Day 12 - Canada and Niagara Falls

One thing that struck me as we began to drive into "great lakes" territory was the clouds. All the way accross the country the sky was clear and blue, but as soon as we got into Indiana, close to Lake Michigan, I noticed big puffy white clouds in the sky - lots of them. The sky was still quite blue, but I was struck by how many clouds there were. I assume it's from the water on the lakes. I also thought it might be just a coincidence in the weather. But after five days I'm thinking it must be the lakes.

We drove into Canada at Port Huron and had a long drive through green landscapes to Niagara Falls. It was fun listening to the canadian radio jockeys joking about the summer Olympics and referring to us as "states". It was nice hearing French on the radio, and I noticed even more clouds in the sky.

Except this time it turned out to be thunderstorm clouds. By the time we got close to Niagara we were in a blinding thunderstorm and we were worried we wouldn't even be able to see the Falls. Thankfully, they give you plastic ponchos for your ride on the "Maid of the Mist" boats that take you right up to the falls. So even though we got drenched, we were somewhat protected after that tour.

The falls were amazing, even on a cloudy day in the rain, and I definitely recommend taking the boat tour. On the New York side there was no wait and the boats weren't too crowded, but on the Canadian side they were very crowded. Luckily we had decided to view the falls from New York, so we were able to enjoy the experience, get our fill, and drive on to Syracuse afterwards.

The kids have been remarkably well behaved in the car. I think it is tiring and boring for them sometimes, but we've made a habit of letting them swim in the pool when we get to the hotel, and they seem to do much better when they can nap, and we take the trip in chunks.

Tonight we are relaxing and watching the Olympics in our hotel in Syracuse. Tomorrow, we head to Lake Winneppesauki in New Hamphire, where Mark, along with my sister and brother, will race in the Timberman - a half Iron Man. I've never been there but the area looks beautiful. It's only 6 hours away, so we'll have plenty of time tomorrow to take it easy and check out the area.