Sometimes as a lifetime native of the city of Rochester I can get a bit disenchanted with our lovely city. When I started attending college, a lot of my friends were unfamiliar with the area, and so I had to act as sort of a tour guide showing them around the city—and I realized that I had been missing out on a lot.

It’s not that I don’t visit places in the city or do things around the area—because I do—but it’s mainly that I was looking at them through the eyes of Rochestarian, instead of the eyes of a tourist. Sure, it might seem strange to look at your own city through the eyes of a tourist, but once you do you can see all the wonderful things you actually have access to. I started looking at the city of Rochester through the eyes of a tourist, and when I did here’s ten things I saw.

1. Take a Hike

Rochester has so many great parks and hiking trails for you to explore on your own or with your family or friends. My recommendation: Corbett’s Glen Nature Park in Brighton. Corbett’s Glen combines forested walking trails with scenic and refreshing waterfalls that you can trek through if you’re feeling especially adventurous and brought a good pair of water shoes. Plus, all this fun is just a car ride away!

2. Explore the City

There are lots of great streets in Rochester where you can window shop and take in the city sights. My first suggestion is University Avenue where you can peruse the gardens and collections of statues outside the Memorial Art Gallery, pick up a hot coffee or a cold iced tea at Starry Nights, grab a good read from Writers & Books, or even pop over to Village Gate for lunch or dinner. There’s also a lot of shops to explore and places to eat on South Avenue, Monroe Avenue, and Park Avenue—just to get you started.

3. Let Loose

With a little yoga, obviously. Twice monthly, yogi Joanna McNelis teaches full moon and new moon yoga classes for around $15, all of which goes to a local charity of some kind, at Tru Yoga on South Avenue. These classes are perfect for yogis of all levels, and they’re right down the street from the Rochester Abundance Co-op, so you can grab a drink or a bit to eat before heading to class.

4. Spend a Little Time Among Plants

For just a few bucks you can experience the Lamberton Conservatory in Highland Park. This is a great place to take family photos, do a little sketching, or just take some time to be quiet—and watch quails, of course. While you’re there, take a trip over to the lilacs—whether they’re in bloom or not—and walk around Highland Park, taking in the sights, and maybe even the smells of the lovely lilacs.

5. Visit the Library

The big one, the four-story high one with the underground tunnels, yeah, that one. It’s worth what you might have to pay for parking in order to visit the Rundell Library downtown and browse their vast selection of books. You can even buy a crepe while you’re there or some cheap discard books in the library bookstore—you never know what good finds might be lurking there.

6. Visit a Museum

We’ve got lots of them, and they’re not too expensive to visit. If you’ve got young kids, head over to the Strong Museum of Play, they’ll have a ball—I know I sure did as a kid. Maybe your kids are a little older or you want to spend some time exploring science you can go to the Rochester Museum and Science Center. Or perhaps you’re a lover of fine art and would like to spend a few hours enjoying some beautiful artwork and—if you’re lucky—an organ recital at the Memorial Art Gallery.

7. Go Out For a Dinner Date

And when you do, go some place different, some place you’ve never gone before. The Owl House on Marshall Street offers delicious American fare that can be made vegan or gluten free at your request. Nox Bar and Grill at Village Gate features a bar and restraint atmosphere where everything on the menu is a reference in some way to a book, movie, or even video game. The Highland Diner serves classic diner food with a spin—the restaurant is really a train car. There are lots of other great places to visit on a night out, but I guess you’ll have to discover those by yourself.

8. Visit a Small Suburb

I might be a little biased because I live very near to it, but I highly recommend that you take a drive to the town of Brockport and visit Main Street. You’ll find a collection of antique, toy, clothing, and book stores, along with several pizza joints, bars, and cafes. Main Street is a nice place to spend an afternoon windowing shopping and enjoying a walk along the canal.

9. Speaking of the Canal…

There are lots of towns and villages along the canal that you can visit. I suggest taking a trip to Shoen Place in Pittsford, there are a lot of great stores and scenic views along the canal that you can walk, or boat if you want to talk a canal tour—you can even experience going through a lock on a guided tour.

10. Spend Some Actual Money

If you like shopping or even just browsing stores, you’d love to visit Jefferson Road out in Henrietta. You can visit the mall, plus an additional number of chain stores and locally owned businesses where you can choose to invest your money into the local economy…or just enjoy having a look at the wares.

There you have it! Rochester is a beautiful city filled with amazing things to do, so get out there and explore it!