Article in today's Buffalo News travel section about Finger Lakes Boating Museum

 

Here is a link to my article in today's Buffalo News travel section about the Finger Lakes Boating Museum in Hammondsport.

http://www.buffalonews.com/life-arts/one-tank-trips/new-museum-focuses-on-finger-lakes-boating-heritage-20151108

Local author event November 28

 

 

Come join me and over 65 other local authors for the annual author's day at the Buffalo History Museum. Books always make a nice holiday gift, so this is your opportunity to get a variety of books on local history, architecture, local attractions, novels set in western New York, children's books, photography related books, and more. Plus you get to meet the authors and have the books personally signed by them.

It all takes place on Saturday November 28th from 12:00-2:00 pm at the Buffalo History Museum, One Museum Court, www.buffalohistory.org 716-873-9644. Free admission to the museum during event hours.

Article about Corning Museum of Glass in today's Buffalo News travel section

Here is a link to my story about the Corning Museum of Glass in today's Buffalo News travel section:
http://www.buffalonews.com/life-arts/one-tank-trips/its-all-about-the-glass-on-a-visit-to-corning-20151011

Article about Port Credit Ontario in today's Buffalo News travel section

Here is a link to my article about Port Credit, Ontario in today's Buffalo News travel section:
http://www.buffalonews.com/life-arts/one-tank-trips/take-a-trip-to-port-credit-ont-a-picturesque-village-on-lake-ontario-20151004

Not travel related but a story i'd like to share

Normally I post travel related items on this blog, but today I'd like to share a more personal story, as I do write other things beside travel articles.

I've been attempting to clean and organize my basement so I'm in the process of moving things I want to save from cardboard boxes to plastic bins. I've come across many mementos from my past, but one particular item I came across today had me standing in the basement sobbing.

My grandmother, my father's mother, died when I was 4, so I have very few memories of her. Plus she barely spoke English (having come from Poland in the early 1900's) so she didn't say much. However, I remember her giving me a wall hanging she made out of a picture of a little girl praying that she cut out of a magazine. She said it reminded her of me. It was just pasted on construction paper with gold cording glued to the outside of the paper. I had it in my room when I was small. When I got to be a pre-teen/teenager it got put away and for some reason I thought I threw it out because it got wrinkled. As an adult, I often regretted the fact I didn't save it, as I have only a few items that were my grandmas.

Well, today I was moving some stuff out of a box of papers that I would have had when I still lived with my parents, over 35 years ago. There were a couple of scrap books in there, with mainly newspaper clippings about various things and some vacation mementos. I just happened to flip through one and OMG.....There was the wall hanging that my grandma made, stuck between the pages.

I must have stood there for 10 minutes crying, I don't know why. I don't know how it got there. I don't remember putting it in there. Then I thought maybe I did throw it out and one of my parents saw it, fished it out of the garbage, most likely ironed it and put it in the scrapbook many years ago. They are both deceased so I can't ask them, but it was a wonderful surprise to find this item.

When I run errands today for sure I'm going to get a frame to put it in!

Fall Winter Longweekends Magazine

I have two winter related articles in the Fall/Winter issue of Longweekends Magazine. One is about ice skating at Canalside Buffalo, the other about the Winter Festival of Lights in Niagara Falls Ontario.

You can download an app to read the magazine online www.long-weekends.com

Article about Lewisburg Pennsylvania in the September issue of Forever Young

I have an article about things to see and do in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania in the September issue of Forever Young Magazine available for free in Buffalo area Wegmans, Dashs and other locations. The publication hasn't posted the September issue online yet; if the article is one of those featured, I will post a link.

Article about 1000 Islands in today's Buffalo News travel section

My article about the 1000 Islands is in today's Buffalo News travel section. I would post a link but for some reason it isn't on the Buffalo News website. Hopefully those of you in the Buffalo area were able to read it in the print edition today.

1000 Island Trip

Here are a few more photos from the trip my husband and I took to the 1000 Islands last week to celebrate our anniversary. I just completed an article about it for the Buffalo News travel section. I will post a link to the article once it's published.

