Cool Down at the Pineway Ponds Splash Pad

It's hot. It's humid. The kids are bored. You're out of "Camp Momma" or "Camp Poppa" ideas. Well, it's a good thing you've got ROCmomma on your side. How about a trip to the splash pad at Pineway Ponds Park in Ogden, NY?

Put the kids in their swim suits and water shoes or sandals, and pack your lunch, some snacks, and some drinks. Grab your beach/pool bag and load up the towels, sunblock, swim diapers, changes of clothes, and a big blanket. You're ready to go!

The splash pad is open from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m. from Memorial Day through Labor Day. The parking lot is free and it is right next to the splash pad, so you won't be walking very far. There are picnic tables, or grab some dry land and spread out your blanket. The restrooms are in a small building to the left of the splash pad - but note that there is no diaper changing table, and there are no changing rooms - only bathroom stalls.

There are lots of structures that spray, pour, and trickle water at the splash pad. Kids can climb on a dolphin or sea lion, slide down a whale, run through a rainbow, or get doused by toppling buckets. The best part is that there is zero depth, so even tiny tots can have a great time. No life jackets required. There are benches along the perimeter, but don't just sit on the sidelines; ROCmommas and ROCpoppas can play too! My fellow ROCmomma, Kim, and I decided to be bold and wear our swim suits too. Thankfully, we were not alone and we all had a great time.

When kids need a break from the water, there is a dry playground right next to the splash pad, with lots of things to climb up or slide down. Plus there are tons of low rock walls to climb.

Pineway Ponds Park is located a quarter-mile north of the Village of Spencerport on Route 259 (Union Street). If you are mapping a route, enter N Union St & Park Rd, Spencerport, NY as your destination. It's free. It's fun. It's something new. Give it a try!

As always, thanks for reading. If you head out to Pineway Ponds Park, please Post a Comment and tell us about your experience. Enjoy!

Family Fun This Weekend

This weekend is a bit light on scheduled events, but there is still plenty to do with your family to have a great time.

Story Time & Animal Friends

Friday, July 20 at 11 a.m.

1. Lollypop Farm, 99 Victor Road, Fairport, NY - come for the story, stay for the farm animal fun!

2. Wickham Farms, 1821 Fairport Nine Mile Line Road, Penfield, NY - story time, sandbox, farm animals, and playground are free; jumping pillow, batting cages, and mini golf fees apply.

Family Rhythm & Play

Friday, July 20 from 10 - 11:30 a.m.

Rhythm Connect, 84 High Street, Fairport, NY

Register ahead (200-2542) for this free, fun family event. In the Percussion Paradise room, each participant will choose an instrument to play, and have a chance to explore interactive zones. This event repeats on August 7 and August 21.

Trolleys at Twilight

Saturday, July 21 from 4 - 10 p.m.

New York Museum of Transportation, 6393 East River Road, West Henrietta, NY

Take a ride on a trolley, check out some train cars in the museum, and be sure to see the model train village.

Hunter Resch Foundation Carnival

Saturday, July 21 from 12 - 6 p.m.

Barnard Exempts, 360 Maiden Lane, Greece, NY

Carnival games for kid, dunk tank, bounce houses, emergency vehicles on display, food, and more. All proceeds benefit the Hunter Resch Foundation, an organization formed to ease the burden of families with children in domestic abuse situations.

More outdoor ideas:

• Fly a kite at Veterans Memorial Park 
• Get splashed at the Camp Eastman spray ground (Irondequoit, NY) or Pineway Ponds Park Splash Pad (Ogden, NY)
• Check out Wild Wings at Mendon Ponds Park
• Walk along the Erie Canal at Perinton Park
• Feed the trout at Powder Mills Park Fish Hatchery
• Walk a trail at Tinker Nature Park
• Play mini golf and drive go karts at The Clubhouse

More indoor ideas:

• Ride the train at Strong National Museum of Play
• Build with Keva Planks at Rochester Museum & Science Center
• Check out some books at your local Library
• If you belong to the YMCA, check out the Adventure Center at the Southeast Family Branch (Pittsford) or go swimming at the Eastside Family Branch (Penfield) 
• Go bowling
• Head to Kango, Bounce It Out, or Jump Club to jump away the sillies

Whatever your weekend has in store, I hope you have a great time! As always, thanks for reading.

