Erie Basin Marina Beach and Observation Tower

This is something else we did yesterday. I read about the new beach at the Erie Basin Marina in the paper, so we went to check it out. Seth loves to toss rocks into the lake so he was happy about this beach. (When I ask him an open-ended question about what he wants to do, he will often say "I want to throw rocks in the lake". It must be exciting to be 3.) Anyway, it is a really small beach, but it is in downtown. It is not a swimming beach; the signs say "Deadly current! No Wading or Swimming!" But it is sandy, so playing in the sand is an option as is enjoying the waves coming in. The observation tower, across from the beach, has stairs up to a 360 view of the lake, river, and downtown. There is parking across the street from the beach. Getting to the parking is the key. If you can get to Erie St., follow the signs to the Erie Basin Marina. When you get to the gate of the marina, go through and follow the road as far as you can. At the end, there is parking to the right by the observation tower and across from the beach. Here are directions from the Buffalo Ward chapel.

Forest Lawn Cemetery

The boys and I went to Forest Lawn Cemetery yesterday morning to place flags at veteran's graves, a Memorial Day tradition in our family. The VFW makes flags available to the public and then you place them at graves of veterans, who are indicated as such by their headstone. That aside, Forest Lawn is an interesting cemetery, much like City Cemetery in Salt Lake. Lots of famous people, at least in Buffalo. Great Scenery. Peaceful Surroundings. Check out their website and see who is buried there and when there are guided tours, if you want a guided tour. Here are directions from the Buffalo Ward Chapel:



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Erie Canal Harbor

This is a cool addition to the Buffalo waterfront. Buffalo's waterfront is best experienced from while the leaves are out on the trees. This roughly corresponds to a decreased likelihood of cold wind off Lake Erie causing you to think poorly of our beautiful city. The Erie Canal Harbor was the western terminus of the Erie "Fifteen miles on the Erie Canal" Canal. This linked the Hudson River and New York City to the Great Lakes and the interior of North America. And Buffalo was the center of it all. In 1900, Buffalo was the richest city (per capita wealth) in the US. In 2000, it was Seattle. At this site, you can see the old stone walls of the canal, stone foundations of old warehouses, and a neat period replica bridge over the canal. As a bonus, you can enjoy views of the Buffalo River, Buffalo Lighthouse, and lots of a Buffalo invention, the grain elevator. It is sort of hard to get to, but head for the Naval and Serviceman's Park on Marine Drive and it is right next door to the Naval Park museum. Here are directions from the Buffalo Ward chapel:


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Enjoy!

Finally, a Buffalo blog for new LDS students and their families

One nice thing about blogs is that they can cater to a ridiculously small audience - LDS students and their families who are new to Buffalo. My plan is to post about things to do, places to go, and my favorite - places to eat. Buffalo is a great place to live, whether for one year or four years or the rest of your life. I hope you enjoy your time in Buffalo and do not pine for fry sauce when blue cheese is so readily available ;)