Niagara Falls Road Trip: A Preview

Beautiful Niagara Falls (American and Bridal Veil Falls pictured here)

We're back! We had an awesome weekend road trip, which included travel through two countries and three states, over 1,000 miles, three hotels, and five total stops. I can't wait to tell you about it in far more detail than you will ever want to read. However, you'll have to wait until next week for the full recaps of the whole thing, for a number of reasons: 1) I need to get my life together. I came home to a messy house, a ton of emails to catch up on, literally well over 1,000 blogs to read in my Google Reader, etc. Oh, and a dog with an eye infection. So I've got some stuff to do. 2) We took probably 2,000 pictures over the course of the weekend. We're insane like that. As much as I would love to share all 2,000 with you, I'm sure you'd appreciate at least a moderate edit job first. I'm getting on that. 3) It's almost the weekend again already, and I try not to post over the weekends because, well, I don't want sit inside on the computer all weekend. Plus, Eric's firm is moving offices tomorrow, which means he'll be home early when the movers show up. I try to blog while he's at work so that whenever he's home, we can spend quality time together. I like this blog and all, but I like time with my husband even more.

So those are all my excuses. My plan is to start recapping on Monday, and take it one vacation day at a time. We are people who try to cram as much as possible into a short amount of time while on vacation, so there's lots to talk about. I hope you'll be ready!

In the meantime, why not take a quick overview of the trip? Perhaps a quick look at our weekend will whet your appetite for things to come. Or, if you find my tendency to be excessively verbose tiresome, then this may be all you need. Consider this the CliffsNotes version of our trip recap, and feel free to rejoin me in a week or so for regularly scheduled programming if this post gives you your fill.

Without further ado, I give you a brief synopsis of our travels:

Our first stop was Cooperstown, New York on Friday morning. There we visited the Baseball Hall of Fame, wandered through an incredibly adorable little town, had lunch, bought some souvenirs, and left town just before the weather turned rainy.

Cute little Cooperstown

At the Baseball Hall of Fame

After Cooperstown, we stopped for dinner at The Anchor Bar in Buffalo, original home of chicken wings!

Chowing down on honest-to-goodness Buffalo chicken wings

From Buffalo, it was across the border to Toronto for a couple of days. In Toronto, we explored much of downtown, visited the Shoe Museum, watched a 14-inning baseball game and walked on the glass floor at the top of the CN Tower. Among other things, of course.

The CN Tower, as seen from our seats at the baseball game

At the Rogers Centre for a Blue Jays game

Overcoming my fear of heights (well, by closing my eyes) to sit on the glass floor of the CN Tower, 113 stories up in the air

Stopping for some romance in a pretty Toronto park

After Toronto it was off to Niagara-on-the-Lake, another charming small town. We stayed at the most beautiful B&B, Eric golfed, I shopped, we ate dinner and drank wine in the dark (stay tuned for that story!).

Queen Street in Niagara-on-the-Lake

Eric has now golfed in four countries!

Total relaxation: a glass of wine and my Kindle on the porch of our B&B

At our B&B after returning from dinner

Monday was Niagara Falls day, my most favorite of them all. We walked all around both the Canadian and American sides of the falls...

View of the falls from the Rainbow Bridge, which connects Canada and New York. The American Falls are on the left, that foggy patch in the back is the Canadian Falls, and the Canadian skyline is on the right.

On the New York side of the falls

...felt the power of the Horseshoe Falls on the Maid of the Mist...

Ready for our Maid of the Mist ride

It was so intense, you just had to laugh and yell out. Incredible.

...explored Goat Island...

View of the American Falls (and observation tower and Rainbow Bridge) from Goat Island

Walking to the Three Sisters Islands

...saw more baby seagulls than I thought even existed...

So fluffy!

...kissed under the Bridal Veil Falls at the Cave of the Winds...

Cave of the Winds is that boardwalk below the falls, and it is awesome.

Kissing on the Hurricane Deck, where the Bridal Veil Falls are actually crashing down on you!

...enjoyed a delicious steak dinner at The Keg, and view of the falls from our hotel room...

After a delicious dinner

The view of the Horseshoe Falls from our suite

...and finished out the day by watching the falls illumination and fireworks show. Fabulous.

Fireworks over the Rainbow Bridge

American Falls illuminated at night

We topped the whole trip off with a stop in Scranton, Pennsylvania on our way home, where we found the "Welcome to Scranton" sign from the opening credits of The Office in the Steamtown Mall.

Scranton welcomes you!

It really was a fantastic trip. We saw incredible things, explored new places, and spent some quality time together. In case I haven't mentioned it recently, my husband is really awesome and it was so great to have a whole weekend of one-on-one time with him. I'm a lucky lady!

See you next week for the full trip recaps, starting with Cooperstown/Buffalo on Monday!