Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/52019
ing family — 80 art and science gal- leries, a miniature zoo and a sculpture garden. A night on the town might feature a concert at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center and dinner in the Ironbound District, known for its Portuguese, Brazilian and Spanish restaurants. Those traveling to Newark in the spring might catch the Cherry Blossom Festival in Branch Brook Park. The park's grove of more than 2,700 cherry trees is actu- ally larger than the more famous one in Washington, DC. A wide range of meeting facilities Newark – New Jersey can be found at area hotels and larg- er venues like the Meadowlands Expo-sition Center in Secaucus, near Newark Liberty International Air- port. The nearby Gateway Region is home to the state's largest conven- tion venue, the New Jersey and Expo Center in Edison, which offers 150,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space BUFFALO/NIAGARA The most prominent sites on Buffalo's historically Black Michigan Street Heritage Corridor are the Michigan StreetBaptistChurch,once anUndergroundRailroad Station,and theNashHouseMuseum, the for- mer home the church's legendary pastor,who was the son of freed slaves. In nearby Niagara Falls, you can join an Underground Railroad tour in addition to enjoying aMaid of theMist boat tour of the falls and other popular attractions. Two more notable Black heritage attractions are Buffalo's Paul Robeson Theatre and the Colored Musicians Club, where Duke Ellington, BillieHoliday,DizzyGillespie and other famous jazz artists performed in the 1930s, '40s and '50s. These days,music lovers can enjoy the club'sweekly Sunday night jamsessions. Buffalo's outstanding architecture provides some of its best sightseeing opportunities, while a cruise on Lake Erie or a tour of the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens would be a good way to view some of its natural scenery. Kids might enjoy a trip to the Museum of Science, while the grownups might want to stop in at theAnchor Bar, home of the original Buffalo wings. The recently renovated Buffalo Niagara Convention Center contains a total of 110,000 sq. ft.of space,with 1,600 hotel rooms located nearby. ONTARIO Canada's first Black settlement is remembered at the NationalHistoric Site andMuseumat North Buxton, one of the stops along the African Canadian Heritage Route. The trail starts inWindsor, the site of the 1846 log cabin of John F. 76 Black Meetings & Tourism November/December 2011: www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com Niagara Falls – Buf