Travel Diaries: Local NY

Hey friends! I’m so excited to take you on a tour of our camping this summer, and share with you some of our treasures here in the beautiful state of NY. If you’re ever planning a trip to the Greater Rochester area, or even Buffalo, below are some of the places I’d highly recommend as a local. Or maybe you’ve lived here all your life but will find a new favorite!

As I put this post together, I realized how blessed we were to be able to go out and about so much this summer. And what a privilege to have so many unique and fun destinations near to where we live! I’m so glad you’re along for this tour of my summer.

Canandaigua Lake

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Canandaigua Lake is a gem set in the Finger Lakes region of New York. The region is rich with lush rolling hills and sparkling lakes.

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Downtown Canandaigua is such a fun place to walk the main street and enjoy the shops. You’ll find boutiques, a used book shop, and a unique toy store. The perfect stroll for a leisurely afternoon!

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If you want a delicious restaurant to enjoy while you’re in the Canandaigua area, I’d highly recommend Simply Crepes. The food is amazing (they serve more than just crepes but in my humble opinion, you can’t do better than a chicken cordon bleu crepe), not to mention how cute the restaurant is.

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I’m sure that there is so much more to Canandaigua, but we were there for an afternoon so we stayed near to the downtown area. Kershaw Park is right on the lake, with a nice walking path, a beautiful gazebo, a pier, beach areas, and picnic tables. The Canandaigua Lady cruise boat also leaves from the park.

Four Mile Creek State Park, Niagara Falls, & Lewiston

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We camped at Four Mile Creek State Park, set on Lake Ontario with views of Toronto in the distance on a clear day. The main attraction is not the state park itself, but the many nearby historical and geographical wonders, including Niagara Falls.

Old Fort Niagara is a short drive away, and you’ll feel like you literally went back 300 years in history. As a bit of a history nerd, I loved it (except for the cannon firing demonstration, but that’s a story for another day). While we haven’t done this recently, it was such a neat homeschool field trip when we went back in the day!

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A visit to Whirlpool State Park will allow you to see the mighty Niagara River, churning turquoise and white below. This is one of our favorite places to picnic in the area. And you might just get to see a cable car carrying tourists across from one side of the river to the other. No, thank you!

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We’ve found it easiest to park on Goat Island (parking is free if you’re camping at another state park). Although you can buy food and water, it is pretty overpriced so bring your own if possible. The walk from one end of the falls area to the other is not super long, and you’ll get to see pretty much everything.

One thing that is 100% worth doing is the Maid of the Mist. (Tip: Head for the railing as soon as you board the boat, otherwise your view will probably be blocked by others!) It is quite impressive to be down on the river, going so close to the falls that the power from the rush of water literally takes your breath away and the spray just soaks you. At the end, you also have the opportunity to climb near to American falls.

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Even if you don’t end up going on the Maid of the Mist, I’d highly recommend buying the tickets for access to the observation deck. What a view! We’ve never done Cave of the Winds, but it looks like a neat experience as well.

Oh, and be sure to visit at night. The falls are colorfully lit and if you hit it just right, you’ll see the nightly firework display during the summer.

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Lewiston is a little town nearby, and there’s a beautiful waterside park along the river. There’s a lot of restaurants along the Main street and not much shopping, but if you like antiques, you should stop at the antique store that’s in an old historic inn that General Lafayette once stayed the night at.

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Letchworth State Park & Mount Morris

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Letchworth State Park is home to what we call “The Gorge,” where the Genesee River cuts through a canyon and tumbles over rock in three beautiful waterfalls. It’s also been dubbed “The Grand Canyon of the East.” And it is stunning! (Especially in the autumn when the leaves are turning.)

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The campground itself offers many good-sized campsites and there is a cabin area, as well as a playground and camp store. The whole park abounds in hiking trails. Our favorite is to hike the falls trails. Steps lead to a stone bridge from which you can view the lower falls, and then upper and middle falls are both accessible from the same parking area. There’s a train bridge that spans Upper Falls, and you can walk up the stone steps leading to its trestles. It’s such a neat experience to look up as a train thunders over your head! Middle falls much more easily viewed since there’s little walking/stairs needed to get a view there.

