For those looking to enjoy the city to the fullest, a long weekend is strongly recommended. But even a single overnight would make for a great city break. This Rochester city guide has something for everyone, whether you travel solo or with a full car. 

This article might contain affiliate links. Read the disclaimer about affiliate links & PR gifting here. 
This trip was hosted by Rochester Tourism Board who did not review or approve this story.

What to see & Do in Rochester

A lot of your time can be easily spent exploring Rochester on foot or by bike. Walking around, you will come across a wide range of architectural influences and remnants of the industrial era. Many of these factories have been repurposed into restaurants, distilleries, and cultural centres. 

One of the city’s newest neighbourhoods, the Neighborhood of Play, located around the infamous Strong National Museum of Play, for example, was a road used by Kodak factory workers. Today, it is a vibrant community tastefully inspired by the gleefulness of The Strong Museum. The museum is a year-round cultural attraction, housing the world’s largest collection of toys (from video games to, well, the stick). Make sure to cut through Sesame Street to the Butterfly Garden.

The Strong National Museum of Play, 1 Manhattan Square Dr., map link
Admission: $25+, half price on Friday evening. 

Strong Museum of Play annual pass holders often treat the museum as their local arcade centre. 

The Memorial Art Gallery is located near the Neighborhood of the Arts (NOTA), a good area to stroll through to see some public art. The Memorial Art Gallery spreads across two floors and contains a range of wonderful pieces from the permanent collection and touring exhibitions. The gallery building is enclosed by 10 acres of public gardens with sculptural pieces of various sizes spread around the park. The first sculptures you will likely notice, however, are the cute, round-faced characters by Tom Otterness.

The Memorial Art Gallery, 500 University Ave., map link
Admission: $9+, half price on Thursdays and Second Fridays after 5 PM. 

Further into the city is the world’s oldest photography museum: George Eastman. Founded in 1947 by the creator of the Kodak camera, the first ever consumer-friendly point-and-shoot camera, it is the hub for all things photography and film. The museum was originally Eastman’s home, and parts of it still very much look like it. The Eastman Menison also has spectacular gardens.

George Eastman Museum, 900 East Ave., map link
Admission: $9+, free for children under 4. 

The museum collection includes over 400,000 photographs from 14,000 photographers dating from the beginnings of the medium.  On the left are a few pieces from the museum collection chosen to demonstrate connections between photography, cinema, technology, and culture. On the right are images by Annie Wang, Taipei photographer who took an annual photos with her son for 17 years.

The colourful mini jars are powdered synthetic dye collected by the Technicolor Motion Picture Corporation 1929–1975.

One of the newer cultural additions to the city is ArtisanWorks. The building is a 40,000-square-foot renovated factory that operates as a self-funded, not-for-profit art space. This art collection includes new works by student artists, current contemporary talent, vintage pieces, and memorabilia, rounding up to nearly 500,000 pieces.

ArtisanWorks, 565 Blossom Rd # L, map link
Admission: $10+, free for children under 5. 

A short drive from the city centre will take you to the Record Archive, a massive retail shop and music venue. Time permitting you could spend hours here flipping through vinyl and other music memorabilia, concluding your evening with a live performance in the back room. Much like the rest of the space, this room’s interior design is composed of repurposed furnishings and has a very casual living room feel.

Record Archive, 33 1/3 Rockwood St., map link
Admission: Free. 

For those looking for more family-friendly activities RMSC Museum & Science Center has three floors of interactive science and history-themed exhibits. On the property is also the Strasenburgh Planetarium and 12 miles of forest trails at the Cumming Nature Center. The planetarium occasionally hosts adult dance parties.

RMSC Museum & Science Center, 657 East Ave., map link
Admission: $21+ for museum GA, $11+ for planetarium, $3 for the nature center

Among other free activities in the ROC is, of course, a visit to High Falls, one of the Genesee River waterfalls you can see from Genesee Brew House. A walk across the Pont de Rennes pedestrian bridge, however, will offer a broader view of this 96-foot-tall natural wonder. Lastly, Rochester Public Market and the surrounding district are home to local produce and craft vendors and quite a few other local businesses, including bars, bakeries, and juiceries. 

