Weekend in WNY

James took two days off from work so we could have a long weekend in western New York. On Friday morning, we left B'ville in what felt like a monsoon and drove to Buffalo. We made a stop or two along the way (including Buffalo's Penzeys store), had lunch and then checked into our motel. Aidan was thrilled to see that the motel had a swimming pool, so he happily splashed around while we relaxed before dinner.

Dinner was at Charlie the Butcher for beef on weck, which is roast beef on a kummelweck roll. According to the website EatingTheRoad, the roast beef "is traditionally served rare, thin cut, with the top bun getting a dip au jus...the kummelweck roll gives the sandwich its name and a distinctive taste. A kummelweck (sometimes pronounced "kimmelweck" or "kümmelweck") is similar to a Kaiser roll, but topped with kosher salt and caraway seeds." I added a good-sized schmear of horseradish to mine, just enough to make my eyes water slightly. Delicious!

On Saturday morning we drove down to Penn Dixie Paleontological and Outdoor Education Center, the site of a former quarry. When several layers of shale were removed in the 1960s, fossils were found. Aidan wanted to visit the site after he learned about it at the Gem and Mineral Show we attended a few weeks ago.

The fossil hunters got to work and quickly had treasures to show off:




We took a break for lunch and drove over to the shore of Lake Erie. Our meal was unremarkable, but Aidan was excited to see his second Great Lake. Before returning to Penn Dixie, we went to a yarn store in Hamburg, NY, called Embraceable Ewe:


I had looked for an LYS prior to our trip and knew that they were celebrating their 10th anniversary on Saturday. Despite the fact that we were grimy from the fossil hunting, we were greeted warmly. Within minutes of arriving, Aidan was seated in the middle of a group of knitters on the enclosed porch, eating birthday cake. Then the owner’s daughter, who is about his age, found him and the two of them ran off to play with her pet guinea pig. I wandered around the shop, then bought some needles and one of their shop bags. Did I need another bag? OHN, but I do like a good bag. They were such a nice group of ladies and it was a great shop stop.

After another hour or so of digging at Penn Dixie, we went back to the motel to clean up. And, trust me, we all needed cleaning! We then drove downtown to Pearl Street Grill & Brewery, where James and I enjoyed their brews and we all enjoyed a tasty dinner. We strolled along the river, where the Buffalo Naval Park is located. It was a lovely evening:


On Sunday morning we drove up to Niagara Falls. Aidan was enthralled by the size and power of the two falls:


We went on the Cave of the Winds tour on Goat Island, which takes you right up to the side of the Bridal Veil Falls, right next to the American Falls. Big mistake. Both Aidan and I did not like seeing the falls gush beneath the steps on which we were walking, and both of us ended up in tears! Logic may tell me that the attraction is safe but my nerves said otherwise. Here is Aidan in his Cave of the Winds poncho and sandals BEFORE we were terrified nearly out of those sandals:


It took walking around and lunch to calm us down before we embarked on the Maid of the Mist tour. We all agreed that the Maid of the Mist was a wonderful adventure and provided a unique way of seeing the falls:



Sunday evening we enjoyed another Buffalo treat, Buffalo chicken wings, at the place that claims to have invented Buffalo wings: Anchor Bar. We ordered the wings "hot", which is just one step down from their hottest flavor, "suicidal." The wings were very good but, surprisingly, not all that hot! Aidan even ate five of the wings, and he is not at all a fan of spicy foods (although we are trying to change that). If there is a next time at Anchor Bar, we will order the suicidal!

We drove home leisurely yesterday and enjoyed the rest of the day at home. Spenser expressed his extreme displeasure at being left alone for four days, although our wonderful neighbor Cindy checked on him and came over to visit with him. A good weekend for everyone, despite what Spenser would have you believe.

Red, white and bluebs

Today we drove down to Pratt's Falls, to see what it looks like without snow on the ground and to experience it without Aidan throwing up in the car. (See Pratfalls and Pratt's Falls for the account of that delightful day) It amused us to see that there were fewer people there today - sunny and hot - than on our previous visit, which was cloudy and cold.

We hiked down to see the falls, which we could not do on our prior trip. It is beautiful:



We walked on a loop trail, which was a little over a half mile long, then drove on down to Highland Forest. Again, we wanted to see it without snow on the ground and, again, we found it funny that there were far more people there during our January visit. We started hiking the same trail we had hiked in January, and were again enthralled by the towering trees:


We had been hiking for about 45 minutes when we stopped to explore a little stream:


While visiting the stream, we first heard the distant thunder and noticed the darkening clouds. We were about halfway through our hike and decided to press on. At first we thought - and hoped - that the storm was going to go around the park, but it soon became apparent that it was not. We went as fast as possible and just when we reached the main road through the back of the park, the storm reached us. Holy cow. The rain came down in torrents, the lightning flashed, the thunder rumbled and the wind was fierce.

Luckily we soon reached the maintenance compound for the park and while no doors were unlocked, we were able to stand under an overhang and put the building between us and the wind. We were soaked:


Aidan exclaimed at one point, "It's just like Storm Stories!" Thankfully, it was not. We waited out the storm, which ended up including small sized hail, and then squished back to the lodge and the main parking area. By then the sun was shining and the wind had dropped back to a nice breeze. We sat at a picnic table to dry out a bit in the sun before climbing back into the car.

As we drove through the country toward I-81 to head back north to home, James spotted a farm that features U Pick blueberries. What lovely blueberries!



We arrived home damp and tired, and glad not to be the subjects of a future Weather Channel story.