It\u2019s been way too long since I have put one of these together! Yes \u2013 we are just starting to think about what we will be doing for vacation this year<\/span><\/em> \u2013 and I have yet to get this one posted! The kids are involved in more activities \u2013 and I am spending a LOT more time just carting them around! <\/p>\n So we finally had a proper vacation this summer \u2013 and although we didn\u2019t do quite as much as I was hoping \u2013 we did manage to get out, do some things & have some fun!<\/p>\n My idea was to do a couple of loops covering a bunch of places in upstate New York. We have a post of 111 Things to Do in the Adirondacks & Upstate New York<\/a> & I asked everyone in the family to go to that post and pick out 5 things\/places they wanted to do\/go. No guarantee we were going to get to everything \u2013 but I wanted to include at least one thing that each member of the family really wanted to do. <\/p>\n Yes, it was ambitious, yes, we had to stay a different place almost every night, and yes, some people did get a little cranky and tired! Here is what we did:<\/p>\n After eating at the food court in the Destiny USA mall we headed up to Oswego and stayed there for the night. My mother attended went to college up @ Oswego \u2013 so we wanted to take a look at the place, since it was relatively on our way. And, soon the kids will have to think about college \u2013 and it\u2019s never too early for them to start to see what colleges look like! You will see that our vacation could easily be confused with a upstate New York college tour!<\/p>\n We started our day by touring the college. It has been some years since my mother attended \u2013 but she remembered the name of the residence hall she stayed at (Johnson Hall) \u2013 and so finding that was one of our primary objectives. Well, not surprisingly, things have not stood still at the college! It took us a lot of walking and questioning a couple of helpful folks to identify Johnson Hall \u2013 but we eventually did. It is a pretty campus \u2013 that is RIGHT ON the shores of Lake Ontario. We also visited the bookstore and picked up some logoed merchandise for Mimi (my mother).<\/p>\n This was one of Dominick\u2019s picks for our trip. The construction at this place was unbelievable! It looks like they are nearly doubling the size of this museum! They are adding 90,000 square feet of space which will house state-of-the-art guest amenities and a 24,000-square-foot interactive gallery. It is slated to open in 2023. For more information on the expansion \u2013 check out the link here<\/a>. <\/p>\n This was not cheap! We were fortunate to find parking on the street. We had allotted about 4 hours for this stop \u2013 so we only purchased admission to the museum. It cost me about $120 for the family (about $20\/each) <\/p>\n We did have a good time here. There was really something for everyone! It was neat to show the kids some of the toys Melani and I each played with as kids. It was nostalgic for us \u2013 and interesting for the kids. There were also neat activities we could engage in. One of our favorites was the \u201cperspective\u201d rooms. The slanted room was surprising challenging to walk through without using the handrail or walls! The other room really distorts your sense of perspective of height. Yes \u2013 Dominick is growing a little \u2013 but he is still not taller than Melani!<\/p>\n We have been to Niagara Falls not too long ago (2019 \u2013 right before the whole Global Pandemic thing\u2026See our post here<\/a>) But we have never really explored the New York side. Well, that is what we did this year! <\/p>\n I was excited \u2013 because I knew that the Maid of the Mist<\/a> had replaced their 2 boats with new electric boats. Gracie & Dominick had been on these within the past year with church youth group \u2013 but we had not done it as a family. The electric boats really are an improvement on whole approaching the falls experience. It is really neat to almost magically glide towards the falls \u2013 in all their wet splendor \u2013 without the diesel smell and all the vibration of the diesel motors. The boats were very clean and we really enjoyed the entire experience. <\/p>\n We parked right on Goat Island<\/a> (lot 3) and walked to both the Maid of the Mist and to the outlooks over the falls. After dismissing the US side of the falls Niagara Falls for so many years \u2013 I was genuinely surprised at how much more I enjoyed the US side than I had imagined. I would definitely do this again! We spent the entire day @ Niagara Falls. It was a great day of enjoying nature, the iconic falls, some hiking and a little shopping in the town. <\/p>\n This was one of the places that I chose for our vacation this year. I am actually quite embarrassed that I have lived in upstate New York my entire life, driven out to Saint Bonaventure many times and STILL never stopped @ Letchworth State Park until this vacation! Some call it the Grand Canyon of the east. some don\u2019t call it that. I just call it beautiful! <\/p>\n It was a hot and muggy day when were at Letchworth State Park. We, apparently, didn\u2019t do enough due diligence prior to our visit \u2013 because I had expected it to be a much more challenging hike than it was. We entered at the Portageville entrance on the south westerner side of the park. It is not a very grand entrance \u2013 and we found the signage a little sparse. We drove along the road for a bit and parked in one of the first parking lots we can too \u2013 next to some steel