Summer Vacation V--The final installment

June 18-22

(It's a long one)

Our time was coming to an end, but we made the best of it. The next 3 1/2 days went by fairly quickly. We had something to do every day whether it be to visit family, go to a favorite eatery of Hubbs', visit with friends, or see a some part of his old stomping grounds. We also managed to see Buffalo's few main attractions. Our first stop was Mighty Taco for lunch. Ha!

We arrived at Grandma's house in the afternoon and were welcomed with open arms. She was in the midst of preparing a chicken casserole that she likes to make for "special occasions". Love her! She's 85 years old and still spunky even though diabetes has taken the sight in one eye and cataracts are working on the other. That doesn't keep her down in the least. Hubby's maternal grandmother is seriously one of the cutest people you will ever know. She was so excited to have us there and took such great care of us.

We settled in to the room upstairs which was decked out in true Grandma decor.

After dinner we went for dessert to a place called Anderson's. It has apparently been there forever and always had people in line. Even on the rainy days. I realize they served sandwiches and other food, but ice cream and frozen treats was their draw. I'm a sucker for ice cream and eating at a place Hubbs grew up around sealed the deal for me. The fact that we don't have them in California was another reason I had to try it.

On the way over to Anderson's I noticed all the wires that hung over head along with the street lights. Don't ask me why, but I was semi-fascinated by how they didn't get tangled up or all come down. It all looked very unorganized to me too. I know, I'm kind of strange sometimes. :)

On Thursday we went to the water front and ate at Old Man River. They had at least six different kinds of vinegar for your fries. I decided to try some with the regular and rosemary infused vinegar. Not bad! I'd never had vinegar on my fries before.

We visited a couple of the hockey rinks where Hubbs grew up practicing and playing the game he loves so much. His dad was a coach for many years and he probably spent the majority of his time either practicing and playing there during the winters (which are long in Buffalo).

We went to Ralph Wilson Stadium where the Buffalo Bills play. It's Hubbs' favorite team and now Lil Man's too. Hey, they're my boys and I love them regardless of who they root for on football Sundays. ;) I mainly took these pics for Lil Man who was super excited to see them.

There were pictures and statues of buffalo everywhere around town. They even lined the grassy parts of the freeway (called thruway over there) with fake buffalo statues. Funny! They really love their city.

That night we had dinner with some of Hubbs' mom's side of the family. Simple dinner of pizza, wings, and wine. They were really nice to me and it was fun time. I didn't feel comfortable taking pictures since it was my first time meeting most of them so you'll have to believe me when I tell you that Hubbs' features favor that side of the family without a doubt.

Friday was breakfast with Grandma C and then lunch at Bocce's Pizza with Hubbs' aunt and cousin.

More sight seeing/memory lane walking ensued.

Buffalo's City Hall

Naval ship in the museum by the water front and the Commercial Slip.

Signs at the Commercial Slip (also Eerie Canal) that tell history of past Buffalonians and a look at the Canal. They're really trying to build up this area to bring in more visitors to downtown Buffalo.

Where the Buffalo Sabres play. (Another photo specifically for Lil Man)

Donuts at Tim Horton's. I had seen a ton of donut shops while driving around during those few days and was determined to have some. I needed to see what all the fuss was about and why they were an apparent staple in Buffalo and Canada. They were tasty, but just donuts. Nothing special.

Followed by dinner at Duff's (authentic buffalo wings!) with a friend of his from college.

After dinner we went to visit his friend's parents. Her parents were always fond of Hubbs and were really happy to see him even if it was a short visit.

Next we headed to College Friend's house to check it out. Her boyfriend met up with us at her house and we hung out for a while. It was a cute little place and I was astounded when she told us she'd purchased it for $34,500. !!!! After a couple drinks for me and College Friend, we were headed to a bar in the Allen District to continue the fun. We wandered over to another bar and engaged in a battle of darts.

It was close until the end. We lost. :( But we had fun anyway. :)

Friday night ended on Saturday morning. Check out the clock on a near by building as we drove to the thruway to get back to Grandma C's. Good times.

Saturday was by far the brightest morning of our time in Buffalo. The sun shot through the blinds and pierced our closed eye lids. We got up because more visitors were coming to spend time with us. We were going back over to Anderson's for beef sandwiches and milkshakes. I had a fish sandwich but whatever. The food was tasty and the company was great.

That afternoon we were scheduled to be at Grandma and Grandpa P's house for a little gathering of the paternal side of the family. Holy moly were we tired! We got there a little after two and were greeted by several cousins, kids, aunts, and uncles. Grandparents gave us big, warm hugs and it was great to see them. They had a spread of snacks and drinks were plentiful. We found a comfy spot on a couch on the terrace and chatted with the people who'd so graciously given their time to meet me and say hi to Hubbs.

It was nice to relax and meet new people. Everyone was so very nice to me, again, and I wished I had been a little more energetic that day. I got a little more brave and asked if I could take a group picture of them at the end of the day. 7 people had already left by the time I took this picture (3 cousins, 1 wife, and 3 kids). Look how cute the Grandparents are! :)

We packed our things that night and made sure we were ready to go in the morning. I was sad to say good-bye to Grandma C, simple living, and free time but we had to. Our 10:30 a.m. flight back to real life was not going to wait. We had our final breakfast with Grandma C and posed for one last picture outside. I wanted to stick her in my pocket and take her home with us.

On the flight we sat back and relaxed as much as we could. The earphones and drink tickets came in handy again. ;) I know it was early, but I was on vacation!

We had mixed feelings about going home. We were excited to see Lil Man again and sleep in our own beds.

But we were sad to leave and go back to work on Monday.

By 4:30 p.m. PST we were back home and already readjusting to the sweltering heat Mother Nature had dumped on Southern California in our absence. We went grocery shopping and had dinner at a favorite local sushi place. Back to normal. Back to reality.

I'm glad I got to visit Buffalo. It's a unique experience to grow up on a tree lined street in a real neighborhood where you know people. It's unique to this native Californian anyway. I've never grown up in a place where you know and spend time with your neighbors or you have dinner every Sunday at Grandma and Grandpa's house. Homes are close in proximity and life is fairly simple. It's a small town mentality and there isn't a lot to do, but there is a certain charm to that life. I can appreciate it even if I couldn't picture living in it myself. Hubbs came from this and I feel fortunate to have been able to catch a glimpse into his past. After all, it's part of what makes him the man I love today.