What is between Woodstream Family Campground and Sherkston Shores Carefree RV Resort?

Woodstream Family Campground is a great place to camp with a group. It is located on the shores of East Koy Creek. Wyoming County’s East Koy Creek runs right through the campground. It is a prime trout fishing creek for its generous access and propensity for growing large brown trout. East Koy pools average about 20 feet across and 2 to 4 feet deep. We enjoyed a weekend of camping there.

Departing Woodstream we worked our way to Route 19, heading north. Along this route there are many, many windmills south of the town of Rock Glen. What makes an area good for a wind farm? With the hills and valleys of Wyoming County, a complex and highly variable wind regime is created. Trees and buildings can add to the complexity of the wind on a smaller scale. Hills,

plateaus and bluffs provide high ground on which to raise a wind turbine into an area of higher wind speeds. Valleys, which are lower and sheltered, generally have lower wind speeds. However, all valleys are not necessarily poor wind sites. When the wind turbines are oriented parallel to the wind flow, valleys may channel and improve the wind resource. A constriction to the valley may further enhance wind flow by funneling the air through a smaller area. A wind turbine located on a hill may produce power all night, while one located at a lower elevation stands idle. Understand why the hills of Wyoming County are perfect for wind power?

Entering the village of Warsaw is a Kodak moment. It is nestled in the picturesque valley at the crossroads of State Route 19 and 20A. The surrounding hills provide a changing backdrop with each season. It offers the white of winter snow, the lush greens of spring and summer and the colorful display of fall foliage. The hills into and out of Warsaw are steep and not for the “big rigs”. We saw an 18 wheeler in town with smoking hot breaks! We turned onto 20A in Warsaw and headed due west!

You pass through many small towns as you

traverse the hills. Varysburg is a small town with a large haunting history! The Varysburg Hotel had an episode of “Behind the Shadows” filmed there. The Hotel originally built as a Saddle Barn in 1856 and was converted to a stage coach stop in 1886. A town fire in 1908 caused the structure to burn to the ground. In 1909 the building was rebuilt and continued its existence as a local hotel, offering shelter to wayward travelers throughout the region. The Varysburg Hotel has long been believed to be haunted. Some of the better known apparitions include a “man in a blue jacket,” a small child who runs up and down the staircase at odd intervals, and a white-haired woman said to spend her time down in the Varysburg Hotel basement.

The town of East Aurora has been previously covered in other blogs of mine. But did you know that East Aurora is also the birthplace of and was home to the Corporate Headquarters for Fisher-Price, from 1987 to 2007.  The Fisher-Price village and the Toy Town Museum held an annual Toyfest Festival, which included a parade featuring giant replicas of classic Fisher-Price toys. The three-day event included rides, circus-like attractions and a Fisher-Price play area where children could play. Sadly, the museum closed in 2009.

East Aurora was the home of the inaugural owner of the NHL Franchise Buffalo Sabres, Seymour H. Knox III. The Knox Estates, now known as Knox Farm, is a 600-acre New York State park. It is located on the north-west edge of the village. The park is made up of a variety of habitats, including 400 acres of pastures and hayfields, 100 acres of woodlands, ponds and several wetland areas. While at Knox Farm you can observe wildlife, hike, cross-country ski and ride horseback along beautifully scenic nature trails. Be sure to visit the Knox Farm Visitor Center. It contains exhibits of historic and natural interest. 

The next town on Route 20A is Orchard Park, however it was not always Orchard Park. In 1803, Didymus C. Kinney and wife Phebe purchased land and built a cabin in the southwest corner of the township which has since been turned into a museum. The following year, a migration of the Quaker settlers began. The town was first named Ellicott, after Joseph Ellicott, an agent of the Holland Land Company. Within months, the name was changed to the town of East Hamburgh. Around 1934, the town was renamed Orchard Park after its principal settlement. In the early 1900s, a large fire burned down most of the central part of the village of Orchard Park.

Orchard Park is also home of the Buffalo Bills and Ralph Wilson Stadium (originally Rich Stadium), which opened in 1973. An original franchise of the American Football League in 1960, the Buffalo Bills played their first thirteen seasons at War Memorial Stadium, a minor league baseball park in downtown Buffalo. In early 1971, owner Ralph Wilson was exploring options to relocate the team, possibly to Seattle, with other cities such as Memphis and Tampa soon expressing interest as well. The potential loss of the team hastened the stadium project and Rich Stadium opened in 1973. Rich Products, a Buffalo-based food products company, signed a 25-year, $1.5 million deal ($60,000 per year), by which the venue would be called "Rich Stadium"; one of the earliest examples of the sale of naming rights in North American sports. After the original deal expired after a quarter century in 1998, the stadium was renamed in honor of Wilson.