5 Dinner Ideas Using Fresh Farmers' Market or CSA Veggies

If you've been reading this blog, you probably know that I'm a fan of community-supported agriculture. This is the first year we've joined one, and I'm definitely hooked on my CSA share. I'll admit I was a bit hesitant at first, but hopeful as well. What in the world would I do with bok choy, kohlrabi, and Swiss chard? As it turns out, there are lots of delicious ways to prepare them.

The past few weeks have felt a bit like a Food Network challenge: take the items in the CSA share, plus pantry items and make one or two weeks' worth of meals. Don't forget about accounting for different tastes, providing variety in protein sources, and making sure the kids will at least try it. Challenge accepted.

My last CSA pick-up from Mud Creek Farms provided us with:

• shelling peas
• kohlrabi
• napa cabbage
• green cabbage
• scallions
• Swiss chard
• white turnips (Hakurei turnips, to be exact)
• garlic chives
• lettuce

I almost left my kohlrabi behind. It looks a bit alien-like, a green bulb with some stems sticking out all over.

Thank goodness they had cut one up for skeptics to sample. Of course it can be cooked, but it's delicious raw. It's crunchy, with the texture of a raw potato and a bit of a broccoli-taste to it. If you've never tried one, all you have to do is cut away the outer green skin, slice and serve. I think it would be amazing with a fresh spinach dip!

5 Dinner Ideas with In-Season, Fresh Veggies

With any of these recipes, feel free to substitute the protein source (tofu, tempeh, seitan, chicken, pork, fish, etc.) and to substitute the vegetables with whatever you have on hand, and the amount you have on hand. Go crazy!

1. Sesame Carrots & Cabbage (from Mollie Katzen's Vegetable Heaven) with marinated tofu and brown rice

• Marinate cubed tofu OR chicken OR any other protein source in a mixture of 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon honey, and 2 tablespoons soy sauce. After marinating at least one hour in the fridge, sauté in wok or skillet, turning frequently, until cooked through.
• Start simmering (or microwaving) the brown rice.
• In a wok or skillet, sauté chopped carrots in 2 teaspoons sesame oil for 5 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons rice vinegar; cover and cook 5 more minutes. Stir in 2 tablespoons honey and 2 teaspoons tahini (or any other nut butter or seed butter); cover & cook 5 minutes. 
• While carrots are starting to cook, heat a second wok or skillet with vegetable oil; sauté chopped onion for 10 minutes, then add chopped cabbage. Stir fry 5 minutes, until cabbage wilts but is still crunchy. Stir in a few tablespoons each of sesame seeds and minced garlic chives.
• To serve spoon rice on each plate and top with cabbage, then carrots, then tofu OR chicken. For my picky eater, I served each of these items in a separate section of a divided plate instead of piled on top. The leftovers are also yummy cold the next day.

2. Swiss Chard & Tomatoes with Italian Sausage and Baked Risotto with Mushrooms

• Preheat oven to 375 F. In a casserole dish combine 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice and 32 ounces of vegetable broth. Cover and bake 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. For the final 15, you may wish to add 1 cup of water if the liquid has all been absorbed already. Meanwhile, sauté some sliced mushrooms to stir into the finished risotto.
• In a skillet, cook one package Italian sausage, sliced (Tofurky makes delicious vegetarian Italian sausages). Set aside.
• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in large skillet. Add chopped garlic chives, scallions, chopped tomatoes, and chick peas (rinsed & drained). When heated through, add Swiss chard (rinsed and chopped) and cover to steam for 2 minutes. Stir and continue to cook & cover until chard is wilted. Optional: if you like things cheesy, you could add a small container of part-skim ricotta to the chard mixture.
• To serve, spoon some risotto on each plate; top with chard mixture and sausage slices. For picky eaters, try some risotto and some of the chard mixture in separate piles. Top with Parmesan cheese.

3. Tarragon Tempeh (or Chicken), Kohlrabi & Peas with Tarragon, and Quinoa

• In a small pot, mix 1 cup of quinoa with 2 cups water or vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer 15-20 minutes, until all liquid is absorbed.
• Meanwhile cut one package of tempeh into 4 triangles or rectangles (or use chicken cutlets). Prepare two shallow bowls: one with 1 tablespoon olive oil/1 tablespoon honey/1 tablespoon milk or soymilk/1 teaspoon Dijon mustard; the second with 1/4 cup plain breadcrumbs/ 1/2 cup crushed nuts or seeds/ 2 teaspoons dried tarragon. Heat olive oil in a skillet then dredge tempeh pieces (or chicken) first in liquid, then in crumbs and add to pan. Cook until heated through, a few minutes on each side.
• While tempeh (or chicken) is cooking, heat another skillet with 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter. When butter has melted, add chopped kohlrabi, shelled peas, chopped garlic chives, and shredded carrots. Cook for about 5-8 minutes.
• Serve each item next to each other, or pile it all together. For picky eaters, let them dip the tempeh or chicken in ketchup (or other favorite dipping sauce). You could even stir a little honey (for children over 1 year) or agave syrup into your kid's serving of quinoa to make it a bit sweet.

4. Mexican Lasagna and Turnips with Chipotle Butter
This recipe is great for using up leftovers and freezer items you might have on hand. Or make this one night, and use the rest of the beans, salsa, and cheese to make nachos over the weekend.

• Preheat oven to 350 F and spritz a pie plate with olive oil. Place one tortilla on bottom and keep two more tortillas handy.
• Heat a skillet with olive oil, and add frozen pepper & onion stir-fry mix and frozen corn. 
• In a microwavable bowl, mix half a can of refried beans with half a can of black beans (rinsed and drained), and half a jar of salsa. Heat in microwave for one minute, stirring halfway through.
• Grate about one cup - or more, if you like - of cheese (cheddar, pepper jack, mozzarella, or a mixture of anything in the fridge); set aside. Dice one tomato; set aside. If you like jalapeños, slice a fresh one or open a can of sliced jalapeños & drain; set aside.
• In prepared pie plate, spoon half of the bean mixture on top of the tortilla and spread with a spoon. Top with half of the veggies and one-third of the cheese. Layer a tortilla on top, then beans, veggies, and cheese. Top with final tortilla and remaining cheese. Add sliced jalapeños, if desired (we put them on half in our house). Bake 25 minutes. Remove from oven and top with diced tomatoes. Use pizza cutter to slice and cake server to serve.
• While "lasagna" is baking, trim and chop turnips. Heat chipotle butter in a skillet. If you don't have Wegmans near you, mix butter with honey, lime juice, and chipotle chili powder. Stir in turnips, cover and cook 10 minutes, until tender. Serve alongside each slice of lasagna.

5. Asian Chik'n & Pasta

• Cook one package of pasta according to directions on box (whole wheat or enriched pasta is great here; any shape will do). Set some plain pasta aside for picky eaters.
• In a skillet, cook one package of chik'n strips or tenders - try Quorn Chik'n Tenders or Morningstar Farms Meal Starters Chik'n Strips or Gardein Seven Grain Crispy Tenders (or real chicken). Set aside & scoop out some for picky eaters.
• In a second skillet, heat olive oil and add chopped veggies; we used Napa cabbage, carrots, scallions, red pepper, and asparagus. Stir-fry until cooked but still crisp; set some cooked veggies aside for picky eaters.
• In a small microwavable bowl, heat 1/4 cup of peanut butter for 20 seconds. Add: 1/4 cup rice vinegar, 1/4 cup sesame oil, 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1/4 cup canola oil, 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds, and 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper. Whisk until smooth.
• Once pasta is drained, combine the drained pasta, cooked chik'n, veggies, and peanut sauce. Stir until completely combined, and serve. Top with chopped peanuts or additional sesame seeds, if desired. Picky eaters can enjoy their foods separately and without sauce.
• Orange segments are a nice way to end this meal! Also, leftovers are delicious cold for lunch the next day.

I hope you enjoy these recipes - - or that they inspire you to get a little culinarily creative too! If you need some more inspiration, please check out my earlier post with recipes inspired by a previous CSA bounty.

Do you belong to a CSA or frequent a farmers' market? If so, Post a Comment and let us know what was in your basket this week. Happy cooking, and as always, thanks for reading.

Road Trip Tomorrow: Go to the Geneseo Air Show

My husband joked that I'm going to lose street cred because yesterday's Family Fun This Weekend post  did not include the Geneseo Airshow. I'm making up for it now. And fear not! If you missed it today, you can still go tomorrow.

The airshow begins at 10 a.m. on Sunday, July 15, with performances every 10 to 20 minutes, and the final performance at 4:30 p.m. The performances were pretty amazing, and the pilots were clearly talented. I had my doubts before we got there, but happily I was wrong.

If the kids get tired of watching the airplanes, take a walk around to see tons of planes on the ground. Our favorite was the shark plane, below.