Rochester bars & Restaurants 

Rochester is a great spot for foodies. Chef Ryan Simpson, from Good Luck restaurant, described the city as “diverse, eclectic, seasonal, casual, communal,” and those words are fully reflective of the city’s food scene. Depending on the length of your visit, you can spend each day restaurant and bar hopping, one neigbourhood at a time, which is how we will approach this Rochester food and beverage guide portion. If your time is limited, short Uber rides will take you anywhere, any time. 

A popular one-stop destination is Radio Social, a large playground with a great bar and dining area leading into a bowling alley and games room. With a terrace, spacious bar, 34 bowling lanes, and plenty of other activities (like shuffleboard and darts) this place is an absolute vibe.

Radio Social (21+), 20 Carlson Rd., map link
Bowling prices: $39.95+, reservations recommended. 

Deeper into the neigbourhood, you will find Jack’s Extra Fancy, a divey Irish bar/restaurant that many locals pointed us to for cocktails. Crossing Blossom Street past Living Roots Co. and Black Button Distilling (more on those later), we head to Park Ave. With old homes converted into restaurants, patios spilling out onto the street lit by twinkly lights, this charming street really comes to life at night. The four restaurants on the street – Leonore’s, Vern’s, Roux, and Dorado – are operated by the same group, serving up different cuisines in uniquely different atmospheres. 

Leonore’s cellar decor is reminiscent of a cave decorated with sharp twine, all of which works in a very cool way. 

Ziggy’s in the market became an instant favourite. The casual atmosphere, talented and friendly bar team, and delicious food drew us back here multiple evenings over the weekend. The cocktail menu is robust with classic, original, and tiki selections to choose from. The bar regulars seemingly gravitate to Genessee beer, which pairs well with bar snacks like chicken wings and the juicy cheeseburger served with tator tots. The two nearby recommendations are Velvet Belly, for seafood and fun cocktails, and Cure, for steak and fries, vibes, and drinks. 

Restaurant Good Luck is tucked away on a residential street not far from the George Eastman Museum. The space is dark and eccentric with exposed brick, copper finishes, and other reprupsoed industrial decor. At the back is a trophy shelf showcasing various bartending competition wins. The rotating seasonal menu is a lineup of world-inspired dishes like Sicilian pizza, red lentil curry, and lamb tagine. A block down you will find Melo Coffee & Kitchen, recommended for a hearty lunch and, of course, coffee. 

Locals Only is another popular spot for breakfast, lunch, or brunch; mimosas optional. While in the area, pop into Ugly Duck Coffee for some of the best coffee in Rochester. In the evening, the place to be in this area is Aqua Vitae, a moody cocktail bar with an impressive backbar selection.

Certain seasonal events will take you Downtown, where a new food court concept is taking shape, Mercantile on Main. Inside is La Bola, a restaurant and bar cooking up dishes with Spanish and Mediterranean influences. In addition to interesting world wines La Bola also has a great selection of speciality cocktails and rotating sangrias. Make sure to leave room for a dessert.

A few dinner courses from La Bola, Rochester.

Breweries, distilleries & An urban winery

Pre-prohibition Rochester had around 50 breweries, but naturally, the liquor regulations took their toll on these businesses. Today, with many of the breweries located within the city core, the brewing history is not lost on Rochester. There are currently eight breweries with the two most talked about being Genesee Brew House and Strangebird Brewing.

Genesee Brew House is the oldest brewery in New York State and one of the largest and oldest continually operating breweries in America. The red brick building overlooking the High Falls is a bar, restaurant, and shop. The Genesee roots run deep through the city’s bars where vintage posters are hung up on the walls. It’s a go-to order for menu locals who ask the barkeep for a Genny (pronounced “Jenny”) as soon as their bottom hits the seat. Make sure to try the Bavarian Pretzel with beer cheese dip. 

