail passes by the stunning scenes that make up the renowned region, alongside grand manor homes, historic battle sites, Neolithic burial barrows and honey-hued villages.
One of the most popular villages to stop by in the Cotswolds is Bibury, with its Arlington Row, which has garnered worldwide attention for its picture-postcard setting. The village has also been dubbed the ‘most beautiful village in England’ by artist and writer William Morris, and it attracts thousands of tourists every year.
Another favourite spot is the village of Bourton-on-the-Water, renowned as the ‘Venice of the Cotswolds’, with its crystal-clear meandering river and quaint stone bridges. Castle Combe is another village that feels like a scene from a fairy tale, with preserved medieval cottages frozen in time since 1600, with no TV aerial in sight and wires hidden underground to maintain its beauty.
Top 12 walking destinations in England
Cotswolds
Dorset
Lake District
Peak District
Pilgrims Way
Shakespeares Way
South West Coast Path
Suffolk coast
Sussex & the South Downs
Thames Path
White Cliffs of Dover & Kent coast
Yorkshire
Do you have a travel story to share? Email webtravel@reachplc.com
Elias is likely to make his Test start since the opening round of the 2024 Six Nations against Scotland.
Cardiff’s Evan Lloyd is the other hooker in the squad and could make his first international appearance for more than a year, with Dee’s anticipated arrival in South Africa providing extra cover and experience.
Morgan is the obvious choice as captain against the world champions unless Tandy opts to rest the open-side flanker.
Wales slipped to 12th in the world rankings with their loss to Argentina and suffered a record 73-0 loss to the Springboks in their last meeting in November.
A TikTok video has showcased the stunning lake, with the bubblegum pink hue leaving viewers desperate to visit the spot
Laguna Salada de Torrevieja is located just an hour from Benidorm (Image: soniabonet via Getty Images)
When you picture Spain, you imagine stunning beaches, delicious cuisine and breathtaking scenery. And this specific corner of Spain has now got tourists buzzing about its natural beauty.
The must-visit bubblegum pink lake sits just an hour’s drive from popular British hotspot Benidorm. Holiday provider Travel Republic has shared everything you need to know about the must-see travel spot, including its health benefits and the reason behind its striking pink hue.
One TikTokker, who goes by the username @carielizabethh, has posted a video of “one of the coolest” experiences you can have just outside of Alicante, Spain.
The video has amassed over 6.5 million views and it’s easy to see why. She goes on to explain that while visiting her boyfriend’s parents, who live nearby, they took the couple to experience the spectacular Laguna Salada de Torrevieja.
The captivating lake is described as “one of the most unique experiences” thanks to its salt content which allows you to float with zero effort.
What’s more, legend has it that covering yourself from head to toe in mud before swimming offers numerous therapeutic benefits.
Users of the platform are intrigued and keen to visit, taking to the comments to say: “It’s giving rose quartz lake vibes”, “omg so cool” and “We have to go “.
The video does caution, however, that visitors should be “super respectful” and not “swim outside of the designated area which is protected by wooden planks”.
So what exactly gives it that striking colour?
The lake’s distinctive strawberry hue is down to the activity of various microorganisms living within the water.
The two key ingredients are salt bacteria and micro-algae. Both flourish in highly saline conditions and produce natural pigments responsible for the water’s stunning pink appearance.
What are the ‘therapeutic’ benefits of the Laguna Salada de Torrevieja?
This remarkable salt lake and its mud are said to offer a wealth of health benefits. Immersing yourself in this natural spa has been credited with helping to prevent skin and lung conditions, while also deeply exfoliating and nourishing the skin.
It’s reportedly beneficial for those suffering from eczema and may also assist with reducing inflammation and easing pain. Those with sensitive skin are advised to take care, however, as the high salt content can cause irritation or a mild stinging sensation.
The water’s elevated salt levels also provide the ideal habitat for brine shrimp, making it a prime feeding ground for flamingos. It is, in fact, these very shrimp that are responsible for giving flamingos their iconic pink plumage.
It was an uncapped warm-up game for the Nations Championship tournament which starts with the opening game against Fiji at the Cardiff City Stadium next Saturday before away trips against Argentina and South Africa.
Morgan took over the captaincy at half-time when Lake was taken off.
“I love being back,” said Morgan. “It’s always an honour to be able to put the jersey on and I was chuffed to be back in the field with the boys.
“It was a tough game against a good Barbarians side and it was great to be able to get that win.”
Morgan says he has seen improvements under Tandy since his return.
“It’s been great to be able to watch because you can see how Steve and the coaches want to implement the game,” said Morgan.
“You can see during the Six Nations we’re getting better every game. You could see the identity we were trying to bring through.
“You always want to be out in the field, but it was great to be able to watch the boys play and I thought they did a brilliant job.”
Wales have named hooker Dewi Lake as captain for their summer internationals ahead of fit-again flanker Jac Morgan.
Lake led the side for eight Tests in the 2025 autumn series and 2026 Six Nations while Morgan was injured.
