Rochester | Ultimate Shopping & Fun Guide 🚗💨

Perfect for families! This trip to Rochester combines the wildly popular Strong Museum with great shopping — smooth border crossing, happy kids, happy adults. 😍 🚘 Day 1 – Cross into the US + Museum Fun 🔅 Left Toronto at 8 AM 🚗 → arrived at Rainbow Bridge 🌈 around 11 AM. Since we hadn’t been to the U.S. in the last 6 months, we had to do fingerprinting. Thanks to pre-prepared EVUS and I-94, it was super quick! The officer even smiled and said, “Off to the museum, huh?” 😄 🔅 Got to Rochester by noon. Had lunch at the highly-recommended Seasoning Thai Bistro… and honestly? 👎 Overpriced and underwhelming. Not worth it. 🔅 Spent the afternoon at the Strong National Museum of Play 🧸🕹️ — so much fun! Took 4-5 hours just to cover one floor. Decided to come back tomorrow! 🔅 Evening stop: Wegmans 🛒🥨🍇! This grocery store is a destination itself — huge, clean, with amazing hot food, snacks, and ready-to-eat meals. We were blown away! 🌟 🚘 Day 2 – Trader Joe’s + Exploring + Museum Round 2 🔅 Morning: Stocked up on snacks at Trader Joe’s 🍿🍫 for munching at the museum. 🔅 Explored a hidden gem — an abandoned reservoir with graffiti-covered buildings 🎨🏞️. The echo effect there was even cooler than the Temple of Heaven in Beijing! 🔅 Spent another afternoon at the Strong Museum — left fully satisfied by 7 PM 😊. Tried Whole Foods after… not impressed. Same vibe as Canada. 🥲 🚘 Day 3 – Shop Till You Drop 🔅 Rain changed our zoo plans → turned into a shopping day! ☔🛍️ 🔅 Dick’s Sporting Goods ⚽🏸 – great discounts, good kids' section. REI was just okay — left empty-handed. 🔅 Costco US 🛒🇺🇸 – lots of items differ from Canada’s selection! Kids' clothes are cuter and more affordable here. 💡 Pro Tips: 1️⃣ Think twice before buying an annual pass to Strong Museum — read my full review on whether it’s worth it. 2️⃣️ Return to Canada by 4 PM to avoid long border waits 🕓🚗. 3️⃣️ Already planning our next trip: 🌷 Highland Park (tulip season!) 🌅 Ontario Beach Park sunset 🚶 Pittsford Canal Walk 🏛️ RMSC 🏎️ Indoor karting …yes, I bought the annual pass — gotta make it count! 😉 #FamilyTravel #Rochester #CrossBorderShopping #StrongMuseum