By Edward Healy

When was the last time you were inspired to explore Buffalo Niagara? If you ever needed a good reason—or reasons—consider this: it’s blessed with outstanding theater, a world-class symphony, authentic American heritage sites, extraordinary architecture, nonstop nightlife, a historic zoo and one of the world’s top collections of modern art. Mix in charming restaurants, great shopping, major league sports and an exciting array of family attractions—plus the wonder of Niagara Falls—and your interest will be piqued.

An unexpected visit from relatives prompted me to take another look at this place I call home. And, thanks to a newly christened Art, Architecture and Heritage Trail, I gained a better insight into the heart of a countryside rich in social and cultural legacies whose origins began in the 19th century. The Trail affords you an opportunity to sample a host of storied hotels and inns, savor distinctive regional cuisine and wines, and appreciate the history, mystery and beauty of western New York and southern Ontario.

The Trail consists of two loops—one loop south of Buffalo through southern Erie, Chautauqua and Cattaraugus counties, while the other bi-national northern route meanders through nearby Ontario and Niagara County. With plenty of time on your hands—from two to five days—you can cover the entire Trail. Our allotted time of one day for sightseeing limited us to stops in Buffalo and a small portion of the southerly loop in close-by East Aurora.

The journey began at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery. Though filled with one of the country’s great collections of modern and contemporary art, it also hosts traveling exhibitions. On this day, “The Triumph of French Painting” drew throngs of art lovers.

We sidestepped a slow-moving group in front of a breathtaking Blue Period Picasso and moved on to the gallery’s permanent collection for a brief look before ambling through the Sculpture Court. The sculptures are riveting, but you can’t help but be diverted by the soothing view of Frederick Law Olmsted’s Delaware Park, a gently undulating landscape surrounding Hoyt Lake that drew visitors and locals eager for a pleasant afternoon stroll. We lingered a bit before a drive through the nearby Delaware District for a look at a slice of the city The New York Times once described as “a textbook for a course in modern American buildings.” Sound dull? It’s definitely not!

Along Lincoln Parkway, one of a number of lush greenways designed by Olmsted to link the city’s parks, opulent and imposing residences emerge, monuments to a bygone era of unimagined wealth and unending prosperity. These homes come in every shape, style and material; a testament to what money can buy when money is no object.

From here, we moved to the city’s Parkside neighborhood and sought out Frank Lloyd Wright’s Darwin D. Martin Estate, the most extensive “Prairie Style” house in the renowned architect’s comprehensive body of work. The Martin Estate was the first and only time in his 70-year career that Wright had the chance to design a residential complex of multiple buildings; in this case, the Martin House, the Barton House and the Gardener’s Cottage. The estate is undergoing a massive renovation, but tours are scheduled for the summer months and by appointment the rest of the year. The Barton House gift shop has all manner of Wright-themed memorabilia for admirers of this great architect.

After browsing for souvenirs, we drove to the charming village of East Aurora, about 40 minutes away. Home to toy maker Fisher-Price and the Toy Town Museum, the town pays homage to the company with an annual Toy Fest. Today we were more interested in the National Landmark Roycroft Inn and Roycroft Shops, an integral part of the Roycroft arts and crafts community, founded by Elbert Hubbard in 1895. This self-contained enclave of craftsmen produced solid, Mission-style furniture, as well as other handcrafted items. The inn opened 10 years later to accommodate the thousands who came to meet the charismatic Hubbard and buy the wares marked with the distinctive Roycroft “R.”

The inn passed through many changes of ownership over the years and its future was in doubt until it received National Landmark status in 1986 and a local foundation agreed to underwrite its complete restoration. The inn reopened its doors in June 1995.

After perusing the paintings, prints, antiques, books, pottery and jewelry of the Roycroft campus, we drove down to the Schoolhouse Gallery and the studio of furniture maker Thomas Pafk. Pafk is devoted to re-creating the Roycroft furniture reproductions, which feature the two back-to-back “Rs” logo.

Before returning to Buffalo we visited Vidler’s, an authentic Five and Dime store on East Aurora’s Main Street. We were drawn to the old-fashioned candy counter where a big bag of nonpareils was a sweet ending to a day of touring the Art, Architecture and Heritage Trail.