We’ve been away for a long time but I’ve missed writing and we still have plenty going on so we’re back to share. AldrichFamily.org, FairportOutside.com, & photography.randyaldrich.net have all been merged into this site, categories have been updated, and for the most part pictures/links have been corrected. What still remains will be fixed over the next few days.
fairport
One Year Later
Almost exactly a year later, we were at Perinton park again. Only this time, not only did we not have the Oregon Onesie with us, it won’t even fit our daughter anymore.
Hard to believe she’s almost a year old. Time pretty much flys by now.
0 going on 16
We went to the Sandbox yesterday for a friends birthday. Lilah got to play with a lot of new toys and her favorites were the ride-on types. Besides a dragon and a goose, the laundry basket and an empty box or two it was the first time she’s played with one.
Last night we were tooling around in Wal-Mart and, while I’m generally opposed to buying stuff like this in a brick and mortar store (without a coupon), we happened upon one of the carts that Lilah really liked at the Sandbox. The price was (semi) reasonable so we once again bought something for Delilah on OUR date night. She had so much fun it was hard to resist. The picture above might be solely responsible for the purchase. Just sayin…
This morning she had a blast after we gave it to her. I had just about as much fun making this video.
Because I Need More To do
I’m not staying busy enough (end sarcasm). So I’ve signed up to be a Fairport CERT member and I’ll be attending training sessions every Wednesday for the next few Months. I’ve always been interested in this sort of stuff. Even considered joining the volunteer firemen a few times but just never took the time. Should be interesting.
Oh and I’m not missing the opportunity to be a part of TEDx Rochester this year. I was contacted by one of the organizers a few weeks ago as a result of last years post. I think I’ll have a guaranteed seat which is sweet. Can’t wait.
Next few months will be busy. Again. Guess I just need to get used to it.
Potter Park
I’ve been slacking. Life and the great weather this past weekend has gotten in the way of something I love. I’ll do better next weekend, promise.
Potter Park is one of the few public parks within the village of Fairport. You might pass it every day and not even realize it. One of the main features of the park is the Potter Memorial that faces West Church St (route 31f). 5 pillars, artillery guns and a memorial plaque saluting the American Flag. It’s really quite beautiful especially at night.
The park is more than a memorial though. There are baseball fields, tennis courts, basketball courts, a playground, a large green grass field that can be used for whatever you want and it’s even home to a Lions Club facility as well as a Historical House.
It’s not a Hiker’s paradise and you won’t find anyone mountain biking or rock climbing but it’s just about the best type of park you could ever hope for in a village containing an endless supply of kids that need to burn off energy. If you’ve got kids and or you’re looking for a place to play some sports with some friends, Potter Park might be just about perfect for you.
Below is something new I’m trying. It’s a PhotoSynth of the Potter Memorial. A PhotoSynth is like a 3D world built using multiple photos in much the same way a panorama is made. I’m not 100% satisfied with the result since there seems to be a bunch of disconnected photo ‘groups’ but not as bad as I thought it would.
If you can’t see the PhotoSynth above, please visit the original post.
Crescent Trail Through Hike
I found a few other maps of the Crescent trail the other day.
It got me thinking…
My current Saturday in the Park project has an end date. I don’t know what it is yet, but it’s there… looming. There are only so many parks despite my desire for them to be endless.
My next big project might be to coordinate a through hike of the Crescent Trail. It’s not that long, only 35 miles but I’ve never managed to complete a through hike/paddle yet. This might be a good starter! It’s not going to be an easy one though. There’s no camping available along the trail that I’m aware of just yet. My first challenge: finding camping sites.
Who knows, maybe this year: The Crescent Trail, next year: The Appalachian trail!
Running in Monroe County
One of the best exercises you can do outside is running. There’s tons of trails in Perinton and lots of sidewalks in Fairport to run on. However; the amount of public trails available for running within Monroe County is just staggering. There’s the obvious ones like the Canal Trail or the Genesee riverwalk. Then there’s the road less traveled like Cobbs hill or Highland Park.
