We had to say Good-Bye to Niagara Falls this morning. But I think we all leave feeling more relaxed having 2 days in the same place again. And having had a good time just really exploring. So we grabbed breaky on the go and set off.
Our day today was just driving. Time to get into the next province…almost. We took the 401 and drove over 5 and a half hours today to get to Cornwall, Ontario. This puts us 1 hour outside of Montreal!
As we left Niagara Falls we passed St. Catharines…for those of you who don’t know, Alexisonfire is Chris’s favourite band. Well, Alexisonfire was formed in St. Catharines. Chris has seen his favoutite band a couple of times in concert and City and Colour, aka Dallas Green, one of the singers of Alexis multiple times with me. He was very excited to fill us all in about the members of the band and where it all began.
S0, travelling Vancouver Island to Ontario. What’s the navigation trick? For us, we have used the navigation app Waze for our entire trip. It not only navigates your trip in real time, but other drivers can flag obstructions in the roadway: fog, construction, police, accidents and more. Waze saved Chris from driving into a pressure cooker on his solo trip in the Camaro, since he was alerted ahead and was watching for it!
OK guys…Toll Roads! We ended up on a toll road on our way out of Niagara Falls…BUT you can add that as a setting or choice in Waze to avoid those. Just an FYI should you need, just download the app to your phone and away you go.
One major red flag I noticed as a passenger in Ontario particularly, was veering Semi Trucks…not all, but a lot. And when I looked into the cabs as we drove past guess what I saw…cellphones. This subgroup of ‘professional’ drivers were messing with their phones while hauling on 2-4 lane highways. All the while causing other drivers to move out of their way onto shoulders. Where is your ‘due care and attention’…not on the road. Do better guys. Other guys, keep it up 🙂
Ontario by the way, has some of the best rest stops along the 400 and 401. You don’t have to pull into town, or some scary outhouse. They are called On Routes, which have gas stations for cars and semi trucks. But also; nice indoor washrooms, showers for truckers, a few restaurants, and a convenience store all in one. With indoor and outdoor seating for a nice break from driving. We utilized these a couple of times.
Our drive was happily uneventful. Chris drove while I watched the world go by. So many of the bridges we passed under have beautiful etchings into the concrete. Horses running across the bottom, in squares; turtles and dreamcatchers on another. Simple things that make the travel more enjoyable.
I watched license plates from Ontario, Quebec, and New Brunswick go by. But also Maryland, Vermont, Maine and New York. I watched the glowing, colourful trees and sudden flashes of purple from the thistles compliment the gorgeous farmland, all with ease. We even had rain…real rain for more than an hour of our drive. It was refreshing to see and hear, plus it made the colours really pop with the dark clouds above.
How do you start off the day in Niagara Falls…head over to IHOP for pancakes! We had the sweetest waitress who had only been there for 4 days. She met us with a friendly greeting, engaged with our table and sent us off ready and willing to explore. Below IHOP is a huge arcade, straight out of an 80’s kids dream, but with modern games. Chris killed Aliens, Mason played Guitar Hero and Chloe, Dance Dance Revolution.
From there we headed down Clifton Hill to the falls. Today we weren’t just looking at them, we were experiencing them…right close up. We put on the cool plastic poncho’s and boarded a boat that was going right into them! Our boat was a double decker full of happy and excited tourists. We all shared the experience with smiles and offers to take pictures for one and other. Now, I knew we would get wet…but I really didn’t think HOW WET! As we drove close to the “American Side” (the first set of falls, 3 in total located in Niagara County, New York) the mist from the falls was really fun and we took lots of pictures, everyone shuffled around a fair bit to get ‘the picture’. The boat pushes on to the “Canadian Side”, the Horseshoe Falls. While we drove towards this set of falls, the mist becomes greater. Near everyone on the boat began pulling their plastic hoods over their heads. I tucked my camera under my poncho and actually spun around, as my bum and legs got soaked. The mist turned into a torrential downpour, all the while we are laughing, mainly because I think it was so much greater and more powerful than we expected! We stayed in this hilarious sopping wet position for a few minutes and then the boat spun around. Allowing the super mist to move from our side to the other and for me to take ‘the picture’ with the Horseshoe Falls. Bowie and Mason were sopping wet, but grinning ear to ear. Moose had made some new buddies he was helping with pictures and chatting with. Chris and I were elated. We experienced Niagara Falls…and we shared this unforgettable day with our kids.