 There's even a huge plane that you can walk inside! (my boys & I are on the steps, below)

The kids loved it! But we wish we had been a little better prepared for the event. So, I urge you to take your kids tomorrow, but there are some helpful things to know before you go.

THE BASICS:

• Sunday, July 15 from 10 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
• Located on a ginormous field on Big Tree Lane in Geneseo, NY (there are signs when you get close; you can't miss it)
• Admission is $20 per adult; kids under 12 are free
• Parking is free; there is a shuttle from the parking lot to the viewing area, but it may not be necessary for everyone (the walk isn't that far)
• Admission is cash only; all on-site vendors are cash-only; there are no ATMs on site
• On-site food options include: pizza, hot dogs, burgers, veggie burgers, gourmet grilled cheese & soups, ice cream, frozen drinks, fresh lemonade, and even frozen cheesecake on a stick!
• There are lots of port-potties, however there is no diaper changing area

WHAT TO BRING:

• Folding chairs and/or blanket
• Umbrellas or beach umbrella for shade (we had the kids sit in their canopied red wagon & they were fine)
• A cooler with lots of water
• You may bring your own food
• Sunblock; be sure to reapply every 1-2 hours
• Hats, sunglasses

I hope you enjoy the planes as much as we did! Be sure to Post A Comment if you go and let us know about your experience at the airshow. As always, thanks for reading.

Family Fun This Weekend

Lots to do this weekend...fairs, festivals, and a whole lot more! Check out the fun to be had:

Monroe County Fair
Friday, July 13 - Sunday, July 15 from 12 - 11 p.m.
Fair & Expo Center, 2695 East Henrietta Road, Henrietta, NY
Rides, entertainment, food, music, live animals, and even a demolition derby! Wristbands are available for all day access to the rides. Be sure to check the schedule before you go.

Story Time & Animal Friends

Friday, July 13, 2012 at 11 a.m.

1. Lollypop Farm, 99 Victor Road, Fairport, NY - come for the story, stay for the farm animal fun!

2. Wickham Farms, 1821 Fairport Nine Mile Line Road, Penfield, NY - story time, sandbox, farm animals, and playground are free; jumping pillow, batting cages, and mini golf fees apply.

Geneseo Summer Festival & Sidewalk Sales
Friday, July 13 from 10 a.m. - 8:30 p.m. and Saturday, July 14 from 9 a.m. - 11 p.m.
Main Street, Village Park, and Center Street, Geneseo, NY
Sidewalk sales on Main Street; entertainment in Village Park (craft vendors, live entertainment, food vendors, children's games, bounce house). On Saturday, Center Street will feature an activity area for children, a free bounce house, and crafts for children.

Canandaigua Arts Festival

Friday, July 13 from 12 - 7 p.m. and Saturday, July 14 - Sunday, July 15 from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Main Street, Canandaigua, NY

Explore Canandaigua and enjoy music, arts and crafts vendors, food, and a Kids' Korridor.

Wonders of Water
Saturday, July 14 from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Seneca Park Zoo, 2222 St. Paul Street, Rochester, NY
Visit docent-run stations and watch demonstrations around the zoo to learn about the Genesee River, Lake Ontario, and local streams and ponds. Free with zoo admission.

Pride Superheroes Family Day
Saturday, July 14 from 1:30 - 3:30 p.m.
Rochester Museum & Science Center, 657 East Avenue, Rochester, NY
Free outdoor activities to celebrate annual Pride Family Day (rain or shine): bubble garden, story telling, face painting, and arts & crafts. Free.

Princess Tea Party
Saturday, July 14 at 2 p.m.
Barnes & Noble, Webster Towne Center, 1070 Ridge Road, Webster, NY
Listen to princess stories, enjoy a snack, and make a craft. Dress like your favorite princess or in fancy clothes, if you'd like.

Blueberry Celebration
Saturday, July 14 - Sunday, July 15 from 9 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Brown's Berry Patch, 14264 Roosevelt Highway, Waterport, NY
Pick your own blueberries, enjoy free samples of blueberry products, and more. Check out my earlier review of Brown's Berry Patch to see all the fun you can have at the farm, including the Barnyard Adventure.

Kids' Fun Run
Sunday, July 15 at 10 a.m.
Seneca Park Zoo, 2222 St. Paul Street, Rochester, NY
There is the Jungle Jog 5K at 8:15 a.m., Seneca Park Mile at 9:30 a.m., followed by the Kids' Fun Run at 10 a.m. There is no entry fee for the Fun Run, and all children who participate will get a prize. (there are registration fees for the Jungle Jog & Seneca Park Mile)

Trolley Rides

Sunday, July 15 from 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.

