Driving Our Scenic Byways: The Seaway Trail Part 1

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Today we’ll begin our Seaway Trail adventure in Niagara Falls, NY and drive east to Rochester. Our journey will cover 107 miles and take a little less than four hours of actual travel time. That will leave you lots of daylight to see the sites and enjoy a great picnic lunch. I’d strongly recommend that you take this tour during the warm months as icy roads are very possible during the rest of the year.

Many people have written thousands of books about the spectacular Niagara Falls so there is no way I’ll even try and describe them in this article. I do, however, want to mention my favorite place to see the Falls. The Niagara Falls Observation Tower in Niagara Falls State Park provides two spectacular and contrasting views of the falls. First walk out to the end of the observation deck and look to your left for an amazing view of the the American and Horseshoe Falls. Next take the glass elevator down to the base of the observation tower and take the stairs up to “The Crows Nest”. You’ll truly feel like you’re part of the Falls. I warn you that you will get very wet as you walk up to “The Crows Nest”. Admission to the Observation Tower is $1.00 and it is open from Spring to Fall.

From Niagara Falls we’ll drive north to Old Fort Niagara. Old Fort Niagara has stood at the mouth of the Niagara River, 15 miles north of Niagara Falls since 1726. As a gateway to the Great Lakes, it was a key French stronghold until overrun by British forces during the French and Indian War. Britain held Old Fort Niagara until after the end of the American Revolution. You’ll have a chance to see some of the best remaining examples of 18th and 19th century military architecture. The French Castle, built in 1726, is the oldest standing building between the Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi River. There are also lots of documents and artifacts depicting the almost 300 year history of the fort for you to check out.

Next we’ll head east to Golden Hill State Park and Thirty Mile Point Lighthouse. The park, located on the shore of beautiful Lake Ontario has been part of the New York State Park system since 1962. It has great picnic areas, biking and hiking trails, fishing, hunting and boat launches. The campground has is open from mid-April to mid-October and has tent and trailer sites. While at the park, make sure you visit Thirty Mile Point Lighthouse. The lighthouse opened in 1876 and was active until 1952. It’s maintained by the Friends of Thirty Mile Point Lighthouse and has a cottage that’s available for rent. The lighthouse provides a great view of Lake Ontario.

From Golden Hill State Park we’ll continue our trip east to one of my childhood stomping grounds. Back when Rochester’s beaches were closed due to pollution, Hamlin Beach was the closest open beach to home. My family would pack our picnic backpack and spend many enjoyable days at Hamlin Beach. Today, since the water is clean and safe, it remains a gathering spot for beachcombers from all around Western New York. It also features several picnic spots, biking and hiking trails that become skiing and snowmobile trails during the winter, playgrounds, fishing and 264 tent and RV campsites that are open from spring to fall.

From Hamlin Beach, it’s just a short drive up the Lake Ontario Parkway to my hometown of Rochester, NY. For culture I believe that Rochester is among the country’s most underrated cities. There are many great museums including the George Eastman House (home to the founder of Eastman Kodak and one of the fathers of photography), the Susan B. Anthony House, the world famous Strong National Museum of Play, the Rochester Museum and Science Center and the University of Rochester’s Memorial Art Gallery. Rochester is also home to the Red Wings, AAA farm team of the Minnesota Twins, the Amerks American Hockey League team, the Nighthawks indoor lacrosse team, the Rhinos soccer team and several other professional and collegiate sports teams. Rochester is also close to the Finger Lakes wine trails so pack your wine carrier and take a side trip to some of the many wineries in the area. Finally, Rochester is an educational center with as many as nine colleges having campuses in the metropolitan area. For you campers, pitch your family camping tent in Rochester because there are plenty of campgrounds in the area. If you have the time, enjoy a day or two in Rochester. You’ll be glad you did.

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