American FallsCanadian Falls
Since we were soaking wet and had the convenience of a hotel less than 10 minutes away, we went back and changed. Quickly heading back out and straight to the Zombie Attack…a 6D zombie thrill ride. We get strapped into the weirdest chair wearing 3D glasses and I made sure to have my gun ready! The game starts and so did my chair, jostling us around to mimic the movements of our character…including crashing through trees and zombies and careening off a cliff…all the while hitting zombies with our car or shooting them with our gun. Not everyone’s cup of tea I know, but Chris…he loves his zombies. So, we had a good time. Plus Moose and Chris had the top 2 kills of the theatre.
After that was Ripley’s Believe It or Not gallery…there was some pretty strange things here from: shrunken heads, bone necklaces, 2 headed animals and vampire killing kits. But also: the worlds largest man, fattest man, shadow art, candy art, and megalodon jaws. There is something for everyone here….and somethings that are just to weird for others. Near the end is a grated walkway with a spacey coloured spinning tunnel…can you walk straight across? None of us can, the spinning tunnel messes with your equilibrium tricking your brain that you are losing your balance.
We stopped at a few shops to browse and pick up souvenirs on our way up to Louis Tussaud’s Wax Works. OK, the wax works…how to begin. These are interesting sculptures, these pieces of art. Using the likeness of celebrities, politicians and historical figures seems to be a welcomed challenge, as there are wax museums all over the world. I find them…a wee bit scary. I continuously felt like there were people all around me as I entered new rooms. Some scultpures had a very close likeness to their intended, while others…not so much. But that’s all in the fun of it I guess. We ran into Marty McFly and the Delorean, Jimmy Fallon, Brittany Spears, Tom Hanks and The Rock. Delving further into the gallery we were transported to Star Wars, Hogwarts, into the Hall of Horror and skipped down the Yellow Brick Road right into the Marvel Universe.
We continued to explore Clifton Hill and grabbed a quick lunch at Starbucks and grabbed some Vintage Candy before heading back to the hotel again for laundry and a nap…5 hours goes by fast!
We ran into a fellow in the laundry room who was from Abbotsford, BC. He and his wife have been travelling for the past 2 months from Abbotsford to Newfoundland/Labrador and were now making their way back! What a cool coincidence. They had visited Nova Scotia already and said we would love it and that three of their friends have made the same move that we’re making. Silver Linings all along the way.
Once everyone was chillaxed and rested we headed out for evening part of Niagara Falls. Everything is all lit up. Most of Clifton Hill stays open until midnight, so we wanted to take some of that energy in. First things first…race cars! Moose and Bowie suited up and hoped into their Go Karts. The track is HUGE! and they send out about 20 people at a time, so Bowie was scared. But she went for it after a couple minutes.
Next up, Wizards Golf…mini golf in a psychedelic setting. Fantasy fun for 18 holes complete with dragons, magic spells and mythical creatures. We continued to stroll the streets until we stopped for dinner, beside the Karaoke. I tried to convince Moose to sing even though he’s underage…why not haha, but he didn’t go for it. Next up was The House of Frankenstein, where Bowie was screaming as they rode the roller coaster, which goes in and out of the building!
We grabbed some Ice Cream and headed back to the hotel around 10:30pm.
Ready for the road, and we’ve already been on it for two full weeks already! Our goal for today was to head to Chris’s hometown, and get into Niagara Falls. Once in Niagara, we’ll stay for 2 nights and get some real fun in and some normalcy with being in the same place!
We started the day like most of the rest by getting organized and heading down for breaky. Moose was in a much better mood which was really nice to see. Both he and Bowie were excited to see the waffle station at breakfast! We talked about the day ahead and what parts of the trip we’ve enjoyed so far. Once everyone had their fill it was time to go load up the jeep and head out.
