The day after our Niagra Falls visit, I woke up to find Daniel sleeping on the floor. We both were fighting some sort of illness and feeling pretty crummy. Neither of us had slept very well.
To make matters worse, our bed has been getting increasingly uncomfortable. We’ve both been tossing and turning a lot lately. Apparently Daniel was so miserable last night that he opted for sleeping on the floor.
Hawthorn Suites Hotel in Williamsville outside of Buffalo
The Hawthorn Suites – Buffalo Airport
It was clear that we couldn’t continue traveling as originally planned. Daniel and I both had mild cold symptoms, body aches and nausea. And we were both exhausted. We needed to lay low for a few days and recover from this bug.
Unfortunately, staying put wasn’t an option. Our reservation at Four Mile Creek State Park ended that day and they were booked up over the weekend. We would have to go someplace else.
I eventually found a hotel on the outskirts of Buffalo that met our needs. Our 1-bedroom suite turned out be the nicest hotel room that we’ve had in a while. This was fortunate because we ended up staying longer than either of us planned.
Our comfortable room at the Hawthorn Suites hotel
This picture pretty much sums up our visit to Buffalo. THE SICK!
The COVID Test
Although Daniel and I were 95% sure that we didn’t have COVID, I decided get tested. I’d rather know for sure since we’re constantly on the go.
Thankfully, it’s a lot easier to get tested for COVID-19 than it used to be. Walgreens offers testing at select locations without a referral. I simply had to fill out a questionnaire and sign up for a time slot.
I drove over to Walgreens at the appointed hour and got in the pharmacy drive-thru line. The pharmacist provided the test kit and described the testing process.
She watched through the window as I carefully swabbed my nostrils. Then I placed the sample in a collection bin outside the pharmacy. And that was it. Easy peasy!
The hardest part of the COVID test was waiting for the results. After spending a few days in the hotel, we both started to feel a little better. I didn’t feel 100% but I was probably well enough to travel. I was hesitant to leave, however, since we didn’t have the test results back.
Finally, after staying in the hotel for 6 days, we got the results. Negative. WHEW! What a relief.
My only photo of the COVID testing process. There was quite a long line at the drive-thru when I arrived. Pardon the dirty windshield.
The Buffalo Wing Test
Daniel and I didn’t get a chance to explore Buffalo since we never left our hotel. But we did want to sample some buffalo wings while we were in town.
Both Anchor Bar and Duff’s claim to have created the original buffalo wings. We weren’t sure which ones to try so we ordered them both for delivery.
I’ll be honest. I wasn’t feeling very well that day. Apparently, nausea and buffalo wings don’t mix. I didn’t particularly like either kind at the time. I just wanted soup.
Ah well. I’ll have to try again the next time we’re in the area.
Buffalo wings from Anchor Bar. Photo by Daniel.
Buffalo wings from Duff’s. Photo by Daniel.
Where are we now?
We are at the Hawthorn Suites Hotel in Williamsville, New York!
Dates: October 9-14, 2020
Great American Road Trip Status: Days 96-101
Starting Location: Four Mile Creek State Park – Youngstown, NY
Ending Location: Hawthorn Suites – Williamsville, NY
Miles Traveled: 68.7
Total Trip Mileage: 6440.2
For more details on our Great America (Socially Distanced) Road Trip, see my previous posts:
- Day 95: One day in Niagara Falls: A Visit to America’s Largest Waterfall
- Day 94: The Great Lakes Challenge
- Days 90-93: Cuyahoga Valley National Park: A River on Fire
- Day 89: The Pandemic Dilemma: Traveling across America during COVID-19
- Day 87: A Long Travel Day Across Michigan
- Our Vagabonding Anniversary: A One-Year Retrospective
Sorry you are ill. Pray you are well soon. At least your schedule is flexible. 😉