5 - 23 BUFFALO....SCOTTSDALE

Last post 4/30 was Children's (click) CHILDREN'S DAY   in Mexico.  Another Shannon Shepard's great blogs.  "View From Casita Colibrí". A good idea for the USA.

 5:45 am Jeannie drove me to the airport. Enjoyed a Cold Press Coffee and Chicken Empanada for breakfast..only $24.    I am off for Buffalo. 

Southwest arrived in Chicago for my connection delayed by 40 minutes and changed to Concourse B. 

I stopped for lunch but the cook didn't show.  Then an Italian Restaurant informed me they had no salads, sandwiches and only had 2 kinds of Pizza. A sandwich shop said they had no cheeses and when I asked about the soup of the day,...sold out.  A BBQ kiosk served me a Pulled Pork  sandwich to go for $17. A glass of Wine was $25, so I had a $10 small draft beer.

  

Boarded the connection and arrived in Buffalo.

 I got the keys for the rental car and my suitcase. Started up the car and drove to Helen's in Rochester. We shared her "just made" Quiche and Waldorf salad with Wine for an enjoyable dinner.  I met the dogs! Then we had a nice long chat and the next day she prepared a beautiful breakfast. I left for "cousin" Helen's about 11:00 a.m. in a Soul Kia that rode like a truck. Bumpy and road noise. 

After a NY State Thruway Stop, I arrived in Coxsackie.

All Text Stops for Gas and Food have been Updated for phone charging, Computer use and new bathrooms. All paid for by automatic tolls...NO Toll Booths...EZ Pay..I haven't got my bill yet from the rental company with fees.

Welcome to Coxsackie

Everybody from Coxsackie wanted to check it out Patrick Henry's, so off we went. It was one of my Uncle's bars, Rest His Soul, now modernized. They were short of help and with the rain, no outside seating, inside only 22 dining seats and the bar full. We waited  a while for table for 4. We were 5 and ordered Soup, Pizza, Grilled Salmon, Hamburg, Caesar Salad, Crispy Cauliflower, something else, and drinks filled the table. We gave it a D+ so now they have no place to go but up! We stopped at the popular Ice Cream Stand. I had Vanilla swirl with Raspberry swirl topping. Ate 1/2 then 1/2 the next night.

      Very disorganized, food was mixed      reviews, no photos.

  The next day Barbara, Helen,David and I went to The Yellow Deli for a lovely lunch by the Hudson river .   I walked around the Park afterwards. That night we enjoyed a wonderful Chinese/Thai takeout.

   The next day, Barbara drove me around Coxsackie/ Athens to take photos.  Beautiful Victorian homes and a nice park overlooking the Van Winkle bridge then on to Saugerties where I bought a pair of shoes and enjoyed the beautiful little village.

We finished our outing with lunch at the Iconic "Red's Seafood Restaurant" for Chowda and Haddock.

That night we went to Vincent Anna's restaurant in the country where Arjay, Barbara's son, joined us.   I got to meet Vince. He was 10 years old when his mom and dad opened the restaurant in 1945 and now he's looking to retire and sell.  We enjoyed the meal. I talked a lot about Vietnam and my trips there. A couple overheard me, then came over and introduced himself. He explained that his son and girlfriend hiked Vietnam one summer and they loved it. He thought my conversation was very interesting and shook my hand. 

I have to include a couple photos of David and Helen's "Farm" house. His brother, the local Sheriff, has his home on the family estate along side.

Helen's Shed

 I retired early and woke early for my departure for Batavia with a stopover back at Helen's in Rochester to pick up my Mexican phone I left there. I checked into the hotel then went to Alex's for happy hour, Clams Casino and Baked Chicken dinner.

View from Helen's Rochester home

I lost.

  Saturday I met with my granddaughter Latisha in Buffalo. Xander and Gavin ,my great grandsons,  joined us for an excellent lunch/breakfast at Kostas Greek restaurant. It was great to see them all. Latisha was on her way to work as a bartender at the Hilton hotel. She's is a classy lady and doing well for herself. 

Gavon's completing his 2nd year on a Basketball Scholarship to Canisius H.S.

Zander is doing well too..love baseball

 

GYROS

RACK OF LAMB

  I returned to the car and realized I did not have the key but the door opened, the key was in the ignition and it was running the entire time I was gone!

