Rochester is a mid-size city that sits by Lake Ontario. Known as 'The Flower City' for its beautiful gardens, the city of Rochester has much more to offer, especially in the spring and summer weather. Still, if you're looking for a winter holiday, then make sure to visit during the colder weather, as Rochester typically has classic snowy weather throughout the winter months, with often-times feet of snow in the colder weather.

Sightseeing

Rochester has beautiful gardens, which are especially stunning during the spring and summer weather. The most scenic is Highland Park, but Genesee Valley Park has some activity option, with a few trails to walk. In the winter, Lamberton Conservatory is a warm refuge in the colder weather to see more exotic plants.

Galleries and Museums

Artisan Works is a combined gallery and artist workspace. You will often see artists working on new pieces and they are usually happy to chat with you about what they're working on. George Eastman House was built by the founder of Kodak and is a beautiful mansion with exhibitions highlighting the history of photography. Perfect for wandering around in inclement weather.
If you have kids, the The National Museum of Play is a must visit. As the name suggests, it's a museum entirely devoted to play, with themed areas like Sesame Street and a butterfly garden. The Susan B. Anthony museum is dedicated to suffrage and is located in the former women's right activist's house.

Festivals

The spring weather in May also brings the festival season with it, in particular, the widely renowned Lilac Festival, where you can buy Highland Park Lilac perfume. The nine-day Rochester Jazz Festival and Fairport Canal Festival in June are also worth checking out. There are also lots of mini-festivals held during this time, including the Monroe County Fair.

Local Hotspots

The speciality of Rochester is the White Hot Garbage Plate: your choice of meat on top of macaroni salad, fries and onions, topped with spicy sauce and mustard. The best can be found at Nick Tahou's Hots. A 'hot' is a hot dog. Rochester's not big on fancy dining, but many 'upscale' quality eateries can be found.
Rochester has it's own Genesee beer and Finger Lakes wine, which is a must-try. Lux is a great bar, which has hammocks in the backyard in the warmer weather and Pearl and Tilt are both cool clubs for nightime.