Happy Holidays from WNY Explorer's Guide

Hope everyone has a happy and safe holiday and a prosperous New Year!

Old Fort Niagara Colonial Christmas

OLD FORT NIAGARA HOSTS
A COLONIAL CHRISTMAS BY CANDLELIGHT

YOUNGSTOWN, NY – This holiday season discover Old Fort Niagara by candlelight and adorned with seasonal greenery. For four nights in December visitors to Old Fort Niagara will experience the holidays as they were celebrated in early America. Historical characters will bring Christmas past alive with 18th and 19th century holiday recipes and portrayals of colonial-era people. The Fort will be open from 7 p.m. through 8:30 p.m. on these Friday and Saturday evenings on December 12th, 13th, 19th and 20th.

The historic French Castle, built in 1726, will be decorated for the holidays by the Youngstown Garden Club and illuminated entirely by candles. The highpoint of the evenings will be the traditional “firing of the Christmas guns” every half hour.

Tickets to “A Colonial Christmas by Candlelight” are $8.00 per person, and will be available at the door. Guests can arrive at the Fort Niagara Visitor Center at anytime between 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. and are asked to dress for the weather, wear walking footwear and bring a flashlight.

Old Fort Niagara is located in Youngstown, NY and 14 miles north of Niagara Falls via the Robert Moses Parkway North. The Fort opens at 9 a.m. daily year round and is open until 5 p.m. during the winter months. Admissions end at 4:30 p.m. The Fort is closed December 25th and January 1st. Old Fort Niagara is a National Landmark and State Historic site operated by the Old Fort Niagara Association, a not-for-profit organization, in cooperation with the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.

Garlock's restaurant in Lockport is great

On Friday, my husband Jim and I had the opportunity to dine at a restaurant we've been meaning to go to for some time. Everytime we drive through Lockport, we say we have to try Garlock's. It's a well established restaurant and it's been there for as long as I can remember.

Since we were going to see the performance of Scrooge the Musical at the Palace Theater and we had a coupon in our Entertainment book, we decided to give it a try. I have to admit that the restaurant doesn't look like much from the outside. But once we walked in, it was warm and cozy and decorated for the holidays, a virtual Christmas Wonderland.

Not only was the ambiance great, the food was really good. We opted for fish, which was really good. The food that we observed on other people's plates looked good too. They are noted for their steaks, so on our next visit, we will have to give it a try.

Garlock's, 35 South Transit Road, Lockport 716-433-5595

America's only ski slope trail of lights at Peek'n Peak

America’s Only Ski Slope Trail of Lights at Peek’n Peak Resort and Spa

Below is a press release I got from Peek'n Peak. They sent me the above image but it's kind of hard to see it.

Findley Lake, N.Y., December 8, 2008 – The Trail of Lights at Peek’n Peak Resort and Spa is underway again this year. The spectacular animated light display is located on Finsbury Field, the ski slope right next to Pizzaiolos Italian Restaurant. Guests ride chairlifts and are taken high above 14 separate theme areas of large, colorful and animated light displays. The 20 minute ride will leave guests with an everlasting memory of Peek’n Peak! Operation times are every Wednesday-Sunday through December 21, 2008 from 6-9pm and will also be open on Monday & Tuesday, December 22 & 23, 2008. Tickets are $5 per person.

The resort is offering several weekend family holiday packages to choose from in conjunction with the trail of lights. Whether you select the Friday night, Saturday night or the Grand Illumination Package, you and your family will enjoy many holiday traditions to include a gingerbread house making workshop and breakfast with Santa. For more information or to reserve one of these packages, please visit www.pknpk.com or call 716-355-4141 ext. 7154.

While you’re visiting, be sure to stop by the Inn at the Peak where you will find one of the largest decorated Christmas trees in the area. The giant 24 foot tall and 12 foot wide tree was grown by Heritage Evergreens of Bloomsburg, PA. The tree is covered with over 5,000 lights and has a traditional theme of red and gold decorations.

