11.05 - Day 117 - Niagara to Geneva
Saturday 11th May - Niagara Falls, Ontario - Geneva, New York (Day 117)
To spend a little more time looking at the falls I creep out the room at 6:30am - though exiting is always nigh on impossible with hotel / motel doors once you are outside the door in the corridor trying to close it behind you - walking the few minutes downhill to a near deserted front, standing on the corner watching the edge of the river plunge over the edge is almost hypnotic - like the time Kate and I stumbled upon the New York Marathon in Central Park (2008) and stood watching the never ceasing flow of runners pass by us.
Up along the river to the now disused hydro-electric station and back again in time for breakfast opening at 8am (the latest start for any breakfast we’ve come across yet) for waffles, cereal, yoghurt (from a 2 litre plastic pouch) and bagels.
Which means we’re ready to leave the room at 9:15am in shorts and flip flops, walking to the ferry terminal. With supplied ponchos on (all red, like every passenger on the Canadian boat as opposed to the all blue worn on the American side boat) we board the ferry, the engines working hard pushing us against the flow of the river, getting close first to America and Bridal Veil Falls - the mist and spray getting everyone as wet as expected but still somehow surprisingly funny nonetheless.
A few minutes further upstream the boat holds steady up close to Horseshoe Falls - there’s plenty of delighted screaming over the thunderous roar as we experience an inkling of the power of the falls.
It might only be a 20 minute cruise, but that’s all you need. Squelching back to the hotel, drying in the morning sun, we help ourselves to a little morning tea from the breakfast room before packing up and heading on the way - the car charges courtesy of the free EV plugs overnight.
Rainbow Bridge in Niagara is backed up with cars crossing the border to the US - occupants of another Tesla questioning our California registration plate as we inch forward in the queue, inspired to tackle their own road trip.
Once across, Kate drops the kids and I to run to the front to take a look at the falls on the American side - the thunderous roar is still there, but less of a view of the Horseshoe Falls and no front on view of America and Bridal Falls. We’re happy then with our choice of Canadian side, no FOMO here.
Shifting back to miles and mph after two days of kms and kmh we pootle along to Batavia to change and buy some picnic lunch bits from Target. Outside Old Navy I thought something had befallen a customer as an ambulance, fire engine and police car were there, but it’s actually a community day so the kids clamber in and out of the fire engine and ambulance before getting ID cards from the police women, complete with fingerprints. Big Brother will be watching; getting away with it by sweetening the deal with a temporary tattoo and a heat activated colour changing pencil.
After a picnic and playground runaround it's only 90 miles to Geneva for our third one night stop in a row. The Days Inn by Wyndham most exciting feature for the kids is its proximity to neighbour Wendy’s fast food joint.
Geneva is at the top of Lake Seneca, one of the Finger Lakes - at the waterfront Welcome Centre I get walked through some ideas whilst the kids play on a pirate ship playground.
300 metres away in the town, Kate and I have a paddle of beers and ciders at Lake Drum Brewing, the kids try an orange cream soda which they drink because it’s a fizzy drink I think, not because they actually like it. They do however like the free-help-yourself popcorn which is munched on while we play cards.
A large cousins group appears, Seb then absorbed in their game of darts, Sienna and Seb having a mostly not dangerous attempt of their own. The kids' patience in the brewery is rewarded with a burger from the previously spotted Wendy’s and soon it’s time for bed.