Chris’s Hometown:
It was only 1 hour and 45 minutes to Chris’s hometown of Parry Sound, Ontario. A small town located on Georgian Bay off Lake Huron. The drive there is quite pretty, especially in Autumn. There are flashes of Lake Huron in the distance and rivers under small bridges along the way. Parry Sound has an enjoyable village feel. Funky old buildings, busy sidewalks, and a very active harbour. And for the hockey fans out there; Parry Sound is also home to Bobby Orr. Former professional hockey player for both the Boston Bruins and the Chicago Blackhawks, one of ‘the greatest of all time’. You can even go to the Bobby Orr Hall of Fame located right by the harbour.
While we enjoyed our drive through the streets, I asked Chris if much was familiar to him. Not really he said, but then again he left before kindergarten and had only returned twice, last time being a preteen. So we made our way to the harbour. We walked down the pier and gazed out at Georgian Bay. It may be October 4th, but it was as warm and sunny as any day in August. The reflection off the water was sublime.
Parry Sound Docks
As we headed off the dock we stopped at the Island Queen Cruise shop and got a few souvenirs for the road, we even considered a boat tour. There are 2 hour and 3 hour boat tours. They travel around Georgian Bay to the many islands of the surrounding areas, very intriguing. But we were on a mission for Niagara Falls, so until next year Island Queen Cruise. Across the dock we headed to Tailwinds Bar and Grill for lunch. We opted to sit on the patio since the weather was so impressive. While we waited for our order we watched a seaplane take off, and the Island Queen set sail. Though there was a fair amount of wasps also taking in the weather…and our lunch, our meals and service was very enjoyable. On the way out we proudly switched into our Parry Sound swag and proceeded to the jeep. We stopped briefly at the West Parry Sound Museum and walked the grounds. Chris and the kids even went up the old Fire Watch Tower which is 30 meters high. I opted for the lilac garden and the frog pond. Bowie tried to catch frogs, but to no avail…I caught 2, just to show off. It was now time to get back on the road…
To Niagara Falls:
Now this part of the drive…I don’t know much about…as again…I was a sleep, for nearly the whole 3 hour drive. I awoke just in time for Chris to show me Toronto off to the left in the distance. He had already passed Canada’s Wonderland and travelled the 403 and we were now on the 407 and headed to the QEW. Holy traffic! We headed straight downtown and arrived at The Vittoria Hotel and Suites. Moose and Bowie could see the Raceway from the car and all the lights from the many attractions. I swear the car was vibrating, just from their excitement. We made great time getting here as it was only 6pm. So we quickly dropped off our things and began exploring.
Niagara Sky Wheel
First stop…The Niagara Sky Wheel. A 175 foot ferris wheel with booths overlooking the falls. As we climbed in and the wheel began to move, Chris asked the kids if they knew how truly big the falls are? They both replied with a “like I know” and “not really”. Their faces lit up as the wheel climbed and the falls fell into view. Moose pulled out his phone to capture the incredible sight, and Bowie continued to exclaim “WOW!”. This is how we wanted to spend Moose’s birthday, we are just a day late haha. If you are in Niagara Falls and debating the Sky Wheel…don’t. Just get in line and enjoy the ride and the unforgettable moments that follow.
Now the bar was set. After seeing the falls from a birds eye view, we walked down Cliffton Hill to see them up-close. Chris got a wee bit sidetracked by Dracula’s Haunted Castle…so we went in. Now, this Haunted Castle has 3 levels of scariness. Our family is no stranger to scary movies or thrillers; however I was still voting level 1. I got outvoted, even by Bowie for Level 2. So, per parent rule she had to go first. I know what you’re thinking…big deal, it’s a silly haunted house. That’s what we thought too. Hell no, it was unnerving.
