Day 106 (Aug 30) – Niagara Falls

This is the first day in a while that exceeded my expectations.  I needed a day like today.  We started the day with a 4 ½ hour drive (not the best part) from OH, across PA, into NY.  We went straight to the Lewiston/Niagara falls North KOA and dropped the camper.  We didn’t rush because we planned to stay at the falls till dark and Brad needed to rest from driving.

We got to Niagara Falls State Park around 4:00.  We pulled up to the parking lot gate ($10 to park) and the attendant waved us through saying she was having computer problems so it was free!  That’s a nice change.  Maybe things will all even out in the end.  The park is very walkable and we were due for some walking.  We skipped the trolley.  We had prepared the girls that there were lots of attractions available and all were pretty pricey so we were seeing the falls from the walking trails.  They were fine with that.  From the American side you are walking along and around the falls.  You see them from the top edges and the sides.  From Canada you get the whole view from across the river.  The girls don’t have passports and we didn’t bring ours, so we stayed on the USA side.  There were still some nice views, watersprays and constant noise of the crashing water.  We hiked to the edge of the American Falls, then to tiny Luna Island where you stand between American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls, then across Goat Island to Horseshoe Falls.  Lots of water here.  Finally we walked up to Three Sister’s Islands and stood amid the water rushing down toward Horseshoe Falls.  Powerful stuff, this.  We walked back to the truck for our supper and had a picnic on the pretty grounds of the park.  Then we got ice cream (coffee for me) and went to wait on night to fall and the lights to shine on the falls.  We stayed on the near side of the American Falls for this.  It was a beautiful rainbow of colors.  We even got to walk out on the observation deck, which sticks out over the river for a better view.  I think this is $1 per person in the daytime, but the gates were open wide and people were milling in and out.  Carmen was especially happy about seeing the falls.  She said, “I’ve been waiting for this.  Do you ever just want to freeze a moment in time?”  This was on her must see list. 

I did not have high expectations for today.  I thought it would be crowded and commercialized.  It really wasn’t bad.  The park was prettier than I thought it would be.  The paths were well laid out.  We seem to be past the summer crowds.  I wasn’t sure how close we could get without paying, but you can walk right up beside all the falls.  It was nice, and we almost did it for free!  We were all tired and glad to get into bed tonight.  Fortunately we have a shorter drive tomorrow, so we don’t have to rush in the morning.

Niagara Falls

Day 105 (Aug 29) – Cleveland Museum of Art

Today we got up and casually got ready for our trip into Cleveland.  We waited till after rush hour was over.  Then we drove to the Museum of Art.  It was free and had a really nice permanent exhibit of all eras and from all over.  Brad mostly wanted to go for the religious art.  The displays were state of the art and the pieces were varied and elegant.  We saw the ancient exhibit and medieval through some Renaissance, but the kids burned out after that, so we decided to save the modern part for the Met in NY.  I think impressionism might be my favorite so I am looking forward to that.  The girls seemed to enjoy it.  I told Carmen I love looking at her looking at art.  She reads the placard and then stands back and takes in the view.  Audra enjoys it too, but she had a small accident.  She hit herself in the eye with the corner of a laminated info card in the armor room.  I knew it really hurt.  When she was finally able to open her eye, it looked like there was something in it, but I think it might be scratched.  It hasn’t bothered her too much, just watery and slightly red in the white part.  She says it feels likes something is in it when she blinks and it hurts every now and then.  Her vision seems fine.  We decided to let her sleep on it and see how it feels tomorrow.  Tonight the redness was pretty much gone and it wasn’t hurting anymore.  Who knew art was dangerous?

We had a nice evening by the fire.  I am reading a John Muir book (My First Summer in the Sierra), but it gets a little slow at times and makes me a little sad, so I started “The Help” and cannot put it down.

Niagara Falls here we come.

Cleveland Museum of Art

Day 104 (Aug 28) – Armstrong Air and Space Museum

We went to the museum first thing this morning.  It wasn’t free.  The paper had misprinted the info.  But since we were there, we went ahead and saw it.  We all enjoyed it.  There have been a lot of astronauts from Ohio!  Neil Armstrong really was brilliant and brave and humble and kind.

We returned to the KOA to pick up our camper and headed to Cleveland.  Tonight we are staying at the Streetsboro/Cleveland SE KOA.  It is much cooler here.  Enjoying the breeze.

 Armstrong Air and Space

Day 103 (Aug 27) – Rainy Day

We decided to stay at this KOA one more day because it is so nice.  There are some campgrounds I can’t wait to review because they are so bad (not many), but there are some that I can’t wait to review because they are so great!  We have been fortunate to have more of the latter than the former.  This is one of the great ones (Wapakoneta KOA).  I won’t review them here and now, but trust me, they’re good.  So we stayed and it rained most of the morning.  A little disappointing, but I got to go to Walmart which was nice.  Weird, right?  Brad’s been doing a lot of the grocery shopping lately, which is helpful, but I’ve sort of missed it.  When I got back, he went to town to run some errands (post office, antique mall).  Meanwhile the girls and I played mini golf, which they usually charge for, but since it was still too misty and cool to swim, she said we could do it for free!  Then we did math, which was not as fun, but they did have ice cream as a reward.  Then the girls watched Jurassic Park for the 3^rd time.  It was almost too scary for Carmen the first time, but now she’s fine.  The KOA owner also looked through the local paper and showed me where the Armstrong Air and Space museum is offering free admission through Labor Day in honor of Neil Armstrong’s life.  I think we will run over in the morning before we leave!  Brad and I worked on our itinerary for the next couple of weeks.  We need to have reservations for this weekend (Labor Day).  We got a good start, but I have to make a few more phone calls and decisions in the morning.  Tonight everyone wanted pizza “so I wouldn’t have to cook.”  Fine by me!  We ordered one right from the KOA office.  She made it fresh and brought it to our site.  It was so good we ordered a second one!  We finished the night with a few hands of Phase 10.  Fun family times!

Day 102 (Aug 26) – Wapakoneta, OH

I like to say Wapakoneta.  I’m not really sure how to say it, but I like it.  We are at a KOA.  We got up and got out of Indiana this morning.  We really did enjoy the lake.

We drove about 3 ½ hours and stopped at one campground that looked a little scary – broken beer bottles in the bathroom floor (vault toilets) – no thanks.  We drove on to the KOA just down the road.  This one is very nice – probably one of our favorites.  They have a big pool and hand dipped ice cream.

This is also the birthplace of Neil Armstrong who, we just found out, passed away yesterday.  Wow.  That makes me realize how far we’ve come (technology) in such a short period of time.  I am grateful for smart and courageous people like Neil Armstrong.