Day 29 - Toronto? No Rochester and Medina

We decided not to go to Toronto as it was a little over a two hour drive each way and tomorrow we have a five hour drive to Verona, New York.   So we opted to go to Rochester, a little less than an hours drive.   We drove along Lake Ontario.  There are so many beautiful homes and properties on the inlets.  This large 'lake size' inlet has a small canal at the North end that leads onto Lake Ontario.

Rochester is a big city with every fast food and store you can imagine.  It also was home to the closest Starbucks from our trailer.  That fact alone made the trip worth the hours drive.

Along the way there were some homes that were ready for some love and remodel, as well as many that could only be described as pristine.  And nearly every home displayed the American Flag.

These people painted the flag on the rock in front of their house.

Departing Rochester I noticed this Sports dome.  Who needs a waterpark when you can Snow Tube year around.  Pretty unusual, I have never heard or seen one of these.

On the way home we stopped in Medina .  It is a small town about nine miles from our trailer.  These small towns are home to the most beautiful churches.   We checked this one out, St. Mary's Catholic Church.  The pictures just do not come close to justifying how fantastic these are.

The Rectory is equally as wonderful.

Medina was the home to Frances Folsom.  She married President Grover Cleveland.  He entered the White House as a single man, his sister acted as First Lady for three years.  After he met Frances, the daughter of a close friend, they were married in the White House.   He was 49, she was 21.  

This is the home she where she lived with her Grandmother after he father's death.  She attended High School here in Medina and went from Medina to Washington to become First Lady.

We had lunch at this diner.  

It was pretty full when we arrived around 2pm.  I took a few pics just before we left and it had emptied out quite a bit by then.

I had the best hot meatloaf sandwich and mashed potatoes that I have ever eaten.  Wow.   So fantastically delicious!  Martha had a wrap and we shared a piece of homemade Apple pie.  The bill was under $18.  A big change from the $70 lunch we had in Niagara Falls.

Martha spotted this house for sale.  She fell in love.  It is a 4 bedroom, 2 bath, 2500 square foot home on half an acre.  It was built in 1886 and listed for $56,000.  Haunted House anyone?

Medina is a great old city.  Like all the small towns main street is sandwiched by the most wonderful old buildings.

Leaving town we crossed the Erie Canal.

I remember reading about it in school.   Mules would walk the side with ropes stretched to the barges they tarried in tow.  It was very cool to see something that I had studied about on one of the days I actually showed up for school.

While we were there the vertical draw bridge out of town was lifted to allow a small boat to pass below.

Tomorrow we relocate to Verona, New York.