Down on the Farm with Muse Jar

{Just a Blonde in Buffalo photos}

Saturday night my friend Tara and I headed to Arden Farm where we attended a farm table event with Muse Jar. The event was 3 hours and you made 4 Spanish tiles, drank some Spanish wines with Salut and had some delicious farm fresh food from Daily's Catering. All of this took place in a barn with the Troubadours providing music to calm those who felt like they had no clue how to draw {myself included}. Dan from Arden Farm provided tours and Vanessa from Muse Jar walked around throughout the night offering to help anyone with their designs. It was nice to see everyone's own personality coming through in their artwork. Overall the event was fun and something different to do. A lot of local businesses came together in one event and that was nice to see. To see a list of events from Muse Jar click here.

-B

{My finished tiles - by no means am I an artist, but these will make for great coasters}

{Vanessa introducing herself and welcoming everyone to the event}

My October To-Do List

Fall is officially upon us so I thought I would compile a short list of things I want to get done this month. A lot of the things I want to do are your typical Fall things to do in WNY, but they are places I have yet to be so it makes me look forward to it.

1. Apple Picking - Check
2. Pumpkin Picking with my niece and nephew at the Great Pumpkin Farm
3. A visit to Kelkenberg Farms in Akron
4. A hike to the Niagara Gorge - specifically Devils Hole Park
5. Taking an art class with Muse Jar/a Farm Table event
6. A nice drive out to Ellicottville to see the leaves changing color
7. A trip to Southern Tier Brewing Company
8. Volunteering some of my time at the Buffalo Zoo's Trick or Treat weekend event

Apple Picking

{Just a Blonde in Buffalo photo}

I haven't been apple picking ever at least not that I recall. I've only ever gone berry picking when I was younger, but its been years since I've gone so Sunday morning me and my niece took a nice trip to Murphy Orchards in Burt, NY {in Niagara County} to do a classic fall activity in Western New York.  It was a nice drive out in the country seeing the horses and corn stalks.

Before we headed out to the Apple trees we were told the apples were picked over, but we still found a handful that were good. I think my niece just enjoyed running around the open field and telling me which ones to pick and not to pick. On top of the apples we picked out we also were able to get a couple pumpkins too.

It was my first time visiting Murphy Orchards and I liked it a lot and would definitely go back - they are open year round! Check them out online for more info. http://murphyorchards.com/

-B

{I love this old fashion scale}

{Lots of jam to choose from}

Corpus Christi Dozynki!

Saturday my Dad and I headed to Corpus Christi on the east side of Buffalo and were supporting my friend Annette at the Pierogi Contest. There were a number of contestants participating in the dessert, non-traditional and traditional pierogi contest with a panel of judges voting who would receive the golden baking roller.

Annette was in the traditional category and her cheese pierogi were DELICIOUS! The Pierogi contest was part of the Polish Harvest Festival - Dozynki that was taking place all day. Admission was only $1!! And there was a basket raffle, Tyski beer, polka music and more. It was my first time attending the event and made for a fun day back in my childhood neighborhood! I can't wait for next year.

-B

{Non traditional category}

{Polish décor}

{Annette preparing her cheese pierogi}

{YUM!}

Cruising thru Buffalo on Water Bikes

One activity I wanted to do this summer was the Water Bikes of Buffalo, so with an extended Labor Day weekend my friends Annette and Chris joined me on my adventure.

Every time I would walk by the kiosk at Canalside there was always a long wait, but the nice thing was you could put your name and number down and if you were available great, and if you weren't that wasn't a problem because you didn't have to put down a deposit upfront.

We waited about an hour and a half for them to call us, but it was better than the original two and half hour wait time and we just walked around and caught up. It was $15 and you had the bike for an hour. There were some restrictions - like no standing while on the bike and not going to close to the edge because of seaweed, but not going right in the middle of the water either because of boaters. Other than that it was easy sailing or pedaling as I should call it. You could pedal as fast or as slow as you'd like and you could take pictures of the different scenery around you.

{Annette's photo above}

It was a lot of fun and I'm happy I was able to check it off my summer bucket list. If you ever have the chance to try it out, I highly suggest doing it. For more information on Water Bikes of Buffalo click here.

Until next time...