New York Museum of Transportation, 6393 East Henrietta Road, West Henrietta, NY

Purchase your tickets, then explore the train cars, antique cars, fire truck, and the model trains in the museum. At your departure time, board the trolley and enjoy the 1-mile ride to the Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum. Explore the second museum before boarding for a ride back to the Museum of Transportation. 

Whew! I'm tired just looking at this list-o-fun. Have a great weekend, and good luck to my fellow runners at the Jungle Jog (this will be my first race!). And, as always, thanks for reading.

Adventure Landing

Today is a great day to go to Adventure Landing with your kids. Every Thursday and Monday is "All You Can Play Day" from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. This means that you pay $8 per person for unlimited mini-golf, admission to the WOW! Factory, and 10 game tokens. They also offer this special on Saturday mornings from 9 a.m. until noon.

There are three different mini-golf courses at Adventure Landing. Golf is usually $5-7 per game, per person. So if you play on two of the courses, you've already gotten your money's worth for each adult on All You Can Play Day. There are fun obstacles on each hole to keep things interesting, but the majority is par two so the kids can keep up.

After a round or two, take a break indoors in the WOW! Factory. Admission is usually $5 per person, so the special pricing on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays is definitely worth it. You walk through a heavy plastic curtain into a three-floored "room" that looks like a factory. There are hundreds of colorful, squishy foam balls everywhere and plenty of ways to shoot them around. Stuff the balls into a suction tube on the first level and launch the balls up high. Go upstairs and load balls into the canons to shoot down below. There are stairs, but there are also plenty of places to climb, plus a three-story twisty slide. This was fun, but I would definitely skip the $5 per person if we were there on a day without the discount.

After exiting the WOW! Factory, who wouldn't be drawn to all the bright lights of the arcade games?  Good thing we had ten tokens each. The tokens are usually 20-25 cents each, depending on how many you purchase. My advice is to go for the games that reward you with tickets, because chances are your kids will want to trade 100 tickets for a 10-cent bouncy ball on the way out. My fellow ROCmomma Aly had taken her son to Adventure Landing and somehow they ended up with hundreds of tickets. She felt they got more per game than at other arcades. Our experience did not match up, and I think it's just a matter of luck.

The kids had fun playing skee ball, Frogger, and just pushing buttons that blink and make noise. My youngest even figured out that if you push enough buttons on Dance Dance Revolution - despite not inserting any tokens - it will play an entire song so you can show off your own moves.

So $5-7 per game of golf, plus $5 for the WOW! Factory admission, and $2.50 in tokens, all for $8 is a really great deal. You can also add on a fee for the batting cages, the indoor ropes course, or the teddy bear factory, but we did not try those out.

Adventure Landing is located at 3340 West Ridge Road in Greece, NY. There is a cafe serving pizza, hot dogs, chicken fingers, cheeseburgers, snacks, desserts, and drinks. You can choose to eat indoors or out; although there is nothing specifically that indicates whether or not you can bring your own food. We went after lunch, so we avoided the meal-issue. The women's restroom has a baby changing table (but I cannot speak for the men's room).

If your kids are about two or older and you're looking for something fun today, check out Adventure Landing. Be sure to Post A Comment and let us know about your experience there. And, as always, thanks for reading.

An Apology, or perhaps, A Confession

I know, I know. My posts have been either sporadic or absent lately. We had a nice stay-cation last week and took the boys on little field trips here and there. I have lots of posts that are percolating in my head about the places we went: Adventure Landing in Greece, NY; pedal boating on Irondequoit Bay; Dinosaur Mini Golf in Niagara Falls; late-night-Tuesdays at Seneca Park Zoo...oh, the places we went!

However, that all has to wait until next week.

This week, our laptop is occupied each night. After the kids are asleep, my husband and I have been watching the second season of Game of Thrones through HBO on-demand. Dirty dishes in the sink, blog posts to write, bills to pay - too bad! I need to know what's happening to the Starks, what the Lannisters will do next, if a Targaryen will sit on the Iron Throne again. Who can be trusted? Who is back-stabbing whom? Who will survive another episode? It's mesmerizing. And a bit dizzying.

Maybe you are rolling your eyes at the thought of watching Game of Thrones, but I've never played D&D or Magic The Gathering. Yes, I like Lord of the Rings, but I wouldn't hang a poster in our house or buy any commemorative figures. I've never been to Comic Con.