Every day that the weather is favorable, around 6 a.m. and 6 p.m., there’s a hot air balloon launch. If you want to pay a crazy price for a ticket, you can go up in one. But we just stayed on the ground and watched the whole process of the launch. The balloons start on their sides, and are slowly blown up by huge generators. Then the flames are lit, and whooshes of gas inflate the balloons until they stand side by side, ready to go up. They are just massive, and so beautiful against the blue sky. Even though we’ve gone to Letchworth many times, this was the first year we went to see a launch, and I’d definitely make time for it again!

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The William Pryor Letchworth Museum is located in the park as well, and definitely worth a visit for any history buffs. It gives the history of the area through displays and artifacts. Nearby is the Mary Jemison Statue and a replica of a Seneca Council House and pioneer cabin.

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The picturesque little town of Mount Morris is not far from the state park, and it is an antiquer’s dream! Main street is lined with antique shops full of treasures. We stopped at Zeppo’s Ice Cream Parlor for a home-churned treat, and I am serious when I tell you that was the creamiest, richest, most delicious vanilla milkshake I have ever had in my life. Just thought you might want to know. Plus you’ll love the retro vibes!

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Another fun visit in Mount Morris is the Lamplighter Ministries Publishing house and bookstore. If you call ahead, you can get a tour of their bookbindery. Lamplighter started with the mission of reprinting old treasures of books that were no longer published, and their ministry has expanded to recording audio dramas, a week of special training for those interested in various arts, and a school of theology.

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From Letchworth State Park, you can see the Mount Morris Dam, which keeps the city of Rochester from flooding as it periodically used to do long ago. And what’s really neat is that you can take a tour that goes inside the dam. At one point, they turn out all the lights and you experience what “darkness you can feel” is like. You literally cannot see the hand in front of your face. You can buy tickets online or in the morning at the nearby Visitor’s Center.

Darien Lake Area

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For the past several years, our family has rented a small private cabin set back in the woods near Darien Lake, NY. Although there is a good-sized amusement park nearby, we prefer to spend our time kayaking, fishing, and relaxing. Some of my personal favorite things are the walks we take along the gravel road in the morning and evening, bordered by fields and woods.

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We do usually make a couple of excursions out though. One of our favorite places to visit is Marilla Country Store. Walking inside is like stepping back in history to a small-town general store! The atmosphere is old-fashioned and cozy, and you can browse room upon room of beautiful things.

Not too far from Marilla is East Aurora and Vidlers 5 & 10 store. Heads up that everything there is overpriced, but it’s still a fun experience for sure. And be sure to stop at the Pink Cow Ice Cream stand in Alden on your way home!

The city of Batavia is relatively close to Darien, and another fun (and delicious) tradition we have is to get pizza and wings at Main St. Pizza Company. With tasty food and a family-friendly atmosphere, this would be worth the trip even coming from closer to the immediate Rochester area.

Lakeside Beach State Park & Lyndonville

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Tucked away between apple orchards and country roads, on the shores of Lake Ontario, quiet Lakeside Beach State Park is a beautiful and relaxing place to camp. There is nothing more peaceful than sitting by the campfire and watching sailboats out on the lake. It’s about an hour from Rochester, and a little farther than Hamlin Beach State Park, which has actual swimming beaches with lifeguards if that is more your thing.

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It’s also in the heart of upstate Amish country, so we always love to visit a couple of the Amish-run stores in nearby Lyndonville and Medina. Miller’s Bulk Food and Bakery is filled with delicious baked goods, fresh deli meat, and bulk groceries that are difficult to find elsewhere. And nearby Miller’s General Store is also a fun stop.

Circle R is a large farmstand that is literally just down the road from the state park. It offers all sorts of fresh produce throughout the summer, and is a great place to also enjoy some ice cream in the evening before heading back for a campfire.

Oak Orchard Lighthouse Museum and State Marine Park stands on a pebbly beach with a marina alongside. You can walk the narrow pier in the wind, watch the fishing boats head out to the lake, visit the museum (if it’s open), or sit on a piece of driftwood to look out over the lake.

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Thanks so much for coming along with me as I shared just some of my favorite places here in upstate NY. If you live around here, what would you recommend a visit to? And if you’ve ever visited, did you get to enjoy any of these special spots? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!