| My theory is a real traveler is able to
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| | economic woes of the city, has apparently
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| discover interesting things even in the
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| | created a flight into the suburbs that has
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| most unlikely of places. Well, Buffalo
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| | left the city's core rather lifeless on
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| probably hasn't made the "top travel
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| | the weekend.It was really quite sad to see
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| destinations" list for a while, but I have
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| | that a city like Buffalo, which has such a
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| been doing some research on it and I
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| | great number of outstanding architectural
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| thought it's high time to explore Buffalo,
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| | heritage sites, had virtually no street
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| the closest American city to Toronto, just
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| | life, retail or shopping opportunities in
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| south of Niagara Falls and right across
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| | the downtown core. A lot of stores were
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| the Fort Erie border.So my fellow travel
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| | boarded up and the few stores that were
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| and architecture aficionado Shauna and I
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| | there were closed down tight on the
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| headed out early yesterday morning to make
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| | weekend.Well, we had to move on to our
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| the 2 hour trek to Buffalo. We picked the
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| | tour of another architectural jewel, Frank
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| Fort Erie border crossing and fortunately
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| | Lloyd Wright's Martin House. Darwin Martin
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| it wasn't very busy at all. The border
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| | was a high-ranking executive with the
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| crossing was actually a reasonably
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| | Larkin Soap Company and his brother-in-law
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| pleasant experience as the border guards
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| | had encouraged Darwin to seek out Wright's
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| were in a really good mood and very
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| | work in Oak Park, a suburb of Chicago.
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| friendly, a nice foreboding to a good
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| | After familiarizing himself with Wright's
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| day.Approaching the city we immediately
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| | work, he brought him to Buffalo in
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| took a wrong turn and headed south on
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| | November 1902 to build a house for his
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| Highway 5 away from downtown. But we got
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| | sister, the Barton House, with a size of
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| to see Buffalo's waterfront, which in this
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| | about 4000 feet, and then to build his
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| area includes a few rather unspectacular
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| | main house, a 15,000 square foot Prairie
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| marinas and some old run-down industrial
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| | Style home, characterized by Wright's
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| buildings. We turned ourselves around and
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| | rigorous and consistent use of cruciform
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| headed back towards the downtown area.
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| | plans, piers and cantilevers, and other
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| Because the tourist information office was
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| | prairie house principles. After many years
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| closed on Sunday we figured, we'd stop in
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| | of neglect, the Martin house is now under
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| at the Hampton Inn & Suites Hotel to pick
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| | renovation to restore it back to its
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| up some tourist brochures and city maps.
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| | original early 1900's authentic
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| Another pleasant experience: The lady at
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| | splendour.Right now the building is empty
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| the front counter was extremely helpful,
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| | and a few large photographs illustrate the
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| provided us with several brochures and a
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| | former decor and furnishings. It's very
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| printout of how to get to 2 of the most
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| | visible that this building has been
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| important architectural heritage sites in
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| | neglected for a long time and the Martin
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| Buffalo: Frank Lloyd Wright's Martin House
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| | House Restoration Corporation is working
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| and his other important Buffalo work,
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| | very hard to restore it back to its
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| Graycliff Mansion.Having parked the car on
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| | authentic 1907 characteristics, even to
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| Delaware Avenue at about 10:30 am, the one
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| | the degree of rebuilding the pergola and
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| thing that struck us immediately was how
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| | the coach house that were demolished by a
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| empty the streets were. There was
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| | previous owner. The tour lasted about 90
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| virtually no pedestrian traffic at all and
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| | minutes and was provided by a very
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| very few vehicles passing by. We figured
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| | passionate docent and all the volunteer
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| it must be too early for people to be out,
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| | staff in the gift shop and the chaperone
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| and we headed off into a restaurant called
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| | were very helpful. We even received a
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| "Flappy's" to strengthen ourselves for the
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| | glass of water in the 60s style kitchen of
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| day with a filling brunch. We booked our
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| | the Martin House which will be torn out
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| tour at the Martin House for 2 pm, so
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| | and replaced by more authentic furnishings
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| after breakfast we had about 2 hours to do
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| | as the renovation continues.After the
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| a walking tour of downtown.As we came out
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| | humid heat inside the Martin and Barton
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| of the restaurant we noticed the city had
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| | Houses we were glad to get outside to cool
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| gotten a bit livelier, but not by much. We
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| | down. We drove through the Park Side East
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| parked our car close to Niagara Square and
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| | Historic District surrounding Delaware
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| started our exploration on foot. First on
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| | Park, a creation of the famous landscape
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| the agenda was the Buffalo City Hall, a
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| | designer Frederick Law Olmstead, who also
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| monumental Art Deco skyscraper completed
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| | designed Central Park. The area around
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| in 1931, built of orange-hued sandstone
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| | Delaware Park and the Forest Lawn Cemetery
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| with intricate details and colourful
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| | is a beautiful part of the city with
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| ornamentation. An immensely impressive
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| | gorgeous mansions and manicured lawns, and
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| building. We examined all the facade
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| | this beauty is most visible on
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| details and friezes which display images
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| | Millionaires' Row along Delaware Avenue.