-B

{Annette's photo}

Exploring the Canal and Caves in Lockport

Last weekend Kate and Brian took a tour of the Lockport Caves with me. The tour was $13 for adults and 75 minutes long {tours run multiple times during the day}. It was a walking tour that went to the Lockport Canals before heading to the caves. It was a nice a morning learning about what the canals were used for in the mid 1800's to 1900's. It was also nice to see out-of-towners on the tour with us. Below are some photos and fun facts I took away from it.

-B

{Kate and Brian learning more about the canals}

{Inside the caves}

{Canal way}

Fun facts:

These are man made caves The canal is 363 miles long Lockport has Locks 35 and 34 It took from 1817-1825 to complete Powered by gravity and is an active spill way Holly Manufacturing Factory - Birsell Holly invented the fire hydrant {First company powered by the caves 10 stories high and 3 city blocks long} Richmond Factory was the 2nd building built off the canal

A Hidden Gem in Newfane

Part of my adventure on Saturday with Kate and Brian was a stop to Gordie Harper's Bazaar. A place I came across on social media and it landed on my bucket list of places to go. A restaurant {serving breakfast until 2pm}, lunch and dinner. With an added touch of shopping antiques and flea market finds, making it a fun place to visit. On a beautiful day you can sit outside on the patio and enjoy the pretty flowers, fresh air and good conversation.

The food we had was delicious - I had the Chicken in the Grass sandwich, Kate had a Veggie Burger and Brian had the Sirloin Steak Sandwich.  Gordie's seems to be a favorite with the locals in Newfane and if you're coming in from the City of Buffalo you can't find anything like this {at least I haven't yet} "back home."

-B

{Patio seating}

{A classic record player}

{Flea Market Finds}

A day trip to Olcott, NY

Over the weekend one of the places I paid a visit to was Olcott, NY. Having never been there before I didn't know much other than it holds a beautiful place to take in a sunrise or sunset. Even though the last I heard you couldn't swim at the beach because of the water, the area hosts beautiful small town shops, ice cream stands, a pier to fish off of, and an awesome Carousel/kids area where you can take the little ones to ride rides and play skee-ball, making it a perfect afternoon with the family. On Sunday's you can visit the Van Horn Mansion for free. Looking to explore? You can hike the Burt Dam trail and walk inside the Olcott Beach Lighthouse.

Looking for something to do this weekend - they are hosting a Classic Car Show all day. While Olcott, is only about a 40 minute drive from the City of Buffalo, the small town feel makes you feel like you're on a mini-vacation.

-B

Venturing through the Inner & Outer Harbor

Saturday I had two of my very good friends back in town and it has been a while since they've seen Canalside, so being the big "Buffalove" advocate I am, we went down to Canalside for the afternoon. The Saturday Artisan Market was in full effect along with live music from a variety of bands throughout the day. We grabbed ice cream from Clinton's Dish, went over to put our name on the 3.5 hour water bike list {which we didn't end up doing} and took some touristy pictures with Shark girl.

We ended up taking the Queen City Ferry over to the Outer Harbor where I showed Michelle and Shanna the Lighthouse before heading back to take them to Buffalo Riverworks where we ended the day. For me, I think I take advantage of Canalside and the development in downtown sometimes because I work down here and I see it on a daily basis.  To have both my Buffalo friends say how they can't believe how quickly the area has changed reminded me of how lucky we are to have these exciting things taking place.

Until next time...

-B

{Just enjoying the Queen City Ferry Ride}

{Canalside on a Saturday}

{Picturesque}

Be a Tourist in Your Own City

Part of my " Buffalove Sunday Funday" consisted of taking a spin class with Revolution Buffalo down at Canalside before heading over to Buffalo Riverworks to watch the boaters and kayakers on the water. It made for the perfect way to start your day. I haven't had the chance to take any of the exercise classes down at Canalside before Sunday. With a beautiful view of the water and boats it in some way makes you forget you're even working out and the time goes by fast. I really recommend you taking a class down there sometime.

{Rev Ride at Canalside}

At Riverworks they had the Jack Craft Fair taking place from 11-5pm. There were a lot of artist and craft vendors along with live music making it a great day to meet new local businesses and explore a new venue in your city. Sometimes a mini day trip in your own city can be fun and beneficial.

