Bingeing on Buffalo, New York – My Travel Notions

When my dear friend Debra asked if I’d like to come hang out with her in Buffalo, her hometown, I did not hesitate to say yes. I found an airline ticket and booked it the next day. My brother, Hermes, whose a pilot, said he really likes Buffalo…but my son, Vernon, said “Buffalo? What’s in Buffalo?” Well, including Debra and her family…everything. And seeing the city through the eyes of a local gives it the warm and homey feel of a city that’s bursting at the seams to be recognized for more than just its wings. Yes, what we call Buffalo wings, well in Buffalo….its just wings.

I left Dallas Tuesday on a 5 a.m. flight and when I got to Buffalo at 11 a.m., Debra had us off and running. First stop was the Ansley Wilcox House where Theodore Roosevelt was sworn in as the 26th president of the United States in 1901 just hours after the death of President William McKinley. McKinley was shot and critically wounded by an assassin in Buffalo while attending a public reception at the Pan American Exposition. And, after that step back in presidential history, we took in the art and history of the local and national African American trailblazers featured at the Freedom Wall, an outdoor gallery of local, national and historical African American trailblazers. Located at the northern entrance into the Michigan Street African American Heritage Corridor, these stunning pieces of art are at the nexus of Buffalo’s deeply rooted African American heritage. Needless to say, by the end of the day, I was too pooped to post.

And, on Wednesday we began the day with a wonderful two-hour tour of the Frank Lloyd Wright’s Martin House Complex and were joined by Tina, Debra’s sister and Tina’s friend Denise, a docent at the complex, for the tour. I was enthralled by Wright’s creative architectural acumen brought to life not only by every thought out piece of design from the floor to the ceilings and all of that was brought to life by our incredible guide and docent, Jeri Mazur. And, if that wasn’t enough, after a delicious lunch, we spent the afternoon at Niagara Falls joined by Debra’s other sister, Bev and Bev’s daughter, Alex. The photos taken don’t speak to the power of the Falls…the experience of being up close and personal was utterly amazing.

It’s just been two days and we’ve been busy in Buffalo and loving it…come see for yourself.

The Niagara Falls crew, Bev, Alex, Tina, Debra and me, Diana, still dry and before embarking on our first Niagara Falls adventure in Niagara Falls, New York. (Aug. 2, 2018)

Walking bridge over the Niagara river just ahead of the Niagara Falls. (Aug. 2, 2018)

Niagara Falls in New York (Aug. 2, 2018)

Lining up to pick up our yellow rain gear for the Cave of the Winds at Niagara Falls on the U.S. side. (Aug. 2, 2018)

The Cave of the Winds was our first step on our Niagara Falls adventure. For this spectacular walk through, you get a yellow plastic poncho and sandals to protect you from the sprays of water coming from the roaring falls. From information plaques, these platforms and walkways are supposedly taken down each year, due to the potential damage from the winter buildup of ice, and then reconstructed in the spring. (Aug. 2, 2018)

The mighty Niagara Falls during the walk through the Cave of the Winds. (Aug. 2, 2018)

I was mesmerized by this rainbow at the Cave of the Winds in Niagara Falls. This photo doesn’t even remotely capture its beauty. With the window blowing and the water misting in the air, it was difficult to get good photos at all, but this rainbow sighting was awe inspiring. (Aug. 2, 2018)

The last time I was at Niagara Falls was more than 15 years ago and that visit was on the Canadian while visiting my son and family in Toronto. My mom and I took the Maiden of the Mist (next up our activity list) and enjoyed it, but this time, on the American side, it’s even more spectacular than I had remembered. (Aug. 2, 2018)

Heading to the tent to pick up our blue rain gear for the Maid of the Mist boat ride at Niagara Falls with the Rainbow Bridge in the distance. The Niagara Falls International Rainbow Bridge, commonly known as the Rainbow Bridge, is an arch bridge across the Niagara River gorge. It connects the cities of Niagara Falls, New York, United States (to the east), and Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada (west). (Aug. 2, 2018)

