That's the image I was trying to shake while strolling the few blocks from the Buffalo Zoo to Frank Lloyd Wright's Martin House Complex, where I enjoyed a private tour of the stunning American national treasure. A study in contrasts these two Buffalo memories, not unlike the city itself best known to sports fans as home of the NHL's Sabres and the NFL's Bills and to fine art aficionados as an enviable haven of world-class art galleries and architecture.
Images: American border cities
Images: 50 spots to get away from it all in the U.S.
Of course Buffalo is also no stranger to eager cross-border shoppers who seek out its malls and area outlets. So it is no surprise that Buffalo makes a great quick-hit tourist destination full of contrasting attraction.
Above it all
Buffalo's city hall offers a spectacular panoramic view from an open-air observation deck 28 storeys up. It's free and well worth the three-flight walkup once you've taken the elevator to the 25th floor. You'll get great views of Lake Erie and the Niagara River plus many of the city's marvellous buildings.
City hall itself is an Art Deco masterpiece worth exploring from the ground. It was built between 1929 and 1931 and is credited with setting the architectural tone of the downtown business district. . See ci.buffalo.ny.us
Beer and wings?
Serving some 2,000 pounds of chicken wings a day, business is brisk at the world famous Anchor Bar. The novelty of chowing down at the eatery that invented Buffalo wings in 1964 is more than matched by its rowdy, yet family friendly atmosphere and the meaty, flavourful wings themselves. Our 15-minute wait for a table -- that's the norm -- was fun too, checking out the extensive memorabilia including a half dozen vintage motorcycles. See anchorbar.com
Architectural inspiration
The Martin House Complex, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, is a marvel whose tour times are worth consulting before planning a visit. Wright, considered to be America's greatest architect, built the "Prairie House" for businessman Darwin D. Martin between 1903 and 1905.
In stark contrast to contemporary Victorian-style homes, its exterior is low-lying and the interior free-flowing.The complex features 394 art glass windows in 15 distinct patterns.
"A building should appear to grow easily from its site ..." says Wright in his writings, a thought that will stay with you as you walk the floors of this National Historic Landmark. See darwinmartinhouse.org.
Naval gazing
There is so much to see at the Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park, history buffs could easily spend a day. The park, opened in 1979 and billed as the largest inland floating history museum in the United States, is a short drive from downtown. Museum displays include Desert Storm and Women in the Military. Simulator rides on a Harrier Jump-Jet are available plus a fun ship's store where you can buy customized dog-tags.
The main attraction, however, is touring the guts of the big vessels, docked at the park. Among them, the USS Little Rock, the only U.S. guided missile cruiser open to the public and the USS The Sullivans, a destroyer named for five brothers who died together in 1942.
Our two-hour self-guided tour of all three -- up and down hundreds of metal steps, along winding narrow passages through a small mess that served 2,000 meals a day. and into cramped quarters where sailors slept several hammocks deep -- was fascinating. See buffalonavalpark.org.
Amazing art
Awestruck is the best word to describe our brief tour of the Albright-Knox Art Gallery. Strolling through airy halls, glimpsing works by Salvador Dali, Marc Chagall and Vincent Van Gogh it was apparent we'd arrived at a world-class museum. Be prepared to spend at least a half day at this enormous facility but if you can only manage an hour or two, a little research on the gallery's website will help you fine tune your visit. See albrightknox.org.
Parking meter: 75 years old todayWinging it in Buffalo
