My Friday Favorites

Its the last weekend of August and for some that means summer is over {even though we still have a few more weeks of it}. Labor Day is right around the corner and school will be beginning soon for those little ones. This weekend is full of fun activities to do between the Lewiston Jazz Festival, a baseball game or hitting up the Elmwood Arts Festival. Enjoy whatever it is that you will be doing. -B

{I am a big thank you note sender, so when I received a thank you in the mail this week it put a smile on my face. Call me old school but receiving "snail mail" will never be out of date in my book!}

{A walk thru the Country Market on Main St this past week}

{A place I came across during one of my lunch break walks. When I start to feel like I know a lot of the buildings surrounded by my work, one always pops up that I never knew about before}

{Spoiled Rotten came out with a great wedding gift just in time for one of my friends bridal showers. This is the perfect gift for anyone who has a little Buffalove in them. Thank you Spoiled Rotten for always having the best Buffalo gifts.}

{Because you can never go wrong with ice cream in the summer}

Happy National Park Service Birthday

In honor of the National Park Service Birthday today I thought I would share my post on Letchworth State Park, voted USA TODAY Readers' Choice Award for Best State Park in the United States in 2015!

A beautiful place to go in the summer is Letchworth State Park. I've only been once in the past couple of years and it's absolutely beautiful. If you love the outdoors and want a place to go for camping, hiking or to picnic this is a park to check out. Between the waterfalls, trails and kayaking there is so much to do.

-B

#BuffaloLinks - Distillery Edition

Clayton Distillery down the 90 to Clayton, NY their slushies {for adults} are delicious! And strong. They are right next door to miniature golf making it a fun afternoon of activities if you're visiting the 1,000 Islands

Buffalo Distilling Company- offering Apple Brandy and One Foot Cock Bourbon you can find their product in local liquor stores and at Larkinville.

Tommy Rotter Distillery on Seneca St. is a NYS farm distillery - their vodka is smooth yet tasty making it one of the only liquor I could drink on the rocks. They also offer Gin as well.

{Niagara Distilling photo from Facebook}

The only product I haven't tried out of the list - Niagara Distilling Co. located on Ellicott St. uses organic grain for the distilled process. With a 1,500 square foot tasting and retail space they are on my list of places to visit.

My Friday Favorites!

Another week has come and gone and between the local exploring, family time and work my week has been a lot of fun. While my weekend will be spent at the ballpark I hope everyone enjoys the Buffalo sunshine that is supposed to be around. -B

{A very dark and eerie hallway we got to see during the Central Terminal tour - it was actually pretty cool to see}

{My first visit to another minor league field - our neighbors to the East of us in Rochester - Frontier Field}

{My view from Buffalo Riverworks}

{A pit stop at the Erie County Fair during the day}

{Exploring Canalside with Shanna while she was in town}

Exploring the Central Terminal

When I saw that the Buffalo Central Terminal Restoration Corporation was hosting a tour of the building I had to jump on it. Growing up on Fillmore, the area holds a special place in my heart despite the decline in the neighborhood. It's hard to imagine that a building that beautiful once was booming with business during World War II. My father always talks about how my grandfather would use the trains to travel off to war and how he and my uncle would play roller hockey in the lobby.

Going on this tour gave me a better understanding of how the building was utilized during its hey day and how horrible the City of Buffalo's people in power can be at times. I also learned its those advocates and volunteers who have a lot of passion for the Central Terminal who keep it going and I can only hope one day the building is put to good use again.

-B

Here are some facts I took away from the tour:

• The Central Terminal process began in the 1880s. It took 43 years (1925) for NY Central and the City of Buffalo to agree on a location.
• The bones of the structure are made of steel with classic brick art deco. Every 5th row has a row of smaller bricks for structural support. You just don't see buildings built like this anymore
• The station is 85 years old
• It took 2 years to complete  the entire building
• More parking than anywhere else in the city, because it has underground space
• The Central Terminal was a 15 million dollar project - $5 million went into building the building and $10 million went into reworking train tracks
• Chicago was the top city, followed by Buffalo and then NYC being third as cities to have the most train travel
• June 23 1929 was opening day just a few short months before the Great Depression hit
• At its prime there were 250 trains coming into the Central Terminal a day (that's every six minutes) and 3200 passengers daily
• WW II is when the terminal was used to its capacity
• There are 17 floors in the tower with the 17th being a water tank
• 1500 people worked out of that building, mostly in the railroad industry
• On a good day you can see the Terminal from 15 miles away
• In 1999 the tower was re-lite for people to see
• There are multiple buildings within the main tower - some of those buildings were for electrical control towers, the power house, coat shop, mail and baggage and REA platforms
• The U.S. Postal Service used railroads the most
• In 1952 NY Central put the Terminal up for sale. It  dwindled down from 100 trains a day to  50 trains to 8 trains a day
• There was a belt line in the City up to Toronto
• The main lobby holds 9 ticket stations and really no benches - the concept was to get people in and out in of the building
• There were a maze of tunnels underground
• Last train out of the Central Terminal was in 1979
• The City of Buffalo allowed the building to go to salvage. The Jimmy Griffin administration wanted to tear the building down
• In 1997 the Central Terminal Restoration bought the building
• Tony Fedele was a great owner for the Terminal and lived above the lobby for the 5-6 years while he was the owner. The City raised the property taxes each and then let the building fall apart with graffiti and broken windows.
• After Tony Fedele's ownership, Thomas Telesco purchased the building for salvage rights and sold artifacts to multiple places including overseas, leaving a good number of the original pieces still missing from the building to this day.
• Outside of the train travel industry another industry taking place in the Trolley Lobby was the Mafia and that was led by Council member Montana

To see a list of upcoming events that are taking place at the Terminal or to learn how you can help out, visit their website at buffalocentralterminal.org

A Quick Trip to NYC

{Lacey never disappoints}

New York City is one of my favorite cities to visit and probably one of the only places I would consider moving to if the right opportunity came along, so a couple weeks ago when I left the good ol' City of Good Neighbors to visit one of my best friends for a few days I was looking forward to becoming a pro on the subway and the hustle and bustle of the NYC streets.