Niagara Falls from the Maiden of the Mist boat ride. (Aug. 2, 2018)

Tina, who had never done the Maiden of the Mist boat ride at Niagara Falls and didn’t really want to do this one, showing us her slightly frightened side…but she really ended up enjoying herself. (Aug. 2, 2018)

Debra and I getting in a selfie, while trying to stay dry…and not succeeding very well…during our Maiden of the Mist boat ride at Niagara Falls. The boat ride takes you up close and personal to the power and majesty of the Falls. (Aug. 2, 2018)

How do you take photos awhile trying to stay dry on the Niagara Falls Maiden of the Mist boat ride? You don’t. But it was so much fun. Thanks Tina for taking this photo of me in my misty blues. (Aug. 2, 2018)

The main house or Martin house of the Frank Lloyd Wright’s Martin House Complex in Buffalo, New York, was designed by Wright in 1903. The landscape around the front and sides of the main house and complex are being renovated. Wright’s innovative architectural design for the prairie style Darwin D. Martin house is considered to be one of his most important designs during the first half of his career. A 70 year career that included more than 1000 architectural designs with more than 500 structures being completed. Yet, he considered the Martin house as his “opus.” We toured the interior of the Martin house but photos were not allowed of the interior…and too bad because Wright’s design elements can be seen throughout the home. (Aug. 2, 2018)

Our tremendous docent and guide Jeri (in the middle with the blue shirt) explaining the design of the gardener’s house one of the homes on the Frank Lloyd Wright’s Martin House Complex in Buffalo, New York. (Aug. 2, 2018)

Another view of the Gardener’s Cottage of the Frank Lloyd Wright’s Martin House Complex in Buffalo, New York. Although porches and entrances were built at the front of the house during the early 1900s, Wright’s design calls for the entrance and a small porch to the side of the house. Although we toured the interior of the Gardener’s Cottage, but photos were not allowed of the interior. (Aug. 2, 2018)

Frank Lloyd Wright’s Martin House Complex in Buffalo, New York. (Aug. 2, 2018)

The pergola walkway connects the main house or the Martin house of the Frank Lloyd Wright’s Martin House Complex in Buffalo, New York, with the conservatory. (Aug. 2, 2018)

The grounds and view from the pergola of the Frank Lloyd Wright’s Martin House Complex in Buffalo. (Aug. 2, 2018)

The Winged Victory of Samothrace, also called the Nike of Samothrace sculpture (a copy) flanks the end of the pergola of the Frank Lloyd Wright’s Martin House Complex in Buffalo, New York, and can be seen inside the conservatory. The sculpture, of the Greek goddess Nike, was considered a Wright favorite and he used reproductions of it in a number of his buildings. (Aug. 2, 2018)

The Barton House was the first building constructed at the Frank Lloyd Wright’s Martin House Complex in Buffalo. (Aug. 2, 2018)

After our Frank Lloyd Wright tour we had a late lunch at Kostas Restaurant. From left: Denise, me, Debra and Tina. (Aug. 2, 2018)

I love that Buffalo, New York, is sprucing itself up, but it would have been nice to photograph the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic site…without the scaffolding. But the first thing Debra took me to after she picked me up from the airport on Wednesday…and of course breakfast…was to this site. The statue to the right is President Theodore Roosevelt who took the oath of office as President of the United States on Sept. 14, 1901 after President William McKinley was assassinated while attending a public reception at the Pan American Exposition in Buffalo. (Aug. 1, 2018)

The Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic site in Buffalo, New York. (Aug. 1, 2018)

An exhibit displayed inside the house and former home of Ansley Wilcox and his family is where the story begins of how the house and circumstances, the assassination of President William McKinley came to be. (Aug. 1, 2018)

A photo of Theodore Roosevelt at the Theadore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic site, which is the former Ansley Wilcox home in Buffalo, New York. (Aug. 1, 2018)

