24 Hours in Wintery Downtown Buffalo

 

Last weekend, we went on a little staycation to canalside Buffalo for our oldest son's birthday. It was kind of the perfect Buffalo in winter experience. Our youngest even asked if we could do it all again, but next time for a whole week. (ha)

(PS, my sister took the photo above and if you are eagled-eyed enough you can sort of Where's Waldo me, Matt, and Luke.)

We drove into the city as the sun was setting after a very stressful Bills playoff game. I'm so glad we won - I think the excitement of the evening would have been a little subdued if we hadn't.

It was pretty gorge seeing the sun dipping below the skyline. 

We stayed at a Marriot right in canalside, and barely checked in before we set out for our first excursion - ice skating! Our hotel was central to literally everything...the rink was particularly close. It took us no time to walk over there.

It was suuuper busy - likely because it was basically Saturday night vibes with the extra day off on Monday. Thankfully we all have skates, so we didn't need to go through the hassle of rentals.

I loved the view while we skated - I wish this existed back when Matt and I were dating! Not that we can't have a date night there now, but this would have been so perfect for the early days. We were busy keeping up with kids (my gahhh the way some people fly around on the ice and basically steamroll anyone in their path), but it would have been so nice to just have our own moment there.

It was not a warm night, but we were bundled up pretty well so despite walking around town not exactly being enjoyable, it wasn't terrible. There were some leftovers from the Ice Fest Weekend that had wrapped up earlier that day and we enjoyed checking some of it out. There were some cool ice sculptures up near where Shark Girl is that I would have liked to get closer to, but everyone was pretty cold and hungry after skating!




After a little bit of trying and failing, we ended up at Pearl Street for dinner - which honestly, was better than what we'd had planned, I think. It was so slow - there were very few people there (a first for Pearl Street...I've never been there when it wasn't slammed before) and the food was so good! The kids loved ordering lemonades from the bar, haha.

I got a salted caramel porter that was soooo gooood, split a cup of beer cheese soup with Matt (insane), and had a poached pear salad for dinner that was so big I packed up more than half of it and had it for lunch the next day. It was all top notch.

My birthday kid enjoyed his night...I just cannot get over him being 14. Sigh.

When we got back to the hotel, we were all too full to have the cookie cake I'd made for Luke, so instead, we opted to visit the pool. Nothing like a have-the-place-to-yourselves night swim! The kids had so much fun despite getting sleepy....it was hard to get them out of the pool.

The next morning, I met my sister in the lobby to get some Starbucks. It was such a pretty morning...we had a pretty packed schedule, but I kinda wish I'd had more time to kick back and just take in the view.

After we caffeinated, we walked across the street to Tim Horton's to get some breakfast sandwiches. Which we quickly followed with a a birthday song and cookie cake. And then another trip to the pool.

The kids swam for a bit, and then it was already time to pack things up and check out ahead of the Sabres game. Our hotel was just a couple blocks away from the arena, so after we loaded up the van with our things, we walked down the street for the game. Such a pretty day! It was fun to be in the mix of excited fans again - it had been way too long since my last game!

I fell in love with this sweater in the Sabres store...ugh. Obsessed. It was $105 (gross) so I couldn't charm my way into this one but omg...if anyone sees this go on sale as spring sets in, you must alert me.

Doesn't it just give you chills? The vibe in the arena is everything.

The Sabres didn't show up for us (booo), but we still had so much fun all being there together. My Jake keeps saying he's totally into sports now because of it (lol).

We had such a great weekend! If you want to see it in video form (plus more pictures!), I put it all into a highlight on my Instagram called Buffalo. (If that direct link to the highlight doesn't work, my Instagram is @jenn.rych)

We love you, Buffalo! <3

Rock City + Camping in Salamanca, NY

Last month, we took a long weekend trip to Salamanca, NY. 

