Family Ties....

We left New York and headed to Connecticut to visit my family for a few days. 

We drove along Lake Ontario on our way out of town......

We passed an Amish family along the way......well you can see the horse that was pulling the buggy with the Amish family in it.....

 

And some beautiful metal bridges......thankfully we didnt' have to cross them!

 

 

The colors on the trees are already starting to change!

                        
Gabe bundled up doing his school work.........still in his jammies;)

 

Almost to my younger sister Dawns house....she was so gracious to ask us (begged) to stay for the short time we would be there!

 

I traveled this route so many times growing up that I could do it with my eyes closed.  Memories of youth......

We arrived into Connecticut and it was in the low 50's. It was the week after Labor Day. Where did the summer go????  And it actually got colder!  Down to the 30's!  Thankfully we had our electric heater and Dawn gave me my old down comforter back:)

Dawn supervising her husband Kris........Our RV taking up the corner of their driveway:)

We all took turns cooking, drinking and reminiscing for the 3 days we were there......

Mom came over for dinner one night and our best friend from grade school Jeff........

Mom doesn't like to have her picture taken.....and Dawn's husband Kris loves to photo bomb pictures:) 

 
Look at that sweet smile on his face....you can tell he's so in love with Dawn and ecstatic to have his in-laws park their big RV out in his drive way for 3 days straight! And only one mishap.....blowing the power to his house while we were trying to get power to our RV:)

On a day that I spent out with my mom and sister Dawn out shopping, Joe and Gabe headed to the New England Air Museum located at Bradley Airport.....

                                                                       

They had a flight simulator that Gabe loved!  He spent almost an hour "flying" a A-10 Warthog Fighter Jet!  He LOVED it!  Gabe said maybe he will join the service and do that in real life? 

 

 I hope not, I would rather keep him home with me watching "Jay Jay the Jet Plane" in his footy pj's:)

  

 

 

 

So the boys had a great day exploring and learning about our world history from the historian at the Air Museum.....there are some things you can't always learn in a book or from a teacher in school.

 

  You actually have to go and touch and see things, experience it in person, hear it from someone who has been there and lived it.  For those naysers who say you need a teacher in a classroom and a book to learn from, I say you need to close those books and take a walk outside, sometimes in your own backyard, and see what our world really has to offer.  You would be amazed what you can learn that you would never find in a classroom.

 

It was time to get moving.....hard part is always saying goodbye.  Sometimes a quick visit is great, just enough time to visit everyone you want to see and still be happy that they are your family when you leave:) 

 

We were on the tail end of our journey, after visiting family in Connecticut and New Jersey it was going to be time to find our new home. The time went by so fast, we crammed alot into it and still look back and go wow! We did that;)

 

 

Gabe and Kasey settling back in the RV to head south to New Jersey......to stuff our faces with cheese steaks, danishes, pretzels, pizza....oh and of course to visit Joe and Tina's family and my best friend Carolyn! 

 

 

 

Niagra Falls....Canada side....

Driving across to the Canada side of Niagara Falls took about 30 minutes in traffic. 

 

As we drove over the bridge you could already see the difference between the US Niagara Falls area and Canada's.

                                                                                 

The Canadian Boarder officer asked us for our passports and why we were visiting Canada today, where we were coming from, what we had to eat for breakfast that morning and the last time we each collectively went to the bathroom.  Really!  Ok, not really.  He didnt' have a personality and was asking alot of questions that had nothing to do with why we were there that day.  I guess he didn't want to let anyone in his country!  Unlike us who lets everyone in regardless.  

 

 No need to declare cats.....Gabe's mind was put to ease!  Not like we had our cat with us, but it put an end to the unknown!
     

                                      

Can you imagine driving and seeing this sign?

                                                                               

It was like driving into a different world, with beautiful entrances to the falls, shops lining the streets, restaurants for every taste. 

We parked the car and walked down the hill to the water and this is what we saw.........

Awww so sweet:) 

 

 

American Falls......

 

Horse Shoe Falls and Niagara Falls......

 

 

Maid in the Mist ferry headed into the falls...... 

 

 

 

 

See all the people wearing blue ponchos crammed into that boat?

 

 

 

 

Joe trying to throw Gabe over, just to prove the little sign wrong.....

 

Me swatting at Joe for trying to throw my baby over the railing.....

Tina trying to get as far out of our family picture as possible.....you would think by now she would of learned there is no place she can go that we won't track her down and bring her back home to us:)

Beautiful welcome center with gift shops and restaurants.........

 

                                                                              

It was a beautiful sunny day, but a might bit chilly for this Florida family!
                                                              
                      
We wandered away from the water and up the hill to the shopping district in search of lunch......



We stopped in at Shoeless Joe's restaurant, but service was horrible so we left.....

                                                                          

 

And ended up at a small family run pizza place! The pizza was brick over, smelled and tasted great! By the time we found it after walking all over the place we were all cranky and would have eaten shoe leather....thankfully it turned out to be some of the best pizza we have had yet;)

 

We jumped back in the car and headed to Niagara-on-the-lake....

Our campground host recommended stopping here, a quaint little shopping district on our way back to the boarder.

Beautiful tree lined streets, flowers blooming in overflowing pots...

 

                                                                                         

Old historic buildings turning into Bed & Breakfast, Restaurants and shops.....

Horse drawn carriage rides around town......

We stopped for coffee, paid $20.00 US Cash, was given back change in Canadian money!  Really???  Live and learn:(  So we had to go and spend it elsewhere!  And keep some for Gabe's collection:)

Their gas stations......slightly different than ours.....liters not gallons thank goodness!  The price was still high!

Time to head back to the campsite....

 

 

                                                                              The Boarder agent leaving Canada was a whole lot nicer than the first one!  Asked if we bought anything and then sent us on our way:)

 

 

 

We had a really great time exploring today.  Really enjoyed the Canadian Side, they know how to make it very tourist friendly and welcoming.  New York should take a hint from how they do it.