Photo of the Ansley Wilcox home being readied for the swearing-in of Theodore Roosevelt after President William McKinley was assassinated while attending a public reception at the Pan American Exposition in Buffalo. (Aug. 1, 2018)

The library room of the Ansley Wilcox home where President Theodore Roosevelt took the oath of office is now the Theadore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic site in Buffalo. (Aug. 1, 2018)

The dining room of the Ansley Wilcox home of the Theadore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic site in Buffalo. (Aug. 1, 2018)

The Freedom Wall, corner of Michigan Avenue and East Ferry Street, in Buffalo features portraits of 28 notable civil rights leaders from America’s past to present, created by Buffalo-based artists John Baker, Julia Bottoms, Chuck Tingley, and Edreys Wajed. The selection and order of the final 28 subjects shapes a unique story about civil and human rights work in American history, with an eye toward contextualizing national work and local impact. (Aug. 1, 2018)

The Freedom Wall at the corner of Michigan Avenue and East Ferry Street in Buffalo. (Aug. 1, 2018)

Me standing by the painting of Harriet Tubman (circa 1820-1913) by Edreys Wajed at the Freedom Wall at the corner of Michigan Avenue and East Ferry Street in Buffalo, New York. Tubman who escaped from slavery in 1849 became known as one of the Underground Railroad’s most daring and successful operatives in helping slaves get their freedom. (Aug. 1, 2018)

The Freedom Wall an outdoor art gallery of local, national and historic African Americans painted by three artists, Julia Bottoms-Douglas, Edreys Wajed and Chuck Tingley at the corner of Michigan Avenue and East Ferry Street in Buffalo, New York. (Aug. 1, 2018)

The Freedom Wall at the corner of Michigan Avenue and East Ferry Street in Buffalo features portraits of 28 notable civil rights leaders from America’s past and present, created by Buffalo-based artists John Baker, Julia Bottoms, Chuck Tingley, and Edreys Wajed. (Aug. 1, 2018)

The Freedom Wall, an outdoor heritage art gallery, at the corner of Michigan Avenue and East Ferry Street in Buffalo, New York, features local, national and historic African Americans and is across the street from the Bethel AME Church. (Aug. 1, 2018)

The historic Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Buffalo, organized in 1831, is the oldest congregation of African descent. It originally worshipped on a Carroll Street house, then moved to a frame building on Vine Street in 1839 which was eventually replaced with a new brick structure in 1845. The Vine Street African Methodist Episcopal Church, as it was known during the early 19th century, remained on Vine Street until 1928 when the congregation moved to 551 Eagle Street for another 25 years. Then in 1953 the church was moved to its current location at 1525 Michigan Avenue. (Aug. 1, 2018)

This portrait of Rosa Parks (1913-2005) is the epitome of a woman who was both outwardly mild yet inwardly strong enough to stand her ground. Painted by Julia Bottoms, as part of the Freedom Wall in Buffalo, Mrs. Parks is lauded as the “Mother of the Civil Rights Movement,” for her act of civil disobedience in December 1955 by refusing to give up her seat on a bus to a white man. This act instigated a 381-day boycott of Montgomery’s bus system. (Aug. 1, 2018)

Me standing by the painting of Frederick Douglas (1818-1895) painted by Julia Bottoms-Douglas at the Freedom Wall at the corner of Michigan Avenue and East Ferry Street in Buffalo, New York. Frederick Douglas was a former slave and outspoken voice in the abolitionist movement. He was also the publisher of the “North Star,” a newspaper dedicated to ending slavery and promoting civil rights. (Aug. 1, 2018)

Buffalo and Niagara Falls’ proximity to Canada made these areas an integral passageway of the Underground Railroad. A secret network of people assisted the escaping enslaved by providing whatever means necessary…money, clothing, transportation and temporary shelter…as they made their journey to freedom. From a statue in Lewiston, an Underground Railroad museum in Niagara Falls, a park and historical heritage corridor in Buffalo, are just some of the African American stories of struggle and triumph in the Western portion of the state of New York.