Strangebird Brewing is a much newer outpost set in the old mechanic and grocery shop. Strangebird was a popular name in conversations with many local,s regarding it as the best brewery and pizza in the city. On a late weekend afternoon, both the terrace and interior were busy with folks patiently waiting to order their artisanal pints and made-from-scratch food at the counter. And the pizza was delicious.

For those looking for something a little stronger, there are a few local distilleries, like Iron Smoke, where artisanal straight bourbon is made. The more historic stop is Black Button Distilling, Rochester’s first grain-to-glass distillery since prohibition. The business was originally located near the public market but outgrew the space, recently relocating to a bigger space with factory windows welcoming the afternoon sun into the tasting room. Black Button repertoire includes bourbon, gin, vodka, and whiskey, using locally sourced ingredients and sustainable practices.

Diagonally across the street is perhaps Rochester’s most unique beverage experience, Living Roots Wine & Co. This building used to be a stamp factory and today serves as an urban winery and tasting room. Founded by Sebastian and Colleen Hardy, who leaned into their six generations of wine-making history. The company has three outposts: the Rochester tasting room, a vineyard in the Finger Lakes, and a vineyard in Australia. The two vineyards create an interesting dichotomy for wine production (hot and dry climate versus cold and wet).

Some of the processed grapes travel in refrigerated containers from Australia to Upstate New York, and that’s just one of the many innovative techniques “Seb”, the winemaker, uses. “He’s crazy, but in a good way,” our host chuckled, talking about the red resilsing in my tasting flight (yes, you read that correctly). The Living Roots menu includes four tasting flights appealing to different kinds of wine drinkers. My choice for the afternoon, for example, was Off the Beaten Path, inclusive of Session Gold (inspired and, in a sense, made like an IPA), two types of Pet-Nat, and the red Resilsing, aka Rizza. 

The colour in Rizza is achieved by fermenting the 100% Riesling grape juice on Cabernet Franc skins. 

The marinated sheep and goat cheese seen above also comes from Australia. The cheese is so decadent and delicious, I too would like to order it by the barrel. 

Year-round events in Rochester 

Residents of Rochester love to go out, and this reflects in the city’s 140 festivals taking place throughout the year. From the annual Casino Night (May) to the Indie Comics Expo (April) and an actual Sheep Shearing Festival (April), just in spring, there is a lot to choose from. While you can plan your entire Rochester itinerary around eating and drinking, adding an occasional event is a great way to break up this vacation. 

Rochester Fringe Festival (September) was recently named “one of the country’s most prominent multidisciplinary events” by the New York Times, and the variety the event offers certainly supports this statement. The fringe grounds are set up Downtown with full amenities, an outdoor movie theatre, outdoor games, and multiple bars. Last year, the unearthly attraction was Alan Parkinson DAEDALUM – Architects of Air. This immersive blowup structure involved multiple tunnels and sensory experiences, bringing the audience into the art itself. 

Cirque du Fringe: Varieté!, on the other hand, is the classic comedic circus by Las Vegas legends Matt and Heidi Morgan. For this addition, the audience was treated to Argentinian gauchos, trapeze, and a hair hang aerialist, among other performances. Hair hang aerialist performance was certainly jaw-dropping – do not try this at home, kids. The nightly performances also included music showcases, comedy, and theatre but for many, the favourite was Shotspeare, a hilarious take on Shakespeare by a local comedy troupe. Much like the original Shakespeare performances, this showcase was engaging, interactive, and different from night to night.

The DAEDALUM structure feels alive, breathing, and moving around you, following the pace of the people slowly moving through it in amazement. 

The George Eastman Museum also plays a crucial role in the preservation and promotion of film and film history. So naturally, the ROC holds a few film festivals throughout the year, including the Rochester International Film Festival (May), The ImageOut Film & Video Festival (April), The JCC Ames Amzalak Rochester Jewish Film Festival (July), and The Polish Film Festival (fall, TBA).

In May, Rochester’s Highland Park is overcome by visitors for the Annual Lilac Festival (May) to witness, and surely photograph, 1,800 lilac bushes. The festival runs for a week and includes live entertainment, meetups, a farmers market, a parade, and other events. The music theme continues in the Rochester International Jazz Festival (June), a nine-day event bringing to the stage over 1,500 artists. The vinyl collectors will also enjoy the Rochester Record Fair (April), taking place at the Radio Social. 

