Day 14: Finger Lake Waterfalls

Today we saw beauty. Absolute stunning beauty. But I’m getting ahead of myself. First we started with breakfast at the AirBnB and then drove over to Brad and Rachel’s to meet up for the day. You’ve probably heard of the finger lakes but maybe you didn’t know where they were (like we didn’t). Ithaca! There are eleven lakes and many waterfalls. Actually, they have a pretty cute motto here:

Isn’t that a cute play on words? We made sandwiches and packed a picnic before heading out for a few hikes and lots of waterfalls. 

This was one gorge that we saw from the top, then drove to the lower trail and hiked in a mile to see it up close. We also passed by some smaller falls along the way. The best thing about this hike was that it was flat with no elevation change. The path was dirt but wide enough for multiple people to walk side by side. It was also completely shaded under the cover of trees. Worth it!

We picnicked and at Taughannock State Park where the marina and the swimmers kept us occupied during our lunch of homemade sandwiches and snacks. The Berry group headed into the town of Trumansburg to use the library wifi for a job interview on zoom. The rest of the clan grabbed some ice coffees and perused a used bookstore before heading back to the picnic area. We did see some cool old buildings in town. 

Next up was Ithaca Falls which is a wide waterfall versus a tall one. This was a short walk from the main road over some small river rock. Maybe a five minute walk. It was a tree covered path and you come out from under the branches and you’re standing next to this. 

Seriously? I mean seriously! These waterfalls are amazing. And while I love Hawaii and I know they have waterfalls, these are more interactive because you can walk so close to them. You definitely do not want to swim into them because the force of the water would propel you underneath and there have been signs posted everywhere of the danger of drowning. 

So once we had our fill of waterfalls, we headed back to the AirBnB to rest and relax before dinner. We played card games, including Garbage, which is becoming a family favorite, and talked about every topic under the sun. 

We headed out to the Boat Yard Grill around 5:45pm and found ourselves seated in the coolest atrium. We were indoors which was very appreciated because it started to downpour about ten minutes after we sat down. The wind was coming down sideways and people sitting under the tent outside were seen taking cover under the patio awning. We were thankfully safe inside. 

The weather changed so quickly but we have been so lucky on weather for this trip that we’ve hardly ever had poor weather that didn’t work with our itinerary. 

All of our food was delicious. Some ordered lobster, surf and turf, the grilled chicken with peaches, lobster Mac n cheese, and the steak medallions. Nobody complained and nearly everyone finished their plates. 

There were even a few cocktails purchased and everyone was happy and talking and laughing throughout dinner. It was a fabulous evening and some said it was the best meal on our trip. A fine way to wrap things up. During dinner w woman stopped at our table and complimented Grams on her hair. This happened again in the restroom later so apparently her hair was really popping this evening. 

Dessert was ordered despite the heavy sighs and full bellies. Key lime pie, molten lava cake, and a warm cookie with ice cream. How did we have room when we said we had no room? We don’t know…

And then we were ready to wrap up the night. We headed back once again to the AirBnB to hang out and talk. As the hours passed we contemplated our purpose in life, how to overcome our fears, what’s best in eating right, and a plethora of other topics. We greatly enjoyed ourselves and are ready for the long journey to Boston tomorrow!

Day 13: Ithaca

Today we said a sad goodbye to my sister and her crew. They set off on their 11 hour drive and we set off on our 3 hour drive to Ithaca. We drove over a few bridges and saw two of the finger lakes. You’ve heard of those right? Us too, but we’ve never been. Until today! 

We are visiting Ithaca because Papa John’s son lives here with his wife and daughter. We set our map on their house and after passing through a ton of small towns, many corn fields, and a few mini marts, just over three hours later we arrived. 

They delighted us with a lovely lunch spread of sandwiches and lemonade before we set our sights on a moderately difficult hike to see some of the famous waterfalls that this region is known for. 

We set our maps to Treman State Park and hiked to see Lucifer Falls. This park was amazing! We have all been to Hawaii and many of us thought the greenery was comparable. It was lush and green and fern covered. It was gorgeous. 

We also got to catch up with Brad and Rachel and learn more about this region. It was a wonderful afternoon hiking in the shade and enjoying the views. The waterfalls were great. Simply stunning.

Joyce rested back at the house and we caught up with her after the hike. We spent the evening catching up and sharing stories before heading to our AirBnB and then a quick trip to Walmart for provisions.  Dinner was cooked, or rather reheated, a little movie about Ray Charles, and showers and bed. A busy busy day!

Day 12: Maid of the Mist

We made pancakes this morning. Sadly I forgot to buy bacon at Costco so we had to make due without. We rolled out around 9am today since we read online that the lines can get longer later in the day. We were so glad to make it our early because we got close parking, cheaper parking, and we didn’t wait in line at all for the boat. 

We ventured on the Maid of the Mist which is the boat from the New York side of Niagara Falls. So we had to cross the border this morning and Rainbow bridge. It’s probably called that because there is always mist from the falls and therefore there is a rainbow in the sky probably all the time. Pretty cute, huh?

Here we are before the ponchos and the wet experience! They give you these full body ponchos to wear plus a hood. Those hoods did prove challenging to keep on with the wind, but the thought was there!

Today is a beautiful sunny day so the sun was shining and the mist was appreciated. But then the mist got stronger, and the wind kicked up. The force of the water falling over the ledge creates a huge amount of wind power. You would think that we had stood in front of a powerful industrial fan with how much our hair was blowing around. 

And next, are the wet shots. If you left your hood on then your hair would not have gotten wet. But we also wanted to experience the full effects and we allowed ourselves to get a tiny bit wet. We took a ton of videos and we just laughed as little Kenzie repeatedly said, “we gotta get off this boat.” 