The Freedom Crossing Monument on North Water Street in Lewiston, New York, is a tribute to the struggle of the enslaved seeking freedom across Niagara River into Canada. Sculpted by Susan Geissler, is a scene from the novel, Freedom Crossing, by author Margaret Goff Clark. The heroine of the story is Laura Eastman who helps Underground Railroad Conductor Josiah Tryon, a Lewiston tailor, to assist an enslaved family to freedom in Canada. Laura Eastman is a fictional character, but Josiah Tryon was a real “Station Master.” He helped countless enslaved people find their freedom in Canada. (Aug. 5, 2018)

The Freedom Crossing Monument on North Water Street in Lewiston, New York, a tribute to the struggle for the enslaved seeking freedom across Niagara River into Canada. (Aug. 5, 2018)

A view of the Niagara River in Lewiston, New York, just steps away from the Freedom Crossing Monument and a free life for the enslaved. (Aug. 5, 2018)

The Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center on Depot Avenue in Niagara Falls, New York, opened earlier this year in May and tells the stories of everyday heroism in the face of impression. The heritage center, to the right, is fittingly located next to the Amtrak train station which is also where to enter the heritage center. Although the Underground Railroad was neither a railroad nor underground, this network of routes, ways and means helped freedom seekers reach safe haven in Canada where slavery was abolished and no person could be claimed as property. (Aug. 5, 2018)

This map of sorts inside the entryway of the Amtrak station in Niagara Falls, New York, is part of the Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center’s exhibit of the network of people and places known as the Underground Railroad. (Aug. 5, 2018)

It would be difficult to tell the story of the Underground Railroad without this woman’s courageous acts of selflessness and desire to free the enslaved….Harriet Tubman, who after escaping slavery in 1849, went on to become one of the Underground Railroad’s most daring and successful operatives in the years preceding the Civil War and then a scout, spy and nurse for the Union army. She was so notorious among slaveholders that at one point a $40,000 reward was unsuccessfully offered for her capture. This poster stands in the entryway of the Amtrak station in Niagara Falls, New York, and is part of the Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center’s exhibits. (Aug. 5, 2018)

Inside the Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center in Niagara Falls, New York, is this dining room exhibit of Cataract House, a hotel where waiters, porters and cooks operated a highly effective stop on the Underground Railroad. This world class hotel is where Southern enslavers with their slaves would stay. (Aug. 5, 2018)

Posters of the dashing waiters, porters and cooks, behind the elegant facade of the Cataract House, a world class hotel in Niagara Falls, New York, who operated a highly successful network on the Underground Railroad. This poster stands in the entryway of the Amtrak station in Niagara Falls, New York, and is part of the Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center’s exhibits. (Aug. 5, 2018)

A display at the Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center in Niagara Falls, New York, tells the story and highlights the achievements of the waiters at the Cataract House, a world class hotel in Niagara Falls, who risked their freedom to help others achieve theirs. (Aug. 5, 2018)

A display at the Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center in Niagara Falls, New York, tells the story of how everyday hard working people at the Cataract House, a world class hotel in Niagara Falls, risked their freedom and their lives to help others achieve their freedom. (Aug. 5, 2018)

This exhibit of the Suspension Bridge at the Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center in Niagara Falls, New York, a border crossing between Canada and the United States. It was first built as a footbridge in 1848 and in 1855, it was rebuilt with railway tracks on a top level and carriage road below. The bridge was part of the Underground Railroad, a network of routes designed to smuggle the enslaved from the United States to freedom in Canada, a country that declared the liberation of any slave who entered. Before the American Civil War, fleeing slaves had only four main routes into Canada, of which one was crossing the Niagara River. Harriet Tubman was said to use this passage to help some enslaved find freedom. (Aug. 5, 2018)

The wooden structures of the Suspension Bridge, which stood from 1855 to 1897 across the Niagara River, were replaced and this is what you see now which is across from the Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center in Niagara Falls, New York. The bridge was part of the Underground Railroad, a network of routes designed to smuggle the enslaved from the United States to freedom in Canada, a country that declared the liberation of any slave who entered. (Aug. 5, 2018)

