Buffalo...and beyond

If you've been following the progress of my list you know that exploring a new city was one of the items. I'm happy to say, done and done. I've spent the past couple days in Buffalo, NY. You may be asking...why Buffalo? Well, I needed a place that was within driving distance that we hadn't been to previously and that was still an affordable destination. It seemed a little silly that I've been up this way so many times previously going to Niagara Falls but have never spent any time in Buffalo. I'm glad that I've seen it but I'm not sure that there is anything here that would really draw me back in for a repeat visit.

A trip to Buffalo wouldn't be complete without a visit to the Anchor Bar, home of the original buffalo wings. I'm not a huge fan of wings myself but seeing as we were here I felt I should partake in at least tasting one. Nothing too crazy either, mild for me thank you. It was good. Not sure how much my opinion is worth, coming from someone who typically doesn't eat chicken off a bone. The experience was great. We were surrounded in a room with about 30 HOGS aka bikers. They were so loud and obnoxious. Honestly, it was fantastic. There were about three different groups, they were from Boston, Connecticut and Michigan. Atmosphere complete with a guy singing live Sinatra songs. I, of course, started the festivities with a nice shot of Patron. Mmmm.

Buffalo has a ton of old, historical churches. I mean, really...how does one city support so many churches. They are beautiful. Some actually really amazing. It's just shocking to see another one every few blocks. I rarely visit a city without taking in the museum. We went to the Albright-Knox Art Gallery. I must say...I was a little disappointed. The facility was nice, but the collection was mediocre. We also went to see Frank Lloyd Wright's Martin House. It was very Frank Lloyd Wright. Not sure what else to say. It's neat to see it in person but nothing really shocking about it. I suppose it's fitting that the house is here. Buffalo is full of huge, historical homes. I don't recall seeing one new housing or condo development. There also aren't a lot of chains in the city either. The city seems to take pride in running on local establishments.

The highlight of my trip (and another item on my list) was riding in a helicopter. It was a short ride, probably about 10 minutes, but oh so worth it. We drove up to Niagara Falls so the flight was overlooking the falls. I've been to the Falls several times before but seeing it from the sky was really cool. Aside from a quick pit stop in the casino, we didn't spend much time in Niagara Falls. Been there, done that. We headed up a little further into Canada to Niagara on the Lake. If you haven't been here before I highly recommend it. It's beautiful and definitely worth the drive. Crisp and clean air. The restaurants and shops are quaint and there's a nice mix of English and French speaking residents. A great view of Fort Niagara is just over the lake. The town is small so it doesn't require much time as a destination but it's a nice addition if you're up that way already.

Aside from being really sick the whole time, the trip was a great get-a-way. I was slightly disappointed with the bakeries in the area. I had high hopes, but felt that almost everything I tasted didn't live up to the expectation. Not to brag, but....I think a lot of my baking beats what people out there are selling. More motivation to move forward!