Nice weather and the first weekend of Maple Weekend in Western New York made for an ideal weekend for a trip to Medina, in Orleans County, a town where I worked for 15 Years. Things have changed a lot in Medina over the past 20 years, and in a very good way.
Our day started in the countryside of the Town of Royalton at Wolf Maple Farm for the first day of Maple Weekend in New York State. Over the course of 2 weekends and 4 days, hundreds (probable thousands) of people come to Wolf Maple for a tantalizing assortment of food and maple goods. From Maple Hot Dogs to their famous Maple Fry Cakes, the hot food selection appeals to the long lines of customers willing to wait 30 minutes to get to the front of the line. We skipped that line and got in the not quite as long line for the Maple products store. Another long line outside of the food areas was for people waiting for a lengthy tram ride exploring the expansive Wolf Maple property including the Maple harvesting forest as well as a petting zoo.
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Our next destination was Medina, NY, 20 minutes east of Wolf Maple Farm. An old port city on the Erie Canal, visiting downtown Medina is like a trip back to the late 19th century. As with many old towns, Medina experienced a period of economic downturn and decay, but today it’s Main Street is vibrant and interesting.
The local coffee shop is always a great place to start our visit. The Coffee Pot Cafe is a cool location with a broad offering of coffee, tea, and espresso drinks. The latte and the cappuccino were excellent. We didn’t try the baked goods but they looked delicious.
Della’s Chocolates occupies a Main Street store front. This day the store was loaded with Easter candy. The prices are low compared to chocolatiers in the city, and the quality is excellent.
Having spent 15 years of my working life at a high tech electronics company in Medina, strolling the streets this day brought back a lot of good memories. Whether a dry cleaner or a clothing store, customer service was always a part of the downtown Medina experience. One of my best memories was coming to the long gone Kennedy Brothers Men’s store when I needed a new suit. The late great Don Kennedy would run from his back office to greet me when I walked into the store, would help me find the perfect suit for an upcoming trip, do the fitting, and have it ready for me within 24 hours.
A second of our principle destinations this day (Wolf Maple being first) was the Medina Railroad Museum. The museum is in a beautifully restored railroad freight docking building, and is loaded with railroad memorabilia such as giant railroad tools and a thousand fire department helmets on shelves surrounding the main display room. The highlight of the museum is a model train display that is at least a 100 yards long with towns, tunnels, railroad bridges, and dozens of model trains, many in motion around the display.
This is a museum that everyone will enjoy, and if a train enthusiast, it’s definitely worth a long trip to visit the Medina Railroad Museum.
Medina has several excellent restaurant with a wide variety of offerings. We chose Mariachi De Pro Mexican Grill where we enjoyed an excellent lunch. We were than off to our final destination, a short distance north of Medina, an Amish grocery store, Miller’s Bulk Food & Bakery. The outside front of the store is lined with beautifully crafted Amish furniture and ornaments. The store itself has just about anything you would need from a grocery store, but all packed in bulk containers. The goods are high quality and prices are unbelievable, a great value.
Maple syrup, railroad museum, and Amish grocer. What a great day!
