Birthday Lakeshore Trek

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Manny decided we should take a road trip for both of our birthdays driving up the Lake Erie shore up to Niagara Falls, Canada. This blog covers our drive up to Buffalo, NY. We stayed one night in Erie, PA and one night in Buffalo, NY.

Erie wasn't much to talk about although we found a great little restaurant for a birthday dinner and Presque Isle State Park was nice at sunset. Erie seems to be a stacking of old brick warehouses and factories with asphalt and railroad tracks. The most interesting thing in Erie (I almost forgot) was the US Brig Niagara, which I sadly did not take a picture of on account of the lousy lake weather we were having and the fact that I did not have a wide angle lens for the little P8 at the time.

Buffalo, being bigger, was more interesting although empty like most other Rust Belt towns. The Olmstead Parks were nice and despite the cold we did have the chance to picnic in one of them. We also had Buffalo Wings at the Anchor Grill which allows us to check off an 'Americana Experience" box on the old checklist, but leaves doubts in my mind as to whether or not the original actually perfected the buffalo wing or just started it.

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Photos

Old Hotel Statler
Another beautiful old hotel . . . that we could not stay in. Buffalo's downtown is a lot like Detroit's, great beautiful old buildings all converted to garbage housing or vacant.

Erie & Presque Isle Pennsylvania
We stopped in Erie the first night of our trip. Another Great Lakes town with all of the signs of the Rust Belt.

Buffalo's Power Tower
Great day for a base contrast of white against the sky's blue.

Guaranty Building
There was absolutely no one in Buffalo as we walked around. This photo doesn't capture the beautiful detail of the building's facade and cornice.

Buffalo's Famous City Hall
Not only was the city empty this weekend but the communist looking architecture didn't help.