Going back to Buffalo

Tom and I had a little get away back to his hometown.  Just thought I would share a bit about our wonderful trip and adventures. We started out eating at a little restaurant near where his Nana lived.  It was amazing eating Beef on Weck and German potato salad.  We met with our friends Bob and Linda who so graciously treated us to lunch. ( What a welcome !)  We then spent the afternoon visiting Tom's old neighborhood, he took me down memory lane.  The weather was so beautiful.   We had a great visit with his godmother who is a beautiful, insightful woman.  We had a very enjoyable conversation and I tried Birch Beer for the first time, (so yummy).  It was fun to see Tom so excited about his old stomping ground.  I even saw the path he talks about where he would get into some fights. He says it's more like a meadow now and he was a little disappointed in that. 

Tom's high school

Tom's house as a child

The path

One of Tom's favorite restaurants Schwabl's

Tom had the privilege of speaking at the YWAP thursday night basketball and 9 minutes of truth in inner city Buffalo.  He said if he had a bucket list it would be to speak in his hometown, as he has taught and preached around the world but never at his birthplace.  Well, he can mark that off his list. Before he spoke that night we went to another of his favorite places, The Anchor Bar in downtown Buffalo and let me tell you it was AMAZING wings and other good stuff.  I ate so much but I couldn't stop. 

Tom outside the famous Anchor bar in Buffalo

The next day we headed to Canada for God's famous Niagara Falls.  If you haven't ever seen it in person, you should.  The power behind the waterfalls is earth shaking.Wow, is all I can say. It had been many years since I had seen them. The area has changed a bit but the Falls look the same and are tremendously beautiful even on a cloudy day. 

enjoying the Falls with Bob and Linda

That evening back in the US, we shared a meal at Tom's old neighborhood Wanaka grill.  The food was wonderful and I got to meet some of Tom's friends from growing up.  It was fun.

This is Tom's friend Bob and his wife Liz with us.  It felt like I have known them my whole life. 

We spent the next day downtown watching Tom's Buffalo Sabre's practice sessions in the new Harborcenter.  This is not what I consider fun, but the place is awesome and Tom added coffee and pastries from Tim Hortons. And let me tell you Tim Hortons is SO GOOD!  I wish it was available in the south.  We also ate at 716 a great sports type restaurant with one of the biggest screens in the world. Then we walked around the canal side and enjoyed the view of the lighthouse and flower beds.  It was such a pretty fall day.

This coffee is so good and the pastries so fresh and inexpensive.

Big sports tv at 716 in the Harborcenter

Buffalo harbor lighthouse

Tom found these seats by the outdoor skate area and freaked out. It reminded him of when he was a kid.

It was a really fun trip.  I am so thankful for the opportunities that God opens up for me and my best friend.