So many laughs. Such big smiles. This was an awesome 30 minute ride and it’s amazing how quickly it was over. The intercom talked to us the whole time and reviewed some Niagara Falls history while the boat took us closer and closer to the falls. Facts about how much water is pouring over the falls.. We also learned that a boy in a life jacket went over the falls and miraculously survived. 

Afterward, we turned in our ponchos and took an elevator back up to the ground level to check out the observation deck and of course, the gift shop. We looked out over the rapids of the river before the falls and then did some souvenir shopping before heading back to the AirBnB as we had already been out for three hours and lunch was needed. We vegged out for a bit. Shared photos of the morning and ate enough to keep us content for a few more hours. Cards games were played, some work was done, and one Papa might have taken a nap. 

And I just woke up from a nap, and now Todd’s napping on my shoulder. We are tired y’all. We are on day 12 of this whirlwind trip and we go go go every day. We tired.

We rotated evening showers since I booked an AirBnB for 11 with one bathroom. Read that sentence again 😬 It’s a delicate balancing act and lots of patience. More games of Go Fish and Clue were played and then a movie and dinner in. With a group this big, it’s best to eat in 😉 Plus we need to eat all of this ice cream because we leave tomorrow for Ithaca!

Day 11: Niagara Falls!

Today we jetted out of Toronto and made it to Niagara Falls in one hour flat. I wasn’t speeding, just going 100…km :) We are still in the land of metrics where gas is only $1.52… a liter :)

Around 11am we got to the Botanical Gardens and met up with my sister from North Carolina. She drove 11 hours with four kids to visit with us for two days. This is the kind of effort that has to be put in when you literally live on opposite coasts. 

Worth it! We roamed around the botanical garden and checked out some cool rose garden and veggie gardens. Those were super cool as the kids got to see cabbage, broccoli, peppers, tomatoes, basil, and a bunch others. 

We needed some grub so we found a burger place on the map that looked decent and possibly wouldn’t fill us up for our expected a Costco pizza dinner later. Well, we had no idea that we were driving to the main drag of a Vegas! Guys, we’ve never been here and in all of my research online for things to do, I did not see all of these things. A wax museum, mini golf, go-cart racing, a roller coaster, a ferris wheel, man this place just had everything! Here are some photos as evidence. 

Like I said, it’s a ZOO! I only saw pictures of the falls online when I was planning this trip. So after lunch we went in search of said falls, and guess what we found? 

We were in awe to say the least. None of us have ever been here and it’s amazing to see in person. The amount of water coming over the falls is just stunning. 

We took a drive along the riverfront and saw the power plant which seems like a smart move when there is a powerful force flowing right through here. 

We stopped at Walmart today for rations and then Tina and I went to Costco for our pizza and salad dinner. Oh and we tried POUTINE! It’s like fries with cheese curds and brown gravy. And we all decided it’s gross. Sorry, not our thing 🤷‍♀️ 

And our big learning for today was that Costco doesn’t sell wine. They actually don’t have any alcohol. So we had to find a liquor store to buy some red wine. What a crazy concept when you’re from a state where you can buy alcohol so easily. 

So wine, pizza, and salad for dinner with paper plates for the win! Cookies and muffins for dessert and this crew was up past our normal bedtimes. I’ve gotta hit the sack and prepare for our boat ride tomorrow!

Here are all the cousins playing cards today ❤️ 

Day 10: Toronto Castles & Museums

We headed out early today to be the first ones in the Casa Loma castle. It was built in 1911 and had some super cool features like an underground tunnel system that took you to the stables a few blocks away. There was an old car museum, a crazy huge wine cellar, a beautiful garden where a wedding was taking place, and even a wax museum at the top of one of the castle spires. Yes, a wax museum with current celebrities. Kinda weird but a cool addition to the tour! 

The place was huge and built by rich guy Sir Henry Pellatt. This place had seven floors, secret hidden rooms behind panels in the walls, and staircases galore.  We had a lot of fun exploring the grounds and learning about all of the different movies that have been filmed here. We thought Uncle Joe would love all of the old cars we saw.

After we felt like we had walked everywhere in this massive mansion, we sat the map to the nearest Cheesecake Factory to see how an international one compares to our locally loved location. It was mostly the same. Decor, menu, service. Pretty much a replica! Enjoy the feast that was our lunch. 

Next up was the Royal Ontario Museum! Another map of directions (thank goodness for smart phones, right?), and we set off to find some parking. Along the bumpy roads we found tons of old churches and buildings. We have noted that the roads are not smooth. The passengers in the car have noticed and are not appreciative of the constant bumps and uneven pavement. Maybe it’s because of the snow here or maybe it’s just time for repaving, but these roads are rough! The town sure is old but there are huge sky rise apartment buildings mixed in. We got to see the imitation space needle!

The museum was a beast! This place is gigantic and clearly you could spend days here exploring. We spent probably three hours and we moved swiftly through many of the exhibits. Enjoy these photos from Emily. 

There were rooms with gems, diamonds, Egyptian artifacts, bugs and insects, dinosaurs, literally the whole world was under this roof. We saw furniture from ages ago, busts and pedestals, even clothing. It really was a museum of all the different mediums. Here are shots that Katie took. 

It was almost like a Jack of all trades kind of a museum. They just had everything. We wrapped up the night with a lazy evening home. Snacks for dinner since we were still stuffed from lunch. Ice cream courtesy of Ben and Jerry’s. Some laundry was washed. And a hot bath was taken by some tired tired legs. Did you know that Toronto is known as the most overrated tourist city? It’s home to nearly 3 million people and lots of celebrities and singers have come from here. There is some touristy stuff to do but it reminds me a lot of SF. A city where people live and work but there are also a few cool things to do when you visit.

Tomorrow is everyone’s first time in Niagara!