Miss Buffalo II Cruises

The past few weeks in Buffalo have been incredible and my brothers/significant others and cousin decided to take one of the narrated sightseeing tours aboard The Miss Buffalo II. The cruise we chose was the River, Lock & Canal tour and they run at 12:30pm and 3:00pm (they last two hours).

The Miss Buffalo II has been running cruises and sightseeing tours since 1981, and the boat can accommodate a lot of people per cruise.

Our Captain for the day was Captain Heatley and he was great! In addition the tour guide did a great job. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't love learning something new about Buffalo, and I learned a lot of great factoids on this two hour event.

On the boat there is a small snack bar and bar to get drinks (alcoholic daiquiris are $6.25 - and yum).

It is a great thing to do with both family and friends. The Miss Buffalo offers a variety of different cruise/sightseeing options. They have three sightseeing cruises available, offer a TGIF happy hour cruise and a Rockin' DJ party on Friday and Saturday nights. The prices per cruise range from $15 - $22. They also offer corporate parties and private events. Some of the cruises have the option of getting lunch with it for an additional cost. (We chose to bring Wegmans subs to the Marina and eating before we took the cruise)

The experience of touring on The Miss Buffalo II is a must do. It is a really relaxing afternoon on the river and it is filled with gorgeous sights and a lot of great information about Buffalo.

Tip - Get in line to get on a little early. Then get to the front of the boat (it's the BEST spot to cruise from)

If you want to take advantage of the gorgeous weather in Buffalo, get aboard The Miss Buffalo II as soon as you can!

Happy sailing ;)

Kenney Field in Tonawanda

Growing up Kenney Field (Walter M. Kenny Field) was a place where my family would go to play. I have many memories of my Mom taking us there to play on the playground, the big airplane we would climb on and a train that used to be there as well. We'd go fly kites and enjoy a nice day in Tonawanda. It is located right on the corner of Brighton Road and Colvin Avenue. (Currently there is a Family Video across the street, and then a plaza with a chocolate store, DiPaulo's Pizza and a massage place)

Over time the Field has changed and been utilized for other purposes. Soccer leagues play there throughout the year, football games for the Town are played there and they redid the fields.

At some point, I'm not sure when, the train was removed, and more recently the airplane (which is a Korean War Era Grumman F9F-6P Cougar Naval airframe that has been on display there since 1959) was restored and fenced in. It is no longer available to the public as a part of a "playground" that kids can climb on.

More recently, they constructed The Town of Tonawanda Veterans Memorial behind the airplane. The Memorial was set up for members of the Town to pay tribute to their relatives, friends and fellow Americans who sacrificed their lives serving their country.

The current finished product was finished back in 2010 and has numerous areas to add new names to. Around the memorial there are numerous benches and small trees that people purchased in Honor or In Memory of a soldier.

I took an afternoon and spent some time down at the Memorial, looking at the names, remembering stories I have heard, and reflecting on the ultimate sacrifice. The Memorial is powerful and a good place to visit if you are involved in the military, have friends or family involved, are a history buff, or just want to pay your respects.

The playrground in the area has been updated and it is still a popular place for Tonawanda families to spend an afternoon.

If you are in the area, make the stop to check out The Memorial and airplane.

Thank you to all the men and women who so bravely fought for and are still fighting for our safety. Your strength and willingness to defend what our country stands for overwhelms me.

We will never forget all our brave soliders have done for us.

I have no connection to the Memorial, wasn't part of any planning or fundraising for it, but I have included the link to donate to it if it is something you would be interested in:

https://parksreg.tonawanda.ny.us/wbwsc/webtrac.wsc/wbps0330.html

Delaware Park: Ring Road, The Lunch Box, War of 1812 Memorial

My favorite thing to do on my lunch break in the summer is to walk down to Delaware Park and do one lap around Ring Road in Delaware Park.

One lap around Ring Road is approximately 1.78 miles and it circles around the golf course and soccer fields. The roads are paved well, it is always clean, and most of the people you come across are really friendly. It's a great, safe and pretty place to walk, jog, ride a bike, walk with your baby, or rollerblade. You even get to catch the sight of some of the animals at The Buffalo Zoo on the lap around (my favorite are the Buffalo!)

The Park surrounding the road is a good place to go and chill out after work or before. Everytime I go there I see people sitting on lawn chairs reading the paper, a book or are listening to their IPod's.

Within walking distance to Ring Road is The Parkside Lodge that houses The Lunchbox, a really yummy lunch spot that serves sandwiches, wraps, salads, and soups throughout the year. They are priced reasonably and it is usually a favorite lunch spot in the summer for people at my work. I highly recommend the following: The Roasted Veggie Wrap ($5.50), BBQ pulled pork (4.95) and Caprese Wrap ($5.50).

They also have a smaller kiosk halfway around Ring Road with a smaller limited menu for the summer. I just noticed today that they are open NOW but only from 2pm - 8pm on weekdays, which is a bummer since I am always there earlier in the day than that.

One fact I recently learned about Delaware Park is that is has a historical tie in to the War of 1812. Located at the center of the Park (where the golf course is now) is a mass grave for 300 American soliders who were killed in the War of 1812. In the center of the golf course there is a rock which marks the area with a plaque. One of these days while I'm on my walk I am planning on getting out to the middle of the course to snap a shot of the rock. What an interesting piece of history for war buffs out there.

If you want to get outdoors this summer to get in your workouts, make the drive to Delaware Park (there's a decent amount of free parking) and do a lap or two around Ring Road. It's a great way to get a workout in, enjoy the Buffalo scenery and change up your normal routine!

I'm usually down there weekdays sometime between 12-130 (depending on when I decide to take my lunch) so if you see me, say hello!

**PLEASE NOTE: Since this blog was published in 2011, The Lunchbox has moved out of The Parkside Lounge and operates out of The Tri Main Building on Main Street.