The name Canandaigua (pronounced Can-an-day-guh-wa) comes from the Seneca Native Americans for “The Chosen Spot.” The town has a long history steeped in lore and charm. This small city in upstate New York, is one of the Finger Lakes’ better kept secrets.
The best place to stay the night is off of Lake Shore Drive. The Inn on the Lake is the equivalent to the hotel on Boardwalk in the game of Monopoly. This is mainly due to price and extravagance. This pristine hotel is two stories high and overlooks majestic Canandaigua Lake. Some rooms are larger than most one-bedroom apartments, some even have a full kitchen! The hotel also boasts a four-star restaurant and two in-ground pools. The staff is friendly, and the service is top-notch! $120 a night could be worth it!
Next on our list is an attraction. One of the best in the region, I might add. Roseland Water Park is a family-oriented establishment. Roseland is home to some rather unique attractions. A 27,000-square-foot wave pool steals the show for most of the park’s guests. Three tube slides and their ever impressive Adventure River are sure to delight. Open from June through August. Located at 250 Eastern Blvd. Have a splashing good time.
Another feature of Canandaigua is a wide variety of restaurants, the most notable of which is a small place called Casa Italiana. This sub shop is more than just great subs. Any kind of meat from smoked liverwurst to Boar’s Head is found here. When you walk out with a large sub, people could mistake you for wielding a baseball bat. Their most expensive sub is less than $7. This, my friends, is a whole lot of food for a small price. Taste and quality reign supreme in this Parrish Street deli.
Another great attraction that Canandaigua has to offer is unique to the whole of North America. In the small village of Cheshire (just outside of Canandaigua), there does not appear to be much. But on Halloween night, the town of under 4,000 people is transformed. Teenagers and adults alike descend on the small hamlet. Some come as far as 50-plus miles away for one purpose: toilet paper. The pastor of Cheshire Community Church claims, “Cheshire is the toilet paper capital of the world!” The pastor and his congregation hand out cider and glow sticks to the children as the town gets wrapped. Nowhere else will you find droves of people taking to the streets throwing not hundreds, but thousands of rolls of toilet paper. The police are present and drive through, but that is just to make sure things are not getting too out of hand. Come daybreak, the trees and bushes are so laden with toilet paper, one can hardly distinguish the branches. Oh, and one more thing, the toilet paper may cost a few bucks, but the “distribution” is free!
