DAY 21: Niagara Falls to Kenosha Wisconsin

July 6

We wake up in plenty of time to take advantage of the minimal breakfast the hotel offers and get to the Maid of the Mist before the crowds. How unlike the Ellis Island misfit operation! There is evidence everywhere of crowd control minus the huge crowds. We are ushered quickly through the system, given our raincoats and miss being on board the first boat only because we were dawdling and admiring the view. While we waited for the second boat of the day, the guide entertained us with stories and interesting facts about the Falls. Andrew is reluctant to board because he is under the impression that we will be going under the Falls. He agrees to go along, but I can tell he is a little unsure of it all. It is breathtaking and he is glad of his decision when it is all over.

It is running late, and we are debating whether to go into the tunnels under the Falls, but Christopher really wants to do it. It is another pretty amazing view and we get even wetter.
After 3 hot days in NYC, the cool wet mist from Niagara is very refreshing.

We finally are clicked into our seatbelts and ready for the long drive to Kenosha at about noon. It is much later than we intended and we have a long drive ahead of us. Oh, we are so grateful for the built-in DVD player in the car. We can’t watch the movies in the front seat, but we will listen to the soundtracks of the 3 movies we have over and over again over the course of the day and the kids are quiet except for the occasional giggle. It does take a certain amount of concentration to focus on the road while hearing Looney Tunes sound effects coming from the back seat. We do not have a map, and so we are at the mercy of the Google directions, but they do not fail and after a long drive across Ontario we prepare to enter the US again. There is an amazingly long line at the border which slows us down by about an hour and a half. Just as we approach the actual border, a group of US border agents rush out of the office heading toward a gate about 6 lanes over. All the lanes are stopped now and nobody is moving. Five minutes later the agents are back leading first one man in handcuffs, then a woman, then another woman. It is mildly diverting little moment, but we have lost a lot of time on a day we can ill afford it. Things are fine through Michigan, but when we hit Indiana traffic again comes to a complete halt. Returning holiday traffic combined with endless road construction means we are slowed for another hour and a half in bumper to bumper traffic. It is late as we pass through Chicago and then on to Kenosha finally arriving at my friend Bekah’s house around midnight. Bless her heart, she is still waiting up for us! We get our sleepy brood settled and then relax a little with Bekah before turning in ourselves. At this point no one is interested in ever getting into a car again, but for now, we don’t have to think about it and we settle into our cozy beds and rest.