October 2019

Buckhorn Island State Park at the northernmost tip of Grand Island is a place that is always in the state of becoming. It was once part of a forest that bordered the Niagara River, a forest that included such wetlands as swamps and marshes. It is now considered to be an Important Bird Area, and […]

Today’s stop on the Western New York tour is Kelly’s Country store. Located on Grand Island Boulevard, near Long Road, in the Town of Grand Island, the store is housed in a building that looks like an old barn.  Not only does that building look like an old barn, it actually actually is an old

One of the most peaceful and relaxing places in Buffalo can be found just behind the Buffalo History Museum, which is located at One Museum Court, in the northwest corner of Delaware Park. Delaware Park is part of a parks system that was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and his partner Calvert Vaux in 1870.

Every now and then, I have the opportunity to visit Stella Niagara, which is located two miles north of the Village of Lewiston on Lower River Road. I’ve gone there for painting classes, as well as for a volunteer weekend with the New York State Master Naturalist Program. It is a peaceful and a pleasant

If you’re interested in birding, the Niagara River corridor is the place to do it. The entire corridor has been declared by the Audubon Society to be an “Important Bird Area,” as well as a Ramsar site. The Niagara River is the site of various types of wetlands, including marshes and swamps. These are  very

South Grand Island bridges. In Tonawanda, facing Grand Island. Today’s post about the Grand Island bridges marks the start of a series about walking along the Niagara River. When you live on an island, as I do, you put a lot of thought as to how you are going to get on and off that

It’s not everyone who celebrates her 65th birthday with a debut as a jazz singer, but that’s exactly what Lorna MacDonald Czarnota did in March. And she didn’t pick just any place for her debut, which also doubled as a birthday celebration. She chose the famous Colored Musicians Club, located at 145 Broadway in downtown

In May, I took a tour of the Babcock House Museum with members of the Grand Island Historical Society. The Babcock House Museum is located near Somerset, in Niagara County, about thirty-three miles northeast of Buffalo. It is an interesting and distinctive structure because it is made almost entirely of cobblestone. Cobblestone houses were built

On September 25th, I had the opportunity to travel to Derby, New York, to visit Graycliff with members of the Grand Island Historical Society. Our tour guide was June Justice Crawford, an historical society member and a longtime docent at Graycliff. Graycliff is a summer estate that was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright for Darwin

Today, I start a new Ultimate Blogging Challenge for the month of October, and my goal for this challenge is to share images and stories of places across Western New York. It will be a travelogue, which will include architecture, places to walk, and more. Please follow me for the month to explore the sights