Katie Runyon

Well I’m back home now (actually, I’ve been home since Thursday, but waited until I had a chance to update everything at once to post). I had a great time while I was away and I’m here to share it with everyone. It took about 6 or so hours to get to Canada and of course, we got lost trying to find the bridge over (what trip is ever complete without getting lost because of incorrect/unclear directions?). The first day in Canada, we went to the Falls and saw some fireworks (since it was early evening when we actually pulled into the hotel).

The next day we went back to the Falls and did “behind the falls”, which is exactly what it sounds like. We also went on “maid of the mist”, which is a boat that takes you right under the falls and into the mist crated by them. We had to wait on line for a long time and it was hot out, but once we got on the water, it was much cooler. In “behind the falls” and “maid of the mist”, they gave us these thin plastic raincoats to wear. Before going on/to any attractions in Niagara Falls, they like to take your picture so at the end you end up paying more for those too. Of course, the pictures aren’t the greatest because at first, you aren’t expecting them and you’re holding water bottles, purses, and anything else you’ve accumulated. After that was all over, we walked around the streets looking at the shops and decided to go on the Skywheel, which is a big ferris wheel with an enclosed compartment. The person securing the door let us know that if there was an emergency, there was a red button above us and if we pressed it, they would get us down. I scoffed at the idea, but once we started moving, I thought that red button looked very appealing. I’ve been on plenty of ferris wheels before and even on one that went upside down(I went with my older sister and she made sure to rock it as much as possible), granted they were a while ago, but I never thought it would be a big thing. Once we started going around the second time it wasn’t so bad and then by the third it was no big deal at all. We could see our hotel from the air by locating the blue triangular top of the Hooters building that was located near it. Later we went for dinner and watched Jay Cochrane tightrope above the city.

The next day(the last full day we were to be in Canada), we went on the “white water walk” where you walk along the Niagara River. After we were finished with that, we headed over to the Butterfly Conservatory. Being in love with butterflies, it was just about the greatest thing ever. When I walked in and saw butterflies everywhere, zooming past my face, I felt euphoric. It took me a few minutes to get over the initial wonder of the place and begin moving through the rest of it. The blue butterflies were the hardest to capture, because they would never stay still long enough, but one landed on the woman in front of my so I just had to take it’s picture. After that, we had to rush home because we had a dinner reservation at the Skylon tower. After eating dinner there, we went to my first casino and did a little gambling(a few bucks playing on some poker machines, where I mostly played blackjack and didn’t do so bad at times). We watched more fireworks over the falls and then slowly made our way home, stopping to listen to a man singing and playing his guitar. The last day in Canada, we went back to the butterfly conservatory and took a horse drawn carriage around the property. When we left and finally found our way onto a bridge back to the US, we ended up sitting there for over an hour before going through.

A few hours later, we made it to Palmyra, NY where we were staying. It was a small town and being Monday, many places were closed. With not much to do, we wasted time and ate before getting back to the bed and breakfast nice and early. The second day in Palmyra was a little more eventful. We went to the little museums they had in town and had a guided tour. That took a few hours, and with time to kill, we headed over to the Erie lock a few minutes away. No boats were coming in though, so we never saw the lock in action. After that, we decided to drive up to see Lake Ontario and get something to eat near the water. When we made it back to Palmyra, we went to the ice cream place we had gone the night before and got some more of their famously large ice cream. The next morning we left for Dundee, NY. The bed and breakfast we stayed at there, was beautiful. There was floor to ceiling glass for the walls of our bedroom and bathroom. We were right on the water and a large porch we could sit out on. The next day we went to the Watkins Glen state park, which had been recommended to us. It was a beautiful place with lots of waterfalls and interesting waterways gouged into the rock. It was a hot day, so I was glad when we came upon a waterfall that was close enough to get me wet. It was a long walk, but a nice one. When we were finished, it was still early, so we headed over to the boat tours place down the street and got hour-long tour of the lake. On the way back to the bed and breakfast, we stopped at a few wineries. When we got back, we just watched the boats on the lake and ate dinner. I wanted to get home since I was missing the little kitten Caleb, so we left the next day right after a long breakfast. I finally made it home, with lots of pictures, some fudge from Palmyra, and some Canadian money.

It was good to be gone, but part of me missed home. My cats missed me and I was glad to see Caleb had not forgotten about me. I would love to go to Canada again, but next time I’ll probably be going somewhere else. If anyone has visited any great place, let me know. Even if it were another year until I get to go, it would be good to get some ideas. I uploaded the pictures I took over the course of my trip and might be adding a few more in the coming weeks from my grandmother’s camera. I’m also still looking for any alpha readers if anyone’s interested, you can email me or fill out the form on the “my work” page. I hope that I’ll being writing chapter 15 soon(I still need to input all my edits, but am avoiding it as one might avoid a trip to the dentist).