We made our way up the steps and our vision became very limited, the halls are painted pitch black, there is some very low light, and the odd neon paint smudge ahead. Immediately I felt disoriented and unsure of my footing as I couldn’t see…anything! I wasn’t really sure which way to go and I KNOW; there is a jump scarer ahead. We are all clinging to each other as scary pictures and displays become visible along the corridors, barely lit. And then…the jump scarers begin. I can’t see a thing, barely Bowie ahead of me…and then a deep voice shouts out from behind…we all scream, which makes it scarier…and he chases us. What’s worse; I still have no idea which way to go. Moose is at the lead at this point and hurries us along. Soon after another one screams at us…this time so scary that we run. Still, no vision, the ground under our feet has changed…unsure to what! And then Moose stops, and does not move…then I hear it. Teeth clicking, somewhere ahead in the darkness; clicking, clicking, clicking, getting closer all the time. No one moves…After what felt like 5 minutes, Bowie calls out “We’re all going to die in here! How do we get out?”. Then a raspy voice quietly utters “To the left”. No one moves still…I push everyone and holler “TO THE LEFT!” and we run past the teeth clicking…there is a bit more light here, but where is Moose? “Moose!!!” finally emerges from around the corner. Shortly after, we successfully made our way out! We talked and laughed about it ALL NIGHT!!! So, it must’ve been fun hehe.
Back on the street we headed down for our closer look of the falls. How do you describe in words one of natures wonders of the world without sounding cliché? What I thought I was expecting ended up being so much more. While we watched the power of the falls and listened to the crashing of the water below, the sun began to set. It was pure bliss. I could’ve stayed there all night. Even Moose and Bowie watched in awe. Beautiful is an understatement.
Niagara Falls at Sunset
We headed back up Cliffton Hill enjoying all the action and lights and headed to Benihana for dinner. Benihana! I have never been to a Teppanyaki Grill before so I was excited to share that experience with the kids. Travis, our chef started with a knife and spatula show, tossing and scraping at the hot grill. Shrimp tails tossed into the air, onion volcanos, and heart beating rice. Bowie and Moose watched so intently. A full 5 course meal from the soup to your main dish and cooked in front of you with enthusiasm, entertainment and laughs. A dinner we won’t soon forget.
Back outside, we scouted out the rides and adventures for tomorrow…WE HAVE THE WHOLE DAY IN ONE PLACE!!! Wooohoooo.
We woke up in Sault Ste. Marie on Moose’s Birthday.
Once Moose was awake per our usual tradition, time to open Mom and Dads present. Moose opened the hidden box to find a new pair of black and blue ‘Jordan’s’. The brand of shoes he’s been keeping an eye on. Moose is one of those really special kids, he doesn’t jump and down and scream with crazy excitement, or even show disappointment if he is. He always shows his appreciation with a sweet ‘Thank You’ and a hug. For the Jordan’s, we got BIG hugs and quite a few Thanks Guys, followed by the immediate wearing of said shoes. Bowie picked something a bit unusual for a birthday gift, but not when you are giving to Moose: Crocodile Pepperoni. And he was thrilled haha.
We didn’t want to spend the day driving on Moose’s big day, so we planned a short drive (for us) 3 and a half hours to Sudbury. Here they had a really cool Interactive Science Centre with an Imax. We thought he’d have fun messing around with things and we could watch the Imax and keep his mind off of missing everyone.
Well, that backfired big time. Obviously, how could it not. He’s a teenager! What we hoped to avoid with fun and silliness inevitably happened. Moose got bummed out. For all of his birthdays we have had dinner at a restaurant of his choice with his Nana, Grandpa, Auntie and Uncle, and a party. I have always gone all out for the big party (usually at home, his preference) with his friends. Themed food and cakes, all home made and wacky games when he was younger. This year was different. We were alone. And he was alone, and at his age…we are not always enough. He had calls and texts all throughout the day, which helped I am sure. But the short drive…felt really long at that point.
So what do you do to cheer up a bummed out teen? Sing to him…nah doesn’t work anymore…Scream out to him when you see Amish people driving in their horse and buggy…Yes, that seemed to help. So I did…for at least 3 groups haha.
When we arrived in Sudbury, Moose saw his restaurant of choice. M.I.C Restaurant, “Made in Canada”. It was full of Canadiana and pictures of famous Canadians. Plus the food was excellent. Moose got the Bruschetta Pizza, and Bowie the MIC Burger. Our hotel, The Towneplace Suites, by Marriott, was right up the hill so we checked in. Moose went to have some more chats on his phone. Science Museum…nah. Imax…nah. He wasn’t into it.
