a_d_a_m

About to go on a short credit card tour with some coworkers next week along the Empire State Trail. We'll be starting on Grand Island just north of Buffalo, heading up to Niagara Falls, then out to Rochester, then back. We're going to go slow and do 4 days.

Aside from Niagara Falls and the Genesee High Falls, are there any other must-see/do's in this area? Restaurants you loved? We are staying overnights in Lockport, Rochester, and Medina.

indyfabz

Funky Cold Medina Falls.

a_d_a_m

Will definitely check it out, and blast FCM while doing so!

indyfabz

It’s been 24 years since we rode the trail from Lockport to somewhere east of Rochester before turning up to the lake while crossing the country, but I remember Brockport being a bit “funky.” Probably because there is a SUNY campus there. I think we stayed in a dorm.

zacster

Instead of starting in Grand Island, start riding at the official start of the trail in Buffalo. Buffalo itself is interesting. There are brewpubs, there's the waterfront, parks, parkways. Aside from the wings, Buffalo also has a sandwich that I've never found anywhere else, the beef on weck. It was a beautiful tree lined city before its decline and it's making a comeback. I went to school there in the 70s and thought I'd seen everything there was there as both a cyclist and taxi driver, but when I went back last summer I went places I didn't know existed, because they didn't. The waterfront has been reclaimed from the industry and the railroads, and is now the start of the trail itself. Beyond Buffalo the trail is pretty flat along the canal and not much to see besides the trail itself.

a_d_a_m

Starting in GI was more of a necessity - leaving the car at a friend's house on Grand Island meant I didn't have to find safe and affordable parking in town.

I do plan to go back and ride the GI-Buffalo stretch and explore the harbor area next year, as I greatly enjoyed the trail between Lockport and the Falls, so I expect more of that south of GI...must say the Canal trail itself between Lockport and Rochester got sort of mundane after a while. Going into the towns and exploring broke it up, at least. Having a headwind both directions I'm sure affected my mood....

zacster

I did a Buffalo vacation over the Labor Day weekend. (If someone told me they were going on vacation to Buffalo when I went to school there back in the 70s I'd have thought they were crazy.) It was just 2 full days and we did the Martin House tour and the Buffalo Art Museum as the main things and then checked out the waterfront and the beautiful neighborhoods driving around and stopping here and there. Also chose a few restaurants including the highlight, Charlie the Butcher for Beef on Weck. Along the waterfront we went to the start of the trail and Canalside, neither of which were there way back when. The old Auditorium is long gone and the new stadium and arena are there, and lots of people walking around to Canalside. Main St itself looked pretty bad, and my feeling is that the Metro killed it by taking people off the streets. It felt completely desolate where I remember it being somewhat lively in parts. I wanted to check out the old train station but ran out of time and I'm not sure it would be worth it anyway. I remember catching the Amtrak to NYC there many times. While the west side was lively and restored the east side doesn't seem to have gone along for the ride, but that's how it was back in the 70s too. Someday I'll go back with the bike and start the ride to NYC.