But, Some Are. (RE: "Not All Who Wander Are Lost") Part I

I took a somewhat spontaneous road trip this past long weekend, because I needed to get the heck out of here ("here" being a physical and mental state of being). The sensation of desiring an adventure slowly seeped into my consciousness over the course of a few days and so I asked for Friday off from work, giving me a four day weekend with the Labor Day holiday.

Back in 2010, I took a couple of days and roadtripped to Washington DC via Philadelphia and Baltimore, stopping at Hard Rock Cafes along the way, busking, and exploring some of the cities. I wrote about that trip here and here.

Shortly after that trip, which was a lot of fun, I researched and mapped out an itinerary for a much longer trip heading to some big cities to the west. This past week, as the wanderlust began to creep in, I cut out a couple cities and shrunk the itinerary down to something that I could manage in the span of the four day weekend.

First Leg: Broadalbin, NY to Niagara Falls, NY. 274 Miles. 4 Hours.

(Awesome)

(The Fit)

I woke up early on Friday, excited! I had a great breakfast at the Cafe in the Village, packed up my car, showered, and hit the road. It was nothing but blue skies ahead and a great playlist on my iPhone, which consisted of the Decemberists, Conor Oberst, the Shins, Dawes, Counting Crows, and many others.

("X" Marks the Spot)

To save money, I had bought some lunch meat and cheese to make sandwiches. I packed a small cooler full of water bottles that I had put in the freezer the night before to keep the food from spoiling, and to drink when thawed out. At 1pm, I stopped for lunch and gas.

I arrived in Niagara Falls, NY around 4:00pm. I passed by three parking lots that were charging 10 or 15 dollars to park for the "Whole Day" and found an almost hidden street just one block over from all the attractions. There were about ten parking spots that were free to park in for 2 hours between 9am and 6pm. One spot was empty. Score!


I wandered around the USA side of the falls, taking in the sights.









(Look at those crazy birds!)



(Right, 'cause I was tempted...)




I stopped by the Hard Rock Cafe and picked up my first pin of the road trip.



Around 5:30, I decided I wanted to spend a lot of time by the Falls. My dad was texting me about the trip and talked me into staying in a hotel instead of sleeping in my car. I ate dinner (another sandwich -- gotta save money!) and looked up hotels on my phone. I booked a room on the Canada side of the Falls and, when I finished eating, I headed over to the Rainbow Bridge.

Second Leg: Niagara Falls, NY to Niagara Falls, ON. 3.4 Miles. 20 Minutes.

I went through customs and reached my hotel a little after 6. I had splurged a little bit on the room and was only a few blocks away from the falls and all the touristy wonders. I walked down Clifton Street, scoping out places to hang out later on and getting the lay of the land. Then I walked down to the falls. I wanted to do the Maid of the Mist, but discovered that the actual Maid of the Mist is on the USA side and the Canada side is run by Hornblower Niagara Falls Cruises -- which isn't nearly as cool sounding as Maid of the Mist.

("Oh hell yes," I said when I saw the ferris wheel)






(I'm-riding-a-boat-into-a-huge-waterfall face)







Sopping wet, I walked along the Canada side of the Falls while the sun went down. Then, I turned back and went to Hard Rock where I picked up my second pin of the road trip.




Then, I B-lined for this thing:





(Mini-golf volcano is super "mini" from up here)




After that awesomeness, I overheard people talking about fireworks over the Falls starting at ten. I thought it would be really cool to watch them from the Skylon Tower, so I half-walked/half-ran there to make it in time.




(700 some odd feet above the falls)




It was really crowded for the fireworks. People were practically standing on top of each other to get pictures. There were cameras, phones, tablets...










Remember when people used to enjoy things that were happening instead of just taking pictures of them? Me neither. Oh, and there is even video!


When the fireworks ended, everyone rushed to the elevator. Funny, there are two elevators going up, but only one going down. I was crammed in with WAY too many people for such a small space. Feeling claustrophobic, I had to shut my eyes and imagine that I was somewhere else. I was litterally touching people on all sides of me.

It was roughly 10:30 and I decided I wanted to see what type of night life I could find. I went back to the hotel, showered, and changed and headed back to Clifton Street. I found a small patio bar that wasn't crowded and had a drink and a quessadilla. The bartender and I joked about tourists.

At 12:30am, I decided I was done. I went back to the hotel room and called it a night.

(To be continued...)