We turned onto Route 62 North and entered the village of Blasdell. The name is derived from Herman Blasdell, the first station master of the Erie and Pennsylvania railroad depot. The village considers itself the "Gateway to the Southtowns" of Erie County. The community grew as a railroad town around the Erie Railroad.

Lackawanna was the next town we drove into. Originally part of the Buffalo Creek Reservation, the area was not open to settlement until 1842 when the land was sold by the Seneca Indians. In 1851 the town of Seneca was formed, the name was changed to West Seneca in 1852, with the area now known as Lackawanna being called West Seneca or Limestone Hill. Lackawanna was a center of steel manufacturing throughout most of the 20th century. In 1899 all the land along the West Seneca shore of Lake Erie was purchased by the Lackawanna Steel Company. Construction was started in 1900 and the plant began operation in 1903. The Lackawanna Steel Company moved to the area in 1902 later. The Lackawanna Steel Company was acquired by the Bethlehem Steel Company in 1922. With the 20th century growth of the Bethlehem Steel plant, at one time the largest in the world, came the continued growth of the city and its institutions. In recent years, efforts have been made to convert the former steel plant brownfields to other uses. The site does have a diversity of tenants; some occupy buildings remaining from the former steel plant and a few in newer buildings. Wind turbines were built on the former Bethlehem Steel property in 2007.

Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens were originally called the South Park Conservatory. Upon opening in 1900, the conservatory was the third largest public greenhouse in the United States and was ranked as the ninth largest in the world. The 1901 Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo helped to spur the success of the South Park Conservatory by providing trolley rides from downtown Buffalo to the conservatory. Tens of thousands of people visited the breathtaking conservatory and delighted in the exotic collection of plants and flowers. The South Park Conservatory continued to grow both literally and figuratively throughout the early 1900s and six greenhouses were added in 1905. In 1929, the City of Buffalo considered demolishing the conservatory due to poor management, low attendance and structural disrepair. Fortunately in 1930 federal funding became available to help repair the conservatory, which allowed the renovation of the deteriorating building. Post Great Depression and WWII, the Botanical Gardens' budget was reduced in the 1940s partly due to the drastic decline in attendance. However, by the 1950s there was a rejuvenation of interest in the South Park Conservatory and visitor attendance increased. The future of the conservatory was once again threatened when the infamous blizzard of 1977 damaged the conservatory. Fortunately in 1979, passionate group of citizens and volunteers rallied to raise public awareness about the conservatory. This effort resulted in the creation of the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens Society, Inc. In 1980 Erie County purchased the conservatory and the surrounding acres within South Park from the City of Buffalo for $1. This called for a name change, thus creating the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens. If you truly enjoy the beauty of horticultural, this is the place to visit!

We got off the two lane roads and headed onto the 190 around downtown Buffalo. We noticed a place that our sister-in-law, Judy and many friends would like to go, Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino. It is located in the heart of downtown Buffalo's growing Inner Harbor area. It offers you gaming excitement in an intimate environment. The casino features 808 slot machines and 18 game tables of Blackjack, Roulette, Craps, and Three Card Poker. This casino plays an important role in the development of downtown Buffalo. Opened in 2007, the name Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino refers to the Seneca Nation of Indians' original Buffalo Creek Territory, which occupied lands surrounding the current nine-acre casino site. To help encourage the growth and development of the surrounding neighborhoods, the Seneca Nation and Seneca Gaming Corporation recently established a $1 million fund to support beautification and community revitalization projects in the area surrounding the casino.

We once again crossed the Buffalo and Fort Erie Peace Bridge. This trip I learned that a major obstacle to building the bridge was the swift river current, which averages 7.5 to 12 miles per hour. Construction began in 1925 and was completed almost 2 years later. On March 13, 1927, the first car drove across the bridge. On June 1, 1927, the bridge was opened to the public. When the bridge opened, Buffalo and Fort Erie each became the chief port of entry to their respective countries from the other. At the time it was the only vehicular bridge on the Great Lakes from Niagara Falls to Minnesota.

We followed the coast of Lake Erie along Lakeshore Drive. Along this route, you can visit Old Fort Erie, home of Canada's Bloodiest Battlefield. There are over 200 years of living history within the walls of Old Fort Erie. The first fort built in Ontario by the British, in 1764 during Pontiac’s Rebellion. A base for British troops, Loyalist Rangers and Iroquois Warriors during the American Revolution. Canada’s bloodiest field of battle with over 3000 troops killed and wounded during the Siege of Fort Erie in 1814. The fort was also a major crossing point into Canada for the Underground Railroad. It was occupied by the Irish Republican Army, (the Fenians) during their largest raid in 1866.

