So this is a vacation......

Well we finally made it to the United Kingdom and we are having a ball. At some point it will hit us and we will sleep for 24 hrs, but until then we are just sticking to our insane schedule! No one to blame but myself for that. There is alot here to see in just 2 weeks...... Anyways, here are some photo's from Days 1-3 (London) and Day 4, our first day traveling the countryside where we visited Stonehenge and then a very rainy visit to the south shore to walk the pier in Brighton. Today we are going to visit some castles in the southeast countryside and tomorrow we board the train for York.

Bear


Harrods


Big Ben


London Eye


Tower of London


Tower Bridge


Christmas Market in Hyde Park


Tea at Kensington Palace


Piccadilly Circus at Night


Stonehenge


Brighton Pier

2009 First Snowfall………..October 16th!

Well it was a very short summer where the average mean temperature was a balmy 67 ºF and we only experienced 1 day above 90ºF  Now Old Man Winter has decided to get a early start. This morning we woke to a fresh blanket of snow. It’s going to be a long winter

It’s Marshmallow Harvesting Time in New York State

If you have the hot cocoa , we have the Marshmallows up here in New York State. This years crop looks good!!

Wamba Jamba Jam 2009

The weather started out the day looking like a monsoon but at high noon the skies cleared and the sun shined as the 20th Anniversary of Wamba Jamba Jam went in the record books as another classic!

     

A Little Squirreling Around

 

Courtesy of Melissa Brandts

Minnesota residents Melissa Brandts and her husband, Jackson, set up their camera with a timer to take a picture of them by Lake Minnewanka in Banff National Park in Canada when nature intervened.

"We had our camera set up on some rocks and were getting ready when this curious little ground squirrel appeared, became intrigued with the sound of the focusing camera and popped right into our shot," Melissa Brandts writes. "It was a once in a lifetime moment -- we were laughing about this little guy for days!"

3 Day Western New York Tour Idea

Having company from out of town and need some ideas on what to do over a 3 day weekend in Western New York? Well here is what we ended up doing with Jena, our friend from Texas.

Day One: Buffalo and Niagara Falls !

What would a trip to Western New York be without a visit to see one of the seven wonders of the world, Niagara Falls! You really want to pick a day when the weather is nice so those photos your guest takes and shows to their friends and family back home  turn out nice enough to show case the  Falls.

While visiting the Falls, the best way to experience the shear power is to take a tour of the falls on the Maid Of The Mist boat tour. You guest will always remember the feeling of standing on the boat surrounded by a wall of water hundreds of feet high with  mist in their face. The water from the falls moves past, rocking the boat yet you feel like your moving but the boat is still! Oh and if your in the mood for some ice cream, a stop at the Twist of the Mist Ice Cream Shop is recommended!

Another stop either on the way to Niagara Falls or after is a trip to the Anchor Bar in Buffalo for lunch or dinner. This local hangout is the Mecca for anyone who savors the taste of Buffalo style chicken wings. This is the spot back in the early 1960’s where wings were discovered. yum yum yum.

Day Two: Sterling Renaissance Festival

Another activity that would be best saved for a day of nice weather is a journey back to the year 1585 in England. Enjoy the many live theatrical performances, browse craft shops full of hand made items for sale and sample the various foods throughout this 35 acre village.

Games like axe throwing, bow and arrows, tomato toss along with live jousting competition are sure to delight all. Listen to live musical performances playing Celtic songs and just get lost from the hustle and bustle  of your current life and escape back in time for a day…..

Day Three: The Corning Museum Of Glass

Well on day 3 the weather just did not agree with our original plans the visit the Genesee Country Village so an indoor activity was required. The Corning Museum Of Glass in Corning, New York fit the bill perfectly!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You get to learn all about the world of glass and see the worlds best collection of glass. Then you can view live glass blowing demonstrations and even create your own glass masterpiece and will be shipped home to you guest after they make it.

Of course, this is just one of many different collections of events that you can show your out of town guests. But these events are great for all ages, and should be considered towards the top of the list when trying to plan an outing that your guests are sure to remember and leave them with great memories of their visit to a place we call home, Western New York.

2009 Watkins Glen Indy Grand Prix

 
Justin Wilson won the 2009 Watkins Glen Indy Grand Prix. In what could only be discribed as perfect weather, The IRL put on a great show once again at Watkins Glen International. If there was any comments for improvement of the racing, it would be to add better quality supporting races during the weekend. But one things for sure, keep the current weather selection!