Articles in August Forever Young

I have two articles in the August issue of Forever Young: one about Niagara on the Lake, the other about Canandaigua. They are not posted on the magazines website, but you can pick up a free copy of the publication at Wegmans and other locations around town.

Girls getaway to Peek n Peak

Last week my daughter and I went on our annual girls' getaway when my husband and youngest son went to Boy Scout camp.

Our first stop was Findley Lake, a small Chautauqua County town near the Pennsylvania border. There are several small shops in town including Nostalgia at the Blue Heron Inn, which has a variety of candy, toys, jewelry, accessories, Findley Lake apparel and more. There is also a huge antique store called the Secret Cubby, which has a lot of nice items. There is a candle outlet shop, a store with home décor and clothing, art gallery, gift and wine shop, and a small convenience store, which also has ice cream. We ate lunch at the restaurant at the Blue Heron Inn.

We checked into Peek n Peak resort; the rooms are very nice. The next day we had our nails done at the spa, played some mini golf, and even went on s Segway tour of the grounds. On our way home we stopped at Bemus Point for shopping and dinner.

Weekend in Niagara on the Lake

We headed across the border this weekend to spend a couple days in Niagara on the Lake. We saw Peter and the Starcatcher, enjoyed some good meals, and did some shopping. Too bad it rained on Sunday, it wasn't that much fun walking around in rain. We also stopped to sample some wine at Peller Estate Winery and had dinner at Swiss Chalet on the way home

Links to some of my recent Forever Young articles

Over the last several months I've had  articles published in Forever Young Magazine. They just updated their website to include recent issues. Here are the links to my articles:

John Di Sciullo: Hometown game show host connects with the community
Article about John Di Sciullo, the promotion and production director and host of the game show Bragging Rights on WBBZ-TV in the March 2015 issue:
http://www.foreveryoungwny.com/Forever-Young/March-2015/John-Di-Sciullo-Hometown-game-show-host-connects-with-the-community/


Discover Historic Lockport in the April issue:
http://www.foreveryoungwny.com/Forever-Young/April-2015/Discover-historic-Lockport/

I also have an article about photographers Chuck Eckert and Mary Money in the current (May) issue but that article is not posted online. You can pick up a copy of Forever Young for free and Wegmans and other locations in the area.

Upcoming local travel talk Tuesday May 26

Tuesday Night Lecture Series at Brighton Place Library

Join me on Tuesday May 26th, 2015 at 7:00 pm to learn about some great places to travel to in western New York this summer. I will talk about places in the Buffalo area, as well as in Rochester and the Finger Lakes Region. Copies of Western New York Explorers Guide will be available for purchase. Please call the library to register 332-4375 as seating is limited. Brighton Place Library is located at 999 Brighton Road, Tonawanda.

My husband and I saw Singin' in the Rain at the Lancaster Opera House yesterday. It was a wonderful performance with awesome singing, dancing, and even real rain. Here is a schedule of their remaining performances:

Fri - Apr 17, 2015 - 7:30 pm
Sat - Apr 18, 2015 - 7:30 pm
Sun - Apr 19, 2015 - 2:30 pm SEATING LIMITED- Call the Box Office 716-683-1776
Fri - Apr 24, 2015 - 7:30 pm
Sat - Apr 25, 2015 - 7:30 pm
Sun - Apr 26, 2015 - 2:30 pm SEATING LIMITED- Call the Box Office 716-683-1776

For more information visit www.lancopera.org

Day trip to the Strong Museum

We decided to take a day trip to Rochester today to visit the Strong National Museum of Play, since my youngest son, who loves to go there, has the week off from school. Their current exhibit, Trivial Pursuit, which runs through May 10, was very interesting. We also spent a lot of time in the e-game revolution area, which has video games from pong and pac man to the present day games. Even though my youngest two kids are 12 and 19, they still like the child-size Wegmans supermarket located within the museum. www.museumofplay.org

Afterwards, we stopped for dinner at our favorite Thai restaurant in the Rochester area, the King and I Thai Cuisine in Henrietta. http://www.thekingandithaicuisine.com/

Another unique and free museum

I received the following e-mail from Cindy Konovitz, Assistant Dean of the School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University at Buffalo, about another interesting and unique museum in our area, which is located on UB's south Campus:

 

I saw your article in the “Buffalo News” regarding the free museums, and I would like to add some additional options. With the weather becoming warmer, people might be interested in spending an hour or so on the University at Buffalo’s South Campus, viewing some health science related items from our past.

