Rochester
In contrast to its sprawling suburbs, downtown ROCHESTER is a salubrious place, with its central office-block area bordered by well-heeled mansions on spacious boulevards. High-tech companies such as Bausch & Lomb and Xerox have brought capital to the city, but by far the most conspicuous names on view are those of Kodak and its founder, George Eastman. Legacies throughout the metropolitan area include Kodak Park, the Eastman Theater, and above all the International Museum of Photography at George Eastman House, two miles from downtown at 900 East Ave (Tues, Wed, Fri & Sat 10am-5pm, Thurs 10am-8pm, Sun 1-5pm; $6.50; tel 716/271-3361). In the modern annex at the rear, a first-rate exhibition of photographic history ranges from high-quality Civil War prints to modern experimental works, plus a space which houses temporary exhibitions, as well as an arthouse cinema. The house itself, fussily restored to its early twentieth-century glory, is mildly interesting; upstairs there's the fun, hands-on Discovery Room plus an informative exhibition on Eastman's. Fittingly, given Eastman's passion for horticulture, the gardens have been superbly maintained and are worth a visit in themselves.

An obsessive collector of anything and everything, local bigwig Margaret Woodbury Strong (1897-1969) bequeathed her estate to the city as the Strong Museum on Manhattan Square (Mon-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 12-5pm; $6). Half devoted to a history of the American family, half obsessed with a history of American consumer culture, it's recently been radically updated to feature interactive exhibits such as a history of Barbie and Sesame Street . Pop culture addicts will enjoy its kitsch sensibility, which includes a fully working 1920s carousel and a 1950s diner shipped here wholesale from its original site in Pennsylvania. The theme of celebrating former Rochester denizens continues at the Susan B. Anthony House at 17 Madison St, where this groundbreaking suffragist lived from 1866-1906 (June-Aug Wed-Sun 11am-4pm; $6; tel 716/235-6124).

PRACTICALITIES

Greyhound drops off at Broad and Chestnut streets downtown. The Amtrak station, 320 Central Ave, is on the north side beyond the I-490 inner loop road; it's served by RTS buses (tel 716/654-0200). Rochester's visitor center is at 45 East Ave between Chestnut and Main (Mon-Fri 8.30am-5pm, Sat 9am-5pm, Sun 10am-3pm; tel 716/546-3070, ). Accommodation is somewhat expensive. Downtown choices include the excellent 428 Mt Vernon B&B (tel 716/271-0792; $100-130), at the entrance to lush Highland Park, with private baths in all rooms. Among budget options in the south of the city, near the I-90 Thruway, is the Red Roof Inn , 4820 W Henrietta Rd, off I-90 exit 46 (tel 716/359-1100; $50-75).

Popular places to eat in the fairly lively downtown include Aladdin's Natural Eatery , 646 Monroe Ave (tel 716/442-5000), serving inexpensive Middle Eastern food, the pub-style Old Toad , 277 Alexander St (tel 716/232-2626), where British staff serve beer and cheap meals, and the restored Art Deco Highland Park Diner , 960 S Clinton Ave (tel 716/461-5040). Jine's Café , 658 Park Ave, is good value for breakfast (tel 716/461-1280) and if you want to sample a Garbage Plate, the local delicacy comprising a platter of just about anything that can be successfully deep fried, head over to Nick Tahou Hots at 320 Main St (tel 716/436-0184). Keep an eye out, too, for the local soft drink, Jolt, which tastes like a normal cola but packs a big wallop of caffeine.