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| related to agriculture.We did a little
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| | There was much more traffic and street
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| downtown circle and covered a few really
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| | life in this part of Buffalo, the
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| interesting buildings. The red colour and
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| | atmosphere was pleasant and the
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| detailed ornamentation of Louis Sullivan's
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| | residential areas impressive.We headed
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| Guaranty Building really captured our
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| | over closer to the Niagara River and drove
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| imagination. We passed by St. Paul's
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| | along the Seaway Trail, crossed Grand
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| Cathedral and past the trolley tracks of
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| | Island and continued on the outskirts of
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| Main Street we discovered the Elicott
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| | Niagara Falls, NY, right along the Niagara
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| Square Building. The east entrance to the
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| | River towards Lewiston. The drive north of
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| building was actually open so we went
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| | Niagara Falls to Fort Niagara State Park
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| inside. This building was erected in 1896
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| | on Lake Ontario is gorgeous, with
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| according to a design by Daniel Burnham,
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| | beautiful old homes overlooking the
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| one of Chicago's most famous architects.
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| | Niagara River, huge trees overhanging the
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| This building is constructed around a
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| | 2-lane country road, with well-kept
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| large interior court covered by a glass
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| | properties on either side of the road. We
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| block ceiling held up by ornamented steel
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| | stopped for a snack just outside the very
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| girders. We commented on how similar this
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| | quaint town of Lewiston, in a place called
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| design was the one of Chicago's most
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| | the Silo, which is right next to the
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| famous buildings, the "Rookery", and it
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| | river, overlooking a launch area for the
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| wasn't until this morning that I realized
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| | high-speed boats that whisk visitors into
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| that both buildings were created by the
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| | the rapids of the Niagara Gorge. We had a
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| same architect.It's an amazingly
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| | lovely greasy lunch outside, enjoying the
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| impressive building with gorgeous sweeping
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| | breeze (hey, you don't have to eat healthy
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| staircases and an intricate mosaic
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| | every day) and then continued our drive
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| covering the entire courtyard. From the
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| | all the way to Fort Niagara State Park,
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| Ellicot Square Building we headed towards
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| | admiring the villas and estates.We had
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| the Lafayette Hotel, a handsome red brick
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| | chosen to cross the border at the
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| and white terra cotta French
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| | Queenston-Lewiston Bridge, but
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| Renaissance-style building which was built
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| | construction work had caused confusing
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| in anticipation of the expected influx of
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| | detours and a local New York State father
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| visitors at the Pan-American Exposition in
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| | and son team stopped their car when they
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| 1901. Due to financial difficulties,
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| | saw us by the road, staring at the map,
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| however, it was not opened until 1904.
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| | trying to figure out how to get to the
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| From there we checked out the General
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| | border crossing. They rolled down the
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| Electric Tower, a handsome white
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| | window and said they'd guide us to the
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| Terracotta-clad structure dating back to
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| | bridge, which they did. We followed them
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| 1912.The Electric Tower happens to be
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| | for about 10 minutes through the maze of
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| right beside another fascinating building:
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| | detour signs until we found the bridge and
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| the Buffalo Savings Bank, a building
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| | headed back over to Canada. Both of us
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| manifesting Buffalo's boom of the second
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| | were very impressed with the friendliness
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| half of the 19th century. In the late
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| | and helpfulness of the locals.Back on the
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| 1890s - the peak of Buffalo's golden age -
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| | Canadian side we drove along the Niagara
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| the bank held a competition for a grand
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| | Parkway and stopped in the beautiful
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| new headquarters. The contest was won by
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| | little village of Niagara-on-the-Lake.
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| Green & Wicks, Buffalo's premier
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| | NOTL calls itself the "prettiest village
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| turn-of-the-century architectural firm.
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| | in Ontario", and they might just be right.
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| Their design projected stability,
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| | The village is home to beautifully
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| security, and aspiration.The building's
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| | maintained Victorian homes, overflowing
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| signature feature is the gold-leafed
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| | flower baskets, souvenir shops, cafes, bed
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| dome.After the Buffalo Savings Bank we
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| | and breakfasts, as well as the famous Shaw
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| explored the Genesee Building which today
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| | Festival, and for many Ontarians it is a
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| is the Hyatt Regency Hotel. Just as we
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| | favourite destination for a quick weekend
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| finished exploring that building the
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| | getaway.From Niagara-on-the-Lake we headed
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| heavens opened up and there was a
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| | through vineyards and orchards to St.
