WNY, Cleveland, and Niagara on the Lake
 

I had added this to my Beef on Weck in WNY thread but thought those expecting a trip report might not look for it there.

We're back from our quick-catch-your-breath six-day road trip from NJ to Niagara-on-the-Lake, to Western New York, to Cleveland.

My husband had made plans with the husband of my dear friend to meet in Cleveland for an Indians-Blue Jays game and the rest of the trip evolved from that. ShawFest in NotL was presenting Saint Joan in the Festival Theater on Wednesday afternoon so we drove from NJ on Tuesday, arriving in time to check in to the Shaw Club before meeting our friends for dinner. The just-over-400-mile drive was fine—PA northeast extension, NY route 17, Peace Bridge, River Road (I've never seen the Niagara River so beautifully blue!)—until we missed the turn in Chippewa Ontario and our navigation system skirted us past hotels and we missed seeing the Falls! Shaw Club was lovely, right across the street from the theater. It was my first time actually staying in NotL as our previous visits have been from the Buffalo area or from our friends’ home near Hamilton. So, while I have no other experiences there to compare, we would definitely choose the Shaw Club again. We had a king room with sofa, easy chair, fridge, coffee maker, and spacious bathroom with excellent shower. Our midweek rate included a served breakfast which we enjoyed on the porch.

Dinner that night was at Kitchen 76 at Two Sisters. It was just what I was looking forward to—great space adjacent to the main building, stone patio with stone pillars, with overhang from the building high above, looking out to the vineyard. It was a lovely evening to dine outdoors. We were not interested in fine dining so I don't really know the kitchen’s capabilities.—among the four of us, we had focaccia, olives, pizza, pasta, and a very tasty squash soup with corn kernels, peas, bacon, and other tidbits. And we did not seriously explore their wines: the men had beer; my friend, a riesling; I, a rose. Would I return? Absolutely!

After the superb production of Saint Joan (actors are not miked…if you go, be sure to reserve assistive listening devices), we crossed the Queenston-Lewiston bridge—no waiting!—to return to the US and we arrived at the Hyatt Place on Main Street in Snyder in fine time. Next stop: Glen Park Tavern on Main Street in Williamsville. Well, plenty of other folks had the same idea! It was crowded and lively (and noisy). When we saw people waiting to be seated, we left and headed down the street to the Creekview for our comfort food—beef on weck, chicken wings, and a very good salad.

We liked the Hyatt Place. It's about a year old, so everything is new and works well. Only thing we wished for was an in-room safe. And their buffet breakfast, while it sounds like that at any other mid-priced chain, was very good. (Fresh fruit was two types of melon, blueberries, blackberries, and grapes.) Outdoor space had tables, and a fire pit, if you wanted to eat outside.

On Thursday, we headed to the AlbrightKnox art museum and then to the BurchfieldPenney Art Center especially to see the Frank Lloyd Wright-Stickley-Roycroft exhibit. We arrived in time for an excellent docent-led tour and were happy particularly to hear her introduction to the display of amazing Trabucco glass paperweights (produced in the studio in his home in Clarence).

A short drive, maybe three blocks within the Buff State campus, from the BurchfieldPenney took us to the Hotel Henry, a recently opened ‘urban resort and conference center’ in some of the buildings of the former state psychiatric hospital. The complex was designed 140 years ago by HH Richardson, grounds by Olstead, and recent renovations have transformed three of the 11 buildings. We asked to see a room—the king room was stunning with 18-foot ceilings and 14-foot arched windows. Somewhere I had read that the rooms are ‘bed-centric.’ I had imagined a room with a bed and room for not much else! Not at all. Room was very comfortable; bathroom, very modern and smart.

We dined with friends at the hotel’s 100 Acres restaurant. In repurposed space, the restaurant sprawled through several areas—some tables were located in what I would think of as a hallway; ours was in a distinct room. All the tables in our area were occupied but we had no difficulty hearing one another. Menu was not ‘haute’—apps included deviled eggs and hummus (already spread on pita-type bread with bits of raw vegetables atop); mains included excellent halibut, roast chicken, and a summer squash vegetarian choice. We will be back. The building’s lower level will house the Lipsey Architecture Center.

The next morning, we headed to Cleveland. We stopped at the art museum. I liked the atrium space that tied together the original building, the 60’s addition, and the parking structure. We didn't have much time before we left to meet our friends at the Hilton Garden Inn near the baseball stadium. What a busy place! Plenty of Blue Jay fans for the series; plenty of Queen fans for that night’s s concert. Dinner that night was at Blue Point which I highly recommend for all things seafood. At our table: walleye, halibut, pasta with lobster, and many satisfied smiles.

Who could visit Cleveland without war seeing the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? The rain was heavy Saturday morning and all those Blue Jay fans and all those Queen fans and plenty of others were there with us! We were there for hours and we'll have to return to see all that we missed! That evening, the men went to the baseball game and my friend and I had dinner at a forgettable Mexican place. After the game, we all gathered in our room to look out the window to watch a spectacular 25 minute fireworks show over the stadium.