scaffolding\/tower. Ends up \u2013 it was the right place to park! After just a brief \u2013 but steep walk down some stone steps \u2013 we arrived at the spectacular Upper Falls! This was even more picturesque than I had expected! You will see pictures of the falls with both the older bridge and the new bridge. The old bridge was very square and chunky \u2013 while the new railroad bridge is a spanning arch bridge that is way more sleek & visually appealing. The bridge was redone in 2017 and you can read more about that project here<\/a>. <\/p>\n We walked to the middle falls \u2013 and I would characterize it as just that \u2013 an enjoyable walk, or maybe even a stroll in the park. There are well developed trails and roads between the upper and middle falls. It is nothing like a firetower challenge in the Adirondacks! I would definitely stop here again \u2013 especially cognizant of the fact that it could be a quick stop \u2013 or a more lengthy stop. I was very impressed with how lush the canyon was. The only complaint I really have \u2013 is it just wasn\u2019t particularly easy to find the kind of accommodations we were looking for a family or 6.<\/p>\n As I said \u2013 kind of a theme, or at least sub-theme, of this vacation! We didn\u2019t spend as much time @ Geneseo as we did at Oswego \u2013 but Geneseo has a nice-looking campus! I have a sister-in-law who attended here \u2013 so we felt obligated to at least check it out! <\/p>\n Before we left for Saint Bonaventure we took a little while to visit the museum and dam at the top of the park. It was interesting \u2013 and convenient \u2013 since our accommodations were near the top of the park. Nothing spectacular \u2013 but interesting.<\/p>\n This is another upstate university that I attended, back in the day. This was the final stop of our first loop \u2013 before we returned home for a couple of nights and beginning our second loop. I focused on showing the kids & Melani the buildings and places that I recognized and were present when I attended Saint Bonaventure. There were quite a few new buildings!<\/p>\n Yes \u2013 we actually stopped here again \u2013 since it was right on our way to the Thousand Islands area. It\u2019s a big mall \u2013 so there were things they didn\u2019t get to do last week that they wanted to still do.<\/p>\n We did the Two Nations tour with USA Boat Tours<\/a> to see the Saint Lawrence area from the water. It was interesting and fun \u2013 but after having just been on the electric boats @ Niagara Falls (Maid of the Mist<\/a>) \u2013 the gas\/diesel boats here were not as enjoyable or clean.<\/p>\n Boldt Castle<\/a> was another pick of mine for this vacation. Again, sad to say that I have never been there before. In some ways that may not be bad \u2013 in that much of the restoration of this place has just been accomplished relatively recently. The story of Boldt Castle is a fascinating & tragic love story. This man (George Boldt<\/a>) built this castle for his beloved wife \u2013 and they never even got to live there. It wasn\u2019t even finished \u2013 because she did about half-way through the construction \u2013 and he couldn\u2019t bear to finish it once his wife passed away. This is a self-guided tour (app on your phone<\/a>) We enjoyed this. They are completing more rooms all the time. Most of the first floor is now completed. If we did this again \u2013 I would skip the yacht house.<\/p>\n We do love the Adirondacks \u2013 so if it is close \u2013 we are stopping in to do something! Gracie wanted to go ziplining and I wanted to do a Fire Tower Challenge hike. We\u2019ve been to the Lake Placid area before \u2013 but hadn\u2019t spent much time at nearby Saranac Lake. So that is where we picked as a stopping point. <\/p>\n We stayed in the Saranac Lake Hotel \u2013 which was nice \u2013 but we weren\u2019t in the main hotel \u2013 since we wanted a suite for our family of 6. Instead \u2013 we were in what were probably dorms that had been renovated that were located in the lot adjacent to the main hotel. They were done nicely, for sure, but I think we would have preferred to be in the main hotel building. The hotel building was formerly owned by the Paul Smith\u2019s College<\/a>, and the suite we stayed in were probably the dorms for the students involved with the hospitality school.<\/p>\n We used the same company for the ziplining as we did for the ropes course last year \u2013 Experience Outdoors<\/a>. They do a great job for a fair price! Since the smaller ones don\u2019t want to participate in some of the adventures we take on \u2013 one of us adults usually has to stay with them. Last year I was the ground-bound adult and Melani did the ropes course (Adventure Update # 059: Sophie\u2019s Lotion-Potion #5!<\/a>). This year, she was ground-bound and I did the ziplining. The experience was both exhilarating & fun! <\/p>\n I learned in my past travels that the pace can\u2019t always be 100% \u2013 so on this trip we tried to slow it down a little at the end and the last 2 stops were both 2 night stays. <\/p>\n Finding a place to stay in Inlet was not particularly easy for a family of 6. We stayed at the Mariana Motel \u2013 which was an old-style one floor, you-park-right-in-front-of-your-room motel. Inlet seems to be in high demand in August \u2013 so we were only able to get one room. The proprietors were very accommodating, and the place was clean and centrally located. Inlet is just a beautiful little town with everything you could want in a little adventure town in the Adirondacks!