We went to Niagara Falls. Two weeks and five days ago, to be precise.

After a two and a half-week blog break I'm ready to wrap up our Trip North.  Since getting back, the girls and I have packed up and left and come back again from another trip!  This time we set out for Indiana to visit my cousin Lisa.  It was an adventure.  I love the freedom of summer that allows for a spontaneous decision like, "I'm going to drive to Indiana today".  I'm also glad that Darin did  most of the driving to and from New York, so that I wasn't burnt out of that task!  And after our five days in Indiana, we came home for a few days, and then Darin and I went off on a little two day trip to Charlotte, sans kids!

Anyway, back to the pictorial evidence of our trip to Niagara:

This is the view from the top of the falls.  But from my memory of being there 24 years ago, I knew that there was a much more exotic view to be had, if we'd sign up for the Cave of the Winds tour.

We kind of had to walk a long way to get to the Cave of the Winds tour, and it was another hot summer day.  Spirits were getting low, and people were skeptical that it would really be worth it.

We found a little spot along the trail where I said, "look children, you can say you got into Niagara Falls!".  And so they all took their shoes off to cool off.  But I did get slightly nervous picturing one of my little ladies slipping on the rocks, and being swept off and over the falls.  So everyone was forced out of the cool water!  

People started reviving a bit when ponchos were handed out, and special issue sandals became mandatory footwear!  Suddenly they believe me that maybe something was about to happen at Niagara Falls!

We descended in a huge elevator, and suddenly we walked out at the bottom of The Falls.  Suddenly smiles started to appear again.  Also because maybe the temperature dropped about fifteen degrees down there at water level.

Henry gets sprayed by Niagara Falls with Canada in the background!

Look at how close they are!!  

We kept climbing up to the next higher level which was called "The Hurricane Deck".  It was so loud you had to scream to be heard.  And I didn't dare take the camera out because it would have been drenched.  The boys took off their poncho hoods and simply stood on the hurricane deck getting soaked to the bone.   It was wild and crazy.

Soaked to the bone.

Here I am telling George he can kiss me for taking him so close to Niagara Falls.  I had to show him what a kiss was.  

We forgot our passports, so we couldn't venture over to the Canadian side.  The New York side feels a little bit like a strange mixture of shanty town and some International airport.  Weird.  We ate at the Hard Rock cafe.  But after that, there wasn't really anything left to do.  We looked at our watches and it was 5pm.  A quick google map search revealed that we could be back at Steve's house in 8 hours.  Darin felt the urge to get us back home.  To be done hotel hopping.  A quick text to Steve said,  "See you around 2am!  Don't wait up, but if you don't mind leaving the door unlocked, we'd be ever so grateful!"  I think we actually made it around 12:30am, and they were still up.  They had even arranged all the bed, pillows and blankets, so that we could literally fall into bed.  It was possibly the best night of sleep we had had all week long!

And just like that, our trip North became our return trip to the South.  Every great vacation has to come to an eventual close.  We had a grand time.  It was all that I had hoped it would be, and even a few surprise bonuses along the way.  I think the kids loved it.  Now to start dreaming of where to drive to next summer...

P.S.  "The Sisters" are over at Christine's this week, in case you are looking for a more current account of our happenings.  Hurry, click!