The West Ferry Street Bridge connects to Broderick Park over the Erie Canal in Buffalo, New York. Broderick Park is listed as a designated Network to Freedom site by the U.S. National Parks Service and recognized by historians as an historic terminus of the Underground Railroad between the United States and Canada. (Aug. 3, 2018)

At Broderick Park, at the foot of the West Ferry Street Bridge in Buffalo, New York, is this tribute with flags from the United States and Canada along with a plaque paying tribute to the men and women who crossed the water from this area over to Canada…which can be seen in the distance. Broderick Park is listed as a designated Network to Freedom site by the U.S. National Parks Service and recognized by historians as an historic terminus of the Underground Railroad between the United States and Canada. (Aug. 3, 2018)

The plaque at Broderick Park in Buffalo, New York, commemorating those involved with helping the enslaved find freedom and those of whom were enslaved seeking freedom. All involved risked their lives in the name of freedom. (Aug. 3, 2018)

At Broderick Park in Buffalo, New York, with the Peace Bridge, connecting the United States with Canada, which can be seen in the distance. (Aug. 3, 2018)

Broderick Park in Buffalo has a small exhibit of information on the Underground Railroad and this poster about Harriet Tubman’s enormous role of freeing the enslaved. According to the poster, many of Tubman’s trips north brought her into Buffalo where she may have worshipped at the Michigan Street Baptist Church located in the now Michigan Street African American Heritage Corridor. (Aug. 3, 2018)

Paved historical markers throughout the walkways at Broderick Park in Buffalo, New York, provide information on enslaved persons who sought freedom and crossed the waters into Canada. The water looks calm, but it has a steady current that flows rather mightily down towards Niagara Falls. (Aug. 3, 2018)

The walkway at Broderick Park in Buffalo, New York, with the historical markers providing information on enslaved persons who sought freedom and crossed the waters into Canada, which can be seen in the distance. (Aug. 3, 2018)

The Colored Musicians Club Museum is part of the Michigan Street African American Heritage Corridor in Buffalo is considered the only remaining African American club of its kind in the United States. In 1999, it was designated a historical preservation site. (Aug. 4, 2018)

The Colored Musicians Club Museum in Buffalo began as a social club for members of the Local 533 union.Originally, there was only one Buffalo musicians union, Local 43, and this whites only union refused to include African American musicians. As a result, a separate union, Local 533 was organized in 1918. The club became incorporated May 14, 1935 and bought this building in 1944. (Aug. 4, 2018)

Inside the Colored Musicians Club Museum in Buffalo, New York. From its beginning, it hosted jam sessions with some of the foremost jazz artists in the country including Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Jimmy Lunceford and Ella Fitzgerald. (Aug. 4, 2018)

Inside the Colored Musicians Club Museum in Buffalo, New York. (Aug. 4, 2018)

A display case inside the Colored Musicians Club Museum in Buffalo, New York, tickets to Local 533 events, member books, membership ledger, union application, contracts and a receipt dues book among other items. (Aug. 4, 2018)

A photo of members of the Colored Musicians Club participating in a parade in Buffalo, New York. The photo is part of a video exhibit at the Colored Musicians Club Museum in Buffalo. (Aug. 4, 2018)

A photo of members of the Colored Musicians Club in Buffalo, New York. The photo is part of a video exhibit at the Colored Musicians Club Museum in Buffalo. (Aug. 4, 2018)

According to the description, this rare photograph, which was taken at the Colored Musicians Club in the 1950’s can be seen at the entryway of the Colored Musicians Club Museum in Buffalo, New York, shows Be-Bop trumpet legend Dizzy Gillespie at the piano. Elvin Shepherd holds his trumpet and observes Dizzy’s chord changes while Wilbur Trammel plays his tenor saxophone. Shepherd was a renowned trumpet player who later became a master of the tenor saxophone after buying Trammel’s horn. A third trumpet player, Miles Davis, is standing at the door on the left with John Coltrane peering over his shoulder. This scene is typical of the musical activities and the caliber of musicians who played at the club. (Aug. 4, 2018)

