I want more – I want more! Perhaps it sounds a tad greedy after enjoying such a wonderful Christmas holiday with family and friends coming and going, and all the prerequisites of a wonderful tree, food, and greetings fulfilled.
But, I want more – of that family time! Bring those grandchildren back – and of course their parents. Let the fun extend into 2017! Ontario County and the Finger Lakes is a perfect place to have a year long celebration of family and fun! If I could have this wish, what would I do? Where would we go to make EVERYONE happy?
1. Wegmans. You have to feed the masses and folks who aren’t familiar with Wegmans always wonder why a big day out would include a grocery store. Well, how about this picture to show how much fun it is to ride in one of the green cars amidst piles of healthy food options for everyone!
2. Museum Day. When you’re having a multi-generational day out, with so many ages and so many interests, it’s hard to please everyone, but here’s how I’d try. Give a list of local museums, send the small groups out with those cameras and come back to the dinner table and share your day. I’d include my parents in this too and make it a real multi-generational tour. For instance, wouldn’t it be fun to have my father, born in 1932 and my son, born in 1989 tour the Antique Wireless Museum in Bloomfield. The guides there are so knowledgeable and can fill you in on anything that you see from a technical and a historical standpoint. But, I would love to be that fly-on-the-wall as my father could interpret the times when he would listen to the first radios or watch the first movie television (not a mistake the way I wrote it – it really exists there)! 
My son would see the first cell phone and together they could talk about family communication then and now.
For the younger ones, there are so many choices, but I think I’d defer to a day at Strong Museum of Play. Hey, if you have a National Museum in your backyard – make it part of your museum day. You know how kids like to repeat doing things that they are comfortable with? Well, since we’ve taken Hudson there before, I know a return visit would be high on the list. What’s even better about this experience is that this museum brings out the inner child in all of us.
3. Get outside! Together! That’s what my parents used to tell us! Weather didn’t matter, there was always something that could be done outside. Well, in our area that couldn’t be more true. Let’s go on a zipline tour. Let’s go skiing. Let’s cross country ski. Let’s snow hike or snow shoe or sled! Saying all of these things in one long string of non-sentences, definitely leads to this: Bristol Mountain Winter Resort. Go there – and see for yourself. You can look around and see lots of families having so much fun! I want that too, for my family! Bristol even has certain days and events set aside for multi-generational ski nights. Go to their site for all the details. I’ll see you there!
4. Roseland Bowl Family Fun Center in Canandaigua – here we come. Well, we’ve been here before with the family, I’ll admit. It’s like Americana Fusion of good old-fashioned fun of bowling with the other games of challenge that even a mother can do! Every generation can go here – and you can even rent your own space now with their VIP area. Laser Tag is the place to play if you want to take out some of those family hostilities you’ve harbored for a few years! Or, it’s good exercise and great fun to see who can touch more “dots” in 2 minutes. It’s like a room full of Simon says, “touch me” and you can see who gets there first. I may not be describing Roseland in the most technical terms because it’s not about the technical, it’s about the family fun, whether it’s in bumper cars or skee ball challenges. (What do you mean some of those kids don’t know what skee ball is? See why it needs to be a multi-generational challenge?)
5. Plan an adults only night. Yep, I said it. Everyone will be happy with this. Get the right babysitter – and you can “hop” between fun things including – a night at Finger Lakes Gaming and Racetrack in Farmington. Take that roll of quarters and see who can make it last the longest! Join a cooking demonstration at the New York Wine & Culinary Center in Canandaigua– and then take the knowledge home and re-gift it to your friends who weren’t lucky enough to be there themselves!
6. Stay in a hotel (with a pool!). Seriously, the winter rates here are fantastic and even though we have a great home and can accommodate everyone, I recommend at least one night or two to stay in the hotel. I’ve had family at so many hotels in Ontario County and the region and it seems that each of them like something a little different. Want a lakeview, lakeside experience with a pool and an exercise room, and so many food options? We got it. Want to get your points at your favorite Marriott property? The Fairfield Inn & Suites in Geneva here we come! How about a place that will give your family their own little dining space/meeting space – and still have a pool? Check out the Holiday Inn Express in Canandaigua. TripAdvisor reviews say, “it’s worth a few pennies more” and “it’s a great stay at a great cost.”
It’s fun for me to be able to show off my area to my family – and more importantly to get “hands-on” with them at so many fun places. I have never been a big fan of the term “staycation” because I don’t like to “stay-put” very long (just ask my Mother!). But, I am a big fan of the family vacation that doesn’t have to be at an exotic, soak-in-the-sun and dole-out-the-money location! If we have it here, let’s gift it to each other because these family getaways are the gifts that keep on giving and the memories will live on forever!