LGBTQ+ celebrations and community spaces are prevalent in the city year-round, but the main celebration is July Pride. The festivities begin with a Pride Picnic and culminate with the Pride Festival and Pride Parade.

With all that cocktail culture, it is no surprise that the city also hosts a few spirit-forward events. Rochester Cocktail Revival (RCR) is returning for its 12th year in June. Over the course of a week, the festival welcomes bartenders and spirits experts for a series of events, including bar pop-ups, pairing dinners, parties, tastings events, educational seminars, and other celebrations. Rochester Tiki Week (August) is a lesser-known festivity but is top of mind for the local and neighbouring bar community. 

Where to stay in Rochester 

Hampton Inn & Suites Rochester Downtown is the newest hotel in the city located in the new Neigbourhood of Play. The hotel is inspired by the Strong Museum, with colourful decor and abstract art. This full-service property has a pool, gym, and a beautiful on-site restaurant with a fresh and seasonal menu. Read the full review. 

The Strathallan Rochester Hotel & Spa is situated on the other side of town, close to the Memorial Art Gallery and the Eastman Museum. Another full-service property with great dining options, including a rooftop terrace with a great city view. For a more intimate feel Inn on Broadway will offer a boutique experience and unique vintage decor. 

Further out of the city, but within a short driving distance, is the Woodcliff Hotel and Spa. This is a stunning remote resort with a full-service spa and a 9-hole golf course.

Getting to & around Rochester

Rochester is located in Upstate New York, almost directly opposite Toronto across Lake Ontario. Getting here can be quite easy. The drive from Toronto (around the lake) is 3 to 4 hours, depending on the traffic. The drive from New York City is about 6 hours and cuts through the state and the Finger Lakes on the way in. You could easily add a few days in the Upstate Wine Country to this trip.

For the two closest major cities, train is also an option: a bit over 5 hours from Toronto with VIA Rail and about 7 hours from New York with Amtrak. Flying, however, might be a much easier option for visitors in the US. Delta, United, and JetBlue offer direct flights from NYC, American has direct flights from Boston and Southwest from Orlando.

The city is not particularly large and is quite walkable. Your days and evenings can be planned to explore various neighbourhoods on foot, or you can hop across town in an Uber with ease. 

The post Where to play, eat, and stay in Rochester, New York appeared first on Paths to Travel.

This article might contain affiliate links. Read the disclaimer about affiliate links & PR gifting here. 
This trip was hosted by Visit Rochester, which did not review or approve the story.

Visiting Upstate in the fall is a special experience. By mid-October, fall takes hold of the scenery turning it into hundreds of warm shades from green to blushing orange. Here they call it “Leaf peeping”. It is an actual hobby, and for some, a job that consists of keeping track of turning foliage, reports of which you can see on the morning news.

But watching leaves turn is not why I took a train to Finger Lakes. My weekend adventure was focused on the wine route and all that came with it from Rieslings to museums, and the place where Mark Twain met the love of his life.

Tourism in the region is a collaboration across the counties, referred to as the Cross Border Showcase. To say that there is a lot to do is an understatement. But one can only do so much in three days so this adventure took me to three of the bigger towns in the Finger Lakes: Hammondsport, Corning, and Ithaca. Let’s look at them one day at a time.

Stop #1: Hammondsport

One of the notable stops in the Finger Lakes is Dr. Konstantin Frank Vinifera Wine Cellars. Dr. Frank arrived in the States from Ukraine in 1951 with a doctorate in viticulture – the science, production, and study of grapes. I found this bit particularly interesting. Over the years Frank invested his life into understanding grape growing in cold climates. His findings revolutionized the winemaking industry in the United States particularly when it comes to Vinifera grapes. What this tiny bit of history means for you is that this winery offers a unique grape selection that comes together into interesting wines such as Georgian Rkatsitelli and Saperavi.

The winery is situated in a fantastic location overlooking the lake directly from the tasting deck. A wonderful place to spend a couple of hours, eating cheese and drinking wine.

Keuka Lake Vineyards, on the other hand, is an artisanal boutique winery producing dry European-style wines. The winery specializes in premium Rieslings and Vignoles – naturally inspired by the findings of Konstantin Frank. Keuka Lake is a farm winery that focuses on making small-batch vintages consistently rated at 90 in notable wine publications. Having arrived near closing the tasting room was nearly empty. We had just missed the rush, which gave us time and space to taste the full lineup of offerings.

To mix things up our next stop was the Steuben Brewing Company. Being a farm brewery Steuben is required to use 30% local hops. This number grows each year which can only strengthen its position within the community. The tasting room was filled with relaxed visitors sipping Brown Ales and exchanging friendly banter. On weekends the room fills with live music while people line up to get snacks from a food truck outside. This tasting room is by definition a local bar.

In the centre of Hammondsport is a town square where people come to eat, read, drink, and shop. A popular dinner spot is Union Block Italian Bistro – not only because I was told so but because we ran into half of the people we met throughout the day and ended up having drinks with the winemakers at the lower bar where live music sets the mood. The food is farm to table, like most places in the region. Cicchetti, small sharable appetizers, came strongly recommended – choose your own or order the favourites.

Hammondsport is not your typical tourist destination so hotels are sparse which makes a newly built Best Western Plus The Hammondsport Hotel a popular place. Situated at the southern tip of Keuka Lake the hotel is spacious, with surprisingly tall sealing and in addition to the standard amenities also has an indoor pool and outdoor fire pits. I slept like a child and woke up to the rising sun over colourful fall trees. A wonderful way to spend the night.

Stop #2: Corning

Some of you might know Corning as the company that makes glass, which is true. But aside from the glass history, Corning NY is home to a vivid art community, a variety of museums, a healthy food scene, and of course, a few breweries and vineyards.

For over 150 years the wineries of Corning and Southern Finger Lakes have been attracting attention. One of the first wineries in the region was Pleasant Valley Wine Company. Dating back to the 1860s Pleasant Valley was one of the few vineyards that survived prohibition producing sacramental wine. For the normal folks, however, there was concentrated grape juice that came with strict instructions on how ‘not to’ make wine with it. Today Pleasant Valley remains open as a winery and a historic destination.

The two cultural staples in Corning are The Corning Museum of Glass and the Rockwell Museum. Both are located within walking distance of the Historic Gaffer District. At the center of the District is Market Street where you could spend a solid couple of hours shopping, visiting art galleries, and exploring the Chocolate Trail.

Rockwell is an art museum, a Smithsonian Affiliate, and home to a fantastic collection of traditional Western and contemporary Native American art. This year is a 40th anniversary year and to celebrate the occasion Steven and William Ladd curated a special gallery. The Ladd brothers work with beads and the things they make with those beads are simply mind-blowing. Quite a few of those mind-blowing pieces were custom-made for the Rockwell and those alone are worth a visit. The permanent collection features exhibits focusing on “Art About America” and the pieces explore people, land, and ideas about the making of America from cowboys to wonderful portrayals of the Native Americans.

The next few hours of the day were all about exploring the Corning Museum. Admittedly, I had my reservations about prioritizing time out of the trip for a museum of glass but it was undoubtedly worth it. Let’s get one thing out of the way: this is not a museum for plates and glassware, the said glassware and other trinkets can be found at the gift shop but they are not the focus of this space.

The museum showcases 3,500 years of glassmaking history. The newest space is a contemporary art and design wing where you will see large-scale glass pieces like the Cerith Wyn Evans’ talking glass chandelier (Morse Code) and Javier Pérez’ chattered bleeding chandelier. Among other pieces are special works by Mat Collishaw, Beth Lipman, and otherworldly contemporary artists. Throughout the day you can view various glass-making demonstrations and even make a thing or two yourself. I am currently patiently waiting for my glass bead to arrive.

Though it might be hard to pick a favorite room in the Corning Museum mine just might be Blaschka’s collection. The Blaschkas (Leopold and his son Rudolf) produced insanely intricate glass models of soft-bodied undersea creatures that were near “perfectly true to nature” and used at Cornell University for educational purposes in the 1800s.

