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Grand Adventures: 10 Rochester Skip-Gen Day Trip Ideas

Skip-gen day trips and weekend getaways have emerged as a heartwarming trend, offering grandparents and their grandchildren the unique opportunity to bypass a generation and embark on adventures together. Whether you’re a grandparent seeking ways to spend quality time with your grandkids or a parent encouraging these meaningful outings, these skip-gen adventures are your ticket to experiencing life’s wonders together. This guide explores ten skip-gen day trip ideas tailored to the Rochester area.

1. Embark on a culinary adventure

Introduce your grandchildren (and yourself!) to new cuisines at area restaurants, including the International Food Market. Loading up the cart with international produce, products, and prepared foods at Wegmans can lead to an around-the-world experience.

Visit local farmers’ markets, like the Rochester Public Market, to find fresh produce and artisanal foods. You can also stop by an ice cream or chocolate shop that offers handcrafted and seasonal flavors.

Consider creating a cookbook filled with traditional and family recipes, imparting culinary wisdom and stories for your grandkids to cherish. Alternatively, enroll in a cooking class through Rochester Brainery or the New York Kitchen in Canandaigua to explore favorite dishes or experiment with new cuisines.

Whether exploring local flavors or mastering family recipes, this adventure will tickle your taste buds and create lasting culinary memories.

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Fun, Family-Friendly Restaurants, Cafes, and Breweries

I asked our day-trip community: “Do you know of any Rochester-area restaurants that are great for date night and kid-friendly but not kid-centric?” Here’s what you said!

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2. Pack a playful picnic

There are plenty of fantastic picnic spots to choose from, such as parks with playgrounds, beaches for swimming and building sandcastles, or even Ontario Beach Park, where you can ride the carousel and indulge in delicious ice cream from Abbott’s Frozen Custard.

Encourage your grandkids to join the preparations and bring games such as frisbees, soccer balls, or kites to enhance the experience. This outing celebrates the simple pleasures of picnicking, playing, and bonding outdoors.

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Beyond the gorge trails, nature centers, and gardens, these exceptional parks offer unique experiences and amenities worthy of exploration.

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3. Enjoy arts & crafts time

Visit art or pottery studios for regular classes throughout the year to create lasting memories through artistic expression with your grandkids. Look for workshops at places like the Memorial Art Gallery, Flower City Arts Center, and Studio 34 Creative Arts Learning Center. Studios like Splatters in Spencerport and Color Me Mine in Pittsford offer opportunities to paint your own pottery. A road trip to the Corning Museum of Glass is another creative possibility.

Alternatively, plan an outdoor painting day en plein air with canvases, brushes, easels, and an inspiring vista.

Engaging in artistic endeavors together nurtures creativity and strengthens the bond between generations. The annual Rochester Maker Faire in November is a perfect opportunity to learn about what interests your grandchild, inspiring future day-trip ideas.

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Explore Corning

Corning’s Gaffer District features nearly one hundred boutiques, specialty and antique shops, art galleries, glass studios, and restaurants.

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4. Enter the animal kingdom

Take your grandkids to Rochester’s Seneca Park Zoo, Rosamond Gifford Zoo in Syracuse, or the Buffalo Zoo. Farms such as Powers Farm Market, Lollypop Farm, Wickham Farms, Stokoe Farms, and Springdale Farm offer the opportunity to observe animals and hands-on experiences like feeding and petting.

For a unique experience, consider a road trip to Farm Sanctuary in Watkins Glen, Cracker Box Palace at Alasa Farms in Sodus, or Hidden Valley Animal Adventure in Varysburg. Dive into aquatic wonders at the Aquarium of Niagara or the avian world at WildWings at Mendon Ponds.

These animal-centric adventures provide ample opportunities for bonding and learning. Being around animals can also help us develop empathy, compassion, and responsibility.

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Seneca Park and Zoo

The 20-acre Seneca Park Zoo is a small portion of the 300-acre county park designed by Frederick Law Olmsted in 1893.

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5. Reconnect with nature

Take your grandkids on a nature hike in a local reserve or park to explore the beauty of the environment, possibly trying birdwatching or plant identification together. Indoor botanical gardens like the Lamberton Conservatory in Highland Park and the Dancing Wings Butterfly Garden at The Strong National Museum of Play offer tranquility, even during the winter months.

