as it has ever been. Bowling can be en-
joyed by people of all ages, special needs
families included. Most bowling alleys
in Western New York offer special ramps
for challenged bowlers to roll the ball
down, and bumper pads to keep the ball
on the lanes. No matter what the weather
is doing outside, an afternoon or evening
at the alleys is always fun. To find out
when your local bowling establishment
has open bowling available, give them a
call before heading out.
For other accessible activities, con-
sider checking out the following:
Aquarium of Niagara - The Aquar-
ium of Niagara is open year-round
and features over 30 exhibits and
200 different species of mammals,
fish, birds, and reptiles.
Pierce-Arrow Museum – For a
unique family experience, visit the
Pierce-Arrow Museum and explore
a historic collection of antique au-
tomobiles, bicycles, motorcycles,
and memorabilia.
Buffalo and Erie County Botani-
cal Gardens – When it is cold and
wintry outside, there is nothing
better than an afternoon strolling
through the greenhouses at the Bo-
tanical Gardens. Enjoy the interior
warmth as you enjoy the magnifi-
cent palms, tropical flowers, koi
pond, and fruit trees.
The key for any family is to avoid
the trap of hibernating all winter. There
are plenty of things to do, and as Buffalo
continues its resurgence, there will be
many more family fun events to enjoy.
Venture out and embrace the weather,
you may just find that you have been
missing out on a lot of winter fun!
This collection of accessible winter ac-
tivities was compiled by Aspire of WNY,
a leader in providing innovative, person-
centered programs and services for chil-
dren and adults with developmental and
other disabilities for nearly 70 years.
Visit www.aspirewny.org or call (716)
505-5830 to learn more about Aspire’s
personalized assistance empowering in-
dividuals to achieve their full potential
and live as independently as possible.
This article was prepared in cooperation
with the Public Relations Committee of
the Developmental Disabilities Alliance
of WNY (DDAWNY).
FAMILY TRAVEL continued...
Admission to the grounds and park-
ing is free. The festival includes special
events such as visits with Santa and rein-
deer, horse-drawn carriage and sleigh
rides, a Reindog Parade with dogs dressed
in holiday costumes, snow shoeing, holi-
day movies, and a holiday concert, as well
as shopping and dining.
Then there is Swedish Market Day
on December 1, otherwise known as
Julmarknad, a nod to the city’s Swedish
heritage with plenty of food, drink, and
entertainment. Jamestown Community
College is hosting many of the activites.
Westfield makes a good stop on the
drive down to Jamestown. A charming
pocket park in the center of the village
tells the story of Abraham Lincoln and
12-year-old Grace Bedell with historic
markers and statues. The bronze statues
show Lincoln greeting the young girl.
It depicts the scene on February 16,
1861 when Lincoln traveled to Westfield.
Speaking to the crowd, he said that a lo-
cal young lady has “advised me to let my
whiskers grow, as it would improve my
personal appearance.”
When Grace emerged from the
crowd, Lincoln kissed her and thanked
her for the advice, thus creating an en-
dearing part of Lincoln lore.
A copy of her original letter is on a
marker and tells Lincoln “all the ladies
like whiskers and they would tease their
husbands to vote for you and then you
would be president.” We will never know
whether it was Grace’s advice that led
to his victory and changed the course of
American history. But it’s fun to think that
a 12-year-old may have played a role.
Just down the road
on Rte. 20 is the Grape
Discovery Center in
the heart of the Con-
cord Grape Belt. The
Concord grape is na-
tive to North America
and was first brought
to Western New York
in the 1870s where
conditions proved to
be just right for grow-
ing the grapes.
Exhibits tell the
story of the grape’s
history in the world’s
oldest and largest con-
cord grape region. It is a good place to
stop for free grape juice and wine tastings,
as well as gifts related to the area. Always
wanted to make a grape pie? You can buy
the filling for the unique pie here.
The 4th Annual Christmas in the
Vineyard will be held at the center De-
cember 8th from noon to 5 pm, with a
storewide sale, grape punch, mulled wine
punch, hot chocolate, and homemade
treats. Santa will also be there.
Travel Tip of the Month: For in-
formation on Chautauqua County and
Jamestown visit www.tourchautauqua.
com or call 716-357-4569. For the Chau-
tauqua Harbor Hotel visit www.thechau-
tauquaharborhotel.com or call 716-489-
2800. Hilarious Weekend Packages are
available that include tickets to the Na-
tional Comedy Center.
Deborah Williams is a veteran travel
writer whose work has appeared in na-
tional and international publications. She
lives in Holland, NY and is the recipient
of the Society of American Travel Writ-
ers’ Lowell Thomas Gold Travel Writing
Award.
December 2018 WNY Family 65