Along this two lane road, you can gain access to Waverly Beach. It offers you a little of everything for the true nature and history lover. There are beautiful view of the Buffalo Waterfront Wind Turbines, grassy woodland trails and a sandy beach bordered by the beautiful remains of the historical Waverly Beach pool and dance hall. It is a great place to spend the day or just a few hours. Parallel to this route is the Friendship Trail, a path in Ontario County. It extends across the Town of Fort Erie, running parallel to the north shore of Lake Erie. From Port Colborne border in the west, this relaxing and picturesque trail takes visitors through lush farmland, quaint villages, pristine watersheds, and quiet residential areas as it ends at the historic Old Fort Erie. The trail provides easy access to the lakeshore and beaches, as well as commercial and recreational facilities, including Crystal Beach and Sherkston. Much of the trail is located upon an abandoned rail line. The trail is used by walkers, hikers, cyclists and roller bladers in the summer, and hikers and cross-country skiers in the winter.

Along the north shore of Lake Erie, the Nature Conservancy of Canada’s is a partially forested, 30-acre property at Point Abino Woods secures a future for the rare birds, reptiles and amphibians known to inhabit this highly significant natural area. The shoreline has become increasingly threatened by development encroachment from both the east and west. The land in this area is largely in private ownership and much of the adjacent area has been developed for seasonal recreation. The remaining natural area consists of a highly diverse mixture of mature woodland, beach and dunes, wetland, scrubland, and globally rare alvar. Point Abino Woods is a priority area for forest birds. Rare birds documented in the area include red-headed woodpecker, cerulean warbler, Acadian flycatcher, and hooded warbler. Point Abino is also known for its reptiles with rare turtles such as Blanding’s turtle observed here as well as milksnake and eastern hog-nosed snake.

Near the eastern end of Lake Erie, Point Abino juts out from the Canadian shore, creating a serious navigational hazard. One of the early residents of the point was Father Claude Aveneau, a Jesuit missionary working with the native First Nation, and the point’s name is a corruption of his name – this helps explain the interesting way Abino is pronounced by locals. In 1898 the Buffalo Courier recorded an early request for a lighthouse on Point Abino. Point Abino, however, is in Canadian territory, and as there are few Canadian boats interested in the matter of a lighthouse there, it would be almost a miracle were one ever erected. The Shipmasters’ Association petitioned the United States government in 1907 to place a lightship in American waters, just over the international boundary line off Point Abino, to serve as a guide for vessels approaching the port of Buffalo. A bill was introduced in Congress that same year, but it failed to pass. Three years later, a lighthouse bill approved in 1910 authorized construction of a lightship to be stationed between Sturgeon, New York and Point Abino. A ninety-five-foot-long, steel-hulled vessel was placed on station off Point Abino on August 3, 1912 as a means to mark the approach to Buffalo. In November 1913, two massive storm fronts converged on the Great Lakes producing what is now referred to as the “Big Blow,” the “Freshwater Fury,” the “White Hurricane,” and most commonly the “Great Storm of 1913.” The most destructive natural disaster ever to hit the Great Lakes, this blizzard with hurricane-force winds caused major shipwrecks on all the lakes except Lake Ontario. The lightship stationed off Port Abino was lost. Two other lightships were stationed off Point Abino until 1918. A new combined lighthouse and fog alarm building went into operation October 1917. The station is located on the flat limestone beach, 225 feet south from the wooded shore on the south extremity of the point, with a keeper’s dwelling house erected nearby. This light is elevated 87 feet above the water and is visible 15 miles. A 1969 article in the Buffalo Courier-Express noted that while automation, as relentless as an auctioneer’s hammer and his cry of “going-going-gone,” had claimed most of the lighthouses on the Great Lakes, Lewis Anderson was still serving as keeper of the Point Abino Lighthouse. Anderson’s job lasted longer than just a few more years. He was retained as keeper until the light was automated in 1989, and then continued to serve as a caretaker. Point Abino Lighthouse was discontinued in 1995. The significance of Point Abino Lighthouse, which was built in a Classic Revival style, was recognized when the lighthouse was declared a National Historic Site of Canada in 1998.

Beach Road runs you into Empire Road and on into Sherkston Shores, where we were set to spend a few days. There is much to do at the resort, or you can venture out to some of the surrounding areas we toured on our way there. If you are going to stay at Sherkston Shores Carefree RV Resort, be sure to check out the variety of vacation homes there are for sale. Owning at Sherkston Shores is a great way to extend your vacation from a short stay to a lifetime of vacation with friends and family.