Hit the Road: 3 New York Road Trips to Take this Labor Day

The urge to travel tends to hit a fever pitch as the summer winds down. You don’t have to stay in Rochester to enjoy this lovely weather. If you’re looking to inject a little fun and excitement in your plans this Labor Day, check out these New York road trip ideas. You might be surprised at what you’ll discover!

Day Trips from Rochester, NY

Niagara Falls, USA

A popular destination for road trips is the majestic Niagara Falls. Tourists come from miles around to visit Niagara Falls from the United States side, and it is located only about 95 miles from Rochester, New York.

To get up close and personal with the falls, consider a tour on Maid of the Mist, the only tour boat that has safely navigated close to the base of the falls for over 100 years. For an on-foot adventure, walk along the wooden walkways to the Hurricane Deck at the Cave of the Winds, where you can really experience the falls up close and personal! History enthusiasts may want to check out places such as Old Fort Niagara for military history, or the Erie Canal and Lockport Lochs for a nautical version of history.

Niagara Falls also offers drier experiences. Mere moments away from Niagara Falls State Park you can find venues such as the Riviera Theatre and Performing Arts Center, The Artpark outdoor venue park, and numerous fashion outlets and antique stores. Plenty of street murals are also located around the area painted by local artists.

Cooperstown, New York

Another road trip destination sure to satisfy a taste for history is Cooperstown. Located in Central New York, Cooperstown is a great place to travel and explore the rich history of Americana.

Did you know the Baseball Hall of Fame is located in Cooperstown? Open 362 days of the year, the Hall of Fame showcases a rich history of America’s pastime and provides well-known (and not so well-known) information for baseball fans. You can learn about the history of the sport, view players enshrined into the Hall of Fame, take walking tours, and go to one of the many baseball-themed events while you’re there.

Cooperstown also has much more to offer than just baseball. The small town is also rife with history. In the Fenimore Art Museum, you can see the handwritten letters between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr. The Farmers’ Museum allows visitors to truly experience life on the farm and interplays among traders and farmers. You can also experience the first form of mass transportation by riding on the Cooperstown and Charlotte Valley Railroad.

Letchworth State Park

Located in Castile, NY about 45 miles southwest of Rochester, Letchworth State Park is known as the “Grand Canyon of the East.” The Genesee River flows through the park’s 550-foot-tall gorge with three major waterfalls, known as the Upper, Middle and Lower Falls. There are also as many as 50 smaller waterfalls on tributaries that flow into the Genesee.

There are plenty of activities to enjoy at Letchworth State Park. You’ll find 66 miles of hiking trails, horse-riding classes, two large swimming pools and the Humphrey Nature Center, which offers environmental education and interactive exhibits. Other amenities and activities include lodging and meals at the Glen Iris Inn, hot air balloons and whitewater rafting.

For more ideas for day trips from Rochester NY, check out this article from AAA, “25 Upstate N.Y. Day Trips That Will Make Your Weekend.”

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