Besides Niagara Falls, what else is there to do here? (information booths play important roles in tourism industry; Niagara Falls, New York)

It's a Friday morning in October before a long holiday weekend. The fall foliage colors are just starting to peak. UB has its homecoming and the Bills are playing at home.

It's 9:45 a.m. and the tourism information center at the New York State Thruway stop in Clarence is closed. Doesn't open until midafternoon.

If any of the three busloads of tourists sipping Burger King coffee and drinking Nathan's tea wanted information about the area, they could grab a number of promotional pamphlets available. But they won't find a person manning the booth yet.

Trouble is, most of the pamphlets focus on Niagara Falls attractions. Nothing on the Buffalo Zoo or the Naval and Servicemen's Park. Or the Darwin Martin House or Albright-Knox Art Gallery.

Further down the Thruway at the Angola information booth, two people ask for directions and information about Niagara Falls and Buffalo. A woman gladly tells the pair about Niagara Falls, Letchworth State Park, even Watkins Glen. They all sound inviting.

But what about Buffalo? Anything worth seeing or doing?

"There's nothing to do in Buffalo," the lady replies. "You could get killed in downtown." …