I did a 12-week online coaching program with UEF back in 2019. I wanted to share my experiences…read morehere in case anyone else was interested in trying this program. I will say up top that I did not finish the program due to some issues I will get into below. However, I wanted to give my totally honest review as there are definitely some pitfalls to this type of a program. Counting macros gave me serious anxiety. I use a lot of marinades, seasoning, etc. when I cook, and my meals often have lots of ingredients. It was stressful to say the least to have to calculate macros for each element of my meal at every meal. It took out all of the joy of cooking. I wasn't able to enjoy dinner with my family, the one meal we share, because I was just so focused on weighing and calculating what I was eating. This is not UEF's fault, but it took me trying this method out to realize it was not for me. Being in a calorie deficit is the only way to lose weight; there are many different ways to achieve that and counting macros was not the way for me. At the outset of this program I was two months postpartum and breastfeeding, which I disclosed in my intake form. The calorie restriction caused my supply to decline precipitously, and at that point about two weeks in I gave up the macro counting, limiting myself only to the workout regimen in order to regain my supply. I emailed this to my coach that that's what I was doing, and asked if I could put a hold on my training and pick up when I could commit to both aspects. That part of the email went ignored, as he told me to continue as normal with the workout and we would adjust my macros. I really wish they could have been more accommodating on this front, as I paid for the coaching but was just unable to do the full program at that time for the reasons outlined above. I wish I had another opportunity to give it 100% when I was physically ready and not also trying to feed a child. Not a big deal, but each client is given an initial protocol spreadsheet after they first sign up. There were misspellings throughout the spreadsheet, including my name. I get that this is probably the most minor of things, but it definitely felt cookie-cutter and not like I was being evaluated based on my own intake form. It was almost like it was copied and pasted from someone else's sheet. Which brings me to my last point. While my coach was responsive throughout the process, it felt like my fitness journey wasn't taken too seriously since I wasn't embarking on a bodybuilding venture like a lot of their clients. I will 100% own the fact that you will get out of the process what you put into it, and at that time I was not ready to commit to the method of macro counting and I was also at a stage in my life that made dieting not ideal. This review is not a review of the results I did or did t get, but it is my impression of the process and program as a whole. However, it definitely seemed like UEF was more involved in the clientele that wanted to go to bodybuilding competitions. That impression has been further reinforced now that I have attended some other gyms/fitness clubs, where there is a real sense of community and encouragement no matter what your goals are.

They redid the gym, got rid of the powerhouse name, so now my day pass for visiting cost me $15 a…read moreday (no longer 5 free a year), they got rid of the pink walls thank God! But the idiots left the nasty carpet in the cardio area that's soaked with nasty sweat and stinks! Good job guys! Yuk! The bathroom luckily smells better than the gym! The shakes are nasty with fake ass peanut butter! But the counter girl was adorable! So you get an extra star!

Great fun place for all ages of kids with some adult fun…read moresprinkled in like alcohol!! Clean location, friendly staff and the food is pretty good to. We had the pizza combo and the it was pretty tasty, and at $55, two entry fees, pitcher of soda and a large pizza as we as $20 credit for games I thought it was a pretty good value. We went in a rainy Saturday and the kids had a great time !! We'll be back for sure.

A great indoor spot for kids on a rainy day! We took our toddler here today and it was perfect. $12…read moreentrance fee for her to jump around on all the bounce houses, she had a blast for hours. Also a special gate at the register area that prevents kids from wandering to the front doors... very helpful! I do wish there was a gate at the arcade area to prevent young kids from wandering in there alone. But overall a really great place to bring your kids!

This is a wonderful park to bring some take out from Voss' or some other food for a nice picnic. It…read moreis always clean and well groomed. On many occasions you can watch the process of a boat going through the working canal locks, which is pretty neat. There are picnic tables, a shelter, restrooms, and if the locks arent in use, access to the canal trail on the other side. Plenty of parking. Just an all around nice place to spend a little while. It isn't very big so if you are looking to get some exercise you are best heading to the canal trail. This place is also dog friendly, as long as you pick up after them, and my dogs quite enjoy sniffing around.

The area is so very,very nice.Plent of room, clean and mix of sun and shade.I didn't find alot of…read moremosquitoes, but I was there early in the day, no rain.

Pretty fun, nice staff, and fun activities but food could be a little better. After all it was a…read morepretty fun experience. Nice place to go and roller skating

My experience was disappointing. The employees were rude and yelled at me for putting on my own…read morewristband. Additionally, they had separate skate sessions for boys and girls, which felt very exclusionary, especially since some of my friends are gender non-conforming or nonbinary which I find sexist. The bathrooms were in terrible condition, with large gaps between the doors, and they were dirty, featuring profanity written on the walls of the stalls. The carpet on the floor was filthy and appeared as though it hadn't been cleaned in years, while little kids were sitting on the ground to put on their skates.

