Albion Travel Guide

Canalside Park in Albion,NY is just what its name implies: a beautifully landscaped park with the Erie Canal running through it. There is access to tourboat rides and a marina launch.
Picnic tables and canal-side benches are places to sit and relax. There are restroom facilities and a little vending area for canal travelers to stop and rest on their long journey across the state. Nearby are some stores if you are one of those travelers and need some supplies or just a moment to appease your shopping bug.

Got a few minutes, then take a break and feed the geese or snap a few pics.

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When you are on vacation, fast food chains seem to be the quick and easy solution for lunch.
We try to limit the number of times we hit these calorie castles but when you are in a hurry and on the road, they really are convenient.

Burger King is okay but not great (I prefer Wendy's). For under $6 you can get burger, fries and drink; and it is ready to go in under 10 minutes.
The restaurants themselves are relatively clean if not a bit austere. The restrooms are generally good with mopped floors and plenty of toilet paper for use.

They have a drive-up window for really fast access but I have a tough time understanding the garble over the loud-speaker, so I usually just walk in to order. The staff is normally young adult attendants with an older male supervisor. They are efficient in taking your order and the computerized registers they use generally get the order right and give you the correct change.

So if you keep these to a minimum, then using fast food on vacation can be a help.
Also if you are traveling with a family, this can be the easiest method of feeding the kids.

Favorite Dish: cheese burger, dr.pepper and small fries

Getting around Albion requires either a lot of time if you are walking or else you have to drive your own car.
There is no public transportation in Albion.
The closest taxi service is 10-15 miles away in Batavia, Brockport or Medina. There is a private transportation company that can be hired by the hour or the day called Ridge Road Express (716-625-9211). It is useful if you have to transport a group of people or have handicap needs.

The main routes to take in Albion are route 31 (which is East Avenue and West Avenue within the town limits) and route 98 (which is North Main Street and South Main Street within the town limits). The only other major roadway is Linwood Avenue which changes to Densmore Street then ZigZag Road

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Albion is an agricultural area and strawberries are big business. Every June, the town celebrates the Strawberry Festival on the second weekend (Saturday and Sunday). It starts with the Strawberry Parade (local schools, boy scouts, firemen and equipment, politicians) and the choosing of the Strawberry Queen. Then you can browse the arts and craft tents and tables, see some classic cars that have refurbished and souped-up, take a carriage ride around the area, let the kids get "tatoos" and face-paint, and feed your face from the many food vendors.

Most of the events are right down Main Street in Albion; centered around Court House Square.
Admission is free; you pay for food and souveniers and any special events.

call the number below for this years times and dates.

to get there:
from Rochester, take I-490 to route 531 west. take 531 west to route 31 west. continue west on route 31 to route 98. route 98 is Main Street in Albion. see signs

Albion crime stats:

no murders and 1 rape in three years; 30 assaults (fights with injuries) per year.
the crime rate is less than 1% for violent crimes and under 10% for other misdemeanors.
Those stats make Albion a pretty safe place to visit, in general.
However, there are 39 sexual offenders registered in Albion, NY. Given the small size of the population and the fact that most offenders are male, the odds show that if you saw 110 men in Albion, then one of them was probably a SO. This does not indicate future crime but is only a caution.
(If you are vacationing in the Albion area, you may want to check out the website below.)

We have gone there often for rides in the country and coffee and have not had any problems, ever. I do not personally know what it is like at night in town but I cannot imagine that this quiet rural town holds many threats.

Use common precautions like you would in your own hometown and your visit to Albion should be safe. But be a bit more watchful if you have children with you on vacation. Just to be sure.

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In Albion, there is the Mount Albion Cemetery.
It is one of the most unique cemetery layouts I have seen.
Take a hill, cut 3-foot high terraces in it every 10 feet, and use it as a burial grounds. I find that unique.
The graves date well-back into the U.S. Civil War period. There are war memorials and statuery commerating individual soldiers; Tier on tier on tier of headstones and monuments.

Bring a camera because you will definitely get some interesting shots.

address: 14925 route 31, half-mile east of the intersection of routes 31 and 98

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If you just want to kill an hour and get in some exercise, then try this 9-hole par-3 course.
Its under 1500 yards at the back tees and under $10 (you won't need a cart). 3W, Pitching Wedge, putter and maybe 3-iron for shots from the rough is allyou need to play these holes.

This course is not for real golfers; it is just for duffers like me. The longest hole is about 200 yards. The greens are the toughest part of the course because they are not always in great shape and they tend to play very fast in the dry summer days.

There are no amenities here. It is just a place to bang away at the balls.

Favorite thing: Albion Village has a population of about 7500 and is the county seat of Orleans County. It is located in western New York not far from Rochester. Very nice courthouse. Albion Village should not be confused with the town of Albion even though Albion Village includes part of the town of Albion and the town of Gaines. There is also a town of Albion in Oswego County, New York. Confused? Me too. All I know for sure is I really enjoyed walking around this pretty "village" and found it interesting.

Fondest memory: Walking along the canal.