On Monday, we went to Braddock Bay to do some paddling and have a picnic lunch. As usual, we brought the metal detector and some of the kids went looking for lost treasures while the food was cooking. We started with some canoe hide and seek and then explored some of the back passages through the cattails. We came out into open water quite a ways up the bay so continued to the tunnel that went under the Parkway into Buttonwood Creek. After exploring back in the creek, we paddled back to the boat launch.
On Tuesday we checked over the bikes and set out on our Bicycle Treasure Hunt. We rode west on roads to a park and then north on the bike trail towards the lake. Turning back east we made stops along the way to pick up the different clues we would need to find our treasure. Eventually we arrived at Ontario Beach Park where we found another clue but also discovered that one of the parking lots was flooded. What fun it was to ride our bikes through the deep water. We ate lunch, rode the Merry-Go-Round and continued on the hunt past the Charlotte Lighthouse and back to our starting point. After figuring out the clues and enjoying our treasure, we had some time left so we went back to the beach for a swim before ending the day.
On Wednesday, we drove to Lucien Moran Park on the south end of Irondequoit Bay to do some hiking and geocaching. It turned out to be quite the adventure with all the mud and finding the ruins of the old rifle range as well as some other things.Alomg the way we stopped to check out a snake next to the path. Afterwards, we went to Ellison Park for a round of disc golf, hiking up and down the hills between the baskets. When we got back to base, there was enough time to set up the slip-n-slide for some wet fun before the parents arrived.
On Thursday we loaded our gear into the trailer, planned a menu, went shopping and headed for Fairhaven Beach State Park for our overnight.After setting up camp and eating lunch, we drove to Oswego to check out Fort Ontario. We spent a couple of hours there exploring every corner and hidden spot we could find. Then it was back to camp for dinner, some fishing and smores on the campfire before bed.
Friday morning we cooked up some chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast, took down camp and headed back towards Rochester. We stopped at Sodus Bay for lunch and swimming and decided that some more fishing would be fun. Gavin caught the biggest fish. Finally it was time to go home.