This colorful mural at the Colored Musicians Club Museum in Buffalo, New York, is at the entrance of the museum’s exhibits and is by William Cooper. (Aug. 4, 2018)

The Michigan Street Baptist Church in Buffalo, New York, is considered one of the oldest properties in Buffalo and has provided a stable continuous force for more than 170 for African Americans throughout the community. Reverend J. Edward Nash (1868–1957) served the congregation from 1892 to 1953 and his home, the Nash House Museum is located nearby along a walkway and small park-like area. The brick building was erected in 1845 and became a legendary Underground Railroad station, providing sanctuary for hundreds of freedom seekers before they crossed the border to freedom in Canada. It was a central meeting place for abolitionists and anti-lynching activists. Over the years, Frederick Douglass, William Wells Brown, W.E.B. DuBois and Booker T. Washington each graced its sanctuary. The church is part of the Michigan Street African American Heritage Corridor which serves as a focal point to learn about Buffalo’s rich African American history. (Aug. 4, 2018)

Inside the Michigan Street Baptist Church in Buffalo, New York, is a tunnel that’s part of the Underground Railroad where enslaved people could slip away without being seen. Thank you Cynthia (Tina) Harris for the photo. (Aug. 4, 2018)

The Nash House Museum, part of the Michigan Street African American Heritage Corridor within a walkway path of the Michigan Street Baptist Church in Buffalo, New York, was home to Reverend J. Edward Nash (1868-1957) and his wife Frances Jackson Nash (1895-1987) purchased this Queen Anne home, built circa 1900, in what was a culturally diverse neighborhood. Reverend Nash was the pastor of the Michigan Street Baptist Church from 1892 to 1953. (Aug. 4, 2018)

A close-up of the Nash House Museum, part of the Michigan Street African American Heritage Corridor within a walkway path of the Michigan Street Baptist Church in Buffalo, New York. (Aug. 4, 2018)

Inside the Nash House Museum in Buffalo, New York, is a wax figure of the Reverend J. Edward Nash (1868-1957) in his library and home office. Reverend Nash was the pastor of the Michigan Street Baptist Church from 1892 to 1953. Thank you Cynthia (Tina) Harris for the photo. (Aug. 4, 2018)

Inside the Nash House Museum in Buffalo, New York, is a wax figure of Frances Jackson Nash (1895-1987) standing in her kitchen. The Nashes were prominent leaders who hosted many notable African Americans in their home and championed the Civil Rights movement. Their home is recognized by the National Register of Historic Places. Thank you Cynthia (Tina) Harris for the photo. (Aug. 4, 2018)

A historical marker where the Little Harlem Hotel, which burned and was torn down, once stood in the Michigan Street African American Heritage Corridor and steps away from the Colored Musician’s Club in Buffalo, New York. “In 1934, Ann Montgomery converted her ice cream parlor and Oriental Billiard Parlor on this site into the Little Harlem Hotel. Cab Calloway, Billy Eckstine, Della Reese, Sarah Vaughn and many others performed and stayed here when downtown hotels were segregated.” (Aug. 4, 2018)

An Underground Railroad plaque on the ground by the Michigan Street Baptist Church part of the Michigan Street African American Corridor in Buffalo, New York. (Aug. 4, 2018)

This final post is about the art and architecture of Buffalo and its communities that have struggled, evolved and thrived to make Buffalo the second largest city in the state of New York.

Thank you Debra for driving me around, educating me about Buffalo, arranging walking tours, feeding me and introducing me to your family and friends. I’ve so enjoyed our visit and your hometown.

For now, although I’m back home in Dallas, enjoy a smidgen of Buffalo’s art and architecture as I wrap up my stay with some of my favorite architectural buildings, murals a basilica and a 10-mile Slow Roll ride with hundreds of Buffalo’s finest.