Monday, August 6 to Monday, August 13
First of all, note that this is being written eight years after the trip, and therefore represents my best guess as to what we did and when. Most of the memories are being dredged up with the aid of the photos we took. This underscores the importance of taking photos, but also the importance of keeping diarys and trip logs, etc.
We headed north-north-east stopping in coal mines and caves and museums. A two night visit with the McDermott's allowed a respite from the rigors of travel. Niagara Falls and a visit to Uncle Pete's cabin in the Poconos rounded out a successful trip.
Day 1: Within an hour of leaving home we are exploring Crystal Cave. This is our first cave visit on any of these trips, but from here on out they become a bit of a tradition. Later in the day we are back underground, for the Lackawanna Coal Mine tour. The cave was good but the coal mine tour was awesome.
Day 2: In this case we continue a tradition of the first two years and visit the Rubenstein Science Museum, in Syracuse, New York. Tom and I are always up for a science museum. At this age (and for several more years) I think Tom likes the gift shops as much as the exhibits - this stop nets a coal miner's hat, complete with a working headlight, very apropos after the previous day's tour. Even more important though is the little plastic truck tire that we pick up this day in a McDonald's Happy Meal. It is supposedly a small canteen, since it has a small cap that allows you to add water to it. Making sun tea in the tire, as we drive down the highway, is great fun.
We arrive at Andy McDermott's in Fairport, New York, in the
early afternoon. Andy introduces himself "Hi Tom, I'm Andy". Tom replies "I'm
Tom. I'm seven. I like to take things apart." Andy is an immediate Tom fan.
It's early enough in the day for Tom to take advantage of the above ground pool in the back yard. He settles into a floating chair and announces "this is the life". I guess it didn't take him long to feel at home. This is even more apparent after we return from a short trip out to see some local baseball - when we return Shamus McDermott and some of his friends are using the pool. Indignantly, Tom asks "Hey, what are those kids doing in our pool?"
Day 3: Tom and I hang out in the morning, playing video games and getting to know the kids. Of course, all of the McDermotts make us feel welcome and Tom loves all the attention. Follow the appropriate photo link below to see a picture of Tom with each of Andy and Marge's kids. Andy comes home early and we get a great tour of the Rochester area. This evening Andy, Marge, Tom and I visit a neighbors for a "cookout", a veritable feast that includes a beer or two, if I recall correctly.
Day 4: Before leaving the area we say goodbye to Marge at her drive in bank teller window (see if you can find her in the photos linked to below)!
We head west and by evening are across the border into Canada, settled into the Fallsway Quality Inn hotel in Niagara Falls. This evening we stay up late yet again, enjoying the nightly fireworks at the falls and listening to a rockish, countryish, singer by the name of John McCabe at a nice tavern. Dinner at the same tavern tops off a great day.
Day 5: We line up to get in the little boat (the Maid of the Mist) and the next thing you know it are heading towards the bottom of this tremendous waterfall, water spritzing all over us. Awesome. Tom has made a friend (see photos) and together, with her father, we all enjoy getting wet, being bombarded by the sounds of the crashing water, and amazed by the obvious power of nature simply running downhill. The photo on the left below shows Tom and his friend on our closest approach to the falls, and the one on the right shows them after we finally got to remove the annoying blue raincoats, at the end of our boat ride. More photos available from the link below.
Later, we drive around the area just exploring, and discover a small recreation center. We kill a little time there: highlights include riding around in go-carts.
Day 6: Up in the morning and walk down to the
viewpoint for one last look at the falls. Into the car and head back south,
eventually reaching Uncle Pete's place in the PA mountains. We enjoy our tour of
the cabin and property, especially when we are visited by some deer. Pete
promptly sends them running, with a well place blow from a bag-headed arrow. We
have dinner at a local pub and sleep soundly in the cool mountain air.
Day 7: We drive home.
Post Script: The day after we returned home Tom and I are at the grocery store. We run into Tom's kindergarten teacher from the previous year. I tell her we just got back from an exciting week long trip. She asks Tom "So, what did you do on this trip?" I swelled with pride. Would he impress her with stories of caves and coal mines, science museums, or natural wonders viewed up close and personal? Tom replies eagerly to her question "One night I stayed up till after 12, and one morning we had fudge for breakfast!" Imagine that!
Andy McDermott's (5)
Maid of the Mist (4)
Links
End of 1996