The family and I are taking a road trip after Memorial Day. Part of that trip has us in Niagara Falls for a day. When we leave Niagara Falls we can start the drive back to FL through the area in red.



Anything I should not miss? Is Buffalo worth a half day? Pittsburg worth half a day? Somewhere in one of the forests worth a half a day?

We have been to Cleveland and DC so I left those out of the zone.

I will die on this hill: Buffalo is not “upstate.” I don’t care how many Noo Yawkahs from the Burroughs say otherwise.

That said, unless something has massively changed, Buffalo isn’t really a place to take the family and do sight-seeing. There’s some pretty country in the surrounding areas, but you can get that in that corner of PA as well. There is a neat naval museum in Buffalo, but that part of the city was rough when I was a kid visiting family twenty five years ago, and I highly doubt it’s gotten better.

I couldn't go through Buffalo without stopping for some wings and a beef on weck.

Watkins Glen and Letchworth State Parks. Park at the bottom of the Glen and take the shuttle down from the top. Not much going on in Buffalo that I know of, but have not been there in a few years.

quote:

Originally posted by pace40:
I couldn't go through Buffalo without stopping for some wings and a beef on weck.

Yeah, solid call. Dunno if it's still the case, but the Anchor Bar used to be a good one for those.

If you have the time to venture a little further east from the ~2 o’clock position of your travel perimeter, the “Finger Lakes Region” has some nice sightseeing and are know for their wineries.

quote:

Originally posted by rizzle:
Watkins Glen and Letchworth State Parks.

This.

If you want to head a little further east, there are a bunch of wineries to tour around the Finger Lakes, or you could head over to Ithaca and beat up some hippies.

With family from the Western Tier, I have some suggestions:

1. Beef on Wyck sammies,

2. Texas Hots hot dogs - kind of like a unique thin chili with a cumin tilt. Very well known in WNY.

3. If you or your wife are into Corning glassware, you can stop at the factory in Corning. It's outside of your red circle by a small bit,

4. If you're into Zippo lighters, the factory is in Bradford PA, which is right across the border from NY, well within your red circle,

5. Anchor is well-known but not the best for wings. Any local pub will likely have better. I like the wings from a place in Jamestown, NY, also the home of Lucille Ball. Jamestown is also in your red circle,

6. If you want to spend 3/4 of a day in a old Civil War township that is built just for it, consider going to Genesee. It's also in your red circle and pretty neat to see. It's near the Fingerlakes District, and

7. You can always stop at Ritchie Gun Leather between Niagara and Buffalo to order a holster. They were in business with Lou Alessi when he died and they started up a new place with Lou's family's blessing.

Flight 93 National Memorial.

The Carnegie Museum in Pittsburgh is supposed to be world class....if you're into that sort of thing. Might take a while to peruse.

I haven't made it, but it's on my list.

Don't get on i90 as it's a toll road all across the State. Same for the PA. Pike. 5 and 20 runs south below i90. Western NY has 50 miles of grapes. A little south is Chautauqua Lake. It is beautiful. Also all Indian country. Beemus Point on the lake has Midway State Park. There is lots for both adults and kids to do.

Howe caverns is pretty neat as well if you venture a little to the east….elevator ride down into the cavern and a boat ride on an underground river in vast caverns….a very cool thing to see. If you do go, bring a coat due to the dramatic temp difference underground!

You could kill a day around the Kinzua Dam on the NY/PA border west of Bradford, PA. Largest towns in the area have 8-9,000 people. Scenic, hilly, windy 2 lane roads.

The Kinzua Viaduct is an interesting stop. https://www.dcnr.pa.gov/StateP...k/Pages/History.aspx

Cook Forest is a stand of old growth trees, if you like nature and hiking, it's worth a stop.
https://www.dcnr.pa.gov/StateP...k/Pages/default.aspx

Cooperstown is a bit to the east of your circle.

I think the CMP North store is in the circle.

Before you get chastised Upstate NY is on the other side of the state by Watertown possibly over toward the finger lakes region. Depends on which NYer to talk with

That’s western NY

Tour around the finger lakes is beautiful. Bully Hill is the original Taylor Family Vineyard and still held in family last I checked. Fun eccentric story

There is indeed a nice naval museum in Buffalo, but it is hard to find and nearby roads are very congested:

https://buffalonavalpark.org/

At the Niagara Falls Airport is a small aviation museum focusing on Bell;

https://niagaraaerospacemuseum.org/

Further east are more air museums;

https://glennhcurtissmuseum.org/

https://www.wingsofeagles.com/

https://nationalwarplanemuseum.com/


In the heart of the Finger Lakes is a now closed ammo depot with drive through tours, you might see the white deer;

https://deerhavenpark.org/

Indiana, Pa. If you are a Jimmy Stewart fan.

quote:

Originally posted by cgode:
Howe caverns is pretty neat as well if you venture a little to the east….

Well, that might be a winner. Mainly for the reason that it is my family name!

quote:

Originally posted by Green Highlander:
Cooperstown is a bit to the east of your circle.

Oh damn! How did I forget about that?!? I love baseball. That might be the other stop.