Discover laid-back paddling in the still waters of New York's Finger Lakes.

Upstate New York is not much on the radar of globe-trotting kayakers these days, but it's a prime spot for chilled-out paddling in an area steeped in history and rich with lakes, rivers...and wine.

In a triangular area between Syracuse, Rochester and Elmira-Corning, New York lie the Finger Lakes, 11 water bodies ranging up to 40 miles in length. The historic Erie Canal also runs through the Fingler Lakes region, from Syracuse to Rochester, and much of it can be kayaked. The area's also known as the Wine Country of New York, home to more than 100 wineries.

We got these photos of area adventures from a newly opened local shop called Fuzzy Guppies: Human Powered Watercrafts. Theye do rentals and retail in Waterloo, a village between the northern tips of the two largest Finger Lakes, Seneca Lake and Cayuga Lake.

Fuzzy Guppies opened last April. They're located in the Waterloo Harbor Campground on the banks of the Seneca-Cayuga River, which is part of the original Erie Canal System with four locks to explore nearby.

Aside from a wide array of recreational kayaks, the shop is home to an oddity called the Hamster Ball, a see-through 7-foot-diameter ball in which you can run on top of the water.

"The ball has been a hit this summer and is now part of some of our weekend packages that we offer (kayaking and camping). We have a lot of fun up here in Waterloo," says Justin Hausner, owner of Fuzzy Guppies along with is father, Norbert.

The fun will ramp up next summer as Fuzzy Guppies is planning to host the 1st Annual Finger Lakes Paddle Festival.

For more info about paddling the Finger Lakes:

Fuzzy Guppies
Take a Paddle guidebook
Finger Lakes Tourism

Photos by Fuzzy Guppies: Human Powered Watercrafts.