It's about an hour (and a little more) away from where we live, and also where my Grandpa on my Dad's side was born and raised. When my Dad suggested we camp there this year, I was mostly excited to go back and see the hills where my Grandpa used to have a hunting cabin. We spent many weekends of my childhood there - roughing it without a bathroom and looking for crayfish under rocks in the nearby creek.

The whole trip was great, and if you're looking for somewhere nice to camp (in a cabin or an RV), an amazing place to hike, and small towns to explore in Western New York - keep reading!

We arrived at Elkdale RV resort on a Thursday evening, and were surprised by how calm and quiet the whole place was. This was our first time at an "RV resort" vs a campground - which I've come to understand has less amenities and activities and more quiet, calm atmosphere. I honestly think I like both for different reasons, but it depends on your trip and what your camping style is!

One interesting aspect of this place that I hadn't run into before, is that many of the people staying at this resort are long-term temporary guests. Unlike seasonal campsite renters, those guests are contracted construction workers who are in the area for a while and need a home base. Some of them even bring their families or keep veggie plants on their cabin porches. I just thought that lifestyle sounded so interesting!

  

My family and I rented a cabin, and my Dad and step-mom parked their camper in our cabin's backyard. This gave us a big area for meals and fires and letting the kids run around. The cabin was really spacious, in great shape, and fully stocked. We really only had to bring our own food and clothes - everything else was there! Which is not how most cabins are. We usually have to bring our own linens, toilet paper, hand soap, cooking utensils - everything. So this is a great place to go if you're looking for a lot less packing!

The cabin had a full kitchen, full bathroom, separate bedroom, living space, and a nice porch we spent most of our mornings on. There was plenty of room for 5 people, but the place could have easily accommodated even more!

 
The main attraction of our trip was hiking at Rock City State Park. My Dad used to take me there all the time when we'd stay at my Grandpa's cabin, and I was really excited to go back there and show it to my kids. 

Pictures don't do it justice - it is breathtakingly beautiful on the hiking trails! There are so many unique trees-growing-on-cliffside situations, mysterious alleyways between boulders, and intricate nature-y details to soak in as you move along the trails. We packed a lunch and made a little picnic on the tailgate of my Dad's truck, buf if you're lucky you can nab a picnic table at one of the first-come-first-served camping spots. 

 

My kids loved Rock City as much as I always have, and there are many varied length/difficulty trails to choose from so you could spend a few hours or all day (or even night!) here if you wanted to. The gravely stone roads that lead you to the peak of the park are a little intimidating (and feel surprisingly long on the way up), so expect that - but it's worth it! I looked into the history and geology of the structures there, and it's so interesting! It started 290 million years ago when North America and Africa collided! If you want to learn more about it, scroll down to "Geology" here.

 

Another highlight for us was going into the town of Salamanca. I think my family probably appreciated this a little more than the average people because of our shared history, but it's still a really cool, old-school small town to check out. 

 

We made a special point to check out the Veterans park because my Grandpa (as well has some of his family members) has a dedicated brick in their memorial wall. We loved finding his name and feeling connected to him there, but there's also some really cool war memorabilia to check out. My kids especially liked the huge tank and the warplane propeller. There's an impressive anchor, too. Super cool info for any history buff.

 

There's a really great little lunch and ice cream place right across the street from the veteran's park called Tony's Tastee Freeze that we highly recommend! We only got ice cream, but the servings were impressive and more affordable than any ice cream place we've ever gone to! They only accept cash, though, so if you visit be prepared for that.

I don't have any pictures of it, but we stopped at a really cool pet store/aquarium that the kids loved. It's called Ellicottville Aquatics, and they have so many petable little creatures and fish tanks to explore. My kids loved it there!

 

Speaking of Ellicottville, it's very nearby if you want to take a trip there! If you've never been, it's a gorgeous little ski town full of shops, restaurants, and the locally well-known Ellicottville Brewing. We stopped in and just walked up and down the streets for a little bit - it was the weekend and very crowded and we had all our kids with us so we didn't stop in anywhere, but it was a nice walk. As of our June trip, most places were still limiting capacity so just take that into consideration if you visit.