<\/p>\n Last time we passed through the Adirondacks we saw the rail bikes (Adirondack Scenic Railbike<\/a>) \u2013 but couldn\u2019t get a time slot that fit our schedule. This was another one of my picks. We had to get 2 4 person bikes to accommodate our family. This was a little more demanding and rougher riding than I expected. OK \u2013 I was riding with kids \u2013 that were sometimes carrying their share of the load, and other times they were not<\/span><\/em><\/strong>. This was a lot of fun and we did get some good exercise! It was nice to do something all together \u2013 because for the last few days adventures (ziplining, Firetower hike) it was just me and Gracie & Dominick. <\/p>\n For the rest of our time in Inlet \u2013 we just enjoyed the little village and made a 8 mile trip south to Old Forge to see the old-time Old Forge Hardware Store<\/a>. It is very big with a lot of different sections. Think of this more as a DEPARTMENT store as opposed to just a hardware store. You could easily spend an hour in here, if you are so inclined. I actually preferred the ACE Hardware store back in Inlet. It is smaller \u2013 but had both items that you would expect to find in a hardware store \u2013 as well as a souvenir shop. It is right next to the Kalil\u2019s Grocery Store \u2013 which is also a throwback to simpler times \/ the old days\u2026.<\/p>\n So we didn\u2019t get everything done<\/strong> that I had hoped for on this summer vacation. Things happen, kids have things to do, you get busy\u2026. I was hoping to get over to Cooperstown as well \u2013 but couldn\u2019t find a place for us to stay. So one day in October we made a day trip out to Cooperstown. It had been a LooOoong time since we had been out there \u2013 and I don\u2019t think we had any kids at the time. We wanted to go to the Farmers\u2019 Museum and just experience the town. <\/p>\n It was a really good day trip \u2013 on a beautiful Autumn weekend! <\/p>\n Sincerely,<\/p>\nSummer Vacation<\/h2>\n
First Loop! The Western Loop<\/h3>\n
Day 1) <\/h3>\n
Syracuse University<\/h4>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theparenthoodadventures.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Kids-SU-Lincoln-2022-min.jpg?resize=666%2C1024&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\n\n
Destiny USA Mall<\/h4>\n
\n
Day 2)<\/h3>\n
Oswego \u2013 State University of New York @ Oswego<\/h4>\n
Strong Museum of Play (Rochester)<\/h3>\n
Day 3)<\/h3>\n
Niagara Falls (New York side)<\/h4>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theparenthoodadventures.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Kids-Tesla-Niagara-Falls-NY-2022-min.jpg?resize=850%2C768&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theparenthoodadventures.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Maid-of-the-Mist-2022-min.jpg?resize=850%2C836&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theparenthoodadventures.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Gracie-Maid-of-the-Mist-2022-min.jpg?resize=850%2C637&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theparenthoodadventures.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Kids-Goat-Island-850px-min.jpg?resize=850%2C637&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\nDay 4)<\/h3>\n
Letchworth State Park<\/h4>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theparenthoodadventures.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Annie-Letchworth-Park-2-2022-850px-min.jpg?resize=850%2C637&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theparenthoodadventures.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Kids-Letchworth-State-Park-August-2022-min.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\nState University of New York @ Geneseo<\/h4>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theparenthoodadventures.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Geneseo-2-850px-min.jpg?resize=640%2C480&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theparenthoodadventures.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Geneseo-3-850-px-min.jpg?resize=480%2C640&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theparenthoodadventures.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Geneseo-1-850px-min.jpg?resize=640%2C480&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\nDay 5)<\/h3>\n
Dam @ Letchworth State Park<\/h4>\n
Saint Bonaventure University<\/h4>\n
\nSecond Loop! The Northern Loop \u2013 2 days later!<\/h3>\n
Day 6)<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theparenthoodadventures.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/20220807_155313.jpg?resize=640%2C480&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\nDestiny USA Mall<\/h4>\n
Day 7)<\/h3>\n
\nSaint Lawrence & Boldt Castle <\/h2>\n
Days 8 & 9)<\/h3>\n
Saranac Lake (Adirondacks)<\/h4>\n
Days 10 & 11)<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theparenthoodadventures.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Sophie-Inlet-Grocery-Store-Cropped-min.jpg?resize=800%2C520&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theparenthoodadventures.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Inlet-Ice-Cream-min.jpg?resize=763%2C319&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\n
\nCooperstown<\/h2>\n
![\"Chip\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theparenthoodadventures.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/imageedit_30_3807563035-1.png?resize=129%2C111&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\nLike this:<\/h3>\n