Winter Activities

We are well over the halfway mark of the winter season (officially 23 days until Spring!) and while I can’t wait for the warmer weather to come back, I’ve tried to really embrace winter for all that it is this year. To be honest I don’t think we’ve had a really bad winter, the grey skies and cold temps can be daunting some days but we haven’t had unfathomable snow amounts.

winter walks at Front Park

Over the last few weeks despite the cold I set a goal for myself to get outside and get in as much fresh air as I can, even if it’s a short walk it can work wonders on my mental health. Below I share some of the places I’ve gone for walks and other winter activities I’ve done and things I’d still like to do before the season is over.

greenhouse at MLK Jr. Park

Walking/Visiting the Olmsted Parks. I’m part of a new young professionals group, YPOP for Olmsted, so when the idea was tossed out there to meet up at a park and network it was a no brainer for me to participate in as many of these meet-ups that I could. Not only have I met some pretty cool yp’s but I also walked around some parks I don’t get to visit that often. Some of the parks we walked were Cazenovia Park, Delaware Park, Front Park and MLK Jr. Park.

Another place that my niece, Savannah and I visited a couple weeks ago was the Charles E. Burchfield Nature and Art Center in West Seneca, even though the trails are short we made the most of our time exploring, rolling down snow mounds, looking at the art work and Savannah got to play on the playground for a little bit.

Tifft Nature Preserve has been another great winter spot where my niece, nephew and I have visited this winter season. Great all year round, its nice to visit and explore what’s around you.

The Niagara Wine Trail - last weekend a couple friends and myself did a day trip up to Niagara County. Spring Lake Winery was great, they offer smore’s, a glass of wine or beer (or non-alcoholic drinks) and a bonfire for an hour. Tickets are $12. This was great for the snowy day that it was. We then went to Niagara Landing, they are taking reservations for tastings which is nice because it wasn’t crowded. The last place we went was Arrowhead Winery, there space is so big that it was easy to social distance yourself from the other visitors and the view out the window was pretty nice.

Things I’d still like to do before winter is over:

• Snow Shoeing at one of the parks in the area. I hear Ellicott Creek Park may be good for this, suggestions are welcome!

• Cross Country skiing (I haven’t done this since I was in high school)

• Night Tubing under the lights at Peek’ n Peak Resort

From The Water Straight To Your Plate - Fresh Oysters & More from Shuck Shack

A few weeks ago a couple friends and me paid a visit to one of the newest restaurants in town, Shuck Shack. Located at 301 Ohio Street, right on the water, Mike Tobin (owner) and his team have created something real good in Buffalo. Bringing fresh oysters straight from the water to your plate, you can’t go wrong. There are a handful of seafood and beverage options to choose from, and if you aren’t into the oysters, clams or ahi tuna to name a few, they have classic American food staples like burgers, fries and hot dogs.

Shuck Shack on IG

With the deliciousness of the food you really can’t go wrong. You get the high end quality of food without paying those typical high-end prices. When I went with my friends we got a bunch of items and shared them.

Our Order || 2 dozen oysters | the classic, french fries | shrimp cocktail | and the ahi tuna poke special

Everything was so dang good! Those lobster claws looks pretty good too, and are on my list to try during my next visit.

The atmosphere was great - I mean you can’t pass up a place by the water, with good food and drink, it screams summertime good vibes and in my opinion is one of hottest places in town right now. The staff were very personable, attentive and were doing everything they could to accommodate their guests. They were cleaning, social distancing and had face masks on the whole time I was there. You could see safety was top of mind, which is nice to see during the times we’re living in.

Props to Mike for his hustle, passion and dedication to bring something special to Buffalo. You hit it out of the park.

-B

Shuck Shack Hours are Friday’s & Saturday’s 12-9 p.m. & Sunday’s 12-6:30 p.m. If you don’t feel comfortable venturing out you can also order online and take home.