Road Trip--Day Five, Tropical Paradise

Theodore is the guest blogger.

What happened today:
Breakfast at IHOP (incredibly expensive).
Visited Bird Kingdom (also includes lizards).
Went to an outlet mall (bought some shoes).
Drove to Toronto (was asleep for most of this).
Dinner at Kelsey's (good food within walking distance of the hotel).

Pictures from Bird Kingdom

Sneaks in a barrel

Two tortoises

Hernando the iguana

Star the macaque

Aggressive horn-bill

Early lunch

Road Trip--Day Four, Niagara- on- the- Lake

Today was a day for slowing down. There were no crowds that we were trying to beat, so we just went where our mood sent us. The first place we went was to Tim Horton's--Canada's popular answer to Dunkin' Donuts/Starbucks. We are beginning to understand its attraction as we have had breakfast there the last three mornings.

These are teaching gardens with staff in residence.

With nice full bellies, Ward and I went exploring and ended up at Niagara's Botanical Gardens. We really enjoyed the shade gardens, but rushed through the sun gardens as the temperatures were rising and sun was beating down on our necks. 

Generator floor at power plant

After lunch, Wally and Theo felt like they were ready for some exploring, so we ended up at the Canadian Adam Beck Power Station for a tour. They were eager to compare it the power station they had seen across the river in the US yesterday. The plants were practically mirror images of each other.





From this tour, we got a recommendation to go to Niagara-on-the-Lake (different town than Niagara Falls) for dinner. What a beautiful town. Flower beds everywhere that outshined what we had seen in the morning at the botanical gardens. Those along with quaint buildings made everywhere you looked like a picture postcard. Niagara-on-the-Lake was the favorite thing for everyone today. It fit perfectly with our mood of slowing down.

Downtown Niagara-on-the-Lake

Road Trip--Day Three, The Falls

Today was a day to get wet.

1. Got rained on early in the morning while we visited a park honoring the Navy Seabees.

2. Rode Maid of the Mist boat that took us to the base of both the US Falls and Canadian Falls.  Even though we were issued ponchos, we got wet. We didn't care because it was great!

3. Walked to the base of the Bridal Falls to Cave of the Winds. Got issued poncho and shoes but got very wet.  Didn't matter because we loved the roar, the spray, and  the rainbows.

4. Visited Power Vista visitors center for the NY Power Project. Still drying out while we learned that in the summer they divert 50% of the water from the Falls to make electricity. In the winter (non tourist season), they divert 75 % of the water away. It's hard to imagine what the Falls would look like with twice as much water roaring over them.

5. Visited old Fort Niagara, a fort built by the French in the early 1700's. Wish we were getting wet because the heat returned with a vengence.

6. Crossed the border into Canada to a new hotel. Felt good to get wet in the shower.

7. Sneaks stayed hidden most of the day because he didn't want to get wet. He only came out then and again usually getting in trouble when he did.

8. Tomorrow's plan is a mystery. The men of the family planned it while I was writing this.

Navy SeaBees mascot

Niagara Falls at last!

Maid of the Mist with our ineffective blue ponchos.

Theodore in special shoe to enter Cave of the Winds walk.

Sneaks got a little exuberant at the Power Vista center.

We thought we were hot, but this reenactor at Fort Niagara had heavy wool clothes on.

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Yesterday, your hint for today's activities was we hoped to find no floating barrels. This, of course, was in reference to all of the people who go over the Falls in a barrel. First person to survive this stunt was Annie Taylor in 1901. She was a school teacher looking for fame.

Road Trip--Day Two, Lockport

We spent the day in Lockport, NY, and it was a scorcher with temperatures in the 90's. Lockport is a town that sprang up in the 1820's during the building of the Erie Canal. There were a series of 10 locks built there with five going east and five going west. Two locks are still active today. We took a cruise through the locks, took another tour through the water tunnel associated with the old factories around the locks, visited a lock museum, and the visited the locks' Discovery Center. And then on our own, we watched from above as three boats went through the locks. Ward, Wally, and Theodore were very interested in all of the mechanics of the operation. I was mildly interested when I wasn't trying to avoid heat stroke.

For supper, we went to the Anchor Bar and Grill in Buffalo where the original Buffalo Chicken Wings were made. Supposedly, before the invention of the Buffalo wings, wings were either thrown away or used only in soup. The wings were very good as well as everything else we had.

As it turns out, Sneaks is difficult to vacation with. He always seems to be wandering off somewhere he shouldn't be. It's that "nine lives" thing that has made him a little reckless. Nevertheless, we're all having a good time.

We all very hot and tired tonight. Wally and Theo have gone swimming to cool off and Ward and I have turned on the AC in our room. The plan for tomorrow is to avoid all floating barrels. We're hoping that there will be more built in chances to cool off than today.

The Erie Canal

We went on a 2 hour cruise through the locks and town on a double-decker boat.

Lock doors opening for our boat.

Sneaks trying to find out why he wasn't allowed in here. We had to lead him away.

Ward and the boys watching the locks work from above.

Dinnertime at the Anchor Bar

Yesterday, you may remember I gave a clue of what we were going to do today. It was a couple of lines from this song:

Low Bridge
By Thomas S. Allen
I've got a mule, her name is Sal
Fifteen miles on the Erie Canal
She's a good old worker and a good old pal
Fifteen miles on the Erie Canal
We've hauled some barges in our day
Filled with lumber, coal, and hay
And we know every inch of the way
From Albany to Buffalo
Chorus:
Low bridge, everybody down
Low bridge cause we're coming to a town
And you'll always know your neighbor
And you'll always know your pal
If you've ever navigated on the Erie Canal
Get up there Sal, we've passed that lock,
Fifteen miles on the Erie Canal
And we'll make Rome before six o'clock
Fifteen miles on the Erie Canal
One more trip and back we'll go
Through the rain and sleet and snow
And we know every inch of the way
From Albany to Buffalo
Low bridge, everybody down
Low bridge for we're coming to a town
And you'll always know your neighbor
And you'll always know your pal
If you've ever navigated on the Erie Canal.

Road Trip--Day One

Wally loading the car this morning. With all of the room in the van, packing was easy.

You may remember a couple of months ago, we applied for our passports anticipating a trip to Niagara Falls.  Well, the time has come and we began our adventure today. Ward, the boys, and I started out this morning for our long drive to the Falls. The cats decided not to come because they don't like car rides--it reminds them too much of trips to the vet. So they offered their spot to Mr. Readcat, also known as Sneaks as he preferred to called.

Sneaks and Theodore passing time with computer games.

The drive went well. We are not ones to put the pedal to the metal, so our 7 hour drive took about 8 1/2 hours including several stops for food, bathrooms, gas, and driver changes. During the drive Sneaks spent his time watching Theodore play games on the computer and listening to Wally recount many episodes of Mythbusters.

Theodore pulling Sneaks away from the water's edge.

After we gladly checked into the hotel, we had Mexican for dinner and took a walk along the Niagara River. Sneaks was a little more adventuresome than we liked (I think it's because he has nine lives), but we all made it back to the hotel safe and sound.   Now we're looking forward to a good nights sleep before we set out tomorrow. We have a plan to see an old mule named Sal.  Let's see if we keep it.