Buffalo, Niagara Falls, & Canada: An Adventure for the Books

The day after I finished my finals for the spring semester, I set out on adventure with my friends Christy and Kamirae (Kami). We were determined to drive from Colorado to Buffalo, New York in two days to visit Christy’s sister, Kayla where she is in residency for medical school. The first thing I learned on this trip is that women don’t pack light. Between the 3 of us, we had 7 pillows, 4 coolers, 3 sleeping bags, an air mattress, a foam roller, and countless bags/suitcases assorted items (think- clothes, electronics, snacks, movies, crafts, books). In spite of how much stuff was traveling cross-country with us, we somehow managed to fit all of this (and three people) into a Hyundai Accent.

On May 12th, we set off from Fort Collins, Colorado to see the country, de-stress from school, and enjoy ourselves. After two very long days in the car, and traveling through a multitude of states (Colorado, Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York), we made it to Buffalo! Having an adventure with two fun, energetic individuals was just what I needed to wind down from an intense semester and reunite with my fun side that often hides behind my “type A” front.Buffalo is, in the words of Kayla, a “dying city.” Much of the city’s economic stability was lost when its port system was no longer considered a modern mode of transportation. Because of this, the city is starkly different from New York City, which Buffalo natives simply call “New York.” It is not  flashy city, and there are lots of older areas, many with neat architecture. Though it may not be glamorous, I really enjoyed exploring this city and all that it has to offer.To assimilate into Buffalonian culture, it’s very simple: wear a Buffalo Bills item of some sort (in spite of their rank as a team) and fall in love with everything “Buffalo wing” flavored (wings, pizza, sandwiches- you name it, they have it). Kayla took us to Anchor Bar, home of the original Buffalo chicken wing, and I can no longer eat other wings. There is no comparison.I’ve broken down the attractions I saw into three different categories, based on what I recommend seeing in the area to get the full experience.Places you should go to if you only have a short time:

-Niagara Falls: See both the US and the Canada side of the falls- the Canada side is more expansive and spectacular, but both views are neat.

-Niagara “Maid of the Mist” boat tour: You get to wear a giant blue poncho and ride on a boat right up through the mist of Niagara Falls. The opportunity to be that close to the falls, to the point of being drenched in its mist, is something truly incredible.

-Anchor Bar: The home of the original Buffalo wing, complete with spicy sauce, blue cheese dressing, and celery. The wings are incredible, and a must-try for those in the area.

-Letchworth State Park: My laptop wouldn't let me upload the pictures of the incredible waterfalls, rainbows, and scenery of the state park because of their file size. Let me say simply that it wasn't voted the best state park in 2015 reason by chance. If you are at all outdoorsy, it's worth driving the 1.5 hours to the park for this experience. Plus, you may just get to see a woodchuck in real life.

-Niagara Whirlpool Hike: Once again, the file size of the photos was too great to show many pictures of this either. *Sigh.* This hike is special because you get to hike down into the canyon where the Niagara whirlpool flows after the water flows over the falls.

-Niagara at night: Every night after 9 pm, Niagara Falls is lit up with colorful lights that change and shift every few minutes. On certain nights of the week, the lights are followed with a brief firework show over Niagara Falls, which makes for a fun, colorful, artistic experience. If given the opportunity, check it out!

-Paula’s Donuts: The locals of Buffalo are not mistaken in loving and frequenting this establishment. These donuts may cause you to wonder how you ever liked another donut, and whether or not you will ever like one in the future. I enjoyed the red velvet flavor specifically.

Places you could also go to, time willing:

-Military and Naval History Museum: This museum was unlike any other I've ever been to-- there's both a traditional part of the museum that's indoors, as well as three boats (two warships and one submarine) that you can tour through. It allowed history to feel real as we walked through the inside of the boats and imagined what life would have been like on one.

-The Chocolate Bar: As you can guess from the name, this is a place that specializes in chocolate, specifically chocolate martinis. Although I am not 21, they have "no-tinis" as well (mine was basically a melted Reese's cup in a glass). On Mondays, you get a free manicure with a purchase of a drink, and on Wednesdays, you get a free 5-minute massage with a drink purchase. It was pretty great.

-Canada Wine Tour: We went to the visitor center right after crossing the border, where the workers gave us plenty of coupons and vouchers for free tastings at wineries. From there, we were able to try a few different places at little-to-no cost to us! Be sure to sample the "iced wine," a unique local specialty.

-Hunan Wok: This local Chinese eatery sells a "dinner for two" that comfortably fed four of us for a reasonable price! If you enjoy Chinese food and don't want to break the bank, try this place!

Places that weren’t necessarily worth the time:

-Unity Island: While this place got reviews as being a neat area to walk and fish, it was essentially an island with a water plant, walking path, and area to throw a fishing pole into the canal. Considering all the other amazing things that we saw, this was slightly disappointing.

-Forest Lawn Cemetery: I know that some people enjoy touring old cemeteries for history's sake, and I appreciated the historical value of seeing Millard Filmore's old grave, I was not enthralled with this landmark of the city, and if I only had a few days on the trip, it wouldn't make my list of must-sees.

     This cross-country venture allowed me to experience a new area of the country, see a wonder of the world, and cross the border into Canada for the first time. It may not have been a tropical vacation, but this trip was enough of a paradise to me!