-B

{Part of the Sunday Funday was at Resurgence Brewery with a beer flight}

{Jack Craft Fair}

{Buffalo Riverworks}

Pedaling thru Buffalo

Yesterday some of my family and I did a "mini" Buffalo tour and today I wanted to highlight part of it. The Buffalo Pedal Tour - you may see people cruising thru the streets of downtown Buffalo singing and screaming and ringing the bells. We started off at Big Ditch Brewing {note to self a lot of breweries and distilleries are closed on Sundays}, but that didn't stop us from having a great time. We pedaled are way to Pearl Street, Liberty Hound, 716 and Pan American Grill {another note I wouldn't go back to 716 because the bar service was slow and unfriendly and I have been there multiple times}. We stayed at each place for about 25-30 minutes {you can stay as long or as little as you want at each place you visit within the two hour tour period} and some places like Pearl Street offer a special pedal tour perk of buy one get one half off prices for certain beers.

{Group shot}

We pedaled the streets eating brownies and snacks that we could bring with us and sang the Bills Shout song at the top of our lungs. We waved and got honked at by cars passing by and had a lot of laughs with our tour guide Caitlyn. Overall, it was a lot of fun and I would recommend it to out of town guests as well as locals. Its a great way to see your city and visit places you may not have been to yet.

-B

{The start of the tour}

{Cruising thru the streets}

{End of tour shot}

The Happiest 5K

Last Saturday a group of us headed down to Canalside for the Color Run -"The Happiest 5k" and it was a pretty fun way to start our morning. People of all ages young to old wore white and were ready to dance and be blasted with colored cornstarch. Below are some of my pictures from the event.

{Pre-Run}

{Walking to the start line}

{Canalside}

{The Blue-Tiful Color Spot}

{Blurry because it was in a Ziploc baggy, but at the yellow spot there was post-its and the happy wall}

{Think Pink}

{Post Race}

{Thumbs up}

{With the Color Run Unicorn}

"A Thousand Islands Adventures Weekend"

Gals weekend to the 1,000 Islands was a success this past weekend. From walking around Alexandria Bay looking for a selfie stick, stopping at Clayton Distillery, to hoping aboard a 2 hour wine cruise with Coyote Moon {which you got a whole bottle of wine with} to spending the day with are awesome rafting guide Sadie on Sunday as we rafted down the Black River, this past weekend was a great mini adventure!

Whitewater Challengers has multiple rivers you can raft down at various locations. We were an all girl raft and none of us fell out. I will say I was pretty nervous when we first started because I didn't know what to expect and they kept prepping us for what to do if you were to fall out of the raft. We received a mid-day snack and then after rafting for a few more hours there was a chicken BBQ back at home base. It was an adventure I loved and I honestly wish I had more free time so I could go back.

If you're looking for something fun to do, I highly recommend Whitewater Challengers. The guides were awesome, we got to shout Go Bills and the only thing I would change would be bringing a waterproof camera so I could have taken some pictures while we were on the water.

-B

{Home Base}

Wherefore art thou Romeo?

Wherefore art thou Romeo? A couple weeks ago my sister and I went to Shakespeare in Delaware Park to see Romeo and Juliet and what a crowd that came out- it was so packed! It was also a beautiful night to catch a free play and enjoy some wine and Shakespeare.

Starting on Thursday this week {July 23} Shakespeare in Delaware Park comes back for their second half of the season with an all male cast for the play the 12th Night. If you haven't been to a play before definitely check one out. It makes for a fun and affordable night out in the summer. For more information or to see how you can help the organization click here.

-B

At the top of the hill with a shot of the crowd

You can purchase Shakespeare swag at the stand. Money from the sales goes to help Shakespeare in Delaware Park

Getting ready for the play

Sun and Sand! A Guide to WNY Beaches

Its officially summer and one thing people like to do is head to the beach. When I was younger my family would rent a cottage for a week up in Canada. While we don't have the crystal blue water and white sand like other places may have, Western New York still has a handful of beaches that are enjoyable to go to. Here is my list of some to check out.