The British and Irish Lions flanker captained Wales in the first game of the Steve Tandy era against Argentina but dislocated his left shoulder when scoring a try.
The Gloucester-bound Ospreys have both been named in the squad for the summer internationals, which start against the Barbarians at Allianz Stadium in Twickenham on Saturday.
Lake will be skipper after recovering from a shoulder injury that required an operation after the Six Nations.
The national park’s a hotspot for tourism, but this particular walk felt like, at points, I could have been hiking in a tropical destination, with its bright green rugged cliffs
You don’t need to leave the UK to experience unreal views(Image: Emily Malia)
The more I travel around the UK, the more I am in awe of its natural beauty which seems to be overlooked by a lot of keen travellers, and this particular spot feels like a real slice of paradise.
You don’t need to hop on a plane to experience a sense of the tropics; it turns out you can immerse yourself in the brightest hues of green and walk along waterfalls in the north of Wales. While, of course, Snowdonia National Park is no secret, especially to avid hikers, cyclists and explorers, it was my first time visiting, and this specific route is one that blew me away.
It’s often cited as one of the best hikes in Snowdonia (Eryri). Cadair Idris is an 893-metre mountain in the southern part of the park and is renowned for its wild and rugged scenery. To me, it looked like its surroundings could belong in the likes of Peru or Southeast Asia, with its tropical plants, waterfalls and vibrancy of its green grass.
But of course, like any beautiful place in Wales, it reminded me exactly where I was when I spotted sheep dotted around its cliffs, even on the steepest parts. It looked as though the sheep could fall off the edge of the world, taking me with them, as I fought for hours against the growing pain in my shins, with each step up and up to the peak.
The route
I was taken up the Minffordd Path route, which is described as the shortest yet steepest route to the mountain’s summit, tackling a demanding 10 km walk. Overall it’s set to take up to four to five hours to complete, and in turn you are rewarded with dramatic and captivating views of the national park’s landscape.
The route begins at Dôl Idris car park and takes you past the Cadair Idris visitor centre, which quickly fills up. We were recommended to get there early in the morning to beat the pile-up and were thankful that we did; setting off on our walk at around 8am meant we got to experience the quietness of the route in all of its natural wonder. Albeit, the lie-in would have also been appreciated.
Running parallel along the stream which runs parallel to the stream which leads to Llyn Cau, the lake at the heart of the base of the mountain. It was immediately, when taking on these steep steps along the river, that I felt like I could be abroad.
Not only was the sun shining down on us, but the water was trickling down, with tropical plants growing around us, and it felt as wild and wonderful as the experiences I had in Thailand or the pictures I’ve seen of hikes in Vietnam or Peru.
This continued as we made our way out of the forest area and into the open air, with nothing but pure greenery around us, and the mountain stood proudly ahead. The second phase levels lightly as you enter a rocky amphitheatre, with up-close and personal views of the lake.
Pushing past slate and rocks, many of which are loose and therefore can be difficult to navigate, this section and throughout the walk, requires concentration and care with each step. A quick trip or fall could have you stumbling, and that’s why lots of hikers opt to go armed with sticks to help gain their balance and push them through.
By the time I made it to the top of the mountain, the weather dramatically changed, from sunny to high winds which were extremely cold. It’s this that can catch a lot of amateur hikers out, and I think it’s always best to go armed with windproof and waterproof layers, as they say ‘don’t dress for the car park’.
The real treat after that consistently steep hike upwards is this – the flat walk along the edge of the entire mountain before reaching its penultimate peak. Seeing it all from a circular angle gave you a real treat at each point whenever I decided to stop and take a breath.
Wales is the gift that keeps on giving when it comes to my explorations, and Cadair Idris was no exception to that. If you’re willing to take on the circular route and the real challenge of its steep and unsteady ground, then you will be rewarded with a touch of paradise and views you’ll continue to daydream about.
Aaron Donald has made no public pronouncements that he will remain retired or return to play for the Rams.
But the three-time NFL defensive player of the year and future hall of famer remains a hot topic, and Rams players are aware of the buzz.
“When you have a guy that’s that serious about even considering coming out, it’s like ‘OK, we might have a chance,’” safety Quentin Lake said Monday after the Rams completed an organized-team activity workout.
The possibility of pairing Donald with Garrett — a two-time defensive player of the year — continues to intrigue both in and out of the Rams’ facility.
Like Lake, defensive lineman Kobie Turner insistently cautioned that whatever Donald decides to do or not do was his former teammate’s prerogative.
But the possibilities…
“To just have two historic, if you will, defensive players on that line together,” Turner said of pairing Donald and Garrett, “and to have the rest of us who are trying to build up our reputations, and to build to that level of greatness that they’ve been able to garner, I think that would be cool for L.A.”
Said defensive coordinator Chris Shula: “Would love to have him back — with open arms.”
Shula enters his third season overseeing a defense remade by the March trade for All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie, the signing of cornerback Jaylen Watson and the trade for Garrett.