All That Chocolate Open house

Here's a yummy press release I received

All That Chocolate Christmas Open House

Wednesday, December 10th through Friday, December 19th.
Mon.- Fri. from 12noon-5PM, Sat. from 10AM-4PM & Sun. from 12noon-4PM.

Stop by for free samples and a chance to see all our specialty holiday confections.

We have gift baskets in every price range or are ready to customize one for you.

Our chocolate caramel apples make a great hostess gift or dessert

and our boxed chocolates are always a great alternative for that hard to buy for person.

We look forward to seeing you!

Chris & Darlene
3055 Maple Road, Wilson, between Nelson & Shadigee 751-6105

All That Chocolate has a wide range of chocolates at
Shoppe On Main, 2714 Main Street Newfane
Holiday Hours at Shoppe On Main:
Tuesday & Wednesday 10am-4pm
Thursday noon – 6:30pm
Friday & Saturday 10am-7pm
December 20 5pm-7pm

B-Unique will be here to wrap,
cost is $5-$10 depending on size.

Light up the Center (Clarence Center that is)

Looking for something special to do this Saturday? Head to the center of Clarence Center at the corner of Goodrich and Clarence Center Roads. There will be horse and buggy rides from 12-2, pictures with Santa from 2-4, carolers at 4pm and a tree lighting at 4:30.

All day you can shop at The Perfect Gift, a delightful gift shop located in a vintage building. Bring a donation of a new, unwrapped gift for Cornerstone Manor Women and Children's Shelter and get a 30% off coupon on one item at the store. The Perfect Gift is open 10am-8pm for this event

Next door, at Crossroads Books, get some fresh kettle corn and bring canned goods to L'Atelier as a donation to the food pantry and get a free cup of hot chocolate.

You can really make a day of it. Restaurants within walking distance include Clarence Center Coffee Shop, Mardees and Novel Tea.

RTPI Institute open house December 6

ROGER TORY PETERSON INSTITUTE
HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE

SATURDAY DECEMBER 6, 2008
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM


A Special Day Just for You!

*Free Admission
*Refreshments
*Kids Nature Crafts-Make your own natural ornament
*Nature Walks 11:00Am & 2:00 PM
*Books, Gifts, Toys, Logo Products
*Gift Certificates - Buy $25 certificate, get FREE RTP notecards!
*Bird feeders - Buy a feeder, receive a FREE bag of birdseed!
*RTP Prints for sale
*RTP Centennial DVD "A Boy, A Book, A Legacy"
*Exhibit: "Letters From Eden" by Julie Zickefoose


Tour our beautiful building, designed by world class architect Robert A.M. Stern, dean of the School of Architecture at Yale University. He combines the Swedish woodworking influence of Roger's Scandinavian heritage with the adirondack camp flavor and 19th century Arts & Crafts movement that are characteristic of many of Stern's designs. Seeing our building alone is worth the trip!


WINTER
NATURE WALKS

Get to know the grounds around the RTPI by walking our 27 wooded acres and checking out animal tracks, plants, and the beauty of this winter wonderland!
11:00 AM
2:00 PM

Out darn spot

This post doesn't have anything to do with western New York travel, but I'd like to pass this information along to you. I discovered a wonderful product for taking out spots. I had made a beautiful quited white tree skirt for my parents over 20 years ago. Since my mom has been in a nursing home for the past couple years, my dad has not been putting up a tree.

So I asked him if I could use the tree skirt, since we are going to put up a real tree as well as a small artificial one this year at my house. Well, when I opened the box with the tree skirt, I could have cried. It was an ugly yellowish brown color. I thought it was ruined. I washed it about 5 or 6 times, using a variety of pre-treaters, but no luck. I surfed the web for spot removing ideas, and found a post suggesting that you could soak an item in Biz overnight and then wash it.

