Jason and I just got back on Saturday from a super long road trip we had originally planned from back in December – Buffalo and the Outer Banks. He’s from Buffalo and hasn’t been back in several years, so we thought taking a working road trip and stopping in NC on the way home would be a lot of fun, especially since we have basically been shut-ins since Covid started.
If this trip looks weirdly lonely, it’s because I keep forgetting to ask Jason if he’s okay with me posting photos of him 😅
The whole trip was a full month – we left at like 7 am on June 18, driving all the way to Wytheville, VA (reaching around 9 pm), then continued to Buffalo on Sunday. In good news, not only have we survived Covid lockdown together but we have also successfully completed a road trip without any drama so clearly something is working.
East Aurora
We stayed in a great Airbnb in East Aurora, which is a super cute village outside of Buffalo. It was an in-law suite connected to a house right behind Main Street, with a ton of cute shops and restaurants in walking distance. As someone who was born and raised in South Florida, it was kind of shocking just how green everything is up north during the summer.
Cool places to eat in East Aurora (no particular order):
- Bar Bill: An East Aurora institution and our first stop with Jason’s parents
- Elm Street Bakery: Super cute and amazing breakfast. I got shakshuka (a Middle Eastern tomato dish with poached egg) on a solo morning visit while Jason slept in, and we returned another day to get breakfast sandwiches. They were delicious and the bakery itself is super cute!
- Blue Eyed Baker: The cute and delicious bakery of my dreams. I think the breakfast sandwiches are only available from Friday-Sunday? I wish we had gone back for the mini strawberry cakes – next time!
- Kornerstone Cafe & Juice Bar: Home of Jason’s favorite iced skim chai tea lattes and my favorite iced lattes in East Aurora
- Left Coast Taco: Tacos. Need I say more?
- Homegrown Kitchen: Totally inspired me to make some of my own bowl/salad meals for lunch when we got back. Definitely stopped here a few different times for an easy walk for a yummy lunch
- Charlie’s Diner: Love a good diner and this was no exception
- Taste Bistro & Coffee Bar: Right on Main Street with outdoor tables. We got breakfast here and it was great to sit outside and enjoy the weather a bit before heading back to our Airbnb to work
We of course visited Jason’s friends and family, as well as drove around to places from his childhood around the Buffalo area. He used to race motocross and we met up with his parents (also on a road trip of their own) at a race in Palmyra, which was really cool. I wish I’d taken some pictures there too.
Niagara Falls & Cave of the Winds
During the trip I turned 32! Crazy. The night before, we had dinner at his friends’ house and Jason surprised me with an ice cream cake, and we went to the US side of Niagara Falls on the actual day. I’ve never been before! It was a gorgeous (but incredibly HOT) day. We were absolutely melting.
We skipped the Maid of the Mist because I get super motion sick and didn’t want to risk that, and went to the Cave of the Winds instead. I think that was definitely the better decision because it was super cool! Definitely plan on getting wet. Even though they give you ponchos (see my awesome getup above), you can stand under the falls itself which is really neat.
Lockport Cave
We also went to Lockport to see the Lockport Cave & Underground Boat Ride. I really like tours because it’s a fun way to learn history, especially when you have a good tour guide. I’d definitely recommend checking this out if you’re in the Buffalo area. We finished the day with a stop at Lake Effect Ice Cream (I got Strawberries & Cream and Revolution Coffee).
I was unexpectedly sad leaving Buffalo – our Airbnb and East Aurora as a whole was really nice, and I was sad that part of our trip was already over. But I was really excited for the beach and the Outer Banks, so leaving wasn’t too bad ☺️
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