For a more active experience, consider kayaking along Rochester’s water trails, observing nature up close. Find kayak rentals at BayCreek Paddling Center on Irondequoit Bay and Erie Canal Boat Company in Fairport, which offers standard and adaptive kayak and bicycle rentals.

Whether appreciating nature’s serenity or indulging in adventurous pursuits, this day trip provides a perfect setting for quality time amidst the wonders of the natural world.

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These carefully designed gardens, often cultivated for decades or even centuries, display exceptional collections of flowers and trees.

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6. Get your game on

Bond with your grandkids through various gaming activities. Whether it’s board games, ball games, video games, or arcade games, there are endless ways to play and have fun together.

Challenge each other to a game of miniature golf or enjoy a day at the ballpark. Attend local festivals or fairs with midway games and rides. Or dive into the world of video and arcade games at home or at The Strong National Museum of Play, The Playhouse // Swillburger, or Rochester Pinball Collective.

This adventure is all about the joy of play and a little friendly competition.

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7. See the sights

Encourage exploration of both familiar and new places. Create a playlist of everyone’s favorite songs and play it on shuffle to hear the best of both generations while you drive around town.

Take a closer look at the buildings that comprise Rochester’s skyline, seek out photo opportunities, and discover roadside attractions, waterfalls, and street art along the way. Create a scavenger hunt or play I-Spy for an engaging experience.

Enjoy a nostalgic trip down memory lane to show your grandkids places from your childhood.

Alternatively, consider riding on a scenic train or boat for a unique perspective on the landscape where you don’t need to be the driver and can enjoy the time together.

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8. Share storytime

Having spent hours of my childhood listening to my grandparents’ stories, I want to emphasize the profound significance of passing down family stories to cultivate a strong sense of heritage within your grandkids. These tales connect them to their roots, fostering a deep appreciation for our family history and cherished traditions.

Beyond your family’s stories, listen to a diverse range of experiences by attending a library storytime session for children. It’s an excellent opportunity for grandparents to read with their grandchildren and foster a love for books.

Speaking of books, have the kids review their book collection and yours to donate a few to a Little Free Library. It’s a great way to show them different neighborhoods around town.

Consider exploring stories told through music, dance, and spoken word. Live performances at Eastman Theatre, RBTL Auditorium Theatre, Geva Theatre, and Blackfriars Theater offer a range of options, from community productions to off-Broadway shows. You can also enjoy a dinner-and-a-movie experience at Roc Cinema, watch an indie flick at The Little, or catch a classic film at Dryden Theatre.

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31 Monroe County Libraries

A free library card allows you to access 31 Monroe County libraries, including Central Library and Libby, the digital library.

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Theaters Around Rochester

Sit back, relax, and enjoy a show on stage or screen. Experience diverse artistic expression, from Broadway productions to classic movies.

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9. Meander through a museum

Embark on a journey to educational and interactive spaces like The Strong National Museum of Play and the Rochester Museum and Science Center. These destinations are designed for fun and offer valuable hands-on learning opportunities.

For teens and tweens, unique places like ArtisanWORKS, the Memorial Art Gallery, and the George Eastman Museum can provide a fresh perspective. Institutions like the House of Guitars and the Record Archive serve as time capsules and offer opportunities to explore cultural history.

Additionally, if you have a personal connection to a specific place, it’s a fantastic opportunity to share those stories with your grandkids while you’re standing there!

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10. Explore the cosmos

Delve into the mysteries of the universe with your grandkids. Start by visiting the Rochester Museum and Science Center’s Strasenburgh Planetarium to learn about stars, planets, nebula, and other stellar objects.

Then, plan a backyard stargazing night, perfect for a sleepover and campfire tales. This adventure allows you to gaze at the stars, spark curiosity about the universe, and share the wonder of the night sky with your grandkids.

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skip-gen kayaking
Image generated using generative AI

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What are your favorite skip-gen activities around Rochester?

Your insights and experiences are valuable. Please share them in the comments.

Debi Bower, Day Trips Around Rochester NY

Debi Bower is the founder and creative director of daytrippingroc.com and author of the award-winning book Day Trips Around Rochester, New York.

People often ask me if I get free access to places while exploring. The answer is no unless I’m invited to previews or granted behind-the-scenes access as part of my media role. Generally, I don’t mention my project, Day Trips Around Rochester, NY, because I want the same experience you would have. I create and share content simply because it brings me joy. I would appreciate your support—a cup of coffee or two to help fuel future field trips—if you have found valuable information here that has helped you explore the Rochester area.

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