A Staycation

With all of my very expensive future plans, along with the fact that Mark and I have already had a vacation this year, we are staying home and learning more about our city.  Seeing all of the things that tourists would see if they came to Buffalo.  All of which I've never done before.  It's been fun doing the few things we've done so far and now that the deck is pretty much done, we have a few more weekends to visit Buffalo's beautiful tourist-y things.

A couple of weeks ago I went on an architectural tour of downtown Buffalo with my mom, my sister, and the three amigos, otherwise known as Annabelle, Austin, and Anya.  The kids were such troopers because our guide wasn't very good but we had a good time anyways and it was nice to see the historical buildings and hearing about the improvements being made to other ones.  So here are a few of my pictures, OK actually, here are a lot of my pictures!

Buffalo Savings Bank

The ceiling inside the bank.  I wasn't supposed to take any pictures inside but I couldn't resist.

The Electric Building.  It is where you used to have to go to buy all of your light bulbs and electrical stuff.  It's currently being restored but the top lights up, red and green for Christmas, red white and blue at 4th of July Blue and Gold when the Sabres make the play-offs.  It's very pretty.

Buffalo City Hall.  I plan on going on the free tour of the inside very soon.  Maybe the next time we have a rainy day.  It's so cool looking and Art Deco-y being built back in the early 1930's.  I have always loved looking at it when we pass on by.

This is a picture of Millard Fillmore, our 13th president's, home.  It once stood right where City Hall now is.

I can't remember what this building was, but it's interesting to look at.  It may be law offices now.

The Guaranty Building.  It's almost all original and is owned by a law firm. 

We were allowed to go inside quickly to see all the beauty in there.  This is the ceiling in the lobby.

St. Paul's Cathedral is the kind of church I always envisioned myself getting married in.  Instead our church was a brick box built in the 60's.  Not as romantic.

Tiffany window.  Right after I took this photo, I walked over a grate in the floor and my skirt blew up in a Marilyn Monroe moment.  Annabelle yelled to me to do it again because it's funny to see my underwear!

Ellicott Square Building.  There are lots of offices and a cute cafe inside.

We were told that we weren't allowed to take photos inside, but once again, I did anyways.  This is the ceiling.

Posing on the steps.

A former post office building, now part of ECC (Erie Community College).  It was in the process of being cleaned.

Then Annabelle got a hold of the camera and took this snapshot of her and Pooh in the stroller.

I took a ton of pictures but it seems my settings weren't quite right because many of them were fuzzy.  It could be that the camera was being bumped around and the dial switched or it could be the 5 year old grabbing at it constantly and wanting to take her own pictures.  For our next outing, I'll make sure that she has her own camera to play with.  In the end we learned a lot, the kids were good and then we went to Grandma's house for some hot dogs and cake.  It ended up being a pretty good day:)