Anyway, I found a fabulous little resource on places to run in Rochester. It hasn’t been updated in a while but it’s not exactly like the trails are going anywhere…
The Crescent Trail
The Crescent Trail is the longest trail in Perinton (with maybe an exception for the canal trail). It stretches for approximately 35 miles from one end of Perinton to the other. Chances are if you’re hiking in the Fairport / Perinton area you’re on a section of the Crescent trail or one of the connected loops.
You should never head out on the trail without a map. Perinton provides a great trailmap for the Crescent Trail which you can print yourself or just carry on your digital device. Here are the two sections available:
Goose Ponds (High Acres Trail Area)
I bet you thought I forgot didn’t you?
This weeks post comes to you from Goose Ponds. At least, that’s what I’m calling it. Technically the property isn’t even publicly owned. However; It’s part of the Waste Management High Acres Landfill area. They list it as a ‘nature trails/wildlife habitat refuge.’ They allow access to the property by the public 365 days a year and even encourage the following activities:
- Hiking
- Nature walks
- Jogging
- School field trips
- Fishing
- Bird watching
- Cross country skiing
- Picnicking
Tonight is only the second time I’ve been here and it’s gone through a lot of changes since the last time. There’s a new pond, nice new green areas and a new 100′ hill which creates a barrier between the road and the property. The last time I was here it was sunrise (picture: left) and it was extremely quiet and peaceful.
This time around, just before dusk, the silence seems to be coming to a close. All I can hear is frogs croaking, geese honking, ducks flapping, crickets chirping, birds swooping low over the water and the occasional howling of the wind. It’s peaceful, and intense, all at the same time. Like a tiny bit of wilderness right in the middle of Perinton (well, really on the side of Perinton).
Unfortunately it’s getting dark so I don’t have a lot of time to explore, but Waste Management claims there’s over 4 miles of trails to explore, and there’s certainly a lot of natural wildlife to observe. As with any wildlife/nature area, Dusk & Dawn are the best times to be around.
The parking lot is on 31f just outside of the village heading east. Or, you can find it by using my Instamapper track below:
GPS tracking powered by InstaMapper.com
http://www.instamapper.com/trk?key=5482863491259441793&width=500&height=350&type=roadmap
Indian Hill Recreation Area
The whole point of this blog is to help you get outside in the Fairport NY and surrounding areas. But it’s not just to help you, it’s to help me get out there more frequently too. For that reason I’d like to introduce to you a new post series and personal project.
Welcome to Saturday in the Parks.
It’s no secret Perinton has a ton of parks. Everytime I drive down a road I’ve not previously been on I run into a new park (sometimes even more than one). For as long as I can keep finding new parks to visit (and when I’m not out of town) I’ll be featuring one here every Saturday.
But wait, there’s more!
Not only will I be featuring the park, I’ll be posting on location! Combining two things I love: technology and the great outdoors.
This weeks park is the Indian Hill Recreation Area. It’s not so much a park as it is a hiking paradise.
[insert 20min interruption by Jeff the nicest guy in the world and his dog Jayda]
When you’ve reached the picnic table you know you’re at the top. The last time I came up here I thought it pretty much ended at the table. However; after talking with Jeff and hiking along with him for a while I realize this section of the Crescent Trail is HUGE. Several loops, lots of fields, a great place to hike with the kids or the dogs. There are a few wet sections in the trail so if you decide to take the kids make sure they’re wearing their crappy sneakers.
The farthest I got to (thanks to Jeff) was a spot I could view the grass-roofed house from (which is pretty cool by the way). I think the next trip to this place might be a little longer and I’ll be exploring the rest of the trails at least as far as the next road.
The locations of the recreation area, the parking lot and the trails can be seen in the Instamapper GPS Track I made below.
http://www.instamapper.com/trk?key=18173962671177867252&width=350&height=300&type=roadmap
Have fun out there! And if you get a chance, check out the grass roof house!
Randy Aldrich 