BUFFALO! NIAGARA FALLS!

11/21
So in the morning I rallied James and Malia to go to Niagara falls. Emma decided to come too, which is fortunate because after yesterdays fiasco with the GPS I didn't feel particularly inclined to trust it, and Emma knew how to get there.
After 20 minutes of driving and getting turned around once or twice we arrived at the falls. Beware! The guys with the flags at the parking lot will try to get you to go into their lots and make you pay $5 if you don't drive past them to the free parking space on the side of the street.

the flag bearing decievers

After loading up on film we stomped over to the visitor center/entrance and made our way down to the falls.




The misty bottom of the American Falls

A nice view of the American Falls and the Horseshoe Falls in the distance. Taken from the observation tower.


MOAR


I really wanted to go down here but I think it's only possible during the summer months when there are tours.
There is an elevator that will take you down to the CAVE OF WINDS but you have to pay $6 to go. :(




Going over the bridge towards Horseshoe Falls


Why for? I canna fathom...


From the observation spot on Goat Island.
Speaking of rainbows


Did we already make it to Seattle?


Approaching Horseshoe Falls. The veil of mist from these falls is unreal.
I read that during the winter, when freezing temperatures become more regular, the mist will freeze on the trees and accumulate over the winter until it is fairly thick.









Wow.
Also, if you wanna see the pictures bigger, just open them in another tab/window and delete the "l" off the segment before .jpg




Ok, it is cold now and we go back to the car. I saw this bizzare visual on the side of this building. It turned out to be a casino.


In the gift shop and history of the falls section of the visitor center, I saw this picture. I thought it was kind of clever and reminded me of this photographer at the Metropolitan Museum of Art that put post cards over top of photographs. Er, but I can't recall their name...



After that we went back to Emma's place, hung out for a bit, made food and then drove over to the infamous BIRD HAUS.
a good friend of mine had recommended the place and I had planned to stay here for the duration of Buffalo. Actually, this place was really the only reason I came to Buffalo. So yeah, we waited on the steps out front for awhile, drinking tall boys and playing cards. Eventually a character by the name of Darwin came outside. After some introductions and a small tour of the place we went out on an amazing bike ride around Buffalo.
We went over to Squaw Island first and on the way over the bridge we spotted some deer on the other side.


Then we biked onward for a bit, stopped at a friend of Darwin's and about 3 people joined us on the ride. More biking, some beverage-ing in a roundabout, and we met up with some more people to ride with.
This billboard artwork was out front of an art institute of sorts. It would change the orientation of the stripes every minute or so.



Then more biking, meeting people, and shenanigans. Climbing on stuff and whatnot. Hanging out on piers or something. And dumpstering beer and sandwiches.





We eventually made it back to the Bird House and by then it was about 3 or 4am so I
crashed soon after.

Onward to Buffalo

Ah, kinda slacking off here and there's alot of awesome to catch up on real quick so Ima try and bust out a weeks worth of blahgbacklahg. Annnnd go.

11/20
So we got up a little later than anticipated, 11:30 really, and didn't get on the road until about 12:30. Blah. As we exited New York City a wave of relief washed over me and for the rest of the day I kept exclaiming "wooohooo, not in new york! wooo".
About and hour and bit, the gps directs us off of the interstate just before the toll booth and sends us off into the wilderness. I was relieved to not be going through another toll and for some less stressful driving so I didn't question it. Soon enough we were going through some gorgeous woodlands and there were these amazing lakes. Sadly I didn't get any pictures that do it justice. So yeah, we're just driving along, oooing and ahhing, and then the gps tells us to go in a circle around this round about and go back the way we came. what. the. hell.
I pull off at a camp ground thing and reset our route and we've gone 60 miles north of our route. Why? I dont know but it was pretty. The place is called Harriman State Park and this part was off of Seven Lakes Dr. I'm assuming it's called that due to there being a number of rad lakes in the area. What struck me the


prettywater

What stuck me the most about this section of New York state is the mountains. They're very similar to those in NC but there is alot more exposed, jagged rock.


Malia and James on rocks. They almost look related.

After a lot more driving, gas station antics, a social study of the one-upping of prepackaged snacks extremeness, a dog almost being hit by a car(not ours), being told to "eat drugs!", driving in the shadowy valley of routes 6 and 7, then everlong back country driving for some reason unknown to me, we arrived in Buffalo.
It was kind of late so we ended up staying at Malia's friend Emma's house. There was a small dance party with crazy lights.