BIRTHDAY WEEK IN ROCHESTER NY (DAYS 1 AND 2)

 

Hello!

I wanted to share some pics and stories from the first couple days of the trip that I took to New York State with my lovely boyfriend and his mother. My boyfriend and his family are from Rochester, so they try to get up to visit as much as they can. 

Rochester is an unlikely vacation destination, (as my boyfriend's mom likes to joke, 'no one vacations in Rochester on purpose') but I've grown to really love this off-beat city nestled on the Genesee river. There is a lot of natural beauty in the state parks and lake-beaches in the surrounding area, and a lot of character in the different neighborhoods and in the people who reside in them. 

This was my third trip to the city with my partner, but the first I took with his mom, who spent her whole life in the are, up until about 2005. We drove the 12 hours up from Raleigh in one day, stopping infrequently and relying mostly on satellite radio for entertainment. We stayed with his grandparents, who have two big orange cats in a small house on the city's edge. 

Our first full day in NY state was spent driving around, as his mom gave me the tour of all of her memories. She showed me all of the places she had lived, all of the jobs she had, the bike route that she would take alone in the 80s to visit her first boyfriend, and the now-abandoned restaurant overlooking the river where she had her wedding. We got coffee on Gregory street and visited a record store, as well as an adorable vintage shop called 'Little Shop of Hoarders' where I got a great pair of linen trousers and a black and white patterned shirt.

Overgrown old wedding location

The next day, we visited Genesee Country Village and Museum, in Mumford NY. This colonial Williamsburg style attraction featured historic houses that had been uprooted from various parts of the state and planted into a village setup, complete with employees in historical dress who told us about the area's history. There were farm animals and an indoor museum display as well, but I was looking forward to the Victorian houses the most. 

The first was an Octagon house from 1870, painted in a beautiful green color. I think this house trend is so interesting and beautiful, although pretty impractical for everyday life. The upstairs of this house was closed, but we got to see the parlors and the house's kitchen.

The second house was a classic Italian-style Victorian that reminded me of the Addams family house. It was painted in light brown with dark brown trim, built in 1870 as well. The interior of this house stole my heart with its rich color palette of gold and green and its beautiful details. I was really jealous that I couldn't live in this one. 

After touring the rest of the grounds in the sweltering summer heat, we headed back to Rochester to cool down and get coffee. After some rest, we headed out to the Rochester staple store, Record Archive get in some more retail therapy. I was looking for a Cramps record or the box set of Tales from the Crypt, which I had no luck finding. However, I did pick up three of the Super7 Universal monster masks that I had been eyeing for months, as an early bday present to myself. I got Frankenstein and his bride plus Creature from the Black Lagoon, but I'm still looking for Wolfman. I also got a vintage 'Halloween' tee that I've worn every night without fail since. 

Finally, we went to pick up Carbone's Pizza, which is a family favorite, and headed over to the house of some cousins to end the night.

There are few feelings that I love more than experiencing something through the eyes of someone who knows and loves it. I cherish the fact that I get to be in on the family secrets that make Rochester so special, and that I can be a part of making new ones that we'll tell our children someday. It was a great couple of days full of beauty, good company, and great treats. I'll fill you in on the rest of the trip soon.

 

Until then... unpleasant dreams!

-Celina Carra