Since starting this blog I have become a big small business, local supporter so when I travel to different places I find myself gravitating to see where the locals go - where they eat and drink, where they shop, what fun activities they do. I spent my time wandering around Queens and Brooklyn on Friday people watching and wondering what their story was before getting ready for our adventure through Central Park on Saturday.

It still amazes me how you are in the middle of this extremely lively city and you walk into Central Park and there is a sense of calm that takes over. Paddle boats were on the agenda for that day along with checking out High Line Park and Chelsea Market both places I haven't been before.

{Central Park & Brooklyn Bridge adventures with a Cucumber Mojito and a Manhattan}

While this post has absolutely nothing to do with Buffalo, it does pertain to why I started this blog. In my opinion you can't appreciate what you have in your life until you take a step back. Traveling for me is a time when I can not only forget about all the stressful things going on in my life, but it also gives me a chance to meet new people, see new places and appreciate where I come from. Even though it was a short trip I came back to home with a clear head and a grateful heart..

Until the next time..

-B

{One of the best friendships I could ever ask for is with this gal here}

{A beautiful sunset from Far Rockaway}

{A classic beer and hot dog next to the Brooklyn Bridge - NYC has nothing on Sahlen's hot dogs though}

{Highline Park}

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}

My Friday Favorites

This week felt like it went on forever, but its almost the weekend and I'm looking forward to seeing some friends that are in from out of town and exploring the Central Terminal on Sunday. Have a great weekend!

-B

{Chelsea Market}

{Cheers}

{Labatt Blue Silos at Buffalo Riverworks}

{Best Day Ever exploring Brooklyn}

#BuffaloLinks

Here are some fun things going on this weekend!

All weekend long:

• Erie County Fair 
• Taste of Ellicottville

Saturday:

• Lantern Parade at Hoyt Lake
• Scottish Festival
• ARTsPARKed

• Buffalo Central Terminal Tour

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}

My Friday Favorites

This has been a pretty good week, and I'm looking forward to a fun weekend checking off some of the things on what feels like a never ending bucket list of mine. A pedal tour, brewery stops and a trip to one of my favorite cities - the Big Apple are on the list! Here are some things that made me smile this week. Enjoy the sunshine! -B

{Mark you calendars - next Wednesday is World Elephant Day}

{I loved the signs that were set-up along the Color Run course last weekend}

{A summer ale, jenga, sunglasses and Canalside - a classic Buffalo summer night}

{Turn the Park Pink 2015 is in the books and I couldn't have done it without the help of these lovely ladies}

{One of the best seminars I've been to with a powerful sports line up}

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}

#BuffaloLinks

Hello August! Here are some of my favorite links for this week!

This Saturday check out Wright by the River at the Fontana Boat House.

Starting tomorrow you can head to Stokoe Farms and walk thru the Rex Ryan corn maze.

The Eden Corn Festival kicks off this Thursday. Click here for more information.

A new foodie blog that I love is by a great gal pal Danielle. Check it out HiScooterPie.com

My Friday Favorites!

Wine tasting at Coyote Moon before the wine cruise!

It was a nice week to catch up and spend some time with my family and friends that I haven't seen in a while. I'm looking forward to the Color Run on Saturday down at Canalside - I've heard its a lot of fun! I hope you have a nice weekend!

-B

Business First hosted a sports panel on Thursday at Buffalo Riverworks with an amazing lineup of people in the industry.

A quick stop to Clayton Distillery when I was in the 1,000 Islands last weekend. This raspberry lemonade was delicious!

My city smells like Cheerios thanks to this place!

Late night shenanigans darkwing duck style

#BuffaloLinks

A new business I am obsessed with is Buffalo Pallet Art. Creating custom paintings on pallet art work.

The ballpark is Turning the Park Pink on Saturday. Come out to the game and help a good cause.

The Botanical Gardens are offering craft beers, garden tours, live music and more at tonight's Botanics & Brews event from 6-9pm.

Come out to Delaware Park by Hoyt Lake on Sunday for Veg Fest! Its an all day festival and free to attend.

"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}

My Friday Favorites!

This week has been more stressful then I would have liked, but I'm looking forward to this weekend with my friends drinking some wine and white water rafting. I can't believe we are entering the last week of July, this summer is flying by! Enjoy it! -B

{A trip to Channel 2 to promote Turn the Park Pink next week at the ballpark, I like those 2 pillows}

{Behind the scenes}

{A little golf on a Monday}

{I'm looking forward to some laughs this weekend with some great friends}

{My parents are the best - sending me pictures at Wines in the Wild this past Wednesday, I should work at a Zoo}

#BuffaloLinks

This Thursday the Erie County Fair is toasting to the Fair Beer at Flying Bison Brewery. The fun begins at 4:30pm.

One of my FAVORITE events of the summer is tomorrow at the Buffalo Zoo {Wines in the Wild}. Sip on wine, sample food, play some games and see some animals making it one great event!

The North Buffalo Farmers Market is going {Pink} on Thursday to help kick off the Buffalo Bisons Turn the Park Pink event on Saturday, Aug. 1. Come by and shop local!

I'm looking forward to a fun girls weekend white water rafting and sipping on some wine. See my post rafting post next week! {Whitewater Challengers}

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