A little place I like to call home

My daughter- Things to do....well being a local here I don't find Amherst to be the archetype of exciting. But if you ever are in town try these: if you like name brand shopping, there are some malls in the area like the Galleria, Easter hills, Boulevard. We have a great movie theater The Regal, with comfy seats and stadium seating. Also, there is skiing nearby from 30-60 minutes away, areas like Kissing Bridge, Holiday Valley, HoliMont, Tamerack, Buffalo Ski Club. Visiting Niagara Falls is exciting too, it feels kind of like New York with all the foreigners coming to check out the falls, and riding Maid of the Mist is fun too, just do it in the summer so you won't be freezing after you get soaked.

Quick Tips:

As long as you are near Buffalo, try our world famous buffalo wings. The best in the area is at Duff's, it is a casual place with simple atmostphere but great wings. Also great beer, another Buffalo pastime.

Best Way To Get Around:

Best way to get around...car, there are hardly any sidewalks to go to restaurants or anything worth getting to. But be careful driving in winter, it can make the hardiest driver slip and slide. Biking and walking are good on the University of Buffalo (at Amherst) bike path, it has about 3 miles of path that are good for walking it off.

Good restaurant if you want something fine, but not too fancy. It is small and cozy, and there is a back library room that has a great old English type atmosphere. Has great blackened catfish, angel hair pasta with artichokes, caesar salad and desserts. The prices are not bad at all considering the quality of the meal. For before or after dinner, there is a separate bar room where you can hang out and drink, eat snacks, and watch the TV.

Shogun is a unique place. You go in, and can either sit in a little room where you actually sit on the floor on pillows, or go to a big table with the big cooker in the middle. I sat at the big table. There, your chef greets you, and asks what you want. Then he proceeds to make it right in front of you, flipping his tools and catching them behind the back, tossing an egg and catching it so it cracks clean through, etc. It is entertainment! The prices are a bit pricey, but if you get 2 things, you will all get quite enough because we each got a portion of the other persons meal and a lot left over. Good desserts too, traditional Japanese...and you thought all they ate was Sushi! Note, they do have sushi too for you sushi lovers out there.

This is the best and biggest mall in Western New York. It has two floors of brand name stores, a food court, restaurants etc. Some stores: Express, Banana Republic, GAP, Galyans (huge sport store complete with rock climbing wall), Old Navy, Structure, Claire's, Brookstone, Kaufmann's, Bon Ton, Wilson's leather, Spencer's, etc. Food Court stops: Sbarro, Everything fruit and yogurt, dairy queen, bananas etc. Restaurants: Kahunaville (tropical interior rainforest), Jack Astors (fun place good food), Johnny Rockets (50's style w/ cheap food). It is usually crowded on weekends, but that's the same with every mall.

The newest Six Flags in the bunch, Darien Lake is a great summertime destination. It's approx. a half hour away from Amherst, but it's no big drive at all. There are big roller coasters including: Predator (wooden, rickety), Viper (upside down), Mind Eraser (feet dangling, upside down), Boomerang (forwards then backwards, upside down), and Superman (no head harness, a ten story drop, feeling of weightlessness). My personal favorite is Superman because it is by far the fastest, biggest drop, biggest thrill. You can also try your hand at the games, or ride the signature ferris wheel. There is also a waterpark, where you go down the usual slides and lazy river.

I'm actually going to review the movie theater, not the movie. Regals is a nice theater. You have big plush seats, arm rests with cup holders, stadium seating and good sound. Also there is an arcade so you can play games while waiting for your movie, or get a snack and have a seat at the tables that are set up. The drawback: really expensive food and drinks, especially for a movie theater! But all in all I don't go to any other cinema.

Holiday Valley is where everyone goes in Ellicottville (except those who belong to the private HoliMont ski area, including me). It is an hour away from Amherst. They have a lot of hills with different levels of terrain from the steepest trail in western New York, the Wall, or the smooth cruiser Mardi Gras. Mardi Gras is also the name of the high speed quad lift newly put in, so the ride goes faster. For beginners, there is a bunny hill. Check out the ski shop, The Hearth restaurant, and you can reserve your banquets there too. Have fun and happy skiing. Note, they also allow snowboarders.