Beaver Island State Park {great for the little kids}

Mickey Rats

Sunset Bay Beach Club

Woodlawn Beach

Olcott Beach

Bennett Beach

If you have an enhanced license or passport a couple of my favorites right over the border are:

Crystal Beach

Sherkston

:: Some beach necessities, magazines {or book}, towel{s}, beach chairs, A volleyball ::

Other essentials for the day at the beach:

Coolers (if allowed)

A big beach bag to put all your belongings in

Snacks like fruit, sandwiches

Drinks like water, beer {optional}, iced tea

Sunglasses, Sun Tan Lotion, hats, big umbrellas, hand sanitizer or baby wipes and blankets

Toys for kids to play with (shovels, buckets, etc.)

What is your favorite beach to go to?

-B

A Recreational Place on Point!

While there are a lot of great things happening down at Buffalo's Inner Harbor, there are also a lot of great things happening at Buffalo's Outer Harbor, from the bike and running paths to the Lighthouses and Coast Guard Base, one place I checked out this past weekend was Wilkeson Pointe. Located on Times Beach Nature Preserve, this recreational spot not only has beautiful views of the water, windmills and wind sculptures, but also has slides and plenty of room to bring the family and spend a day playing games and having a picnic. It's probably one of my favorite spots to go {now}. While people are familiar with Wilkeson Pointe- its still secluded enough to make it feel like a "hidden gem." Making it a great place to go if you ever want to take a break from reality.

-B

#BuffaloLinks

This week I thought I would feature some Dog parks that are in Western New York - I personally have never been to one - my dogs are to hyper and crazy to follow the rules, but have you been to any of these places - do you have a favorite? -B

{The Paw Park -in Amherst, NY}

{Lewiston Dog Park - click here for more info}

{The Barkyard in Buffalo NY - click here for more details on this off leash park}

{3.5 acres of off leash fun at the Niagara Falls Dog Park}

Just A Blonde in Buffalo {Fireworks Guide}

With the 4th of July on Saturday I thought I would compose a list of places I like to go to watch fireworks. Most places have fireworks starting at dusk {9-9:30pm}. Where are some places you like to go to watch fireworks?

July 3rd: 

• Coca Cola Field - if you're in the downtown area on Friday night - I'm sure you'll see these up in the sky
• Woodlawn Beach in Hamburg
• Niagara Falls Goat Island

July 4th:

• Canalside - Fireworks by the water - what can be more better than that!
• Cheektowaga Town Park
• Ellicottville {Summer Fest}

Festival/Tour Guide 2015

With summer officially here I thought I would put together a list of some upcoming festivals and tours happening around town that you shouldn't pass up if you have the time. Let's hope that it starts to feel more like summer as we approach July.

• A staple in Buffalo during the summer - the Taste of Buffalo
• Galbani Italian Festival on Hertal Ave. - July 16-19th
• Elmwood Arts Festival
• Shakespeare in Delaware Park
• Explore Buffalo Tour- they offer so many cool tours to take - there is something for everyone!
• Buffalo Pedal Tours - A cool way to see Buffalo and hang out with your friends!
• Boat Tours/Experiences - Canalside has plenty of options when it comes to exploring Buffalo by Boat
• St. Leo the Great Lawn Fete- July 25th
• Queen of Heaven Lawn Fete - July 16th
• Eden Corn Festival
• Williamsville Old Home Days - July 7-10th
• Erie County Fair - August 12-23

Put Me In The Zoo

One thing I love to do is volunteer and over the last year and a half I have spent some of my volunteer time with the Buffalo Zoo. It is one of my favorite places to go. Not only is it a great place for me to take my niece and nephew, but if I find myself needing to just disconnect with "life" I enjoy walking around the zoo grounds watching the animals. On Friday I was able to meet up with some Zoo Keepers and ask them a lot of questions in regards to their roles and responsibilities as a Zoo Keeper. It was pretty cool to hear them talk about the animals and the personalities each one of them has. Even with the current construction going on at the Zoo, there are plenty of activities and events taking place and new exhibits to look forward to in the upcoming months.

-B

Here are some of my photos that I took from Friday. We stopped at the Elephant House, Sea Lion Exhibit and Tiger/Lion House.

{Mindy with Jothi and Surapa}

{Dallas the Sea Lion}

{Lioness}