Since Fernando has such limited time off, we feel the need to squeeze in all the fun we can. This last vacation proved to be the most convoluted of all our ideas. We started out on a 3 day road trip up to Niagara Falls some 8 hours away from our home. My sister Amy made the trek solo from Ypsilanti, MI across the beautiful Canadian roadways to meet us there. On the recommendations of almost all those who were polled, we headed to the Canadian side of Niagara Falls. There we found a secret parking lot that cost a whole lot less then the usual $10 per hour and it only a block off the beaten path. Pushing our double stroller through the club scene and various haunted houses (strange to see in the month of July), we eventually found a quaint hot dog stand for dinner. Loaded up with greasy grub, we were off to find that perfect spot for the fireworks show they put on over the falls. The fireworks were fantastic. With fireworks starting at 10pm, we only saw a fraction of the show. Oh well, we beat most of the traffic.
A mere two hour drive the next day led us to Palmyra. The mild weather proved vital half way up the steep hike to Hill Cummorah. With two little ones freed from the bonds of car seats, it was difficult to maintain the sweet reverence of the sites. We had our special moments that only little children bring. In the Sacred Grove, Mia found a Prophet Joseph Smith pamphlet and started to "read" it. She kept saying things like, "he didn't know the Gold Plates and he understood he belonged to the Church of Jesus Christ." After the Sacred Grove we walked around the Palmyra temple. Amy found some bees in a nearby flower bush. Our curious Tiago managed to grab a hold of a bee while exclaiming loudly "bug! bug!" I don't know what perplexes me most, Tiago being capable of pinching a bee in mid air or the fact that he and the bee parted on good terms with stingers where they belong.
Drama number two came while we were making the two hour drive back to Niagara. Mia suddenly realized her "Lammies" was missing. I think that I was more concerned then Mia about its missing status as she was getting prepared to give her "It's ok. Things die, but they live again" speech. Though the gates had already closed for the evening, Fernando fearlessly searched and found the lost stuffed sheep.
Before we could leave, we had to get a close look at the falls. The best option we found was the Cave of the Winds tour. It gave us the opportunity of taking our time at the base of the falls and afforded us with quite the natural shower. The kids liked it at a distance, but the thunderous, pelting water was a little overwhelming in the end. Luckily, Aunt Amy was a willing block for them while Fernando and I stood in the path of the falls.From this trip I learned: 1) schedule a hotel months if not years in advance if you want to stay near Palmyra during pageant season. Palmyra is our own little Mormon Mecca, 2) mosquito replant is a must near water sources, and 3) don't try to navigate your way through the back roads of Pennsylvania just because it looks like a shorter path to take with no toll roads.
More fun pictures found at http://picasaweb.google.com/rachelletovar/WesternNewYorkNiagaraAndPalmyra
