Summer Vacation 2009 - Day 2

It was 10:55 when I jumped in the shower and ran out the door with the toiletries bag to make our 11AM checkout time this morning. OK, more like 11:15, but the housekeeper was still 3 doors down so I made it just under the wire. I was peeved about my wet hair and no make-up, but it was all just as well since our destination today is....NIAGARA FALLS, NY!

On the way to Niagara we made a stop in North Tonawanda, NY at the Herschell Carousel Factory Museum for some kid fun. I'm not sure it was as much fun as I'd hoped, but it's a sweet little museum run by a group of obvious volunteers keeping the memory alive. The children's room is filled with things that your kids would do at home - art easels, doll houses, toys, blank newsprint w/ rubbings of carousel horses, puzzles, games and crafts. In that room is a miniature carousel that can only be ridden by children who can do it alone and are still shorter than our Alex. Think 3 to 5 years old. Then we made the rounds of the museum, seeing the different carousel animals made by this company and the carving room where they are actually carved out of wood. This company also makes band organs which play the music of the carousel - that was really cool.

We ended the tour with a ride on a full size carousel while God Bless America played on the band organ. I cried. It was a totally awesome, good 'old American, wholesome thing to do. We like carousels. There is a lone picnic table outside the museum so we took advantage and had our lunch.

Now, on to Niagara Falls. We drove right downtown to the nastiest "welcome center" you've ever seen. Nothing appealing about it and I was overwhelmed by the curry stink coming from inside. I like curry. The trouble with it is, once it's made, it's felt by everyone within 75 miles. This stuff was rank and it felt dirty. We parked there for $10 and wandered around the corner looking for anything resembling the falls. We came to a guy who was looking very "unofficial" and waving a neon orange flag. He wasn't directing traffic or people or anything. Just standing on the street corner, waving the flag. Getting paid really good money, I'm sure. He told us where to go and finally we found the park setting, on the other side of which are the falls and our destination...The Maid of the Mist! (Once you find the ticket booth for this thing, you're fine. Finding anything on the American side of the falls is a little bit of a joke. Nothing is marked and if you get out of the park setting, you're just in a yucky town. Stay in the park.) We got our tickets (kids under 6 are free!) and headed out to the observation deck that juts out over the Niagara River. It's tough to see much from the American side of the Falls, but it's a pretty place. We took the elevator down to the landing and boarded the boat.

We're all in our gorgeous blue complimentary parkas and we set off. Andrew plays in the standing water around the edge of the boat. Jac was happy to stand on her own and she held on to the railing. We're all set. It's a gorgeous summer day with the sun shining and the water flowing...we come around the bend in the river to see the falls in full view and the boat forms a perfect rainbow behind us in the spray. That's when we realize that none of us remembered to bring a camera.

Mom and Dad may have gotten a cell phone shot or two, but basically this amazing ride into Niagara Falls and we've got bupkus to show for it.

Can I just say that riding the Maid of the Mist is a really amazing trip! Don't hesitate to do it when you visit Niagara. We had so much fun on that 30 minute boat ride. It was the ultimate "vacation thing" to do. Totally tourist, totally worth every dime. The boat sits in front of the Canadian Horseshoe Falls for a long time and you get completely showered with water. It was crazy fun and I'll never forget it. I'm so happy we did it and hope you get to do it too.

(Please refer to Day 3 for photos I took from the Canadian side of the Falls.)

After departing Niagara we took a country road tour of western New York toward Lockport, NY, home of the Erie Canal.

We drove toward a city park that borders the canal, hoping to see some locks or barges... after we get there and discover that this "park" isn't a place we want to be. We crossed the canal and found that this is an historic district only and there isn't much to see in the way of life on the Erie Canal. Oh, well. It's late and we're hungry. After some quick roadside research (so glad Mom picked up that NY tourism magazine!) we found another Holiday Inn and Suites and an Applebee's nearby. That's as good as it gets in Lockport, but after our very long day, it all hit the spot. We got settled down in our hotel and the girls all took a bath before bed. Alex is prancing around in her pajamas and said, "Why is there always one of these in our hotel room?"

Well, because you are a spoiled, rotten little girl who stays in suites instead of hotel rooms. I don't know how my parents travelled with eight children. There are four spots in a hotel room in which to sleep; the rest of us were on the floor - and we do the same thing with our children. Heck, you can't even register for a hotel with 5 kids. They tell you it's against fire code and send you packing. So we get a suite so there is enough floor space for the camp site. This time we literally took sleeping bags. That's why there's always one of these in your hotel room, Alex. I'm pretty sure I was an adult on an expense account before I ever saw a marble Jacuzzi tub - and I was probably previewing the executive's suite. It does make it easier to bathe all four girls at the same time.
A few minutes later prayers were said and we put the kids to bed. I was hoping for an hour of diversion on television, but Jac refused to lie down. We turned out all the lights and I was asleep before her. What a great day.