To celebrate International Jazz Day, here is the incomparable Aretha Franklin from the 2016 IJD event at the White House.
Monthly Archives: April 2019
The Niagara
The Hotel Niagara, Niagara Falls, New York
The Niagara, a 200 room hotel, opened in 1925. It is located 1/4 mile from Horseshoe Falls. The hotel has been shuttered since 2007, although it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2008.
Erie Canal
The canal map at Gasport, NY
The Erie Canal spans from where Albany meets the Hudson River to where Buffalo meets Lake Erie. When completed in 1825, the 363 mile Erie Canal was the second longest canal in the world.
The Erie Canal at Gasport
Construction began at Rome, NY in 1817. The canal has 34 locks, with an elevation difference of 565 feet.
The Tow Path at Middleport, NY
When it opened, the canal cut transportation costs by 95%. 1855 was the canal’s peak year, when 33,000 shipments took place.
The Erie Canal at Middleport
The last large commercial ship retired in 1994, and the canal has seen mostly recreational traffic since. 42 commercial shipments took place in 2008.
Bridge over the canal at Middleport. The cafe on the corner is well worth visiting.
The Art of the Brick
Buffalo Museum of Science
Buffalo, New York
The Scream
The Art of the Brick is a global touring exhibit by artist Nathan Sawaya. His medium is the Lego. It happened to be at the Buffalo Museum of Science when I was in town.
David, with Augustus of Prima Porta looking on…
Rembrandt self portrait
The Great Wave off Kanagawa
Several of the works were the Lego impression of classic works of art, but the vast majority on display were not based on previous works.
Titled Gray, 23,678 Legos; “Taking a leap was hard… but I always knew there was another me, an Artist Me, lurking inside…” – Nathan Sawaya
Swimmer
Titled Grasp, 17,356 Legos; “No matter where your heart wants to lead you, there will be hands that try to hold you back. Life’s challenge is to find the strength to break free.” – Nathan Sawaya
T-Rex
I saved my favorite piece for last: A 20 foot long, 80,000 plus Lego, of a T-Rex. He gets two photos to show the size of this many-bricked dinosaur.
Hockey Hall of Fame
Toronto, Ontario
Hockey Hall of Fame
Four members of the Frozen Foursome+ made the pilgrimage to Toronto to visit the Hockey Hall of Fame during the off day of the college tournament. The Hall was established in 1943; it has been in its current location since 1993.
Dedicated to Mr Hockey
Currently, there is an exhibit honoring #’s 9 & 99: Gordie Howe and Wayne Gretzky. A nice video tribute on both of the legendary players, as well as exhibits highlighting their connection.
One section of the Wayne Gretzky exhibit
One can not argue with the contribution both made to the game of hockey: Mr Hockey & The Great One.
Hobey Baker’s induction plaque
The plaques honoring the players that have been inducted and the various trophies are displayed in the Great Hall, which is in the historic Bank of Montreal building.
The Great Hall’s ceiling
The Great Hall is a stunning room, the highlight of which is the 24 fanned-panel, stained glass dome, with eight stained glass circles, and even more detailed panels on the outer edge and inner section.
Herbie’s induction plaque
The Bank of Montreal building, which is home to The Great Hall was constructed in 1885.
The Original: Lord Stanley’s Cup
The original Stanley Cup, and the retired bands from the current cup, are stored in the old bank’s vault. Now known as Lord Stanley’s Vault.
The Canadiens are well represented
The HHof receives around 300,000 visitors a year. This year, with the Frozen Four held in nearby Buffalo, NY, there was a definite influx of college hockey fans while we visited.
Conn Smythe Trophy
Miracle on Ice
There is an entire section dedicated to international hockey, which includes Olympic Hockey. A large exhibit honoring the 1980 Miracle on Ice team was prominent.
They do play hockey Down Under
A hockey fan could spend several days exploring the Hall. I know that all of our group would have loved to spend more time than we had, but it was a well worth the trip across the border to experience the history of hockey.
A very small section of the exhibit dedicated to the evolution of the goalie mask
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