The Great New England Adventure: Days 4-5, Niagara Falls
Day 4: An Unexpected Night at Niagara
We were on the road with the sunrise, pointing the camper north toward New York. Before long, we made our first stop at a camping store that wasn't even open yet, but thankfully, its free dump station was. We ended up spending nearly an hour there emptying the tanks, weighing the camper on the scale next door, and chatting with a few experienced campers about something that had been nagging at the back of our minds.
If you followed along last year, you may remember that we had to replace an axle in Albuquerque, and that was and adventure we did not want to repeat. Ever since then, we've kept a close eye on the other axle, and this trip, it was beginning to look suspiciously familiar. The guys at the camping store thought it might be worth getting looked at, which sent us into a flurry of phone calls trying to find a shop along our route. For the moment, though, the axle was still holding, and we decided to keep rolling north to one of the kids’ dream spots: Lehman’s General Store and Kidron, OH.
These kids love the lifestyle of the “old-fashioned” and would give anything for the chance to go back in time or even stand still in time like the Amish. If the power ever goes out at our house, they're thrilled. Out come the oil lamps, candles, cast iron cookware, and old-fashioned clothes. They'd happily trade modern conveniences for simpler living - at least for a little while. Lehman’s General Store caters to the large Amish community in northern Ohio, and even has a mail order catalog.
Lehman's was everything they had imagined. Every aisle seemed to transport us back to the 1800s, filled with hand tools, lanterns, wood-burning stoves, butter churns, kitchen gadgets, toys, and just about every imaginable item for living without electricity. We wandered the store for hours while the kids dreamed about how they would use nearly everything on the shelves.
Living in a camper has a way of limiting impulse purchases, though, so we managed to leave with only a handful of treasures. Henry proudly bought an oil lamp, which he carried around the rest of the day like a prized newborn, referring to it as "his baby." We also couldn't resist leaving with some old-fashioned candy and bottles of root beer before climbing back into the van. Then it was time to make the long push toward Buffalo, New York.
It was after 7:00 p.m. when we finally arrived at our planned Harvest Hosts stop. We were exhausted, hungry, and looking forward to doing absolutely nothing besides eating dinner and collapsing into bed. Instead, we found ourselves rethinking our plans.
We would have been the only camper parked in the middle of a downtown industrial area, and since our plan was to leave the camper there all day while we explored Niagara Falls, it just didn't seem like the wisest choice. A quick search led us to the very last available campsite at Cinderella Campground on Grand Island. It turned out to be a wonderful blessing. Not only was it much closer to Niagara Falls, but it was also a cozy, welcoming campground with one of the friendliest hosts we met on the trip.
As she checked us in, she casually asked what our plans were for the evening. "We're just going to eat and go to bed," we answered.
She looked at us almost as if we were crazy. "You should go to Niagara tonight," she insisted. "The fireworks start at ten."
Looking back, I think we must have been too tired to think clearly, because somehow that sounded like an excellent idea. So instead of turning in for the night, we hurried through dinner, devoured some ice cream, grabbed our passports, and piled everyone back into the truck. Because, naturally, the perfect way to end a long travel day is to lead seven children across the border into Canada on foot at 10:00 at night.
We reached Niagara Falls State Park and Goat Island around 9:00, giving us about an hour to wander before the fireworks began. Even in the darkness, we knew we'd made the right decision. This was becoming one of those unexpected moments that would forever define the trip.
Our original plan had always been to cross the Rainbow Bridge into Canada for the best view of the falls, but with the clock ticking toward the fireworks, we admired the illuminated American side.
It was absolutely magical. The waterfalls glowed beneath colorful lights while fireworks burst overhead, their reflections dancing across the rushing water below. The Maid of the Mist boats sat quietly on the river beneath us, filled with passengers enjoying the same spectacular view. It was one of those rare moments when everyone simply stopped talking and soaked it all in.
If you're ever planning a visit to Niagara Falls, don't miss seeing it at night. It's an entirely different experience, and one we'll never forget.
Day 5: Returning to the Falls
Apparently, one visit to Niagara Falls wasn't enough. When morning came, we all agreed we wanted to see it again - this time in full daylight.
Back at the park, we discovered that we had completely missed Terrapin Point the night before. Perched directly above Horseshoe Falls, it offered an incredible view of the water plunging over the edge. Standing there, we found ourselves wishing we'd brought our passports again. It would have been fun to cross the Rainbow Bridge and walk the Canadian shoreline for a completely different perspective of the falls. Then again, that would have made for a very long walk, and the view from Terrapin Point was hard to beat.
While we were admiring the view, Charlene took the opportunity to brew a cup of tea to sip along the way. Overlooking one of the most powerful views and enjoying a cup of Earl Grey was a fun and unique way to take in the sights!
From there, we followed the Niagara River upstream to Three Sisters Islands. The roaring rapids racing toward the brink of the falls were almost as awe-inspiring as the waterfalls themselves. Standing beside that incredible current gave us a whole new appreciation for the sheer force of the river. Everywhere we looked, the power of the water was impossible to ignore.
Of course, before leaving, we made one last stop at the gift shop. No family road trip is complete without adding another magnet to the camper refrigerator. Then it was time to say goodbye to Niagara and continue our journey toward our next destination: Letchworth State Park.