I came home took a nap then joined Tasha, my other granddaughter, and three of her children.  I really enjoyed talking to her daughter who was always in the shadow of her older sister but her older sister was visiting her father.  She started talking very intelligently and expressively.

Crab Cakes

Beer & Cheddar Soup

Wild Mushroom Raviolis in Pesto with Chicken

Bacon wrapped Tenderloin

I stopped at Oliver's Candy in Batavia for an Ice Cream Sundae after my enjoyable reunion with Taja and my Great Grandchildren.

 If you want to gain weight come to Western New York and go to any of the restaurants for 4 days breakfast lunch and dinner waffles,pancakes, Beef on Wick,  Chicken wings, Cheese dip, Cheddar Beer soup,Rubarb pie, Ice Cream Sundaes, Oliver's Sponge Taffy, etc.   I got 10 lb more than when I arrived. 

Sunday was our planned trip to Niagara on the Lake in Ontario Canada. My Granddaughter Alexis picked me up and generously agreed to drive up with 3 of her children to spend what turned out to be a miserable day of cold rain...but we made the best of it. We bought 2 umbrellas for $40 and one broke in the first 1/2 hour.

Mushrooms Stuffed with Shrimp,Crab, COVERED with Cheese...yuk.

                                         WINGS

                                   BEEF POT PIE

CHICKEN POT PIE WITH PEACHES

We tried and failed so got a ticket and paid $30
We did get some fresh Apple Fritters in a Fritter Shop,
walked a lot trying to find the Art Gallery but didn't,  and visited a Museum

 

Monday, I drove to Jennifer's house she chauffeured me around her planned day of fun. We started with lunch at Gabriel's original restaurant of      40 years plus. 

TYPICAL BUFFALO IRISH PUB
 FIND THE JAMESON'S?

We each had excellent sandwiches...then headed for the Pool Hall...got lost and walked a bit but arrived.

WE HAD FUN AND ENJOYED IT AND THE POOL HALL FRIENDLY CHARACTERS...PLAYING FOR $

Then off to have a drink by the waterfront...but too cold and no one around.

Dinner at 800 Maple, a fine dining Italian Restaurant where we each had a Pizza and swapped some Steak and Dandelion White for some Chicken Artichoke White...took some home too. Yes...Dandelion was on my pizza and in Canada offered as a side dish?

We returned to my car and I left for Batavia but thought I left one of my phones in her car so was pulling into the right lane to make a right and go back and BANG.

MY FRONT FENDER HIT THE CAR DOOR THAT WAS PASSING ME ON THE RIGHT. NEVER SAW IT.

THE IMPACT SMASHED THE WINDOW & DENTED THE DOOR.

The young couple jumped out of the car and started yelling at me (understandable), while calling 2 fire trucks and the 2 police cars.  They had two young children in car seats but no one was injured though they both claimed they were. The fire trucks and one police car left and one policemen took the report and I drove home. I called Jennifer and she came over to check on me. I had my lost phone in my back pocket so drove back to the hotel.

     When I got up in the morning I went out to the car to get the rental paperwork but couldn't get in. The fob wasn't working so had to remove the door handle and use the key. When I put it in the ignition , none of the lights came on. I called road service to jump it but they said I was required to tow it and they did.

      Jennifer showed up for us to go to Attica that day.  We visited Mom and Dad's graves and drove down Hunt Blvd.  All the houses were gone..torn down.  We stopped at Twilight Meadows for a lovely lunch and Jennifer dropped me back at the hotel.

      The next day she took me to the airport and I was off for Phoenix with stopovers in Chicago and Kansas City. Whew!

                  Draft Root Beer and Hot Chocolate

      The Best Homemade Chile Con Carne I have had!

                      Steak and Cheese Quesadilla

                                Turkey Dinner

               No homes on the Boulevard ...all gone.

Buffalo advertising Oak Hill C.C. PGA Open...I worked there for the 1964 or 5 Open.

                Best photo I could get of Kansas City

Glad to be home but now filling out insurance papers with Visa, Triple A, and Budget.  I still have 3 more Doctor's tests (one costs me CoPay $150 and Co Pay 20 percent cost of nuclear injection...$1250) and a dentist appointment along with follow up test results with 2 doctors. I want to go home ...to Oaxaca! 

See the world before you leave it....or before it leaves you. Until the next post....love david