Niagara Falls was all that and a bag of chips!
To get there from Michigan we opted to head back into Canada. We followed the shores of Lake Huron to Parry Sound, where we stopped over for the night. We had dinner at Waubuno Beach and watched a beautiful sunset over the sound. We learned that it’s one of the largest fresh water ports in the world! The next morning we found an awesome used bookstore-Avery and I were in heaven and didn’t want to leave!
As we left Parry Sound we began our worst driving day thus far. What was supposed to be a short two hour trip turned into a 6+ hour nightmare caused by surprise highway closures, slow back road work-arounds and near gridlock in downtown Toronto! Lucky for us, we had left plenty early and made it to the Toronto FC game with enough time to spare to grab stadium dinner and an $18 cup of beer 😅.
Toronto FC played New England Revolution at BMO Field. Their previous matchup had ended 0-0. This time they left it at 2-2! It was a great game and we had perfect seats to see it all. The final goal to tie it up was dramatic and the crowd was energized!
Niagara Falls
We had our first view of Niagara Falls from the Ontario side. From here you get a great view of Horseshoe Falls. What surprised us though was how much of a circus it was! There was a whole street of huge Las Vegas style store fronts, carnival-like rides and vendors, loud speaker announcements, and bright lights everywhere you looked.
We made our way over the bridge to the US side where there is a large state park and walking paths that take you up close and personal with the falls. Niagara is a full sensory experience: from the deafening roar to the views to the cold shower of mist spraying over you!
We spent the afternoon enjoying the falls from above and below, getting drenched in the process! The girls, especially, loved running into and out of the pelting spray on the hurricane deck next to Bridal Veil Falls. It will certainly be a day they remember!
Continuing East
The next few days were big travel days for us as we made our way east across New York, on our way to Vermont. We spent several hours climbing at a great gym in Syracuse before landing in Saratoga Springs. While in Saratoga Springs we listened to some live music, stocked up on delicious veggies at one of their farmer’s markets, and had a sweaty parents vs kids soccer match in one of the big green spaces. I’m not too humble to say that the parents won 10-9! I would love to go back and spend more time in Saratoga-there was so much that we didn’t have time to explore!
What an awesome experience. Niagara Falls has always been on my bucket list!