Stop #3: Ithaca

The landscapes of Ithaca were formed by glaciers over 500 years ago, naturally, the drive across it is absolutely breathtaking. The roads curve through parks, past multiple waterfalls and waterfront parks worthy of a stroll and a picnic. If you spend any time in Ithaca you will notice its friendly and vibrant community.

Much like in most cities across Finger Lakes, Ithaca supports the arts. Driving through the region you will observe a wealth of murals many of which were painted by children and youth. During my very short visit, Ithaca’s Cayuga Waterfront trail was being spray-painted with glow-in-the-dark paint for the Art in Glow festival. The public was invited to help the artists paint dandelions across the trail throughout the day. Children and adults alike were involved in creating art on one of the most publicly used walkways and that’s just one example of community collaboration.

On the other side of that trail is the Ithaca Public Market – a weekend destination for most locals. Here you can buy groceries, new art, taste local wine, beer and ciders, and listen to live music while enjoying lunch over a picnic table. Bring a tote. I left with a couple of bottles of beer, including Liberty Bell Hard Cider from Bellwether Cidery, a new painting, and a black walnut bowl – random, I know!

Just on the outskirts of the city is Six Mile Creek Vineyards. This winery makes limited quantities of wine and spirits from the hard liquor basics, such as gin and vodka, to Limoncello, Grappa, and Amore. The tasting room is a Dutch Colonial Barn with a balcony patio that overlooks a ravine vineyard. Seeing the sunset from this barn is one of my favourite experiences from the weekend.

Much like Corning and Hammondsport, Ithaca serves up a great selection of food. These options are spread across a number of small cafes and restaurants. For the evening we opted for The Rook, a West End restaurant that cooks up a modern take on old favourites such as bacon-wrapped grilled dates, porchetta, fried chicken, and flank steak to name a few. For the morning there is another local favourite, Northstar House. A lovely hip joint with a fan patio and a good soundtrack. In true hearty nature, this breakfast/lunch gets served with grits, biscuits, and gravy.

The post A weekend road trip through the Finger Lakes appeared first on Paths to Travel.

This blog post uses affiliate links denoted by ( * ). Read the disclaimer about affiliate links & PR gifting here. 
This trip was hosted by Visit Rochester, which did not review or approve the story.

To make the most of the weekend a friend and I took Friday off and went on our way to Rochester by train. After a few pleasant hours, we stepped out into a construction zone. “Please excuse the mess, we’re building a new train station” explained our host. Rochester, aka The ROC, comes together through a series of colourful neighbourhoods. East End is the Neighbourhood of the Arts (NOTA), followed by Park Avenue, East & Alexander – all quite close, running into each other and sharing the same lax attitude. In between the pockets of restaurants, bars, and cultural stops the city consists of Victorian houses, Colonial Mansions, and factory buildings converted to other modern uses.

Our home for the weekend was The Strathallan* Rochester, a recently renovated luxury hotel and a popular destination for cuisine and cocktails. The itinerary came together in a pretty simple pattern: start the day at the gallery or a museum and move on to the Rochester beverage trail sprinkled with restaurants and cocktail lounges. Yes, all in Rochester.

Note: The hotel is a member of Hilton so make sure to collect your Hilton Honors Rewards* when visiting.

Day one: From art to cocktails

Starved and worn out from the journey we began our day on Park Avenue, a central mile-long neighbourhood for restaurants, antique dealers, and gift shops. The strip is a popular destination for patio lovers and offers up a surprisingly wide variety of cuisine options from Ramen to Greek. A famous, and as we learned many people’s favourite, destination on the strip is Jines, a Greek-ish place with a fantastic relaxed lunch menu. While my friends opted in for meaty salads I went straight for Spanakopita and let me tell you, there were no regrets. Down the street for an afternoon delight, we got introduced to a new type of ice cream: Abbott’s Frozen Custard – frozen custard. It is all the rage here and it comes in a variety of creamy, delicious flavours.