You don't have to be a geek to like Game of Thrones. But you do need a strong stomach!

There are beheadings, more than a fair share of misogyny, only a handful of characters with any redeeming qualities, and heroes who are murdered while dishonorable, selfish, monsters become powerful. There's a reason why "Go Medieval on your ass" is a saying.

For all the horrible people and disgusting acts in Game of Thrones, there are characters to love. Tyrion Lannister (played by Peter Dinklage) is the comic relief, and a voice of logic among the chaos. And the Starks: Robb, Arya, Bran, Catelyn, Jon Snow - I find myself thinking about them during the day, wondering what will happen to each of them, how they will survive.

There is love - emotional and a gratuitous amount of physical, good versus evil, natural leaders versus leaders by birth-right, war strategies, family versus duty, tons of conflict, and a teeny tiny bit of magic, too.

Read the books, watch the shows, or both. You just might get caught up in it all, too! We watched the first season through AppleTV by ordering the episodes through iTunes. Then we decided to add HBO to our service so we could watch season two on-demand, and we'll be able to watch season three as it airs in the spring. It's going to be a long wait.

In the meantime, I apologize for neglecting the ROCmomma world and I promise to post again with relevant information very, very soon. As always, thanks for reading!

5 Reasons to Love Perinton Park

Perinton Park is my favorite park in the ROC area and it was introduced to me by my fellow ROCmomma Corie. It is located at 99 O'Connor Road, Fairport, NY (at Fairport Road & O'Connor Road). There are so many reasons why it's my favorite, where do I begin?

First, it is one of the few playgrounds in the shade. Huge trees surround the play structures so they don't get scorching hot, and we stay cooler as well. We've been to plenty of playgrounds where the equipment was so hot, we couldn't even stay to play.

Second, below the play equipment is sand, rather than wood chips or gravel. My kids love to dig so we usually bring a few pails, shovels, and plastic trucks. I've learned to bring extras, because other kids always want to join us. One tip: label your sand toys with your last name using permanent marker. Sometimes a borrowed toy will inadvertently end up in another part of the playground, and this makes it easy to claim it back.

Third, there are three different sections to the playground structures. There is a larger, higher section for bigger kids, a medium section...

...and even a lower, smaller section for little ones. There is a yellow slide behind my son in the picture below that has such a low incline, even a tiny tot can slide down.

There are also rocking toys (pictured below) and swings - baby swings, regular swings, and one swing for children with special needs.

The fourth reason why Perinton Park is my favorite is the Erie Canal. We usually bring our big red wagon (we used to bring the stroller; the park is definitely stroller friendly) and once the kids are tired of the playground, we walk past the basketball courts and up to the Erie Canal path. Your kids will have fun counting the ducks, boats, and kayaks. Plus it's a really pretty walk.

Another thing we love about Perinton Park is the train tracks. When you get up to the Erie Canal path, if you walk to the left, you just might see a train. There are a couple of spots where the tracks are visible right from the path. Or, when you're ready to leave, you can turn right out of the parking lot and follow O'Connor Road around the bend, and there are two railroad crossings. On the left by each crossing, there are businesses with large parking lots. We usually trespass for about 15-20 minutes in one of those lots to eat a snack in the car and wait to see a train pass by.

Added bonus: on the other side of Fairport Road, before turning on to O'Connor Road, there is a gas station with a Dunkin Donuts drive-through window. Such easy access if ROCmomma or ROCpoppa needs a tasty beverage before or after the park!

To be fair, I have a few complaints as well. First, there are only about five picnic tables by the playground and people often "claim" them for their entire visit. I have watched families finish their lunch, then leave all their sippy cups and water bottles on the table while they play. They return to the table only when they're ready to pack up and leave, and meanwhile the table has been unused and unusable (is that a word?) for an hour or so. It would be so much nicer if groups could use the table to eat lunch, then pack up and leave their belongings off to the side so that another group might eat their lunch at the table afterward. It just seems like the courteous thing to do, but, ah well.

My other complaint is that there is a bit of a walk to the restroom from the playground. As much as we encourage, "Don't wait til it's too late," we usually end up with wet pants if the restroom is more than a few feet away. If your child waits until they're hopping on one foot before telling you they need the potty, I recommend bringing a couple changes of clothes just in case.

As always, thanks for reading. Be sure to Post a Comment the next time you go to Perinton Park and tell us about your experience.