 

In the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, we have a “Turn-of-the-Century” Apothecary with an actual pharmacist’s work bench from the late 1800s/early 1900s+, and a number of items which were used in the provision of health care during that time period.  There are also some additional displays in our Atrium and adjoining areas.

 

Our Health Sciences Library has a larger display of items which cover not only pharmacy, but also nursing, dental medicine, and “medicine” (the professional practice) in general.

 

The sites are generally open Monday – Friday, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm, but arrangements can be made for other days and hours, particularly if groups of people are involved.   It’s best to contact us in advance.  I can be reached at 645-3002 or cfk@buffalo.edu,  and the History of Medicine in the Health Sciences Library is managed by Linda Lohr, at 829-5737 or lalohr@buffalo.edu

 

Thank you.

 

Cindy Konovitz

Article about things to do for free in today's Gusto section of the Buffalo News

Check out my article about things to do for free in Western New York in today's Gusto section of the Buffalo News. It's the cover story!

http://www.buffalonews.com/gusto/family/museums-galleries-offer-free-fun-for-all-20150401

Take out lunch from Reuben's NY Deli

 

I happened to be at the plaza located at Maple and North Forest in Williamsville to pick up some equipment from the new location of Time Warner Cable, when I saw that this is the plaza where Reuben's NY Deli is located. I had seen advertising for the deli and thought that I should check it out someday. Well, today was that day! Since I was already in the plaza, it was lunch time and I knew that on Wednesdays my daughter usually texts me when she gets out of class and asks if I can get us something take out for lunch, I decided to give it a try.

Since we both like reuben sandwiches, and it is one of their specialties, I ordered a reuben combo for us to split. As you can see from the photo, which is just my portion, there was plenty for both of us. The food was very good and the sandwich was wrapped in foil, so it stayed warm until I got home. I would definitely order from there again, everything on the menu sounded good and portions are large. They also have a number of tables and a lunch counter, so you could eat-in too.

Reuben's NY Deli, 714 Maple Road, Williamsville, 716-636-0546, www.reubensnydeli.com Open Mon.-Sat. 10:30am - 7:00pm.

A visit to the Aquarium of Niagara

We decided to visit the Aquarium of Niagara yesterday, a place we had not been to for a number of years. We had won some free passes at a fundraiser we went to a few months ago and decided to use the passes. The aquarium has made a number of improvements over the years and is currently in the process adding more exhibit space. It happened to be their annual penguin days this weekend so the place was really crowded. We had a nice time there. The sea lion show is always a favorite and they even had a special meet the penguins event. For more information visit www.aquariumofniagara.org

Afterwards we took a walk over by the Falls, but it was pretty cold out!

Day trip to Eastview Mall

 

 

 

Since my daughter is on spring break from college this week, we decided to take a little day trip to the Rochester area and visit Eastview Mall, one of our favorite malls. We haven't been there for a few years and they have added more stores since our last visit. The mall features 170 stores, plus a number of restaurants.

Since we needed some new dresses for some upcoming special occasions, we started out at Von Maur, which is an upscale department store, similar to Lord & Taylor and Macy's. It's a very nice store, very classy.. instead of having "canned" music, they have a guy playing a grand piano in the middle of the store! They had a nice selection of dresses and we both found ones we liked.

We also shopped in Lord & Taylor, where I found a couple of other dresses. My daughter found a few items at the huge Forever 21 in the mall. For lunch, we tried food from Nathan's Soup and Salad in the food court; they had very good sandwiches. We also checked out the Lego store for something for my youngest son and also stopped at L.L. Bean.

