Road Trip across the USA!!! - Part 1

Since we were moving across the country from one coast to the other, we knew we'd never have a better opportunity for a cross-country tour - so we took advantage of it!  We hopped in the car one day in Maine and hit the road!

Day 1: Leave Maine, drive through New Hampshire and Massachusetts to New York

We've found that, since the Mr. is more fun and entertaining to the children, and much more relaxed when travelling, we make a great team when I drive and he sits in the back, so that's what we did!  While I was driving, the Mr. concocted this creative little model of our van driving across the country, as a visual representation for the children to mark our progress.  Each label is a state we would drive through, so each time we entered a new state, we would move the car forward to that state.  It wasn't fancy, but it did the trick! ;)

Here we are, starting out.  We didn't take any pics of the first few states, since we've been to them several times before.

NEW HAMPSHIRE

MASSACHUSETTS (We stopped in Boston to ship some things since our van was 

packed to the gills!!!)

NEW YORK

We'd been to NYC and upstate NY multiple times, but one place we had not yet visited was Niagara Falls, so we decided to go for it!  

We arrived Sunday night, checked into our hotel and drove to the falls for the firework show - only to have it cancelled right then due to thunder and lightening storms!  Fortunately, the next day was BEAUTIFUL (VERY sunny, as you can tell by our pictures!) for our tour of Niagara!

We took the "Maid of the Mist" boat which was AMAZING!!!  I'm not sure what the children enjoyed more - the close-up view of the falls, or playing with the ponchos! :)

Most of us decided the mist felt so refreshing that hot, summer day that we removed our ponchos.  Little did we know the mist soon turned to spray and then deluge, and we were soaked from head to toe by the end!  It sure made for an exciting ride!! (Except for Wiggles, who cowered and cried in fear at the bottom of the boat, due to the loud roaring). :)

Here we are, after the boat ride (soaking wet!)

The Mr. is pointing to us, in our little blue ponchos.

My beautiful girl and a beautiful view.

Niagara Falls was everything we had hoped it would be, and more!  What a terrific first day to start our cross-country trip!