Buffalo Trip - Day 1

Today was the first day of a new Installation Trip - this time, I'll be working in Buffalo!  Through the overnight, I tossed and turned and didn't really feel like I was sleeping well.  There was some kind of smoke (vape) smell and a lot of train noises.  Despite this less-than-stellar sleep, I was awake for good at 0615 and began teleworking immediately.  At 0800, I went to breakfast in Lobby of the Clarion Hotel (Dunkirk) - I was the only guest there and it seemed like the "Conference Center" had seen better days...  Back in my room, I had one long meeting and took care of other work documentation that occupied my time until about 1130.  After that, I packed up my car and got ready to depart Dunkirk.  Prior to leaving town, though, I decided to visit Point Gratiot, the location of the (seasonably closed) Dunkirk Lighthouse.  While driving west on NY-5, I was pleased to see that the weather was wonderful again: temps in mid 60s, sunny and breezy.  When I arrived at the grounds of the lighthouse, I walked around nearby and got some good photos of Lake Erie.  Nearby, I encountered signs for the Seaway Trail and War of 1812 Trail.  Since I had a lot more I wanted to do before sunset, I departed the area at 1150 and drove (via NY-5 and US-20) towards Buffalo.  Along the way, I crossed through the territory of the Seneca Nation.  Just beyond that, I got on NY-75 and used it to get back on NY-5.  During this time, traffic was light and I enjoyed more interesting views of the ice floating on Lake Erie.  By 1245, I had entered Downtown Buffalo and, five minutes later, was parked at the (free) lot for the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site (in the Allentown District).  I took a tour of the World's Fair Exhibit when I first arrived but then had to wait until 1330 to start a formal tour of the residence.  When I paid for my ticket (to a Foundation that manages the property with the NPS) I got some good discounts.  Not surprisingly (since it was the middle of a work day), I was the only person on the tour.  My guide was excellent and I got some very good history context while playing with the interactive exhibits.  The site memorialized the impromptu (due to the assassination of President McKinley) Inauguration of the 26th President.  There were no photographs or recordings from the historical event but the staff of the site made due with some original and creative techniques.  Even though I could have stayed much longer, I decided to wrap up my visit at 1415.  With permission from the NHS staff, I left my car in the parking area for the NHS and walked a few blocks east so I could eat lunch at the Anchor Bar (home of the original Buffalo Wings).  This place had been widely recommended by anyone who knows Buffalo and I got a single order of (10) boneless wings with medium spice and an order of Pizza Logs.  The wings tasted much more like BBQ, rather than the Buffalo Sauce I'd expected - I guess I needed to do more research on sauce ordering.  I washed everything down with a pint of Anchor Bar IPA and enjoyed the ambiance of the bar.  Finished at 1510, I walked south (into the Downtown) in search of The Banshee Irish Pub, which had been recommended to me (earlier in my Nomad Life travels) when I was exploring The Bourbon Trail.  When I arrived, I asked the bartender about one of the owners/managers, a Coogan from Dublin, but I learned that he wasn't in town.  Dang...  Undeterred, I sat down at the bar (1530) and ordered a Banshee Irish Red Ale.  The Pub was apparently a big time rugby and soccer venue and there was plenty of sports on the TVs.  Around me, I saw lots of Coogan signs and other indications that the owners had a close connection with Dublin and Belfast.  When I was finished, I asked the bartender to pass along my greetings to Neil Coogan and he said he would.  Next, I walked back to my car at the NHS.  I passed through some pretty neighborhoods, statues of American Bison and lots of signs about Buffalo History.  Arriving at my car by 1630, I departed the city and drove towards the northeast so I could reach my hotel, the Holiday Inn Express (Cheektowaga), at the Buffalo Niagara Airport.  I was successfully checked into my room by 1655 and I logged on to my work computer to do a bit more telework.  At 1800, wrapped my my day and joined a Knights of Columbus Monthly Council Meeting on Zoom.  When that ended (1845), I watched some movies and generally relaxed.  I finally got motivated enough to do some exercise and, at 2120, I went to the Fitness Center.  I rode on their stationary bike for 20 minutes (4.5 miles) and then, seeing that no one was in the pool (it was a much longer one than I've seen in most hotels), I hurried back to my room to change into my bathing suit.  This stroke of luck allowed me to get 15 minutes of swimming (0.25 miles) of laps.  Two French Canadians came by while I was there but, after we used some French and hand gestures, they didn't interrupt my laps.  I should note that the water was NOT clean and I wondered if I'd regret this little water excursion... Back in my room (2210), I did some reading before bed (2300).  Very glad my transit day was full of good weather, fortunate encounters, history lessons and good exercise.  I hope the rest of the week is just as good!