Eastview Mall, 7979 Pittsford-Victor Road (Route 96), Victor, NY www.eastviewmall.com

Take the Thruway to exit 45, get off on Route 96 and follow sign to mall.

Fun day in Orchard Park celebrating my friend's birthday

 

I went out with my friends Mary and Linda, as well as my daughter Jennifer, to celebrate Mary's birthday. We started with lunch at Mangia Ristorante & Caffe (4264 North Buffalo Street, Orchard Park, 662-9467, www.mangiaristorante.com) The food was very good. Linda and I both had the lasagna, Mary, the portabello Panini, and Jennifer had the Bue, which was a huge burger. I would have taken some photos of the food but we were so busy talking that I forgot until everything was half eaten!

Afterwards we walked down the street to The Cupcake Orchard (4174 North Buffalo Street, Orchard Park 662-4217, www.thecupcakeorchard.com) The cupcakes were wonderful and nicely decorated. They have a couple of tables to eat there or you can have them boxed to take home.

We had a bit more time left, so we headed to Research and Design, a new clothing and accessory store, which is located at 4109 North Buffalo Street, Orchard Park, 662-0800, www.researchanddesign.com We had to drive there from the restaurants as it would be too far to walk this time of year. The couple that owns the store was very friendly and they have a nice selection of clothing, jewelry, and other items.

Read my article about area museums in today's Buffalo News travel section

Looking for something to do now that the roads are not too bad for traveling? There are a number of museums to visit that are just a short drive away that make perfect day trip destinations or even weekend getaways. Read about them in my article in today's Buffalo News travel section:

http://www.buffalonews.com/life-arts/one-tank-trips/as-the-snow-piles-up-museums-offer-some-relief-20150301

Checking out the open house at Inn Buffalo

 

 

 

My daughter and I ventured down to the Elmwood Village to check out the open house at the Inn Buffalo today. There were a lot of other people checking out the nine- suite historic inn that will be opening very soon in this historic 1890's mansion. The couple who own the inn have done a great job restoring it. I imagine that once it's fully open (they are still doing some finishing touches), it's going to be a really popular place to stay for both out of town guests and locals looking for an overnight getaway

The Inn is located close to Elmwood Avenue, within walking distance of many shops and restaurants. Although I have to admit that walking along Elmwood today was difficult even with shoveled walks. After touring the inn, we did take walk a bit down Elmwood and go into a couple shops; I think my daughter was worried I'd fall into a snow bank (with me that could have been a real possibility!), so we decided that we will have to come back to the area to visit the shops once the snow melts.

Inn Buffalo is located at 619 Lafayette Avenue. For more information visit their website www.innbuffalo.com

Visit to the Museum of Science

On Monday my husband and I, along with our two youngest children spent the day at the Buffalo Museum of Science. Current exhibits include Curious George and also a Science and You exhibit. Both these exhibits run until May 10th.

The museum seems to improve each time we go there, there are so many more hands on exhibits than when our oldest two were younger. The museum has even added a café that has a limited menu of soups, salads, sandwiches and pizza. The food was good too!

The museum is open daily 10:00 am - 4:00 pm. For more information see www.sciencebuff.org

Decorator show house preview and lunch at the Albright Knox Cafe

My daughter and I went to the Junior League's decorator show house preview today. What a great looking home, I'm sure it will be absolutely gorgeous once it is fully decorated. And what a great location, right next to the Albright Knox Art Gallery and across the street from the Delaware Park Rose Garden. The home is also open for the preview tomorrow; the fully decorated home will be open starting April 25th. For more info see www.jlbuffalo.org

Since my daughter has to visit the Albright Knox for one of her art courses this semester, our next stop was at the art gallery. After looking at the paintings and picking out one that she has to write about for her class, we had lunch at the AK Café. The menu features salads, sandwiches, soup and quiche. I had the turkey sandwich which has cranberry mayonnaise, while my daughter had the chicken Caesar salad. Both were very good.
www.albrightknox.org

Lunch at the Country Cottage

Since my daughter starts classes tomorrow at college, we thought we'd go out to lunch today to enjoy one last day of "freedom" before school begins. We decided to go to the Country Cottage, which we refer to as the pig place, because they have all sorts of pig figurines decorating the inside of the restaurant. It's more like a diner and the food is very good. My daughter had the chicken fingers while I had the homemade chicken salad sandwich with a side of sweet potato fries. Yummy!

