There is nothing more fun than unearthing a treasure, and when it turns out to be in your own backyard, it’s even more satisfying. When my friend and I decided we deserved a day to ourselves, we headed to Lockport to check out The Market Street Art Center, right across from the Erie Canal.

Our intention was to take a canal ride first, but we just missed the departure. The cruise season ends next Sunday, but today through Friday, and Oct. 18, there are boats at 12:30 and 3 p. m. and on Saturday tour times are 10 a. m., 12:30 and 3 p. m. The rides are fun, educational, safe and relaxing. Reservations are suggested by calling (716) 433-6155. For additional information, visit

www.lockportlocks.com

. On a glorious sun-filled day, we walked into the Art Center and were amazed at what we found. Paintings, jewelry, scarves and pottery are displayed in a large open setting. Phyllis Green, a friendly and enthusiastic volunteer, greeted us. When I expressed that I didn’t realize that the Art Center was open to the public on a regular basis, Green said it was a common misperception: “People don’t know that we’re here. And it’s such a great place.”

You don’t have to have a thick pocketbook to support the arts here. You can buy a pair of one-of-a-kind earrings for $20 in the ART&SOUL Gift Shop on the main floor, or do what I did and fall in love with a painting and bring it home without breaking the bank. My painting of the Old Rialto Park in Olcott was only $160—framed. Now I have a piece of local history, a remembrance of a lovely afternoon with a dear friend and the knowledge that I helped support a local artist.

We also met Sally Bisher, who runs the center along with Executive Director Joe Buczkowski (my painting’s artist). The two are wonderful ambassadors for outlining the possibilities for the future of the Art Center.

Buczkowski took us on a tour of the old building, where art works filled every free space. “We’re open every day of the week from 10 a. m. to 5 p. m.,” said Buczkowski. “We encourage people to ask for a tour or poke their head into studios to ask to see the artist’s work. There is so much going on here, and we want the public to be a part of it.”

There are regular opportunities for people to get acquainted with the center as well as the artists. Starting this weekend and running through Nov. 14, there is an exhibit by the Kenmore Art Society in the Downstairs Gallery; the Vivian Boyd Show opened Saturday in the third gallery and in the Upstairs Gallery, Coni Minneci presents “A to ZWomanArtists,” with a reception at 2 p. m. today.

Starting Nov. 21 and running through the holiday season, all the galleries present the Off the Wall Holiday Show. On Nov. 21 and 22, the center hosts the Open Studios Holiday Art Trail and Artisans Alley.

For more information about these and other events, go online at

www.MarketStreetArt-Center.org

. or call (716) 478-0239.

Leaving Lockport, we managed to miss a turn on Route 31 and gratefully stumbled across Roberts Farmer’s Market, another surprising find overflowing with homegrown produce and flowers. The mixture of fruit and the two rose bushes I bought filled our car with a much appreciated heady fragrance.

With help from a friendly Middleport resident, we found our way to the Basket Factory, a restaurant in a building that housed the Royalton Basket Factory in the 1800s. Sisters Dawn Thompson and Julie Reigle co-own the restaurant. Reigle points out that it is a true family-run operation, with her father as a silent partner and her daughter Lindsey waiting tables. There is a large dining room, plus seating outside with a quiet, peaceful view of the canal.

We saved room for dessert at Alternative Grounds Caffe on Main Street in Middleport. Owners April Serianni and Crystal Buchan celebrated the cafe’s one-year anniversary in May. Tansy Nikaya, their enthusiastic employee, took us for a quick tour before we checked out the pastry case.

The renovations on the building, which was once a hardware store, are impressive. There are new, wide-planked hardwood floors, sandblasted brick, two fireplaces and ceiling- to-floor windows, which must be beautiful with snow falling in the winter.

The decor includes a piece of history from the old hardware store transformed into art for the wall in the upstairs banquet room.

“The owners found this big, round, ornate grate and refurbished it. Some of our customers have told us that it was the heating grate in the center of the hardware store, and when they were kids they used to come in and stand on it to warm up,” explained Nikaya.

It was hard to narrow our choices down, but we settled on a variety of cookies and a slice of cheesecake. They also have a coffee bar, espresso bar and fruit smoothies. Open Tuesday through Saturday, Alternative Grounds serves breakfast until 11 a. m. and offers several panini and wraps for lunch and dinner.

This was a full-day excursion, but not a far one. Lockport and Middleport can take you away for a day, for only a 40- minute drive.