Buffalo in the Rear View Mirror

Monday February 9,2015  Room 142 Comfort Inn Erie, Pennsylvania

FINALLY, we are out of New York State. It was snowing fairly heavily when we awoke this morning in Williamsville but we decided to head down to breakfast and see if things settled down a bit after the rush hour. By 930 the snow had stopped and, though the day was very gray, we decided to try to get at least to Erie, Pa. I went online and reserved a room, since there were few left and we didn’t want to get here with no room at the inn.

The road, once we got on the Thruway was clear. They don’t stint on salt in NYS so the way was wet but not slushy or icy. Within minutes we paid the toll and were on our way toward Pennsylvania along the Eastern shore of Lake Ontario and eventually the shore of Lake Erie. Both of them are far enough west of the highway that they aren’t visible. There is a high point where Lake Erie is usually visible momentarily but the day was so overcast that it was impossible to distinguish it on the horizon.

Getting through Buffalo was very easy since we were well past rush hour and it was not yet lunch time so the traffic was  practically non-existent. Of course, there were plenty of tractor trailers but with a fairly clear roadway they didn’t present much of a problem.  The sun did peek out twice for a fraction of a second but that was enough to lift our spirits and make us believe that tomorrow may be even better, weather-wise. Had we realized travelling was going to go so well we probably would have aimed to make Cleveland today but the reservation was made and so we stopped after 101.5 miles and only a couple of hours. It did allow us a nice leisurely lunch at Applebee’s before checking in. The girl on the desk upgraded us to a lovely Jacuzzi suite which is poolside. I love the balcony outside our room and direct access to the pool, although we are not using it, but enjoy the view, which is quite tropical spa-like. That, in itself, makes the reality of the city with the most snowfall of any so far this winter, seem far away. The snow piles are huge and the sidewalks are paths through walls of snow. The cost of gas is quite pleasant --$1.94 a gallon. Almost feels like the days of my youth—loll

All in all, a good day—we are out of New York, we have another beautiful, comfortable room and with luck we’ll be heading south tomorrow. It is terrific to be on the road once more. Until tomorrow night, take care, stay warm and drive safely. Good night from the Traveling Peas.