The Country Cottage, 4072 Beach Ridge Road, North Tonawanda, NY 14120
(716) 693-4911

Article about aviation museums in today's Buffalo News travel section

 

 

Looking for an interesting day trip? Check out my article about area aviation museums in today's Buffalo News travel section. Please note that there was an error made when the accompanying photo was captioned. The Curtiss "Jenny" in the photo is at the Niagara Aerospace Museum in Niagara Falls, not the Glenn H. Curtiss Museum in Hammondsport.

http://www.buffalonews.com/life-arts/one-tank-trips/take-flight-to-museums-that-specialize-in-aviation-history-20150118

Day after birthday lunch

My friends Mary and Linda took me out to lunch to the Elm Street Bakery in East Aurora. It is a really cute place that has a bakery and café. The café has a selection of soups and salads. I had the chicken Caesar salad, while my friends tried some of the sandwiches and soup. We also tried some of the desserts from the bakery; the coffee cake is very good, as are the cookies.

www.elmstreetbakery.com

Afterwards we had some time so we went over to Vidler's and did some shopping.

Birthday lunch yesterday

Since yesterday was my birthday, my daughter and I went to lunch at Olympia Grill (55 Crosspoint, Getzville, off North French near the I-990). I had been there several months ago with a friend of mine and thought it was really good. I had the chicken souvlaki salad, while she had the chicken souvlaki wrap. Both were really good. The restaurant is reasonably priced. It is a casual place; order at the counter and they bring you your food to the table.

www.olympiagrillny.com

Early birthday dinner at Viking Lobster

Last night we went out to celebrate my upcoming birthday at Viking Lobster on Tonawanda Street in Buffalo. We had never been there before, but I had heard good things about it, so I thought we'd try it out.

The wait staff and hostess were very friendly and we felt very comfortable there. The food was very good. My daughter and I shared the Viking feast ( we each got a lobster, some snow crab legs, a piece of salmon, scallops, and shrimp) My husband and oldest son had king crab legs and the other two sons had lobster. All meals came with soup and salad, plus choice of side.

The restaurant is cash only and if you want alcohol, you bring your own beer or wine.

www.vikinglobster.biz

Article about indoor gardens in today's Buffalo News travel section

Cold weather got you down? Read my article in today's Buffalo News travel section to learn about some of the indoor gardens in our region you can visit.

http://www.buffalonews.com/life-arts/one-tank-trips/where-have-all-the-flowers-gone-not-that-far-from-here-20150111

Checking out what's new on the Buffalo waterfront

A few weeks ago I got an e-mail from Buffalo Tours advertising a behind the scenes hardhat tour of the new Buffalo Riverworks. I thought it sounded kind of interesting, so my husband and I signed up to take the tour today.

It is amazing what is going on there, it's going to be quite a facility when it opens up next month. It will include two outdoor ice rinks, an indoor roller derby rink, restaurant and banquet facility, and even in brewery, located in the Labatt Blue six pack (formerly a grain elevator). can't wait to see what it will be like when it's done. www.facebook.com/riverworksbuffalo

Afterwards we had lunch at 716 in the Harborcenter. The food was pretty good, I had a turkey sandwich and Jim had a turkey burger. www.716foodandsports.com

We then walked to Canalside and watched the ice skater for a bit. If it wasn't raining we might have been tempted to rent a couple of ice bikes and try out the ice. www.canalsidebuffalo.com

A visit to the Buffalo Zoo earlier this week

Tuesday we took a trip to the Buffalo Zoo, mainly to see the baby giraffe and the lion that's on loan to the zoo. The kids had a lot of fun and it was not too bad weather-wise.
www.buffalozoo.org