 

Back at the resort, there are a couple of "extras" to fill your time with if campfire cooking and taking it easy on your porch isn't enough. There is a huge pond on the property where you can fish to your heart's content - my kids caught a whole bunch! They weren't successful until we picked up bait in town, though, which we did at Ellicottville Aquatics, so I recommend grabbing some wherever you can find it if you plan to fish! There's also a driving range (which you can walk to from the pond), and Elkdale Country Club is right next door if you'd like to golf. In fact, a couple of the holes overlook the RV resort.

We really loved our time in Salamanca, and if you're in search of a not-too-far-from-Buffalo family destination with some outdoorsiness and gorgeous mountains, I recommend the trip!

Fun fact: the man who wrote the famous Christmas song "Silver Bells" was born and raised in Salamanca, NY! His name was Ray Evans. Super cool!

1000 Islands Anniversary Trip

The last time Matt and I went on a childless vacation together was in early 2008. It was a vacation that we both remembered with gratitude and a feeling of indulgence and abundance, but the busy nature of building a family has kept us from attempting another over this past decade.

I was hoping we'd do something a little extra-special for our 10 year anniversary this year, so I was really excited to hear that Matt had something up his sleeve! He gave me a few hints about where we might be traveling, and after guessing it correctly he told me we were going to the 1,000 Islands.

I'd been there twice before, but he never had, and he wanted to visit somewhere on the water that would sort of mimic our 2008 trip together (which was to Charleston.) The one piece of the vacation he kept to himself was where we were staying.

I knew enough about the area to guess that it was one of a few nice hotels on the water, so I didn't press for more and just decided it would be cool to find out when we arrived.

So that Friday, my mom picked up Galli, and I loaded up the van and dropped the kids at my in-laws to stay for the weekend. After getting them settled and giving kisses goodbye, we hit the road towards Alexandria Bay.

On the way up, we listened to 2004 and 2007 Pandora stations (the year we started dating, and the year we got married.) It was so funny, remembering some of the songs, and being transported back to those amazing (for us) years. We talked and sang along a lot, but I took some time to read, too. The four hour drive went by quickly, and before I knew it, we were pulling up to our destination.

I was shocked (and elated!) to find that we were staying in a Bed & Breakfast. I have always wanted to try one - it never crossed my mind that Matt might mix the two experiences together (the childless trip and the B&B.) The place we stayed was called Captain Visger House, and it was an old, restored Victorian home of a 19th century river captain. I was immediately in love with the porch, the colors, the gardens, and the style of the place!

Checking in was wildly informal. The owner (Sam) just came to greet us, we told her what room we were in, and she just walked us there. She was sweet and animated as she told us all about the place and gave us some tips for our stay (we liked her instantly.) Our room was gorgeous and cozy, and it was hard not to just stay put and spend the whole evening in that beautiful house!

We instead decided to walk the main streets of the area, and chose a restaurant with street-side dining for dinner. It wasn't fancy food, but it was SO yummy - especially the wine slushy, which apparently, is a 1000 islands "thing". More than anything, it was nice to be outside with perfect weather and people watching. Or should I say, pirate watching. We had no idea until we pulled into the area, but it just happened to be Pirate Week. It's a rowdy experience! After dinner, we stopped in a bunch of shops and grabbed some souvenirs and truffles to have for dessert before walking back to our room.

The B&B had a library in it, which of course...made me wildly happy. Matt found a copy of Lord of the Rings that he chose to read during our stay, and I found a hilarious one full of ridiculous definitions. We read through them while eating our truffles, and laughed so hard we couldn't breathe. I'm not going to share them here but let's just say, we will never think of the words "bagpipe" and "acorn" quite the same way!

The next morning was our first true B&B experience. We walked out to the dining room to a self serve coffee bar, and after spending some time on the porch, we came in to an amazing breakfast. The first course was yogurt with warm pears and blueberries, with an insane berry scone with some kind of glaze on it (lemon, maybe?) This went against my gluten free ways, but I made an exception this weekend. Had to! As if that weren't enough (and really, it could have been!) the second course was a cheese omelet with tomatoes, sweet potatoes, dressed arugula, sausage, and toast. SO. GOOD.

