Rochester on Parade

Sometimes you gotta stop and smell the flowers

My friend Maggie could work for the Rochester Chamber of Commerce. Although I've visited numerous times, she always finds new things for us to see and experience. We had a great time -- once I got there. 

My originating flight from Sarasota was canceled after the plane didn't respond to a "reboot." "It's just like rebooting your computer" the pilot assured us after we'd settled into our seats. We were just as happy to deplane after the procedure didn't yield the desired results, although the upshot was a 4:45 wake-up call the next morning to catch my flight. The good news was that I arrived in Rochester by noon instead of spending an entire day traveling. Armed with my allergy pills, we headed off to the Rochester Lilac Festival which, as advertised, showcased loads of beautiful and fragrant lilacs in bloom. The tulips also vied for our attention. The visit was off to a lovely start. 

Just one of many mishaps
 at Parkside Whispering Pines Golf Course 

Keen as we always are for exercise, Maggie and I started off one day with a round of golf. Mini golf, that is. 

The Rochester suburb of Irondequoit is home to the oldest miniature golf course in the country. Parkside Whispering Pines has been providing fun for the whole family since 1930. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2002. 

As for the golf, well, there were good holes and bad. We each got a hole in one. Woo hoo! We also each managed a score of six on at least one hole. It doesn't help when your ball gets stuck in a pass-through. Or when you get end up in the rough. Whispering Pines is the only miniature golf course I've played that has a hole where you actually hit from an elevated tee. The goal of course is getting your ball airborne until it reaches the green. Suffice it to say that my final score was not pretty. Moving right along...

Maggie looking out at drumins and Lake Ontario

We got some actual exercise on our outing to Chimney Bluffs State Park. The park is located on Lake Ontario, so there are some terrific views. The real draw, though, are the eroded drumlins along the coastline. 

There are two options for your hike in the park. The first is an inland trail, full of lush greenery. The second is along the bluffs. It was an easy decision to take the coastal route. The extent of the erosion was striking. Many large trees had fallen, and we looked down on their extensive root systems from our vista. We definitely needed to watch our step on this trail. In fact, as we were starting to head back, we came upon a sign that read, and I quote: "DANGER. Restricted Area. No Entry. This is not a sanctioned trail. Unsafe conditions may be present." The sign included some helpful pictures of what could happen to people on the trail we had just walked. Trees might fall on you. You might plunge to your death as the ground under you falls away. Okay then. We took the inland route on the way back. 

"I Am Speaking" by Ephraim Gebre,
Jared Diaz, Darius Dennis and Daniel Harrington

Maggie shares my love for art, so searching out some of the murals in Rochester was an easy addition to our to-do list. Wall Therapy is an "art and therapy intervention project, using public murals as a means to transform the urban landscape, inspire and build community." My favorite was this powerful portrait of John Lewis. 

The image is based on a photo of Lewis' speech taken by Danny Lyon. Lyon was the official photographer for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and thus was present at many significant moments during the Civil Rights Movement. 

Lewis is commemorated in this mural for a reason beyond his contributions to the Civil Rights Movement and commitment to social justice. As I'm sure you know, Lewis and Hosea Williams were leaders of the march from Selma to Montgomery to demand an end to discrimination against voters, especially Black southerners. Alabama State Troopers attacked the peaceful demonstrators with billy clubs and tear gas. Many participants were injured, including Lewis, who suffered a skull fracture. What you probably don't know, however, is that the hospital to which he was taken was run by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Rochester. It was the only hospital in the area that would treat Black patients. During a visit to Rochester in 2016, Lewis stopped by the hospital to thank the nuns for helping save his life on the day that became known as "Bloody Sunday." 

For more about this mural, including a terrific news clip with one of the artists, click here. And for more about Wall Therapy, click here. 

It was a wonderful visit, and Maggie definitely upped the ante for her next trip to Sarasota. I've already started my planning.