"The Charbor Chronicles": A Surprise Visit to the Buffalo & Niagara Falls Region - January 10

It was very cold so early in the morning, and I was the only hotel guest who seemed to be up and about at such an hour. It was still dark as night as I went out into the subfreezing temperatures and got in the car to begin my trek to what would be my parents new house. They were going to close on it in just a few hours. I was supposed to meet them by 9am there, and it was two hours away. It was just past 6am now.

While in the area, I thought it might be good to stop at a Tim Horton's and get a nice steaming cup of coffee, and maybe a little something to eat, to boot. Just to give myself some extra energy, although at that point, I still felt fine.

I got going. Passed the Tim Horton's in order to get on the highway and get past Buffalo, just in case traffic got bad as rush hour approached. I figured there would be a good chance to stop at one somewhere past Buffalo. But as it turned out, it felt rural and empty maybe ten to fifteen miles outside of Buffalo, and would remain so until I reached my parent's new hometown.

That was okay, though. It was a pleasant morning, and I was feeling surprisingly energetic, given that I had not gotten much sleep. By all rights, exhaustion should be setting in. But I still had a an excited buzz, for this trip had been at least as successful as I had hoped. And as I watched the darkness lift - slower and much later than I had expected - I felt good. It was still mostly dark by 7am, and only by around 7:15 or so were all the details of the landscape I was passing through clear enough to see fully. That was about the time when the GPS switched from night mode to daytime mode, as well.

So, yes, I made it to Canada in the month of January. It was the first time since the first part of New Year's Day way back in 1989 that I was in Canada in January.

That means that this was a change of pace. I know that it has been a week and a half since New Year's, but this was a nice way to start the new year of 2019 off. First, my parents getting a beautiful new home that they deserve. Then, to be able to fit in a miniature trip like this. It was all quite pleasant, and I enjoyed these few days immensely!

Of course, I was not just in Canada, but in the greater Buffalo and Niagara Falls area, as well.

And given that I only really had the one day - really, just part of a day - to work with, I felt that I made the most of it. I made a point of seeing both lake Erie and Lake Ontario. This probably sounds somewhat lame to some, but I always love seeing natural, large bodies of water. It almost felt like it made the whole trip.

Niagara Falls, however, was and remains the major natural landmark of the area, and naturally, I made a point of seeing that, too. And it was amazing, seeing everything all decked out in holiday colors and decorations. But it was so damn cold, that nobody was there. And getting wet from the mist, in that frigid cold and with nothing to block the win, which made it feel even colder than the very low temperatures already made it feel, my visit did not last too long, admittedly.

I crossed the border back into the United States, and went to the hotel to check in. After that, I decided to go back to Buffalo and eat at one of my favorite specialty restaurants: the Anchor Bar. That is the place where Buffalo Wings first became a thing. And the Buffalo Wings there really are different than they are in most places. If you find yourself in Buffalo, and are a fan of the wings, I would highly recommend a trip there, because it is one of those things that you have to see, and especially to have to taste, for yourself. In this case, words can only go so far, you know?

Even the drive down to my parent's new home town also was pleasant. Up near Buffalo and for most of the trip down, it was a snowy, clearly wintry landscape. The snow covered everywhere. But not all that surprisingly, the farther south I went, the less snow was visible. By the time I got to their hometown, there was not nearly so much snow on the ground, and much of the grounds showed traces of snow, rather than a solid coating of it. And the temperatures climbed, albeit a little. It was a cold few days, after all, throughout the northeast.

I already wrote and published about my parent's house, which is a beauty. It should make them deservedly happy for years to come! But I was also glad to be able to fit in a short visit to Ontario and Niagara Falls during my couple of days off. Here are some pictures from the trip:

Niagara Falls, Ontario is all decked out in holiday lights and cheer: Here are images of the Skylon Tower, and other parts of the Niagara Falls skyline, with all of the holiday decorations in evidence a little down the hill and closer to the actual falls:

The Falls:

Lake Ontario had strong waves and strong, very frigid waves. I barely made it two minutes before rushing back to the car, because there was nothing to stop those strong, cold winds from blowing, and making it feel even colder than the temperatures actually were - and the temperatures were below freezing!

One thing that I accidentally discovered is that Toys 'R Us still exists in Canada, apparently. I ran into this one in St. Catherines, Ontario. And yes, it was still open, with customers walking in and out, and buying stuff. For whatever the reason, I had assumed that Toys 'R Us as a company had gone under, and that this meant that every store around the world had closed as a result. Apparently not, however:

They have washrooms in Canada, not just bathrooms!

The last time that I saw Transformers with packaging that looked like this was probably over three decades ago!

The price, on the other hand, was not like it was 30 + years ago at all! Yes, it's Canadian, which means this is less in American. But I still estimated a minimum price of $25 American after you take the tax into consideration!

The new $10 Canadian bill from 2018 is designed like a banner, from top to bottom, and not landscape sideways like most other bills from other countries. Here is what it looks like: