Discover Buffalo 2015: Mums at the Botanical Gardens

Can you tell how much I LOOOOOVVVVE the Botanical Gardens?! The sad thing is I didn’t pay much attention to it until I started looking for things to write about when I was covering Buffalo events somewhere else. Then I became a member, and the rest is history – it’s now one of my favorite places in Buffalo.

One of my favorite shows is Mums in the fall. I love what they do with them, especially the really tall, single stem plants. I also love the mix of colors.

No, this is not a mum, but it is probably my favorite flower at the Botanical Gardens. I love hibiscus, and I really want to add this plant (I’ve seen it called “Tie Dye”) to my gardens. #Obsessed #GardenerProblems

Remember Morty the Corpse flower? He’s got siblings! One is Morticia (so Morty should have been Gomez…), but the other one needs a name – go to the Gardens and enter their naming contest!

Here are a few more photos from Mums at the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens, located at 2655 South Park Ave. in Buffalo.

all photos: paulathompsonfreelance.com

Discover Buffalo 2015: Way to Go Tours’ Best of Buffalo trip

A couple of weeks ago, my mom and I went on a bus trip tour of Buffalo with Way to Go Tours – out first time traveling with this company, and likely not our last. Among our stops: HARBORCENTER, Canalside, RiverWorks and Chef’s.

Inside HARBORCENTER - the Sabres!

The tour started at HARBORCENTER, which is a beautiful facility – made even better because Sabres training camp was in session while we were there! Thank you Terry and Kim Pegula for your ideas and money!

The big screen at (716)

We had time to take a quick walk over to Canalside, where we met Tim Horton and Shark Girl!

Sabres great Tim Horton - he of coffee fame!

Canalside resident Shark Girl

Next up was RiverWorks, otherwise known as the site of the Labatt Blue six-pack on the silos. Again, a beautiful facility, and home to a number of events including the Labatt Blue Pond Hockey Tournament and the Buffalo Roller Girls roller derby teams.

Inside RiverWorks - roller derby rack

That's a tall brew!

I'm ALWAYS taking pictures of flowers!

A view of the Canal from RiverWorks

Following RiverWorks we had lunch at Chef’s. I’m willing to admit my sins as a Buffalonian: this was my first time at Chef’s. Wow.What.I.Was.Missing! Spaghetti Parm forever! After a driving tour through areas like Solar City and the new medical corridor, we checked out one of the new hotels downtown, the Hilton Garden Inn, and made one final stop at Parkside Candy (sponge candy!!!).

The tour guide was great, and really knew his stuff when it came to Buffalo and what’s going on. I’ll be looking for this tour again next year, as well as checking out a few more!

**note – all travel was paid for by me, and all opinions are my own.**

 all photos: paulathompsonfreelance.com

Discover Buffalo 2015: Botanical Gardens’ Succulent Show

On Saturday (September 19), I visited the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens for their annual succulent show. I love succulents, but I do best with the ones that a winter-hardy and stay outdoors – like many houseplants, I kill succulents indoors…just not cut out for houseplants!

This was one of my favorite displays – a unicorn! Because unicorns are cool, and so are succulents.

I also loved all these little shells planted with succulents. I tried that once, but mine didn’t look nearly as cute as these!

Here are a few more photos from the Gardens – the show runs through October 4, so there’s still time to check it out!

No, it's not a succulent, but it's my all-time favorite flower at
the Botanical Gardens!

all photos: paulathompsonfreelance.com

Discover Buffalo 2015: Williamsville Garden Walk and Glen Park Art Festival

I’ve lived in Williamsville my entire life, and I try to hit a bunch of events in the area during the summer. Case in point: on two consecutive weekends, I ventured into the Village of Williamsville for the Village Garden Walk (July 18) and the Glen Park Art Festival (July 25-26).

The Village Garden Walk is pretty cool because it takes place in a one-square-mile area – you can park in one area and walk to a bunch of the gardens on display. This year, the Garden Walk had a new addition – a fairy garden contest. There were so many cute ones!

And of course, the “big gardens” were beautiful and fun too.

The following weekend, the Glen Park Art Festival was jammin’ – it’s only in its fifth year, but it already pulls in over 100 artisans. And the scenery surrounding the festival easily makes it one of the prettiest art festivals around.

all photos: paulathompsonfreelance.com

Discover Buffalo 2015: August cruise nights and car shows

paulathompsonfreelance.com

Car show and cruise night season is winding down – get out with your cars and bikes before the season is over. Here are a few of the upcoming shows and cruise nights for August.