After church on Sunday morning and goodbyes to our friends, we headed home. WAZE predicted our arrival at 6:02 pm. We knew we’d need lunch and a couple pit stops but we did not expect the torrential rains that we encountered. The rain was so heavy, we stopped several times, once at the side of the road and once in a service area to wait for it to let up. We finally arrived home close to 10:30, happy that we made it safely.

Good trip. Thanks for all the help.
We are already talking about WNY in 2018!

I'm glad you enjoyed your time in Buffalo. The Richardson complex is amazing, isn't it? The Albright-Knox is going to be expanding quite a bit in the near future. Not sure if it will be done before your next visit.

I love hearing about your trips back to Buffalo. You write a good trip report!

Thanks for your comments, BuffaloGirl and KathyK. It's fun to go back,
after living elsewhere for 45 years, and no longer having family obligations, to visit and be the tourist. There are certain touchstones we like to drive by during every visit--Main Street in Williamsville, my former home; other favorite places to re-visit, like the Albright Knox and the Historical Society. And, of course, it's fun to discover places I was too young, too busy, too impecunious, too uninformed to know way back then.

Next year's visit will be with two cousins who left WNY many years ago. One has done a good deal of genealogical research so she'll have prepared a route of family historical sites. The other cousin is an architect so I'm expecting she will have insights for us on some of the amazing downtown buildings.

We may devise our own All Wright All Day tour since it's unlikely our visit will be timed for one of the few offered by the Darwin Martin house. And we'll probably include a performance at ShawFest.

We're all interested in InnBuffalo on Layayette in Elmwood Village. Any thoughts?
I'd also be happy to return to the Hotel at the Lafayette or to try Hotel Henry.

One addition to our whirlwind six-day tour: on Wednesday morning in Niagara on the Lake, we set out to find the best butter tarts in the region according to the consensus of the hotel staff. Not in town on the oh-so-charming central street, the Fruit Shack is on Niagara Stone Road. Butter tarts of my past were from groceries or bakeries in Toronto, and were about the size of a deep Reese's cup, or a bit smaller. The butter tarts from the Fruit Shack were considerably larger, about a quarter pound according to their website. Instead of a simple circular shape, they were shaped with distinct 'petals' and, yes, they were very good, and gooey. Just the right runniness in the filling. The world's best? I'll have to keep tasting.

http://www.thefruitshack.com

We used to take a girls trip every fall to NOL. There is an old school bakery right on the main street that has beautiful baked goods. I have never had a butter tart but it may be worth a try the next time you are there. We always stayed at the Moffet Inn. The room on the top floor is beautiful. Fire place and a skylight.

Nice to hear that you liked The Shaw Club. I stayed there and thought it was totally over rated (my room had a strange configuration so that a lot of the furniture was positioned in a strange way. Every day a note was left on my bed that they wouldn't be doing the turn down service that night) and the food in the restaurant was pretty bad.

I also enjoyed both the breakfasts at the Shaw Club as well as our own room's "configuration." And yes, I would stay there again.

Just saw this now. You asked about InnBuffalo in the Elmwood Village. I have not seen it but the reviews are great as is the location.

Thanks, KathyK. We're anticipating the release of the ShawFest schedule (in October, I think) qso we will be able to pin down our dates for Niagara on the Lake, then we'll do our Buffalo reservations. Looks like InnBuffalo will be our choice and we'll get to the Hotel Henry for a meal, a look-see, and a visit to the architecture center.

We may coordinate with one cousin's high school reunion; otherwise, we'll aim for garden tours in Buffalo later in July. Thanks for all your help.

I agree with KathyK - InnBuffalo is in a fantastic location. And it is walkable from the Hotel Henry. I just watched the video for InnBuffalo.....I grew up in the same neighborhood as the owner and he dated a friend of mine for several years. Never would have pegged him as an owner of a B&B!!!

My friend and I just checked out the Hotel Henry. We walked in and just walked around. No one stopped us. It's interesting. A bit stark, yet totally cool. (Didn't see inside any of the guest rooms). If you can, check out the building at night when it is lit up. It's incredible.

Check in with us before you next trip. We will guide you!

Here's a pic:

http://tinyurl.com/ybe9jmbp

Spectacular picture BuffaloGirl! I was there the night the Philharmonic played. K Marie if you haven't been to the Buffalo Gardenwalk the last weekend of July you don't know what you're missing!

I sooo wanted to see that light show with the Philharmonic, KathyK, but I was away. I heard it was fantastic

The light show with the BPO sounds amazing. I wonder if there are plans to make it an annual event. That could be a determining factor in our choice of dates!

Here's this year's announcement--

https://bpo.org/the-richardson-olmst...-july-28-9-pm/

I hope so, k-marie!

Now that the word is out in the NYTimes, the world will know about butter tarts!

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/12/d...ttom-well&_r=0