Visit 12 new places in 2010

Underground Railroad Driving Tour in LeRoy, NY

While at the Jell-o museum, I saw a map for sale ($1!) for a driving tour of some spots that are important to the Underground Railroad, within the LeRoy, NY area.

Nine spots in particular were highlighted. While the “Railroad” doesn’t have metal tracks illuminating its path, the trail that some escaped slaves traveled remains important in history, and especially important to me.

As we drove along the tour, some names were familiar to us from Rochester, NY history, and others were brand new. Frederick Douglas is mentioned. You can also see how people were able to hide along the terrain – the creek beds must have given some places to hide, as well as bushes and trees that dot the area heavily.

I am interested in taking a bigger tour of the NY leg of the railroad at some point.

Jell-O Museum, LeRoy, NY

We’ve heard about this museum for many years, and have wanted to go. I wasn’t sure what to expect. Some people commented online about the smallness of the museum. It is small, but very packed! I learned so much about Jell-o during the tour, and saw so many interesting things related to Jell-o. I never knew how many flavors there had been over the years, and just how old the company is! Amazing information!

There is also a small transportation museum below the Jell-o museum.

HSBC Arena, Buffalo, NY

I would like to return here to see a hockey game someday, but my first trip here was for the Pearl Jam concert on May 10, 2010. The facility is just immense. They take really great care of it. At the start of the concert, the place was immaculate. At the end of the concert… well… let’s say that a LOT of people fit in there, and they really use the heck out of it! I am so impressed with the people who work there. It has to be some kind of labor of love to clean up after so many beer drinking enthusiasts!