Vacation in Rochester, New York!

We spent the week in Rochester, New York. We have only been back for a matter of hours, but I really want to get my weekend post up. My brain is still swimming with all that we did. It was a very big adventure for our family. We are strongly considering moving to Rochester in the next year, if my husband can get a federal government job there. This trip was part vacation, part research and part visiting family that lives in the area. It was a tremendous undertaking for us to travel 11+ hours from our home, while managing a family filled with special needs, including taking the 75+ pound dog, Grandma and one teen boy who is relatively devastated by the idea of moving. However, we made it and there was lots of fun along the way. So this is going to just be a snapshot post of our adventure.

Hamlin Beach ~ Lake Ontario

We were not able to see Canada, but it is on the other side of Lake Ontario. What a gorgeous place!

Lake Ontario (Hamlin Beach)

Running like the wind...

Garbage Plate with White Hots (a Rochester Food Tradition)

It was actually good. There was enough food in one serving to feed an army (lol). The kids weren't brave enough to try it. 

Niagara Falls and the Cave of the Winds

Amazing, stunning, humbling! Niagara Falls is not to be missed and is only a little over an hour from Rochester. We went on the walking trail called the Cave of the Winds that winds through the falls. Anne, Dean and I braved the hurricane deck and were pelted by 60 mile an hour winds and droplets of water that hurt a bit. We got drenched and it was awesome!

George Eastman's Home

Since we are a family of photographers, we had to see George Eastman's home and photography museum. He is the Father of Amateur Photography, bringing cameras and photography to the common person. Some members of our family have worked their whole lives at Kodak. My uncle is still an engineer with what is left of Kodak. I hope Kodak survives and rises again to glory. It was a lovely combination of photography galleries and how his home looked at the time of his death in 1932. 

High Falls 

Did you know there are falls right in the center of downtown Rochester? We were a little worried about losing the beauty of the mountains if we move to Rochester. It looks like the beauty we will lose of the mountains will be replaced by so many water features. 

Genesse Country Village and Museum

Wow! This is where I want to work when the kids grow up! This living museum has 68 historic buildings to investigate. There are costumed interpreters all throughout the village. This was fantastic!

Neighborhoods

One of our missions was to check out the many varying neighborhoods in Rochester. We wanted to see the difference between city living and village living. We will have to research more and digest all that we saw. It made the possibility of moving much more real in our minds. Would we prefer  the heart of the city or a village on the Erie canal with in 20 minutes? Choices...choices. 

Only God knows what the future holds...

Blessings, Dawn