When in Buffalo, do try the wings!
(And other adventurous things my daughter and I did in New York...)
We knew the trip was off to a grand beginning when my eldest daughter, a fan of the popular The Office TV show, noticed Rainn Wilson in the waiting area at our outgoing gate in Chicago.
I’m not a huge television gal, but our young-adult kids are fans of the sitcom and its main characters, who reveal the foibles and funniness of life at the office in modern-day America. In order to make sure we had the right guy, we looked up “Rainn Wilson now” at 60, and yes, there was little doubt it was him. When he noticed onlookers gazing his way, he confirmed our hunch by donning his sunglasses. We were in a dimmed section of the airport. No sunglasses needed—unless you were trying to avoid suspecting glances. By then, it was too late.
I sneaked this photo of him waiting for his luggage with the rest of us at baggage claim. We’d need some proof we hadn’t just made this up, after all.
Discovering a famous person on our flight to Buffalo started things off with a zing, giving us something to report to the family we left behind in North Dakota. Originally, we’d hoped more of us could be along on this wedding weekend to see my nephew Ben marry his bride, Emily, at her home city, but when obstacles began turning up, we were the lone two left to take part in this adventure.
Learning a few days earlier that Buffalo wings had originated in Buffalo (duh!), we made sure our first meal there was at an eatery with wings on the menu. Because when in Buffalo, do as the Buffaloans do, right? Shortly after settling into our weekend accommodations, we found Doc Sullivan’s Irish eatery fairly easily along the business strip running through South Buffalo. It was our first chance to breathe after a long and exciting travel day, and the wings and pizza logs, along with a wedge salad and glass of cider, went down well.
Our trip was only Thursday to Sunday, with the first and last travel days. We had Friday for sightseeing, before the welcome dinner at a beach house in Canada, and several hours Saturday morning to explore downtown Buffalo, which included a delicious and fun brunch at Streetlight Brasserie, before the early evening wedding at the Buffalo Historic Museum, with a few extras on Sunday if time.
The beach was beautiful, but the best part was a raucous game of corn toss that ended in victory for the Beauclair sisters, prompting a photo opp with the boards, and tear-streaked giggles.
We packed in a lot during those couple of days: a tour of Niagara Falls (the United States side), a walk around an historic park near our accommodations, a visit to the botanical gardens near the basilica where I worshipped our Lord at Mass on Sunday morning, and a lot of buzzing around in our rental car in between, with, surprisingly, no exits missed!
When I booked this trip some months ago, I was in the middle of a health crisis, and it seemed impossible that I’d be feeling better by the time the date rolled around. So yes, I am infinitely grateful for the chance—to chase butterflies, to dance with my daughter, and, despite a foot issue that had me at the podiatrist a day before departure, logging in 24,000 steps on wedding day with hardly a moment of pain.
This adventure was not guaranteed, but sometimes, God says “Yes,” despite a lot of “No’s” beforehand. And when those moments happen, you’ve got to do it. You’ve got to try the wings. You’re in Buffalo, after all.
My published work this week:
July 26: Born a Muslim in Iran, local woman shares her story of faith (“Faith Conversations” feature)
July 27: A Nod to Mustardseed Mentor Lisa M. Hendey, Founder of CatholicMom.com (CatholicMom.com)
July 29: Will A.I. make us more human? (“Living Faith” column)
Love this little jaunt to Buffalo -- I felt like I was there with you!