After breakfast, we took a really fast trip to the drug store. (I forgot a razor and Matt for got a comb.) Then we took showers and got ready for our day of exploring. We walked down to one of the piers and took a boat shuttle over to see the Boldt Castle. Matt will say that this was the highlight of the trip for him....as we rode over to Heart Island, a big airplane (I'm not going to pretend to know what it was) flew over us, and we were both able to get great videos of it. I couldn't wait to show it to Jake when we got home! (He's our airplane enthusiast.)

The castle was gorgeous, as usual! If you don't know the story of the Boldt Castle, read up a little - it's heartbreakingly beautiful! I'll let the pictures speak for themselves....

When we'd seen nearly everything, we shuttled back to shore, and wandered around for a bit. We toured an art gallery that was set up in a (super cute) old home. Then we walked a block over to have lunch on the patio of a ship-themed restaurant. We shared fried pickles, and I had a Caribbean burger (without the bun) that was sooo good!

We were stuffed and tired after lunch, so we went back to our room to relax and ended up reading for hoooours! It was SO NICE! We both covet that quiet, uninterrupted time to read, so that was a serious treat for both of us.

Around 6, I decided to curl my hair and get ready for dinner. We went for a quick walk along a pier to scout a spot to watch the sunset that evening before walking back to the B&B for dinner. Only breakfast is included in our stay, but we'd heard such good things (and our breakfast was SO good) that we had to try them for dinner, too.

We sat on the patio and each had a glass of wine and split some homemade guac. I got a beet salad and Matt got a vegan soup, and both were AMAZING. Everything Sam makes is local, in season, organic, farm-to-table style, and that is our favorite! It was SO good! We split two of her desserts, too - chocolate ice cream that was made with a biscotti stout, and a berry and whiskey bread pudding. Seriously good.

With dinner behind us, we walked back to the pier and found that we were the only two around. This is one of the ways that the pirate weekend worked in our favor - while everyone was partying and swashbuckling around, we were left alone for the most part. It was so nice! Such a good break.

After the sunset, we walked back to the b&b and decided to sit on the porch with what was left of the daylight. As we sat there, a Buffalo hat caught my eye in the crowd of people walking by, and I looked up only to feel like I knew the person wearing it. I said to Matt, "hey, isn't that your cousin?" and when he looked he realized that it was! What the heck are the chances of us both being there at the same time, and him walking by us right when we were sitting on the porch?? Too funny!

When it was too dark to see our books, we went back in and read some more. (We love books, ya'll.)

The next morning, we were greeted with lots of coffee and another amazing breakfast. This was my last round with gluten, but I ate it without shame! It was a stuffed baked french toast made with berries and bacon, and it was tooo diiie fooor. SO amazing.

We cleaned up our room and got ready to go before "checking out"...which was really just giving Sam her key back and saying goodbye...too funny. We had plans to check out a nature preserve for a hike on our way out. It was only a couple minute drive away, and after donning sneakers, we picked one of the paths to travel down. The deeper we made it into the woods, the more we were being attacked by bugs. It never really occurred to us to be prepared with bug spray, and they were kind of aggressive! They were sticking in our hair and everything! So that didn't last long. I did get a few pictures of the bluest skies you ever did see, and a souvenir acorn (haha, if you guys only knew!), but we didn't make it very far at all before we hit the road for home.

This trip was sooo goood! SO GOOD! It was everything. The B&B, the reminiscing, the time to ourselves, the quiet, the meals together, the good food, the romance of the castle's story, the indulgence, the beauty. It was perfect, and exactly what we needed!

If you ever visit Alexandria Bay, I hiiighly recommend Captain Visger House, but if you can only swing a meal, visit The Kitchen for sure! And tell Sam the family from Buffalo with 3 boys says hi! ;)