Road Trip 2010: Niagara Falls, New York Pt III

You won't find Maddy too far from a swimming pool

At Fantasy Island theme park

Maddy makes friends so easily

Maddy getting squashed but having fun

Maddy and Rach going up the Silver Comet rollercoaster

Maddy loved the bumper cars, especially crashing into other cars

At the wave pool

Maddy would stay in the pool all day if he could

Ready to hit the road for Pittsburgh

Road Trip 2010: Niagara Falls, New York Pt II

Our original plan was to just take in the sights unassisted but at the last moment we relented and decided to take a guided tour. The selling point was we would be able to see all the sights in 5 hours that normally would take the average tourist a day and a half to see on their own. It turned out to be the best decision we made on the road trip.

Rach and Maddy enjoying the view

Preparing to go down the elevator to the base of the Falls

At the Whirlpool State Park

Maddy and his friend Riley trying to figure out how to put the panchos on

No, that's not me choking Rachel

The Observation Deck

Not a sight you see every day

On the Maid of the Mist with hundreds of fellow tourists dressed in trendy blue trash bags

The boat took us right underneath the Canadian Falls where the wind and mist was fierce

The American Falls

Maddy and his friend right before he got hit in the nose by a stuffed toy snake

Road Trip 2010: Niagara Falls, New York Part I

Listed as one of the must see destinations of a lifetime, Niagara Falls was a place we just had to see while we had the opportunity and it didn't disappoint.

Of course Maddy insisted we started the day off with a dip in the pool

Maddy made me sit in a pink rocking chair while we waited for our 5 hour guided tour to start

At Terrapin Point overlooking Horseshoe Falls on the Canadian side

Maddy was fascinated by these viewers

The viewing platforms were super close to the edge of the Falls

We ventured down to the base of the Falls to see the Cave of the Winds

Maddy loved getting wet, no surprise there

Maddy and Daddy getting drenched by the American Falls at the famed Hurricane Deck

Halfway through the day and all is going well

Rach enjoying the view from the Observation Deck overlooking the American Falls

Road Trip 2010: Coney Island, New York

On our way out of New York City we stopped by for a quick visit to Coney Island. We managed to visit the NY Aquarium and the beach before made our way to Niagara Falls.

The NY Aquarium at Coney Island

On the Coney Island boardwalk

Maddy enjoying the beach

The Sea Lion show

Ground Zero in NYC

New York City was one of a kind. I don't think I could handle the hustle and bustle of NY City life on a permanent basis but it sure was fun visiting it for the first time. Next time we visit we will have to do a guided tour!

Road Trip 2010: New York City, New York

Philadelphia, PA to NYC, NY

 Trip distance: 94.1 mi Time: 1 hr 48 mins 

The trip to NYC from Philly was a short hop up the New Jersey Turnpike. It was quite a thrill for all of us to see the Manhattan skyline for the first time.

Manhattan skyscrapers from our car window

Our first stop was the hotel in downtown Brooklyn. As we pulled off the freeway, Rach looked at me with the look that said, "is this area safe?" because it didn't look that great but we were pleasantly surprised with the place in the end. The next morning we ventured out to Planet Hollywood in Times Square to pick up our New York passes.

Times Square, NYC

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Road Trip 2010: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Philly was supposed to be a mere afterthought on our way to New York City and Niagara Falls but ended up being a very interesting stop. We managed to see Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, National Constitutional Center, the Rocky Steps & Statue and the Please Touch Museum.

Behind Independence Hall with Maddy

In front of Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence was signed

Taking a break by the First Amendment marker

The Liberty Bell in Philadelphia, PA

In front of the Please Touch Museum

Rach by an elephant made of toys and knickknacks

Maddy working the digger at the Please Touch Museum

Maddy with a signer of the Constitution at the National Constitution Center

Our last photo of the National Constitution Center before we were asked to stop taking pics

Philadelphia is truly a historic city which deserved more than 1 day. We will try to visit it again in the future. For now we will be making our way to NYC. Tomorrow we will post some pics of our 2 day trip to the Big Apple.

Road Trip 2010: The First Leg

Washington, DC to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Trip distance: 150.3 mi Time: 2 hrs 49 mins 

Off we go on our road trip to Philly, NYC, Niagara Falls and Pittsburgh. The entire trip will take about 6 days and we will drive just over 1100 miles. We're picking up a rental car this afternoon and then setting sail for Philadelphia, PA. Some of the sights we hope to see are the Liberty Bell, National Constitution Center, Betsy Ross House, Penn's Landing and maybe even the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Maddy might find some of these places boring but I'm sure he will benefit from it later when he learns of the historical significance in 3rd grade. He can tell his classmates, hey, I've been there!

Legoland

Digging for dinosaur fossils

lego water games

helicopter ride