Niagra Falls

Though Niagra Falls is a little bit of a drive (3.5 hours) it is still something unique to see while living in the area. It was a very enjoyable trip and we really loved seeing one of our countries beauties! My kids found it fasinating to know that some of the water that goes over the falls ends up at the Lake Onterio beaches where we swim. What a great sight to see!

Click on the name Niagra Falls above to go to the officle website and view more info on Niagra Falls.

Upstate NY Beaches

Though there are a lot less warms months then cold here in Watertown NY, those warm days can still be a good excuse to go to the beach! There are two state beaches (that I am aware of) to enjoy the Water, Sand and Sun! The first beach is

Southwick 8119 Southwicks Pl, Woodville, NY (315) 846-5338 We really enjoyed that beach because the water was clear and the sand was nice and sandy. Plus they do have life gaurds, snack shack, picnic area and a play ground. Its $8 to get in (being a state park you have to pay)but after 4pm is $6. So if your only going for a few hours better to save some money and stay away from the hottiest time of the day as well as all the crowds and go around 4pm. (the first two pictures are from Southwick)

The second beach is Westcott which is a good beach but it was smaller, more crowded and not as smooth ocean floor as the other beach. It is closer to watertown but is $10 to get in (being a state park you have to pay)vs the $8 at Southwick.

Click on the names of the beaches to learn more!

Ice Cream Obsessed

One funny thing about Watertown is how many Ice Cream stands there are. In just the Watertown area there is at least 10 different ice cream stands. For a place that gets so cold you would think they would have 10 or more Hot Chocolate stands. Funny! Here is a list of our favorite Ice Cream stands in Watertown NY. 1. Friendly's- diner with an ice cream windown for ordering outside 2. Frosty Ice Cream 3. Way Cool 4. Trolley Ice Cream

I have to admit that so far Trolley Ice Cream is our most favorite because it looks like a..........Trolley Car. And the Ice Cream was really yummy! Keep in mind that these are only a few, of many, ice cream places in or near Watertown. I know you have been holding it in so lets hear it, "We all SCREAM for ICE CREAM" LOL Click on the name of the different ice cream stands for a link with the Name, phone number, address and map of where these different ice cream stands are!

Strawberry Picking

Something more unique and fun to do with the kids/family is to take them Strawberry picking. There are two local farms that have strawberry fields where you go searching for strawberries and then pay by the basket. It is a lot of fun for the kids as well as the adults. But if you go with multiple kids than make sure that you have plans for the strawberries because your going to end up with a lot! One of the strawberry picking farms is Best by Farr Click the name for more info. Best by Farr offers Fresh vegetables, raspberries and strawberries. It is located at Val and Richard Farr 26809 Beckwith Rd Evans Mills, NY And the other local place is Backyard Farmer Fresh vegetables, herbs, berries, apples, honey, maple products, cheese, eggs Brian Sheley 12139 US Rt 11 Adams Ctr, NY

Thompson Park

Thompson Park is located with entrances off Gotham St, Academy St and Franklin St in Watertown, NY. Whats at Thompson park? The Zoo, playground, pavilions, stone stairways, Sledding areas during the winter, Watertown Golf Club, seasonal swimming, different viewpoints of the city, Exercise trails and country drives, Tennis courts, Outdoor skating area and Cross-country ski trails. Its a great place to picnic, play and just relax.

Watertown Zoo

If you have young kids than this is another fun activity that you can do. Though this is a small zoo it is still entertaining for the kids. If you think of it more like a nature walk then a zoo then you won't be to disapointed. You will find all kinds of animals like; Black bears, Bald Eagle, Bobcat, Owls, Snakes, Wolf, Turkey, Wolverine and a lot more. The address for the Watertown Zoo is New York State Zoo at Thompson Park One Thompson Park Watertown, NY 13601

Burrville Cider

Since we came in the Fall time we made it just in time for the famous Burrville Cider. This is my most favorite thing about Watertown so far. I have never had such good tasting cider! And really good tasting apples too! It is so good that at the end of the session I bought 3 gallons and froze one of them in the freezer. Just so that we could enjoy the yummy cider during the long winter. The Burrville Cider Mill address is 18176 Rt. 156/Plank Rd. Watertown, NY 13601 The Mill not only has the best cider but has yummy fresh donuts, homemade donuts and fudge too. If you are lucky enough to go to the mill on a day they are making cider than you can watch them as they wash the apples, smash the apples and make the cider. There is also an amazing waterfall that you can sit by, drink your cider and eat your fresh donuts. So nice! The sad thing is they aren't open for very long. The open on Labor day and close right before Thanksgiving! So enjoy the cider while you can!