Aquarama Update
It’s with sad regret that I have to post this update. I’ve been quite busy this summer with my own business in addition to a regular job and other matters and missed the Aquarama’s departure from her mooring in Buffalo. After a drive down the waterfront revealed her empty berth, I jumped online and begain searching, hoping her fate would be different than the Canadiana. Unfortunatly, it’s only different in that she is now in a Turkish scrapyard, rather than a Canadian one. The information I have found shows she arrived at her final port October 4th, 2007. R.I.P. Aquarama.
Buffalo Botanical Gardens
Landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, architects Lord & Burnham and botanist John F. Cowell all had a hand in designing and building the beautiful and historic Buffalo botanical gardens. It was built from 1897-1899, and it is currently one of only two existing tri-dome Victorian conservatories in America. The conservatory has gone through several renovations and additions over the years, and faced possible closure in the late 1970’s. Saved by the dedication of Florence DaLuiso (who provided tours of the facility to schools in an effort to raise public awareness of the buildings), it’s most recent renovations were to the Palm dome in 2001-2002. It’s a great day trip for locals during the long cold Buffalo winters! If you’d like to bring home a photograph of the historic glass dome, click the photograph above. Or, follow this link to our architecture section http://www.cafepress.com/photographz/2633153 or this link http://www.cafepress.com/photographz/2688373 to our floral section which features many flowers from the gardens. If cacti are more your type, then check out our garden greenery section here http://www.cafepress.com/photographz/2725638 for photographs of cacti and succulents taken in the gardens.
Derelict or Dream? The SS Aquarama
The above photo was taken recently in Buffalo New York. At first glance, the ship looks like a common derelict-a left over from the time when Buffalo was a bustling shipping port. A closer look reveals the name “Aquarama”. Searching the internet brings a wealth of information on a ship by that name.
The SS Aquarama begin her life as the Marine Star, a “liberty ship” meant to ferry troops to the war effort. She made one transatlantic journey before the war ended and she was decommissioned. A company bought her in the 50’s and renovated her into a ferry of a different sort. She was renamed the SS Aquarama and begain ferrying cars and people between Detroit and Clevelend. She was quite a sight, with two dance floors and indoor sitting areas. She was eventually mothballed in 1963 when it was no longer cost effective to ferry travelers across the lake.
She was towed to Buffalo in the 90’s to become a floating casino, however that hasn’t materialized yet. She just sits in her mooring, waiting…
Some might think her plight is reminicent of the Crystal Beach Boat (the Canadiana), which sadly was lost a few years ago. She spent her last few years sitting intentionally scuttled in a shallow mooring in the Welland Canal before being cut up for scrap. Last I saw her, she was little more than a rusty hulk, stripped of all her trimmings. Both ships (it seems) spent time in the same Canadian Shipyard. The Canadiana’s story ended there, the Aquarama made it out in (mostly) one piece. Hopefully the Aquarama’s story has a better ending, although I did find mention in a new story of an Indian firm looking at her for scrap as well.
If you’d like to bring home a little great lakes history, click on the picture or one of the links to my photography shops in the sidebar for items featuring my photograph of the Aquarama in her berth.
Digitally altered photo (you may also click on this photo for a link to my shop):
