Turning West

Acadia marked the last (possible) point we could travel any direction except west. We said a melancholic goodbye to the ocean and headed for Vermont. Along the way we stopped at my Aunt Meg’s house.

Meg treated us to a wonderful dinner and a restful evening. It was just what a bunch of weary travelers needed. So much so that Ben, who’s been rather stoic about meeting such a large, unknown extended family (“You have another Aunt?!”), cried when we left. I completely forgot to take photos. Her home was a respite for me too.

The only significant rain so far came on the way to and from Vermont. And rain it did! It came in sheets so thick I nearly couldn’t see the road at times. The pic below was just a drizzle comparatively.

We stopped for a night with Ruth and Don, this time at their home. They bought a beautiful home six months ago. Actually, they bought a train wreck of a home six months ago and have made it beautiful. It was a brilliant purchase, as it was the fixer-upper in a wonderful neighborhood. They are about halfway done with their initial plans and the house is fantastic. I forgot pictures here too.

We traveled westward to Niagra Falls.

Niagra Falls

The falls themselves were amazing. After that, there is nothing good to say about Niagara Falls. It felt like the apocalypse had happened and no one here knew about it. I guess that Niagara Falls used to have over 100,000 people living in it; its current population is around 50,000. There were empty buildings everywhere. It was very eerie feeling. We still found some fun.

Still, we were glad to leave Niagara. And never go back. It’s probably the only place on this trip that I wouldn’t recommend someone visit. It’s a cool waterfall with nearly-post-apocalyptic amenities.

Further West

From Niagara, we traveled on to Indiana Dunes National coastline. Unfortunately it doesn’t take reservations. So, when we arrived, the campground was full. So we traveled further on around and through Chicago traffic at rush-hour. We landed at Illinois Beach State Park. It must’ve been meant to be because it turns out the park was right out of my childhood. I knew the trees. We camped right in my favorite spot as a child.

We met one of my best friends, Ben Walstrum and his family. The kids played at the beach, swam, and scootered in the campground. It was a nice day. Then we headed north to Wisconsin.