Buffalo Bucket List, Part 3

After some grueling packing, a seemingly quick drive to Chicago and then more grueling unpacking, I've moved out of Buffalo and am spending the next month at the parents' in Illinois. My last few weeks were a whirlwind but I guess you could say that about my entire summer in Buffalo. I'll miss Buffalo!

Here's the conclusion of my Buffalo Bucket List.

Buffalo Zoo:

I first heard about the Buffalo Zoo on the fictional tv show Wonderfalls but didn't actually think it existed. But it does! And after moving to Buffalo, I would often run near the zoo and be greeted by a lovely waft of bison stench. Well, I finally made a visit inside the zoo with Jenn and we had a fun time seeing lions, rhinos, gorillas and giraffes. Not a bad way to spend a summer afternoon.

Shakespeare in the Park:

There never seemed to be a shortage of summer events around the city and especially free ones (City of Night, Silo City Fleas, Elmwood Festival of the Arts, to name a few). I had fun the seeing my first Shakespeare play in over a decade, even though it wasn't a very thrilling drama (Henry V). Picnicking and enjoying the summer weather made it a pleasant way to spend a summer evening in Buffalo. (We got rained out on our attempt to see the summer's comedy, A Comedy of Errors later in the summer but still had a fun picnic with friends in Delaware Park). 

Nickel City Cheese and Mercantile:

I discovered this quaint cheese shop only this summer and wished I had found it sooner since I love it so much. I first went to Nickel City Cheese to sample their chocolate covered cheese truffles, which I first heard about from a work colleague almost two years ago. Crazy, yes, but also delicious. Most of the cheeses used in the truffles are soft and are also mostly covered in dark chocolate. I ordered a brie-bacon-dried fig-semi chocolate truffle. I don't know how to describe it but it just works. Definitely something worth trying.

Garden Walk:

Every summer in July, Buffalo hosts the largest garden tour in the country. My neighborhood was right in the thick of the Garden Walk and was packed with many garden enthusiasts. I only saw two gardens on my street but they were glorious. I couldn't believe these little gems were hidden only a few houses away from me! Makes me want to take up gardening one day when I'm finally a homeowner.

The Bubble Man:

At the corner of Allen Street and Elmwood Avenue, from a third story window above Jim's Steakout, lies a Buffalo wonder: The Bubble Man. With the help of an electric fan, a mysterious man blows soap bubbles out his window and onto the streets of Allentown. I caught him a couple of times this summer but couldn't quite get a great picture of him. But I'm glad I got to see his bubbles before I left! (He even has a Yelp page devoted to him!)

And now I'm off to settle down in Tampa next month awaiting to explore new sites in my new city!