I cannot stress enough, how much me and my family enjoyed this zoo! We came here Saturday morning…read morevisiting my aunt who lives nearby. The entire zoo is immaculately clean. As soon as we went through the doors after the ticket counter we saw some happy Gibbons swinging around, and they even started talking. We then made our way over to the lions. The area where they have the three lions (who are all siblings) is large and has a walkway that you can walk almost 360° around to get a good glimpse of them no matter where they are. The zoo looks small, but as we made our way around, we felt like it was much bigger than it first appeared. We saw a bald eagle, zebras, ostriches, emus, alligators, and quite a few reptiles! Every time we thought we saw everything we saw there was more! We made our way back over to the lions and caught the end of one of the zookeeper talks. They have three talks per day and if you're around for one it's definitely worth catching one. We learned the names of the three lions and that they were all siblings. The zookeeper asked us if we had any questions which, of course we did. He told us about how they fed the lions safely, what their diet was, and a little bit about the personality of the lions. (No spoilers, you'll have to go yourself to find out!) Everyone that works there was extremely kind, friendly, and knowledgeable. This was such a great zoo. I would highly recommend it to anybody visiting the area or just passing through.

This is not your large city zoo, it is small and 90% outdoors, so a snowy winter day not the best…read moreidea, haha. That being said for small children it's perfect, a nice walk, easy to see the exhibits. Personally I think the areas are too small for the animals and wouldn't visit again. Price point and membership options do make it affordable for families.

This was my first time at Fort Rickey, and it was a perfect day! All of the animals were active,…read moreand it was so cool to see them up close. Our capybara-loving kid was over-the-moon to get to feed the capybaras, and I think a piece of me was healed after snuggling with baby goats. The admission prices were very reasonable, especially with so much to do. We could not have had a better experience, from the friendly bird who played with us when we checked in, to all of the animal presentations and encounters. You can tell the animals are well-taken care of and happy, and the employees are, too. We were really impressed with how knowledgeable the employees were, and how great they are with the kids and families. They explained all of the safety rules clearly, and they had great enthusiasm and patience. To top it off, our kids loved getting to play on the playground, in the play place, and on the massive trampoline. Pro tip: bring a little extra cash and quarters to get some extra food for some of the animals. Core memories were created for sure, and we hope to come back on our next visit.

The Fort Rickey Discovery Zoo is fucking AWESOME…read more We needed a place for a stopover with the kids to break up a long drive. We looked into activities in Utica and area, and someone suggested this place. We had no idea what to expect and pulling into the parking lot, were prepared to be underwhelmed. We were so wrong. Think your typical, big city zoo, and take away all the stuff you don't like, and add in more of the stuff that you do like. For example, make the size of the zoo manageable for kids to walk around. Instead of having 11,000 species of animals that most people don't care that much about, have a smaller place where you really get to be up close. Then add in more interaction - literally every 30 minutes there is something on the schedule for kids to go play with goats, or touch a porcupine. And then throw in a kids play area, and clean bathrooms! Skip the Utica Zoo and come here. 10/10 would recommend for families looking for a fun way to spend 3 or more hours of their day.

Reunion after 20 years …read more.. In 2003, my wife and I spent a week with Mary and had a great time with the horses. We went through all kinds of terrain, streams, and ponds, for hours every day. It never became boring, or too much - we both were not used to work extended time on horses - but it was pure fun, and we only were sad when it ended. The whole experience was professional and layed back at the same time. The year after, my wife fell off a pony and broke her back - she stopped riding completely. I kept riding for a few more years, but time became scarce when we had a child. This year, I was on a business trip to Utica, when I realized that this was the place. I found Mary and gave her a call. The following day we took a ride through the woods. It felt like home, though I had not sat on horseback for quite some years. The horse, Ponyboy, was listening wonderfully, and I felt confident again. Thank you, Mary!

Like so many I rode as a child and young adult and then time wasn't available. I had lessons for…read moreyears and loved everything about horses. I had an opportunity to take Mary's 2 day course this past week and can't find enough great things to say about it! She knows horses better than anyone I have ever met. She takes the time to explain everything you need to know about horses, their needs, their personalities, and how to do anything you need to feel comfortable around them. I had the most enjoyable and magical two days with Mary and Pozo. She told me she could teach anyone to ride and she is not kidding! Of course I was nervous to get back on a horse after so many years but Mary took me step by step and I regained my confidence quickly. Whether you have never ridden, used to ride, or just want time on her wonderful horses I urge you to contact her. Her gentle and loving nature is infectious. I loved every minute of my days with her and her horses. We really super lucky with our weather. Was chilly on day one which the horses loved and warm and sunny on day two. With the colors of the leaves changing while we rode in her woods I felt like I was on a magical journey with my personal horse whisperer by my side.

I arrived at Hinckley at 10:30 am (park AND beach open at 10 am). There was no lifeguard when I got…read moreto the beach area even though the guy collecting $10 to park said there are 2 on all day so there would be one on duty at all times. There are 2 lifeguards here. The lifeguards sat playing with their phones on benches near the bathhouses until noon while families waited to get into the water. The no lifeguard on duty/no swimming sign was up that entire time. Every family here, including me, paid $10 to enter. For what? If you can't staff the park, close it entirely or don't charge and make it at your own risk. Secondly, there are No Smoking signs all over the place. I don't smoke, but apparently the staff member charging to park does as he has been smoking while riding his cart around collecting $10.

I experienced great lifeguards, great place to go to swim. I'm not sure what the other review was…read moretalking about. I think that was probably just a misunderstanding that wasn't addressed by the reviewer. 5/5 stars would recommend