Across the street from The Strathallan* is the Memorial Art Gallery. A century-old building with a rich history the MAG, often lovingly called the mini-MET, is home to over 50 centuries of art and was at one time a university for women pioneered by the personal sacrifices of Susan B. Anthony (who will soon be on US currency, and it’s about time). The main floor features special exhibitions and a selection of MAG’s historic collection pieces while the second floor is occupied by Music, Mummies, and Monet.

Tip: when you get to Mummies make sure to look at the bottom of the case, it’s a mirror reflecting the painted bottom of the mummy’s sarcophagus.

A brief walk from the gallery, through the Village gate, is the hub of NOTA where you will find more restaurants, patios, and Nox Cocktail Lounge. Nox is a beautiful library-inspired craft cocktail bar where spirit shelves run into the ceiling and can only be reached with a movable leader.

Tip: the names of the cocktails are as good as the cocktails themselves: Bukowaki, Hufflepuff, Daisy Buchanan…

For Friday night dinner we joined the Visit Rochester team at ORBS, a place that originally started as meatballs-only but has seen an expanded menu to accommodate the high demand for other items. But people still come here for the meatballs. All ingredients are local and seasonal, all meats are ground fresh daily and if you need a doggy bag you will get a “ball sack”. The search for a nightcap took us back to The Strathallan: the rooftop cocktail lounge called Hattie’s, with a fantastic 360 view of the city and a fire pit to warm up by!

Day two: From history to craft brews

Being our only full, travel-free day Saturday began early at the Rochester Public Market. If I was to stay in the city longer this market exploration would have ended up with bags full of fresh fruits and a dozen watermelons. But instead, I had a breakfast sandwich that hardly fit into my hand and bacon which was fried to order right in front of me in a tiny family-run walk-up.

Rochester is home to the founder of Kodak, George Eastman, and therefore home to a wealth of photographic and film history. The scope of this coolness, however, didn’t sink in until we visited the George Eastman Museum. The building was Eastman’s 50-room Colonial Revival Mansion. Much of the house has been maintained as Eastman had designed and decorated it and over the years has been expanded to accommodate over 10 galleries and 2 new below-ground floors. These floors now serve as preservation rooms and libraries for hundreds of thousands of images and some epic film collections (including Martin Scorsese’ and more recently Spike Lee’s).

The rest of the day was a brewery hop (which called for its own story) with lunch at the Genesee Brew House and dinner at Ox & Stone, a restaurant set in an 1880s mansion serving Latin-inspired cuisine and [more] craft cocktails. Directly across the street from the Ox is a short strip of bars including The Daily Refresher which maintains its vintage feel across two floors and serves, you guessed it, craft cocktails.

Tip: The ground floor patio has a window by which different food trucks pull up in the evening.

See: Exploring Rochester’s craft breweries and Distilleries for more about the breweries.

Day three: From city brunch to games and butterflies

Every Sunday should start with a hearty breakfast. Ours started with bacon and eggs at sunny and spacious Strath’s Char Steak & Lounge. After taking a break, a nap, and preparing for the road the day, obviously, called for brunch. At this point, it was clear that Rochesterians liked their food with a dash of luxury in between the street meat. A good place to find some of that luxury is The Restaurant at the Armory (TRATA). TRATA is a multilevel restaurant with a ground and rooftop patio, colorful décor, friendly staff, and refined innovative cuisine.

And because everyone has an inner child somewhere under the adult jobs we went to The Strong National Museum of Play. This museum is the largest children’s museum in the country where children get lost in classic life-size story replications and adults get all kinds of nostalgic wandering through the arcade exhibitions and rooms filled with some of history’s most popular and interesting games and toys. There is also a butterfly garden with a ridiculous number of butterflies fluttering around and a few 8-inch moths (contained in a cage because let’s be honest, those things are scary).

In full transparency, it was the promise of craft beer, wine, and cocktails that brought us to Rochester, and regardless of our packed itinerary, we ran out of time to see, do and try things. Needless to say, The ROC proved itself a worthy destination and one I would undoubtedly return to whether it is to update my beer fridge, to get lost in the film archives, or for some of the nicest people I’ve ever seen gathered in one city.

