I had this whole plan in my head to have an old fashioned road trip....people piled in the car, maps, snacks and a whole lot of fun searching for the benches on parade. http://benchesonparade.com/
But one by one my friends bailed on the day with the exception of my faithful "Living Life Abundantly" sidekick Maggie. We did have a few people who joined up with us for part of the experience, but she is the only one who has stuck out for the whole 117 benches! (which as of this posting has not yet been completed....but don't worry--we will!)
We set out on Saturday morning with the thought that we could see all of them in one day. I had spent nearly 3 days mapping out on a map, printing off directions, putting it into an excel sheet with the most efficient manner to get around the city to see them all....we were all set (HA!)
Major snafu #1....drove around MCH for a good 20 minutes or more looking for the bench....never found it that day. Apparently it is inside the hospital near the gift shop, tucked deep in a little nook...obscure?!. Then it started to drizzle, and the rain pretty much stayed with us no matter where we drove for the REST OF THE DAY! So much for a forecast of isolated and scattered showers...how about being socked in all day long.
Second large snafu was at RIT. There was a graduation going on and the bench was near that area so they had all the parking blocked off. We had to park WAY away from it and we started running because we were so behind already in the day.
The most frustrating thing about the experience was the amount of benches that were locked inside buildings. We wasted a lot of time looking for one at Hilton High School until I finally looked in a window and THERE IT WAS! From them on, we realized if we really could not find it....well it was inside. Some we could see through windows, but some we could not--which was super frustrating.
We went all around St. John Fisher College, but could not find the bench, it is probably tucked in some little courtyard....will just have to go back another day because after wasting a half hour, you just give up!
We especially appreciated when the bench matched the location. For example, the one at Golisano children's Hospital is decorated with their theme...or the one at RIT was decorated with RIT things (including their hockey team)--that one was Maggie's Favorite.
Maggie's friend Andy joined us for a few in the Pittsford area and then Jen joined us in the Victor area (which gave us a little more variety in the photo department)....you can only take so many photos of the same 2 people. Poor Maggie, I made her pose in a few of them doing funny things.
We discovered that there is NO way you can do them all in one day....well you could, but we were not going to. So after 62 benches and 165 miles and almost 10 hours we said goodnight to the benches for one day and picked it up the next day.
Sunday we started out to the city part of the bench tour (we had done all the burbs on Saturday). Again we found 4 that we believe are locked inside buildings and Frontier Field. HELLO??? It is very frustrating that they want you to see them all, but then they don't make them accessible.
We ended up stopping and not doing Canandaigua ones this weekend, as poor Maggie has a life outside "my list" and we will hopefully do them next weekend. Sunday we spent 4 hours, drove 20 miles, but walked 11,005 Steps (we did the ones in the city, so we walked most of it).
But one by one my friends bailed on the day with the exception of my faithful "Living Life Abundantly" sidekick Maggie. We did have a few people who joined up with us for part of the experience, but she is the only one who has stuck out for the whole 117 benches! (which as of this posting has not yet been completed....but don't worry--we will!)
We set out on Saturday morning with the thought that we could see all of them in one day. I had spent nearly 3 days mapping out on a map, printing off directions, putting it into an excel sheet with the most efficient manner to get around the city to see them all....we were all set (HA!)
Major snafu #1....drove around MCH for a good 20 minutes or more looking for the bench....never found it that day. Apparently it is inside the hospital near the gift shop, tucked deep in a little nook...obscure?!. Then it started to drizzle, and the rain pretty much stayed with us no matter where we drove for the REST OF THE DAY! So much for a forecast of isolated and scattered showers...how about being socked in all day long.
Second large snafu was at RIT. There was a graduation going on and the bench was near that area so they had all the parking blocked off. We had to park WAY away from it and we started running because we were so behind already in the day.
The most frustrating thing about the experience was the amount of benches that were locked inside buildings. We wasted a lot of time looking for one at Hilton High School until I finally looked in a window and THERE IT WAS! From them on, we realized if we really could not find it....well it was inside. Some we could see through windows, but some we could not--which was super frustrating.
We went all around St. John Fisher College, but could not find the bench, it is probably tucked in some little courtyard....will just have to go back another day because after wasting a half hour, you just give up!
We especially appreciated when the bench matched the location. For example, the one at Golisano children's Hospital is decorated with their theme...or the one at RIT was decorated with RIT things (including their hockey team)--that one was Maggie's Favorite.
Maggie's friend Andy joined us for a few in the Pittsford area and then Jen joined us in the Victor area (which gave us a little more variety in the photo department)....you can only take so many photos of the same 2 people. Poor Maggie, I made her pose in a few of them doing funny things.
We discovered that there is NO way you can do them all in one day....well you could, but we were not going to. So after 62 benches and 165 miles and almost 10 hours we said goodnight to the benches for one day and picked it up the next day.
Sunday we started out to the city part of the bench tour (we had done all the burbs on Saturday). Again we found 4 that we believe are locked inside buildings and Frontier Field. HELLO??? It is very frustrating that they want you to see them all, but then they don't make them accessible.
We ended up stopping and not doing Canandaigua ones this weekend, as poor Maggie has a life outside "my list" and we will hopefully do them next weekend. Sunday we spent 4 hours, drove 20 miles, but walked 11,005 Steps (we did the ones in the city, so we walked most of it).
So we had 8 in Canandaigua left to see......6 in Rochester that are either locked up and I cant see, or that I cant find....hmmm, might be a weekday project!
The following weekend, I met up with Maggie and her parents to finish up the ones in Canandaigua. The ones in town were relatively easy to locate then we had to Journey out to Bristol Harbour for the final location! Once they were all found we celebrated with a glass of wine at the NYS Wine and Culinary Center. We sat out on the deck and relaxed looking out over the lake........ahhhhh. On our drive back, we found the one at St. John Fisher that we had difficulty locating the weekend before. Leaving us 5 that we have not seen!
Overall, I think the concept is a great one. We saw ALL different parts of Rochester (some that Im NOT so sure that you really want to be advertising for Rochester though as we drove from one to the other). There were some things I never saw before. Some cute little parts of the city, restaurants, shops, venues, beautiful buildings (who knew MCH was so beautiful!)... I just wish that the people who created the website for benches had done a better job putting up the addresses and locations, and THEN have difficulty finding thing. I also don't think that they should be locked inside buildings, so that people can enjoy them on weekends when families might actually get out and go searching for them. A person should not have to spend 3 days mapping things out, going 2 different places to find the names of benches/sponsors/addresses etc...and links to maps...they should all interface. Also some of the benches have been moved and they have not updated their website.
The benches are beautiful, we want people to go out and see them. It is sad that when Maggie and I asked people where the bench was we often got a blank stare. At one of the malls a person said, oh I know where it is, go out of the store and turn left.....she directed us to a REGULAR mall bench. COME ON PEOPLE! Do Rochesterians really not look outside when they walk down the street? Do they not pay attention to the art around them....we are so blessed in this city. It is rich in art! ENJOY!
Update as of 9/9/10....All the benches have been found and seen...including those that were locked up and indoors! The task might have taken 2 months and multiple days, but I was able to go and see all 117 benches!
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