How do you adventure?

I'm not exactly an adventurer in the typical sense. I don't white water kayak or camp in the Rockies. I have no desire to climb Mt. Everest...ever. But I do enjoy smaller, everyday adventures. I like exploring wherever I am, and I love finding hidden gems. I know that seeing new things helps keep my writing flowing because it's a heck of a lot easier for me to write about places I've seen before.

This past weekend we travelled to Buffalo, NY for my cousin's high school graduation party. As with most trips we go on, I did a quick search beforehand to find out what there is to see in the area. I don't want to run myself ragged, but I do like to see new places, so that's just what we did.

We started with meeting family for dinner on Friday night in Batavia. After dinner we drove past this cool cemetery. We didn't go inside, but here's a cool photo my daughter took from the street.

The sky was looking pretty ominous, but pink and happy at the same time. That made the shot even better.

We had some time the next morning, so we ventured into downtown Buffalo to see what we could see. We found some great architecture. My amateur photographer daughter loved this mural and others we saw like it. We walked around Canalside, a new area along the canal that feeds into Lake Erie. It was a really fun morning of exploring.

On Sunday morning, we drove across the border into Canada and checked out Niagara Falls. With family so close, I've been to Niagara several times, but each trip there is special. It's such a gorgeous place!

We're back home now but still exploring. Today we took a quick trip to Old Town Alexandria. I got a little turned around and stuck on the George Washington Parkway. Instead of correcting my direction right away, we drove a little further to see where it would take us. We found the River Farm Garden Park (headquarters of the American Horticultural Society) and the Dyke Marsh Wildlife Habitat. These are two places I never knew existed before today.

Neither of these places were life-changing, but they were both beautiful, and I appreciate the memories we made today. Singing in the car and watching the scenery go by is part of the fun.

Sure adventuring takes time, but it doesn't have to take a lot of money. All of these adventures cost only the price of parking. It was a whopping $3 to park at Canalside in Buffalo for the day. Sure, parking in DC is way more than that, but the memories are worth it.

So whether you're the person who's zip-lining over Niagara or have your feet firmly planted on the sidewalk, wherever you are, get out there and see what you can. You won't regret it!

What adventures have you been on lately? Find any hidden gems of your own?