knile

Get the sangria!

They were a bit short-staffed, but provided fantastic service all the same. The waiter had recommendations for what else to do in town, provided us the “secret” recipe for their “Idiot Fries” (I’d eat them every day, if I could), and made us feel incredibly welcome.

I just realized that I’d listed the New York side as where I want to go, knowing all along that Canada is the superior side. I went, saw the falls, didn’t do ANYTHING touristy other than a few pictures. It’s probably better to do it in, well, any time other than January. I’d like to go again & try the Maid of the Mist, just because.

I spent the first 18 years of my life in Corning, so I know a thing or two about it. ;-)

The obvious draw is the Corning Museum of Glass which underwent a huge renovation around 1999, making it a modern, family-oriented attraction. Besides the hot glass show and the more traditional museum exhibits, there are interactive demonstrations of the many uses of glass in science and technology. You can even make your own glass art at a walk-in workshop at “The Studio”, which is in the same complex as the glass museum.

CMOG tends to overshadow the other two museums in Corning’s city limits. The Benjamin Patterson Inn is an 18th-Century lodging house. Docents are often in period dress. Visitors can also visit a log cabin, a one-room schoolhouse, and a blacksmith shop. The Rockwell Museum of Western Art houses American Southwestern art (think Cowboys ‘n’ Indians) of all sorts.

It’d be hard to spend a week in Corning. It was harder to spend 18 years. :) But, if you want a 2-day trip to the town itself, that’s about the right length of time. It also provides a change of pace from the natural wonders in the surrounding area, if you somehow get bored of lakes and wineries…

I’d be more than happy to provide food recommendations, as that’s what I know best!

I’ve lived in Rochester for just about a year now and am surprised by how much there is to do. That’s not to say it’s entirely amazing, but it’s worth a visit if you live nearby or are passing it on your way somewhere More Exciting.

Rochester’s a city that’s not too hard to get around, and definitely not too expensive to visit.

Some recommendations:
-The George Eastman House is a museum dedicated to photography and movies
-Mount Hope Cemetery was the first municipal cemetery of its kind in the US. Take a guided tour and see the burial sites of Frederick Douglass, Susan B Anthony, and countless local celebrities
-Lake Ontario is minutes away (I would recommend Durand Beach over the more popular Hamlin)
-Scores of ethnic restaurants (Filipino, Ethiopian, Vietnamese, not to mention the more standard fare)
-City parks are numerous and expansive and lush
-Don’t come during the winter!