When Clark Dever (left) and Joe DiNardo heard that JetBlue was offering special All-You-Can-Jet Passes for a flat fee of $599 last August, they took it as a challenge. Quitting their day jobs, they embarked on a month of value-maximizing travel that took them to 30 cities in 31 days, racking up more than 50,000 miles before ending their quest back where they started in Buffalo, New York on Friday. ]]> Victor Ozols 2009-10-11T16:23:24-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/8/28/14411/2674

Another Labor Day, another annual National Buffalo Wing Festival. The Buffalo, NY event stretches back to 1992, when Wing King Drew Cerza was inspired to start it by Bill Murray's junk food addicted character in "Osmosis Jones." Over the years, it's grown from a small competitive eating spectacle to a full-blown convention--hosting over 400,000 total people, generating over $125,000 for New York charities, and even serving as the site of a wedding.

This year's gala promises to build on last year's gigantic festival, where more than 78,000 people consumed over 27 tons of wings.

Buffalo Wing Festival organizers are fond of describing the spectrum of sauces as stretching from the mild to the suicidal, with dozens upon dozens of stands serving their specialties. The "Official Wing Sauce of the National Buffalo Wing Festival," Frank's RedHot, will be given away from a booth at the festival. There are also a variety of eating contests, including one that involves bobbing for chicken wings in a vat of blue cheese. ]]> Omri 2009-08-28T16:59:42-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/11/25/155027/50

To break a world record, the city of Buffalo threw the biggest disco party ever in 1979 with 13,000 attendees. In the '90s, they did it again--for charity. Saturday's World's Largest Disco attracts a giggle-inducing parade of '70s stars and a crowd of 7,000 people every year to benefit Camp Good Days, which organizes festivals and fun days for children with cancer.

We know what you're thinking: Are you, venerable website, really suggesting we trek up to Buffalo, where it is supposed to snow all weekend, in order to participate in a giant disco dance? Why, sure we are. Because we've all had that Thanksgiving we'd rather forget, due to a "House of Yes"-style family fight or a "Planes, Trains & Automobiles" travel nightmare. This one, though, you'll never forget. Don't forget to send us your notes if you go!

Related Stories:
· World's Largest Disco [Official Site]
· Buy Nothing Day [Jaunted]
· Toast Your Thanks In Oregon [Jaunted]
· Thanksgiving coverage [Jaunted]]]> egw 2008-11-25T16:30:19-05:00 42.8869630 -78.875748 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/4/28/204817/071

Friedrich Nietzsche famously proclaimed "God is dead," and nowhere does his statement feel truer than along the abandoned-factory-lined waterfront of Buffalo. But the city embraces its darkness in black humor films like "The Savages" and "Buffalo 66," where neurotic, blue-collar intellectuals suffer the existential crises that Nietzsche invented.

So it makes sense that the epicenter of this angst-ridden city's counterculture culminates at Nietzsche's, a music venue for people who like their musicians local, talented and gimmick-free.

Located along narrow Allen Street, lined with bookstores and bars where owners still stand behind the counters, Nietzsche's authenticity is the antidote to faux-dive music venues where the mirrors are intentionally hung askew. Its trademark cobweb-covered candelabras have lit the venue for decades, with the exposed wiring to prove it. Get there soon--before the fire department shuts the place down.

Related Stories:
· Nietzsche's [Official Site]
· Movie Set Travel: The Savages [Jaunted]
· Buffalo Hotels [HC]

[Photo: Linden Tea]]]> ced138 2008-04-29T12:00:01-05:00 42.899220 -78.879364 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2007/11/29/22373/648

This week's movie pick is perfect for a dose of reality amidst all the holiday cheese factor out there, so sidle up and get serious. The Savages is about a brother and sister who have to face up to familial responsibility when their father becomes ill and they are forced to care for him.

Two of our favorites, Laura Linney and Philip Seymour Hoffman, are Wendy and Jon Savage, a sister and brother who are forced to get reacquainted after they've drifted apart, when they have to care for their dad.

This one's also good for a dose of winter weather seriousness, with part of it being shot in Buffalo. We offer you some things to check out in "The City of Good Neighbors". (Wait, that's really the city's nickname?)

Where To Stay: Hotel Indigo Buffalo's answer to the boutique hotel, Indigo features brightly decorated rooms (think red bedspreads) and a loud public areas including an on-site bar and restaurant, but it's a nice break from the standard offerings and you'll enjoy a dip in the indoor pool when it's negative 20 outside.

Where to Eat: Anchor Bar One does not go to Buffalo and not have wings! Hit up Anchor Bar, where it all began. One Friday night patrons came in starved and wanted to try something new and Anchor Bar had the answer. This place serves up over 1,000 lbs a day of wings, and even took home a James Beard award for its secret sauce.

What to See: Ansley Wilcox House Step back in time and check out the exact spot where Teddy Roosevelt was inaugurated back in 1901. This is one of the very few inaugural sites outside of Washington DC, due to the fact that Teddy had to take office fast after President McKinley was assassinated. Visits inside the house are by guided tour only, and admission is $5.

Related Stories:
· Movie Set Travel coverage [Jaunted]
· Buffalo Hotels [HotelChatter]

[Photo: stratushead]]]> sedona 2007-11-30T08:45:01-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2007/9/10/94616/7024 Contribute your R2D2 mailbox locations by uploading your photo, with mailbox address to the Jaunted Flickr Photo Pool, or sending us the photo and street address via email.

Jaunted tipster Mary Kay spotted this R2D2 mailbox not far from home in Buffalo, New York. Right across the street from the University at Buffalo, these days this postal unit should be fielding plenty of desperate cries to mom and dad to send more money for "books".

Mary Kay's son is a major Star Wars fan, so even though these mailboxes are on the way out she wanted to get this one on the map. We're hoping to spy a few more before they disappear.

Go Straight To The R2D2 Mailbox Map]]> pbb 2007-09-10T09:46:16-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2007/4/27/155630/158
According to a somewhat brain-melting MySpace blog posted by ?uestlove (a.k.a. Ahmir Thompson), the Roots drummer was a victim of racial profiling at the hands of BUF airport security and the DEA. In addition to his gig with the Roots, Thompson does some lucrative moonlighting as an international DJ, a job for which he's paid in cash. He was making his way through Buffalo Airport when that international cash aroused suspicion at the special security line, where he had to check in due to a last-minute ticket purchase.

they were like there are too many red lights: "you carry two computers, these orange things (external hard drives), this louis vuitton bag (no one gave me the memo that louis bags are suspect on TWO levels for men) you carrying all this money from different countries, you have a passport, and you fit the description with this knitted rasta farian hat"

i wore this hat to conceal the afro that could be the difference between the autograph/photo pause i have to take while going to plane and just maybe an extra 6 mins at starbucks concealed enjoying a muffin and coffee before the flight. i know i joke with the "disguise" kit hat but it does buy me minutes. i have nothing against taking photos. its just one photo leads to another photo and then 4 photos and then there goes 10 mins and then "final call for USair flight passenger thompson!!!!!"