Brrrrrrr. Like most of the country, we’ve been dealing with some ridiculously cold days, and that’s prevented us from getting out and enjoying the winter as much as we’d like to. Next year, I hope, we’ll be out and about, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing, all winter long. But this year, we’ve just tried to get some outdoor family fun time in whenever we could, and not worried about it if we were stuck inside.
A couple of weeks ago we decided to have a little family day in East Aurora. It’s a cute town south of Buffalo, with a pretty main street and plenty of eclectic shops and restaurants. We decided that the weather was nice enough to venture out, so we headed down for lunch and a short walk down the main drag. And since it was convenient to them, we invited the in-laws to tag along.
We started with lunch at Elm Street Bakery. As I mentioned in my previous post about the Buffalo dining scene, we had heard that they made wood-fired pizza and we’ve been on the hunt for a replacement to Pizzeria Paradiso, our favorite joint in Old Town Alexandria. I’ve been trying to avoid gluten, since I’ve noticed that my headaches and tummy distress are much reduced when I eat gluten-free, but I make exceptions (and willingly accept the consequences) for wood-fired pizza. The pizza was delicious and I definitely think we’ll be back to sample their granola, soups, salads and gluten-full breads. (The in-laws stuck with soups, salads and sandwiches while we enjoyed our pizza.)
After lunch, we headed out for a walk down the main street. Before we even got there, we encountered a little used bookshop (aptly named “The Bookworm”) and clearly we had to look in.
They had an especially good children’s section. I didn’t buy anything this time, but will definitely be back. After the bookstore, we took a stroll down the main street (unfortunately, WordPress doesn’t seem to like the picture I snapped of the main street looking all pretty in the snow, but you can check it out on Instagram, here, along with a few other shots I took that day). The boys and Peanut ducked into the five-and-dime while the ladies made for the yarn shop (I needed darning needles, a circular needle, and some buttons – I found them all and successfully resisted buying any yarn).
Such a fun day in East Aurora! We’ll definitely be back, many times, I’m sure. (Next time we go, I’ll try to get more pictures for ya – darn technical difficulties.)
What’s your favorite day trip to take with family?
covered in flour 
I love walking the local nature trails and photographing everything. It’s so relaxing and whether I’m 15 minutes or 45 minutes from my home I feel so far away. A day in East Aurora sounds fun…I haven’t been in the town in years.
I love photography walks, as well! Such a lovely way to spend the afternoon – in nature, making memories. We had a great time that day in East Aurora! My sisters-in-law went to school there and my mother-in-law works there, so it’s a family hot spot for us. I love the Italian restaurant on the main street…
Sometimes it’s automatic for me to get in the car and drive to Buffalo or even just the Transit Road area. I’m going to make a point to visit a few of the local towns instead, plus I like smaller/quieter anyway. Great post!
Thanks! I’m new in town so I’m still exploring, but East Aurora is definitely going on a “favorites” list for me. Can’t wait to check out some of the other little towns outside the city, too. There’s SO much charm here.
Well, welcome to town! There are plenty of excellent places to visit if you don’t mind walking and being outdoors, and most or all of it is free. East Aurora is kind of a gem! I look forward to reading more about your explorations of the little towns!
Thank you! I’m very much looking forward to exploring more. My husband and I are avid hikers and nature lovers, so walking and being outdoors is kind of our default state, LOL! The trouble at the moment is that we have a 17-month-old, so we’re constrained to short activities that we can squeeze in around naps, and we also can’t let her get too chilly. I expect to have plenty more explorations to report this spring and summer when the weather is warmer and our daughter is a little bigger. And next winter I’m hoping to be out there cross-country skiing and snowshoeing every weekend if possible. 🙂
That’s sounds fantastic! And yeah pretty difficult with a young child, just gives you more to look forward to later, right?
Reinstein Woods in Depew is a favorite spot and they do have something…maybe cross-country skiing, def snow shoe walks-I’m not sure what to call it.
The Tifft Nature Preserve is one of my favorite places. It’s in the city of Buffalo, free to visit and run by the Buffalo Museum of Science, but once you walk in a ways it feels “out in the woods”. Across the street from the Tifft are some lakeside trails and beaches too, so you can park and bring the baby in the summer. Very cool to bump into another nature-y person on here. Enjoy your exploration!
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