I got some Biz ( found it in the section of the store with bleach), followed the directions and when I washed it the next morning, the tree skirt looked like new. Well, except for the 48 little red buttons I want to replace on it, but that's another story.

Lewiston Christmas Walk Dec. 6-7

CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS IN THE VILLAGE
41st annual Lewiston Christmas Walk set for December 6 & 7

I just love visiting the village of Lewiston, located about 7 miles north of Niagara Falls, NY. Here is a press release I got about their Christmas Walk set for this weekend. The tour of homes on Sunday sounds really nice, I might try to convince my hubby we should go to it! The above photo shows the 'ice bar" where you can taste wines from Niagara County vineyards.

LEWISTON, NY – The historic village of Lewiston will once again be filled with the sounds of sleigh bells and the smell of evergreens the first weekend of December. The Lower Niagara River Region Chamber of Commerce will host the 41st annual Lewiston Christmas Walk on Saturday, December 6 and Sunday, December 7 along Center Street and throughout the village.

“We invite residents and visitors alike to come early and stay late to enjoy our quaint historic village with extended holiday hours at our shops and dining in our fabulous restaurants,” said Cara Turner, interim president, Lower Niagara River Region Chamber. “What a great way to get into the Christmas spirit by wandering through our village decked out for the holidays!”

The life-size ice bar returns in front of the Village Vineyard and Wine Tours located at 467 Center Street. Sponsored by Niagara Wine Trail USA wineries Schulze Vineyards, Freedom Run, Vizcarra Vineyards, Spring Lake Vineyards and the Village Vineyard and Wine Tours, complimentary wine tastings featuring Niagara Wine Trail USA wines are available Saturday and Sunday beginning at noon.

Throughout the weekend, the village’s quaint shops, restaurants and businesses will serve warm beverages and refreshments. Hartland Carriages will be dashing through the village with complimentary horse-drawn carriage rides on Saturday, noon – 4 p.m. and Sunday, noon – 3 p.m. Compliments of CWM, the carriages will leave from the corner of North Fifth and Center Streets.

Get the children in the holiday spirit by stopping by the annual holiday arts and crafts workshop on Saturday, December 6 between 1 – 3 p.m. in the Red Brick School Gym at North Fourth and Onondaga Streets. On Sunday at 3 p.m., the boys and girls choirs of St. Paul’s Cathedral and the women’s choir from St. Peter’s R.C. Church and other area churches will perform a choral choir at St. Peter’s on Center Street. And don’t forget about the jolly old elf himself – Santa will return to Lewiston’s Academy Park by helicopter on Saturday at 11:30 a.m. with the help of Rainbow Air and The Brickyard BBQ & Pub.

Gloria Baker, branch manager of Lewiston’s First Niagara Bank is this year’s event chair. Event sponsors include CWM, e3communications, Modern Corporation, Mount St. Mary’s Hospital and Health Center, Niagara Frontier Publications and Niagara University.

Also back for another year is the Tour of Homes, presented by the Historical Association of Lewiston, featuring some of the area’s most beloved homes decorated for the holidays. For more information on this year’s tour and participating homes, call the Historical Association at 716-754-4214 or visit http://www.historiclewiston.org/.

For a complete list of all events and activities taking place during the weekend, stop by any Lewiston business beginning November 29. For more information on the Lewiston Christmas Walk and a complete schedule of events taking place throughout the Lower Niagara River Region, please visit http://www.northofthefalls.com/ or call 716-754-9500.
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The Lower Niagara River Region Chamber of Commerce is a personalized Chamber whose mission is to unify the region and to promote it as a premiere place to live work and play. The organization is responsible for coordinating efforts in the marketing and promotion of tourism, business development, quality of life and the history and culture of the region, which encompasses Lewiston, Youngstown, Porter, Ransomville and Sanborn. For more information, visit http://www.northofthefalls.com/.