Cruise nights (ongoing):

• Mondays – Elma Towne Grill Cruise Night (6650 Clinton St. in Elma) starting at 5 p.m. through August 31^st; Angry Buffalo at the Rose Garden (2753 Wehrle Dr. in Williamsville) starts at 5 p.m.; Lockport Monday Cruise Night at Ida Fritz Park (Main and Transit Sts. In Lockport) from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.
• Tuesdays – Dug-Out Entertainment Complex (6856 S. Transit Rd. in Lockport) from 5 to 8 p.m. – also on Friday nights starting May 8^th from 5 to 8 p.m.; Pautler’s Cruise Night (6343 Transit Rd. in Clarence) – 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.
• Wednesdays– Lancaster National Speedway and Dragway (Gunnville Rd. in Lancaster) Cruise Night from 6 to 11 p.m. – free admission; grudge racing $5 per run.
• Thursdays – Polish Falcons Auto Club Cruise Night (445 Columbia Ave. in Depew) from 6 to 9 p.m.; Quaker Steak and Lube Car and Motorcycle Show (6727 Transit Rd. in Lancaster) beginning at 5 p.m.; Akron Cruise Night (Main St. in Akron) – 6 to 8 p.m.; 97 Rock Classic Cruise Night at Transit Lanes (7850 Transit Rd. in Williamsville) and Santora’s (7800 Transit Rd. in Williamsville) – 6 p.m.

Car shows in August:

• Sunday, August 2 – Buffalo History Museum Antique and Classic Car Show at the Buffalo History Museum, Nottingham Ct. in Buffalo from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Monday, August 3 – Taste of Clarence and Cruise Night from 3 to 9 p.m. at Clarence Town Park, 10405 Main St. in Clarence.
• Saturday, August 8 – Eighth annual WNY Cruise Against Cancer presented by TJ Hirsch Enterprises at Pautler’s, 6343 Transit Rd. in Clarence from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Sunday, August 9 – Eden Corn Festival Car Show at Eden Elementary School on Route 62 in Eden; registration from 8 to 11:30 a.m., judging starts at noon. Also, the 12^th annual Rotary Clubs Car Show at the Northtown Center at Amherst, 1615 Amherst Manor Dr. in Williamsville from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and the 30^th annual Buffalo T-Bird Club All Thunderbird Show at West-Herr Resale Center, 5535 Transit Rd. in Clarence from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Saturday, August 22 – UAW/GM Lockport Component’s All American Car Show and Auto Expo at the GM Component Plant, 200 Upper Mountain Rd. in Lockport from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Sunday, August 30 – Toy Town Car Show on Main St. (Route 20A) in East Aurora; registration from 8 a.m. to noon, show from noon to 4 p.m.

Discover Buffalo 2015: 30 Hours in Buffalo, Part 1

(Because I’m sure this won’t be the only time this happens this summer!)

From last Friday (July 17) at 3 p.m. to Saturday (July 18) at 9 p.m., I felt like I didn’t sleep – THAT is what summer in Buffalo is all about!

It all started at the Eastern Hills Mall, where the Snap-On Road Show was getting set up throughout the day – Mom, Dad and I went there around 3 p.m. to see the goodies (for me – the OCC chopper and Cruz Pedregon’s Funny Car, for Dad – the chopper and the tool boxes, Mom…well, she was along for the ride – and to make sure Dad didn’t buy anything!).

After a quick bite to eat, I headed up to Main-Transit Fire Dept. (Dad was already there) for their annual Firematic Tournament, which is a lot of fun if you’ve never seen one.

On Saturday, we got the Ponies and a race car ready and headed to East Amherst Fire Dept. for the Man Up! Car and Bike Show, and Mom and I hit the Village of Williamsville Garden Walk (this happened while Dad and the team were up at the car show with the cars!). I then headed back to the car show to bring one of the cars home (the other two left so they could get to the race track for practice!).

Saturday night, I headed to Lancaster Speedway for Autograph Night, 4-Cylinders and Sportsman, plus the Big 10 Super Stocks and Late Models – by 9 p.m. (when the 4-Cylinders ended), I was beat!

I could’ve added one or two more things to Sunday, but a girl has to stop somewhere! There’s always next weekend, anyway!

all photos: paulathompsonfreelance.com.

Discover Buffalo 2015: Man Up! Car and Bike Show – July 18th, 2015

The fifth annual Man Up! Car and Bike Show took place on Saturday, July 18^th at East Amherst Fire Dept. on Transit Rd., featuring a record 172 cars and bikes for a great cause – read more about it here in last year’s piece.

"Richie"

Team 49 in  the house!

"Sally"

After “Richie” won last year, we hoped “Sally” would get a prize this year – and she did :) We also had a new addition to the corral – Dad entered one of the Team 49 4-cylinders.

Sky #1 - torture!

Sky #2 - because one wasn't enough to torture me!

all photos: paulathompsonfreelance.com