Niagara Falls, the American Side

Here are just a few photos we took from the American side of the Falls in Niagara Falls New York!

I THINK I mentioned before that we have actually been to Niagara Falls several times, but never over an extended period of time.  We really wanted to make it back up to this area and do everything we had never done before.  We wanted to feel like we had COMPLETELY done Niagara Falls.  AND, for the post part, I think we did on this trip.


As often happens though, we found ANOTHER area in the region that we MUST visit in the near future (more on Niagara-on-the-Lake later).

Back to the Falls itself.  We spent one day having fun on the American side, then several days on the Canadian side (our hotel was in Canada).  We had several things planned, but we also had some "if we have time" kind of things that we hoped to get around to doing.  We did most of them.

I did reread my favorite books on Niagara Falls before the trip.

Oh, I do have a lot of cool old postcards from the Falls.  I will try to get some scanned images up to go along my personal stories.......

A Gorgeous Sunset on Lake Erie at Van Buren, NY

Sent from Niagara Falls in 1937 to Indiana.  I love the great colors on this very old postcard.

Fort Erie Post Office- Fort Erie Ontario

I don't think I have mentioned this before, but when we travel, I LOVE collecting postmarks!  Sometimes, I might send a postcard to myself from wherever we are, but I really love visiting the local post office and getting a nice hand cancel in person.  I usually take a photo of the post office too....

So, we stopped by the post office in Fort Erie Ontario while we were there.  I had a very nice talk with a postal worker whose daughter had visited Kentucky to see the caves.

I got a couple of postmarks from this great Canadian post office (most post offices will gladly give you a hand cancel on a stamped item).  The friendly postal lady also showed me some of the cool new Canadian stamps!  I don't collect stamps, but I HAD to have some of the new STAR TREK stamps!  How cool is that?  The Canadians love their dinosaurs, so I picked up some dinosaur stamps too!

Old Fort Erie in Fort Erie Ontario

While we were staying in Buffalo, we decided to take the Peace Bridge over to the town of Fort Erie to visit the reconstructed Old Fort Erie.  This would end up being the first of four forts that we would see on this trip- 2 in Canada, and 2 in the US.

I have really been in to the Civil War lately, and I have been trying to stick to seeing sites associated with the Civil War.  The 4 forts that I mentioned are all most closely linked to the War of 1812, but a couple did have interesting Civil War connections.


Old Fort Erie had a post Civil War event go down in 1866, but still closely related to the war between the states.  The Fenian Raid occurred when a group of Fenians (including Civil War veterans) used the Fort as a base for their raids on Ontario.  The Fenians were pretty much unsuccessful so they went back to Buffalo.

The Fort had been around for a very long time before that though.  The original Fort in the area was built in 1764.

Thanks to some back and forth battles with the US during the War of 1812, this battleground is considered the bloodiest in Canadian history.

When we arrived, we bought our tickets and went to the very nice and modern visitor center.  A short film is shown, then a knowledgeable guide took us on a tour.  Our young guide knew his history, and he was quick witted, making for a great tour.  Focusing on that battle of 1812, we heard about the living conditions, the fighting, and the families at the Fort.  A very exciting explosion factors in to the fort and the story!

And, at the end of the tour, we were able to enjoy some lemonade and homemade cookies!  You can take home a recipe for the cookies on an attractive, hand-pressed sheet. 

We explored the fort at our own pace after our tour.  There were still several costumed guides around to answer questions.  Even as we left the fort, we were asked if we had any other questions.

We left, and headed back to the visitor center to see the relics displayed there.  As our day winded down, we decided to eat at the café on site.


We had a relaxed late lunch here that was delicious and pleasant.

I must tip my hat to the friendly Canadians who work here.  A fellow mopping the floor talked with me briefly about the Fort.  He thanked me for coming out.  Our costumed guide obviously enjoyed his job as he excitedly talked of the history linked to it.  The young ladies who sold us our tickets (and later prepared our lunches) seemed eager to assist us.

Old Fort Erie is a great historic site, with a pleasant crew of people who appreciate the setting.  This was another unplanned site trip that ended up being a highlight of our adventure.

Gabe's Tower in Owensboro Kentucky

I took a few pictures of Gabe's Tower in Owensboro the other day.  I honestly have no clue whats going on with the place these days.....  I would love to see it salvaged or restored in some way, but who knows......

Statler Hotel and McKinley Monument, Buffalo, NY

Thus unused postcard shows the Statler Hotel and McKinley Monument, Buffalo, NY.

McKinley Monument- Buffalo, New York

 The top postcard was sent in 1909.  The other one is unsent and undated.  The photo at the bottom is one I took in 2016.

Milburn Residence, Buffalo New York, Where President McKinley Died.

 Demolished in 1957, the Milburn House in Buffalo was the site where President McKinley passed away several days after being shot.

Wilcox House, Buffalo New York, where Pres. Roosevelt took the Oath of Office

Here is a nice older postcard showing the Ansley Wilcox House mentioned in my previous post on the Teddy Roosevelt Inauguration site.

Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site in Buffalo New York

On September 6th, 1901 the 25th President of the United States, William McKinley, was shaking hands with people at the Temple of Music at the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo New York.  He was shot by mad man Leon Czolgosz.  He would die 8 days later on the 14th.

His Vice President, Theodore Roosevelt was called to Buffalo.  He was sworn in on the day McKinley died.  The Oath of office was done inside of the Ansley Wilcox House.

It was a very non-traditional event, as photographers were not allowed to take photos (they were kicked out of the room).  Also, a Bible was not used.

The home is now managed by the National Park Service, and they give tours.

A very nice fellow named Jan gave us our tour.  There are several displays on the Exposition where the shooting occurred.  I really enjoyed seeing the trinkets sold at the event.

The home was still ornate and lovely.  Of course, the main attraction is the room where the actual oath of office was taken.  That room is a very cozy library.

We talked to Jan for some time after the tour about Presidential sites, specifically relating to Teddy.  This was probably our favorite place we visited in Buffalo.  This is a great historic site and we really enjoyed it.

Not too far away is a rock in the middle of a street marking the site where President McKinley was shoot (see bottom photo).  The area once used for the Expo is now a residential area.

Forest Lawn Cemetery in Buffalo New York.

Check out Forest Lawn Cemetery in Buffalo New York! 

As we drove by following directions given to us by our GPS, I saw a small deer grazing casually.  Squirrels and birds were everywhere too.  The grounds were completely relaxing and peaceful.

This cemetery offers tours, which would have been great.  Unfortunately, we planned our trip through Buffalo during a brief period when tours were not available.


It was OK though, as a very nice and easy to use map of the site is available at the front entrance area.

There were a few specific spots I really wanted to see.

Several significant Civil War and Native American historic figures rest here.

The main reason that most visit here are probably for a former President of the US, and a former rock star.


President number 13, Millard Fillmore's grave is marked by a pink obelisk.

Legendary musician Rick James rests not too far away from Fillmore.

Willie's Locally Known in Lexington Kentucky

I wanted to give a quick mention to Willie's Locally Known in Lexington.  They just moved to my neck of the woods, and I have been going there for lunch a LOT lately!  They have concerts here and all, but I have only been able to stop by during the day.

They draw a good crowd, but they are quick.  If there is a line, it moves fast and I have never had trouble getting a table, even on a busy day.  You place your order, take a number, and then they bring your food out to your table.  Again, I have never had to wait long.

But I have been going there a lot lately because these guys have great food and the portions are big!  Their prices are great for what ya get!  I have been getting their pick 2 deal ($7.99) or their pick 3 deal (for $8.99).  Both deals come with a drink, AND their fountain drink options include Cheerwine (I am glad that drink is making its way into the area, by the way).  I love their salad and turkey club.  They also serve burgoo, which isn't anything like the burgoo I grew up on in the western part of the state, but it is still very tasty.

Check out Willie's when you are in Lexington!

The Anchor Bar in Buffalo New York

The Anchor Bar in Buffalo New York was established in 1935.  There is not much to say about the places history for its first thirty years, but in 1964, things changed.  Owner Teressa Bellissimo deep fried some wings in hot sauce and butter.  On that day, Buffalo Wings were born.

I don't know about you, but I can take some wings out.  I like them with a little kick, but not too much.  I want my eyes to water, but I don't want to have to take a drink of water after every bite. 


So, we were able to make the pilgrimage to the original Anchor Bar on this trip to Buffalo.

The place is very cool.  Check out the photos.  I love all of the "hit the road" style décor.  The Anchor Bar is legendary, but it is still caught between being a cool local hang out, and a must visit road side attraction.  It felt like a local bar with a very good crowd ordering food..... while others ordered shirts and collectibles at a corner souvenir area.

The Anchor Bar was crowded.  It was so crowded, I decided just to order some wings and go back to the hotel.  Many others were doing the same thing.

There was a bit of a wait for the wings, but it was fun hanging out at the bar.

The wings were great!

Spot Coffee in Buffalo New York

We found one very cool coffee shop in the Buffalo area- Spot Coffee.  We stopped by here a couple of times and really loved the atmosphere.

There are several Spots, centered around Buffalo.  The one we visited was the one on Delaware Avenue and we had a nice, relaxed time.

One thing I noticed immediately was that there was plenty of seating.  They had a good crowd coming and going, but you should be able to find a seat if ya needed one.

We also noticed a major chain coffee place literally right across the street.

Spot had a strong community vibe though.  They had a huge selection of free local magazines and a nice community board where flyers were posted about upcoming concerts, plays, and other events (I bet the chain coffee shop next door doesn't have the magazines and board!).

The coffee and pastries we had were great too!

The Creme's SECOND location in Ownesboro Kentucky!

HEY!  I just wanted to take a second to mention that one of my all time favorite coffee shops, The Crème in Owensboro Kentucky, is going to open a second location at the mall!  it looks like they will be opening in the old Spencer's location from the 80s and 90s.  I expect this will go over well.  Towne Square Mall in Owensboro is still hanging on, even after Sears and other stores have moved out.  I have been in a couple of times recently, and I like the fact that there are some more smaller, independent type businesses around.  The Crème will be a great addition.