To see the adventure through Instagram look up #XORochester.

In the gear bag:  Panasonic DMCG7WK 16 Digital Camera. More photos on Flickr. To see more photos from the visitors of Rochester look up #VisitROC.

The post A guide to losing yourself for a weekend in Rochester appeared first on Paths to Travel.

Our brief weekend itinerary was built around 3 breweries and 2 distilleries all of which have made my journey home a few bottles of beer heavier. Yes, I shopped. Unlike the Ontario craft beer market Rochester brewers are not as driven by the hoppy trend, the ROC continuously experiments with recipes and selections brewing up some interesting flavours like Chocolate Vanilla Porters and Blueberry Ales.

This article might contain affiliate links. Read the disclaimer about affiliate links & PR gifting here. 
This trip was hosted by Visit Rochester, which did not review or approve the story.

Genesee Brew House: a large warehouse space transformed into a 9,200 square-foot featuring interactive exhibits in the main store area, a tasting room overlooking the on-site brewery, a large restaurant, and a fantastic rooftop patio with a view of High Falls.

Tip: you absolutely have to try the pretzels at the restaurant, words can’t describe those.

Beer favorites: Genesee Cream Ale and Scotch Ale from the Pilot Batch Series.

ROC Brewing: a much younger microbrewery located in the heart of downtown. The younger character of the brand and the modern architecture of the tasting room attract a similarly fun audience to their location. The beer selection is inspired by German recipes, the flavors are simple and rich with super fun names.

Beer favourites: The Ugly Sweater, an English old ale with a complex caramel malt bill

Rohrbach Beer Hall: Rochester’s original craft beer is located in a factory-style building near the city’s Public Market. This brewery is a little more spacious with an on-site restaurant and occasional live entertainment. The beer selection is also quite fun: Vanilla Porters, Scotch Ales, and seasonal locals like Red Wing Red Ale. There is also a new line of beers called Neoteric Series 1.0 with a small lineup of beers like Space Kitty IPA and Penelope Imperial Pilsner. All beers are freshly brewed, canned, and bottled on-site. If you come in for a pint or to re-fill your jar the beer comes directly from the well in which it was cultivated. The case for almost all breweries in Rochester.

Beer favourites: The Blueberry Ale – that subtle hint of blueberry is very refreshing!

Black Button Distilling: located next door to Rohrbach, Black Button is a smaller, calmer space. We got to tour the distillery with the founder and owner Jason Barrett. Jason was nice enough to briefly share the distillery’s story with us before encouraging me to try some overproof samples from the ‘work in progress’ jars. The story goes like this: Barrett’s family made buttons for four generations but Jason turned out to be colour-blind so the joke was that if he were to carry on the family business he’d have to make black buttons only. Realizing buttons were not his thing in more than one way Barrett went on to open a distillery. Black Button is now a staple in the Rochester craft spirits market.

While paying homage to the classic spirits Black Button keeps on reinventing its flavours, pointing out that no one wants to “be smacked in the face with a Christmas tree”. Their Citrus Forward Gin, for example, is built on subtle notes of juniper with orange zest and has been named “The official gin of summer” by the American Craft Spirits Association. The barrels from the liquors get passed on to other uses such as aging Maple Syrup.

Favourites: Bespoke Bourbon Cream and the previously mentioned Citrus Forward Gin.

Apple Country Spirits (ACS): a half-an-hour drive out of the city into the countryside Apple Country is a farm distillery that produces gluten-free spirits and ciders. The apples (and other fruits) are grown nearby, pressed, fermented, and bottled on-site. All ciders are made with real fruit juice, no artificial substitutes, which makes for crisp and refreshing flavours. Even the vodkas are infused with real fruit flavour, the Pear Vodka for example is dangerously tasty and even smells like fresh fruit.

Favourites: Pear Vodka, Sour Cherry Cordial, and Original Rootstock Cider (though all ciders are pretty fantastic).

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For more information and to plan your own road trip visit Rochester Craft Beverage Trail.

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