With or without Donald, the Rams are regarded as a favorite to win Super Bowl LXI, which will be played in February at SoFi Stadium.
But the Rams are not hoisting the Lombardi Trophy just yet, Lake said.
“Some people say if he were to come back, just hand the Lombardi to us on a silver platter — but that’s never the case,” Lake said. “Is he a fantastic player? Yes.
“Are there so many things we could do in terms of pressures and blitzes and all that stuff? Of course. … It would be a fun year, I’ll say that.”
With quarterback Matthew Stafford — the NFL most valuable player — back to lead the offense, and McDuffie and Watson solving the team’s greatest weakness, the Rams already were regarded among the favorites to play in the Super Bowl for the first time since winning Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium in 2022.
Then general manager Les Snead engineered the deal for Garrett, sending edge rusher Jared Verse, a 2027 first-round draft pick and future second- and third-round picks to the Cleveland Browns for a player who has 125½ sacks in nine seasons.
Lake, Turner and Shula lamented losing Verse — “a brother for life,” Turner said — but they have welcomed Garrett.
“You give a great player to get a great player,” Lake said, “and luckily, we’ve got arguably the best defensive player in the NFL. … We’re not asking Myles to do anything but just be himself.”
Last season, Garrett amassed an NFL season record 23 sacks.
Rams defensive end Myles Garrett sits between Rams general manager Les Snead and coach Sean McVay, right, during a news conference on June 2.
(Ric Tapia / For The Times)
“We’re going to let him do what he does best,” Shula said, “and we all know exactly what he does best.”
McDuffie and Watson were part of Kansas City Chiefs teams that played in three consecutive Super Bowls, winning titles in 2023 and 2024. Those teams featured dominating pass rusher Chris Jones, so McDuffie knows how a player such as Garrett enables the defense to “flip the script” and attack offenses.
“You just talk about mentality,” McDuffie said, “and a swag.”
Donald, who has 111 sacks, would certainly add to that.
Not every player in their mid-30s could return and play at a high level after sitting out two seasons.
“I don’t think you do that if you’re a normal person,” Turner said, chuckling. “But A.D.’s not a normal person.”
IF you fancy visiting to Lake Como but can’t face the long airport queues, how about going in the opposite direction?
In the Finger Lakes region of New York State is the quiet village of Hammondsport – and it has been compared to the famous Italian lake.
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Hammondsport village is a tiny destination at the foot of Keuka LakeCredit: AlamyThe Y-shaped Keuka Lake is often compared to Lake Como in ItalyCredit: Jay Faust
Both lakes are a Y-shape, but Keuka Lake is smaller than its Italian alternate – it’s just under 20 miles long with over 60 miles of shoreline.
Meanwhile, Lake Como has a maximum length of 29 miles; however, the shoreline length is a whopping 105 miles.
Keuka Lake is much shallower too at 187 feet at its deepest, while Lake Como has a maximum depth of 1,394 feet.
You can swim in both, as well, but Keuka Lake is considered one of the cleanest and warmest of the Finger Lakes too so it’s ideal if you want to take a dip.
It might even be a better option as visitors can swim in Lake Como, but the water quality differs depending on where you enter the water.
Keuka Lake is surrounded by vineyards, much like Italy and is so pretty that one visitor called it “one of the most beautiful lakes in upstate New York“.
The Finger Lakes itself has around 140 wineries, and near Keuka Lake there’s Bully Hill Vineyards, Heron Hill Winery and Divided Sky Vineyard.
For those who really want to learn more about the wine scene, there’s even a dedicated Keuka Lake Wine Trail.
The lake in the US is considered one of the cleanest and warmest in the Finger LakesCredit: Getty
If you head to the official website, you can pay $45 (£33) and redeem tasting flights at six of the included wineries.
At the very south of Keuka Lake is the small and charming village of Hammondsport.
There’s not too much see with it being a village, but visitors have raved about Verns Bakery, Burgers & Beers, Park Inn restaurant, Crooked Lake Ice Cream Company which is also a 50s-style diner.
Head to Depot Park for views across the water – and this is the spot if you want to hire out your own boat.
Surrounding the lake are rolling fields of vineyardsCredit: Alamy
With multiple boats, you can hire them out for the day from $535 (£398) – split between eight (which is the maximum passengers), that’s just under £50per person.
If you want to stay in Hammondsport, check out Park Inn which has just five suites above its restaurant.
Rates start from $150 (£111) per night (with a two-night minimum stay).
Or there’s the Vine Inn & Carriage Houses which is described as a ‘serene retreat’ and is a 10-minute walk from the lake.
The Park Inn has five suites above its restaurant in the villageCredit: Unknown
If the heat of Italy during the summer is what you’re afraid of missing out on, then rest assured, it will still be just as hot.
In the summertime, the Finger Lakes region can reach temperatures of 28C with it cooling down in the following months.
![The barrier lake adds a new threat to communities devastated by Wednesday’s flash flood [EPA]](https://i0.wp.com/www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/14242831-1787832773.jpg?w=640&ssl=1)