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| torrential downpour so we sat down in
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| | Catharines, and to its Port Dalhousie
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| front of the Hyatt and took in the street
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| | waterfront entertainment area, not
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| scene. We were facing Main Street, the
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| | forgetting to stop by a road-side fruit
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| street that is now a pedestrian zone and
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| | stall to buy ripe red cherries and
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| accommodates Buffalo's light rail rapid
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| | nuclear-size apricots fresh from the tree.
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| transit line. One thing we consistently
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| | About 20 minutes from NOTL, Port Dalhousie
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| noticed in Buffalo was the absence of
| |
| | harbours a marina and a long pier and
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| street-level stores and restaurants. In
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| | numerous outdoor patio restaurants, ice
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| the downtown core, as a matter of fact,
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| | cream parlors, souvenir shops and other
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| most of the modernist office and
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| | entertainment. Hundreds of people were
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| government buildings did not have any
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| | parading along the pier, couples, parents
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| street level retail at all. A lot of the
| |
| | with children, dog owners, retired folks
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| modern administrative buildings in Buffalo
| |
| | and a very interesting young lady with red
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| have a rather austere and non-welcoming
| |
| | hair, whose friend had given her poodle a
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| feeling and some of the newer buildings
| |
| | matching-colour hairdo with the leftover
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| dating back to the 50s and later have an
| |
| | hair dye.The atmosphere in Port Dalhousie
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| almost penitentiary feeling to them. The
| |
| | was almost like in a Californian seafront
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| resulting scarcity of street-level store
| |
| | resort town with rollerbladers, walkers,
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| fronts combined with the utter lack of
| |
| | beach volleyball players, boaters and
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| pedestrians (certainly on the weekend)
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| | relaxed pedestrians taking a stroll
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| really gives downtown Buffalo a rather
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| | through the village and on the pier. I did
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| eerie deserted feel, and the absence of
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| | not even feel like I was in Ontario. The
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| people downtown was our most striking
| |
| | sun was starting to set and lake was laid
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| impression of Buffalo. Judging from the
| |
| | out in front of us like an ocean, with no
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| classically styled street lamps with
| |
| | shoreline visible on the other side. It
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| blooming planters, however, the city
| |
| | was a beautiful hot evening and I felt
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| appears to have been working on
| |
| | like I wanted to spend a whole week in
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| beautifying the downtown core.We started
| |
| | this happening spot. But no such luck, we
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| heading back to the car and passed by the
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| | had to get back to Toronto after our
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| Statler Hotel, which isn't really a hotel
| |
| | exciting girls-only excursion to Buffalo
|
| any more, but apparently a building full
| |
| | and the Niagara Peninsula.We got to
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| of lawyer's offices. We had a look inside
| |
| | explore some fabulous architectural gems,
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| the impressive lobby which features French
| |
| | connected with the legacy of Frank Lloyd
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| chandeliers from the early 20th century. I
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| | Wright, had a lovely greasy lunch right
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| took a couple of pictures, but the
| |
| | next to the Niagara River, enjoyed the
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| security guard stopped me, telling me no
| |
| | hospitality and the helpfulness of the
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| photography was allowed. We had a really
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| | local New York State residents, and back
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| interesting chat after this and he
| |
| | on home territory, we hopped along the
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| commented on long-standing economic
| |
| | Lake Ontario shoreline to enjoy fresh
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| problems of Buffalo and how in his
| |
| | fruits, frozen yogurt and an amazingly
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| opinion, the current mayor had only made
| |
| | relaxing late afternoon by the waterfront.
|
| things worse. One example of the city's
| |
| | It doesn't get much better than
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| economic problems is that the stately
| |
| | that...Susanne Pacher is the publisher of
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| ballroom of the Statler Hotel had only
| |
| | a website called Travel and Transitions(
|
| been recently reopened after having been
| |
| | Travel and Transitions deals with
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| closed down since 1957. Furthermore, a
| |
| | unconventional travel and is chock full of
|
| previous owner of the building had tried
| |
| | advice, tips, real life travel
|
| to create a food court in the basement and
| |
| | experiences, interviews with travellers
|
| had opened up the main floor, but ran out
| |
| | and travel experts, insights and
|
| of money before the food court could be
| |
| | reflections, cross-cultural issues,
|
| built. So now you have a rather obtrusive
| |
| | contests and many other features. You will
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| opening on the ground floor with a view
| |
| | also find stories about life and the
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| into an empty basement without stores or
| |
| | transitions that we face as we go through
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| food outlets. Our local contact also
| |
| | our own personal life-long journeys.Submit
|
| commented on the reasons why downtown
| |
| | your own travel stories in our first
|
| Buffalo was so devoid of people, and he
| |
| | travel story contest( and have a chance to
|
| said that all the locals did their
| |
| | win an amazing adventure cruise on the
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| shopping at the suburban malls and big
| |
| | Amazon River.
|
| warehouse stories. That, combined with the
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| |
|