So we all chilled in the pool and hot tub for a while. Then it was time for dinner. Our hotel room was the best one yet, on purpose. A great room for a great kid. In addition to a large living space we had a full kitchenette. So we decided to make him his own special dinner and have cake the old fashioned way.
It perked him up abit…and I’ll take it. It’s not lost on Chris and I that some days will be really hard. We had hoped to get him to Niagara Falls on his B-day, but it would have to wait for now…
Happy Birthday Moose, Thank you for being a trooper and weathering the strange birthday this year.
We checked out early from Valahalla Hotel and Conference Centre. Not because we didn’t enjoy our stay, we truly did. But, because today was the longest planned driving day we’ve done yet without any ‘stops’. Ontario is a very large province, it is HUGE. Actually it’s Canada’s second largest province “covering more than 1 million square kilometres (415,000 square miles) – an area larger than France and Spain combined.” If you’ve never looked at it, check out a map…She’s a big one!
We needed to make up some good time for 2 reasons.1. Moose’s Birthday is tomorrow and we don’t want to spend the day driving for him, that’s a lame bday. 2. We’re on Day 12 guys…we’re ready to get some km’s in and get closer to Nova Scotia.
We are covering Thunder Bay to Sault Ste. Marie, which is 699.6km and with no stops should take 7 and a half hours. So, of course, we stopped…25 minutes in. A worth while stop at The Terry Fox Memorial built to commemorate his Marathon of Hope. The park is a tranquil setting, you could bring a lunch and sit at the tables surrounded by trees and flowers. The Memorial itself is quite striking. It is Terry Fox mid-run, high upon a large concrete platform with each provinces coat of arms across the front. The impact the memorial had on the kids was quite immediate, having participated in Terry Fox runs since kindergarten. We took our time reading, walking about and looking out at Lake Superior.
As we continued on our way I’ll share a couple Ontario funny ‘road’ trip facts for you:
a) The road…is SPARKLY. Yes, at first I thought it was just glass. But…the sparkles went on…forever. So pretty!
b) The highway number road signs are in the shape of a crown! One of my favourite little things to watch for.
c) The roads…are in great condition! First time I’ve said that! Not to many bumps and grooves. And if there is, it’s already under construction on it.
Somewhere along the way
As we continued on our way I kept hoping we’d pass a moose somewhere along the way, but alas, I’ll have to keep an eye out. Though we did passed these incredible Red Mountains along the way. The road construction even had pink/red crush all around the road from blasting. The drive along Lake Superior Provincial Park is so relaxing. Looking out at the trees with continuous changing colours and all the lakes, I, again fell asleep. A testament to Chris’s smooth driving and a real indicator that the 3 hour time difference in 12 days with constant travel was wearing me down. We took another pit stop, this time a detour down a side road.
Here, Moose took off his sandals and put his feet in Lake Superior, “Bowie was here” was etched in the sand and I walked the beach and combed for treasure. We returned to the jeep and at this point it was my turn to drive for a bit. The whole stretch of todays journey was alongside Lake Superior, just not always in direct view. Can you name all of the Great Lakes? We got 4 out of 5…its been a while. But we should see all but one on the rest of the trip.
Moose
We made 2 more stops…I know 7.5 hours is getting a lot longer now…but Ontario is so beautiful. We stopped in White River, ON. Did you know that is where Harry Colebourn bought the real bear, Winnie the Pooh? Me either! Winnie was later donated to the London Zoo which is where A.A. Milne was inspired to write the stories we all know. Our last spontaneous stop was a white sandy beach called Old Woman Bay, named for the shape of a woman’s face displayed in the cliffs along the south shore (which I could not see).
Old Woman Bay
We finally reached Sault Ste. Marie…a little later than we planned and after dinner. We all headed straight up to the room with our luggage. Moose headed out to the sitting area (near our room, don’t worry Mom) for some calls to friends, as tomorrow is his birthday. We ordered dinner from the hotel and settled in for the night.
Long day done for now. Xo Mel
Terry Fox LookoutTerry Fox Drive UpRed Rock MountainsLake Superior
