ellicottville, new york.
For Valentine’s Day, Logan surprised me with my very own set of skis and boots! I was so excited that of course, we had to book a trip immediately. Given the status of the Coronavirus, we decided to stay close and not fly. Logan had been to Holiday Valley before and knew it was a good spot so we booked our tickets, and hopped in the car! Holiday Valley is about 5.5 hours east of Fort Wayne. The drive from Fort Wayne may sound long but it really isn’t that bad. You get to drive through Cleveland, hilly Pennsylvania, and finally New York. The ski resort is located in Ellicottville, New York, about an hour outside of Buffalo.
Holiday Valley Ski Resort was an awesome place to ski considering the location. We didn’t have to fly across the country to Colorado or Utah and the hills were much bigger than even Northern Michigan. Of course the runs were much shorter than those out west but I was pleasantly surprised at how large the resort was. There were multiple runs that didn’t all end at the same area. Holiday Valley also had several lodges spread throughout the runs where you could stop and get something to eat or drink. Though I would much rather ski out west, Holiday Valley is the closest alternative to skiing out west. The prices were also relatively cheap.
We drove to Ellicottville on a Thursday afternoon and left on Sunday. On Sunday, I realized that Niagara Falls was just over an hour away. I wasn’t going to be that close to the falls and not go see them! Logan and I left the hotel rather early and made the quick drive through Buffalo to the falls. I had never been before and Logan hadn’t been since he was little. I don’t think Niagara Falls is worth a trip just to see the falls so I’m glad we added this onto the ski trip. The falls are beautiful to see, it was neat seeing them in the winter too. There was snow and ice everywhere yet the falls were still roaring! In my opinion, we have seen many larger and more beautiful falls on some of our hiking trips but to see an urban, famous waterfall like Niagara was pretty neat. If you are in the area, it’s worth it to stop by. Keep in mind, the area surrounding the American side of the falls is extremely touristy.
Niagara Falls, February 2021
Next, since we had to drive through Buffalo to get home, we did what any other tourist would do. We went to the original restaurant to create buffalo wings! Can’t go to Buffalo without eating wings.
Where We Stayed: Since we booked our trip pretty last minute, hotels in Ellicottville were very expensive so we decided to stay about twenty minutes away from the ski resort at the Seneca Casino. Though it would have been more convenient to stay closer to the resort, the casino was a great spot. The casino was newer, very clean, affordable, and nice. We were shocked at how big the casino was! Unfortunately, due to Covid, several of the restaurants were closed but there were still some grab and go spots that served food.
Where We Ate: Finnerty’s Taproom was a fun place to watch part of the game and we enjoyed appetizers and local beers. Many of the bars in Ellicottville were rather small and crowded but Finnerty’s provided much more space than the smaller bars.
The Anchor Bar in Buffalo, NY is home to the original buffalo wing. Logan and I often reminisce about this place. First of all, the wings were seriously the best I’ve had. Secondly, we showed up to the restaurant on a cold, dark and dreary Sunday morning. The restaurant was quiet other than a few locals at the bar. No music was playing but rather, the Godfather was on all the tvs. Something about this place just screamed New York. We loved the local vibe, the history, and the incredible food. If you are in Buffalo, definitely stop here to enjoy wings right where they originated!
Breweries: On our way to Ellicottville, we stopped at Southern Tier Brewery in Lakewood, NY, about 45 minutes outside of Ellicottville. We had sandwiches and wings at the brewery and each enjoyed a really good drink! The brewery felt very cozy with its wooden interior.
Ellicottville Brewing may have my favorite beers of all time. Prior to going to Ellicottville, none of us had heard of this brewery but goodness, the town seems to run on it! The beer is served all over the town and there are two unique locations; the brewery and the Taqueria, both serving different types and flavors of beer. The first night after a long day of skiing, we had dinner and drinks at the brewery. I had a flight and enjoyed blueberry beer with real blueberries floating on top, horchata beer, pumpkin beer, and a unique orange chocolate beer. The orange chocolate may sound bad, I thought it did but still wanted to try it, but it was SO good! I have yet to find a beer similar. You absolutely have to go to Ellicottville Brewing if in the area.
Ellicottville Brewing and Taqueria is owned by Ellicottville Brewing but has a Mexican twist. The taqueria serves great Mexican food and all different beers than the brewpub.
The Banq, though this isn’t a brewery, it was a really neat cocktail bar right downtown Ellicottville. They served high end cocktails in an old bank.