The Charlotte–Genesee Lighthouse in Rochester, New York

The Charlotte-Genesee Lighthouse is located in northern Rochester, New York. It's located along Lake Ontario at the mouth of the Genesee River. It stands 40 feet tall and is made out of stone...in the classic octagonal shape. 

It was built in 1822 and added to the National Register of Historical Places in 1974. The lighthouse is part of the Seaway Trail, a National Scenice Byway. It's open to the public and is still an active lighthouse. It's currently owned by Monroe County and managed as a museum by a non-profit group. 

Hours of operation: It's open from May 1st through November 1st for tours. During the off-season you need to call them to schedule your visit. The last tour starts at 4:15 pm EST daily. Throughout the year they do host various events. Check their website for the schedule. 

They charge a reasonable fee to enter the lighthouse and take a tour. You can climb the tower to get a view of the surrounding area. They recommend wearing comfortable walking shoes because you'll be doing a decent amount of walking and if you choose to climb the tower...you'll be taking the stairs.

The Lighthouse Keeper's House is the museum which is housed on the first floor. The second floor is a private residence. You can walk around the outside grounds for free year-round. You can learn more about the Charlotte-Genesee Lighthouse by visiting their website online. 

A Family Visit to the Cape May County Zoo

The Cape May County Zoo is located in Cape May Court House, New Jersey. It's a free to visit zoo, although they do ask you to make a cash donation at the gate. We typically drop $20 in the donation bucket. You can ask for a free paper map at the entrance to the zoo. This map will help you navigate since it's large in size. 

Open year round the zoo attracts locals and visitors to the south Jersey Shore. It's approximately a 10-13 minute drive from Wildwood and a 20 minute drive from Cape May. They can get extremely crowded during the summer season and on weekends. If you want to avoid the crowds...try visiting during the off-season or early in the day.

You'll want to dress appropriately for the current weather conditions. Apply sunscreen and bug spray before you enter the zoo. Baby strollers, wheelchairs, cameras, etc. are allowed. You can "rent for a fee" strollers and wheelchairs from the gift shop located near the entrance to the zoo. 

Once you enter the zoo you'll find all kinds of different animals on exhibit. There's a small petting zoo near the entrance where kids can feed and pet barnyard animals like goats and cows. There's a hand sanitizing station located nearby that the kids can use afterwards.

As you go throughout the zoo you'll noticed paved and boardwalk walking paths. If you're disabled, they're easy to navigate and use. There are park benches along the way that you can sit down on as needed.

There are 2 sections in the zoo where you can purchase lunch, snacks and beverages. There's tables nearby. They serve your typical "zoo-type" of food fare: burgers, hot dogs, french fries, soft pretzels, pizza etc. all of which are moderately priced. You're not permitted to bring your own food into the zoo. However, there are picnic tables and covered pavillions around the zoo perimeter that you can use if you're bringing along your own food. 

When visiting the exhibits you want to keep your hands to yourself. In other words, don't be reaching in to try to pet animals unless you're in the petting zoo area. Don't toss things into an animals exhibit. Don't bang on the glass windows of enclosures, etc. Make sure you talk to your children about these rules too.

If the kids are looking to burn off some energy there are very large playgrounds located near the entrance to the zoo and between the parking areas. The playgrounds are free to use. However, your children need to be accompanied by a responsible adult. There's playground equipment that suitable for different age groups.

We go down to North Wildwood in New Jersey several times a year. Our grandchildren always look forward to our visits to the Cape May County Zoo. Every time we go we tend to see something new! It's one of the nicest zoos on the east coast and we highly recommend that you go!