In the Summer of 2023, we set off from South Carolina to head North to Niagara Falls! Well, actually, we had some dear friends, The Enslows who moved back to Dryden, New York that we had to see as well! They were the pinnacle of the trip and while we were up there visiting them, they said, “Well you know, Niagara Falls is ONLY a few hours away…” so we took them up on it!

This led to our beautiful road trip where we ended up doing even more than we had anticipated and so we tagged on the beginning of our homeschool year with this adventure. Buckle up!

Days 1-4 Washington D.C.

We spent the first few days of our trip squeezing in as much of the free Smithsonian Museums and free things to do with kids in Washington D.C.! We stayed in a comfortable AirBnB in the Shaw neighborhood and opted to walk the few miles everyday (at least one-way, walk around all day and then Uber back “home”). The location was great because it was a mile to Chinatown, the National Mall, and only a mile or so more to the Museum of Natural History, The National Air and Space Museum, The National Botanic Garden and close to food trucks and local parks. We also appreciated the free parking at this neighborhood that did allow us easy access to the car everyday. We would stay there again if we visit DC. There are so many cool spots that we know we missed only having a short time so we plan on coming back here to explore more!

Days 4-6 Delaware! (Dela-where?)

All jokes aside, we drove to northern Delaware to meet up with former coworker and friend, Julia and her beautiful family! Julia and her husband Chris are in the crabbing business, which runs throughout most of the year on the Chesapeake Bay, when they are not teaching and working. It is also important to note that Chris is also an accomplished chef and he generously treated us to a crab pot. The kids were intrigued and he demonstrated how he layers the crabs with a secret blend of spices (like you would layer a lasagna) and steam them. Once they were cooked, he patiently taught us how to “pick” (eat) a crab. They were indeed the BEST (no exaggeration) crabs that we have ever eaten! Julia and Emma also took us to a fun state park, just up the road from where they live: Killens Pond State Park! This park had a herpetarium and Nature Center, lots of biking and walking trails and water activities.

Day 6-7 Gettysburg and Williamsport, Pennsylvania

After we left Delaware, we drove to Gettysburg, PA to visit the National Battlefield and listened to Jonny Cash’s version of Abraham Lincoln’s famous “Gettysburg Address” speech. We found the South Carolina memorial and got our stamp at the Visitor’s Center. The kids will probably remember it being very hot and “there’s nothing here but corn fields.” (But the corn fields are it, where in one day of battle, it was the bloodiest day in US History, on American soil and became the turning point of the Civil War.) After the somber drive through Gettysburg, we drove through Harrisburg and landed in Williamsport for dinner. We ate at a pizza shop on the downtown main street and there also happened to be the inagural parade for the Little League World Series. The Grand Slam parade featured baseball teams from regions across the US as well as hosted teams from other countries. They do parades very well here in Pennsylvania. 18-wheeler trucks passed out cases of Pepsi products and a chip truck passed out entire bags of chips and all the floats had some sort of candy or prize on board that they gladly threw at bystanders.

Days 8-10 Dryden and Ithaca, New York

Spending time with our friends was amazing! It was an honor to meet Bill’s parents, Heather and Bill’s kids (whom we hadn’t met in SC) and to see the sights around their hometown. Buttermilk Falls is their favorite falls in the area and was a nice hike for the kids. We also visited an indoor playground and recreation center in nearby Lansing, NY. Enslows, your hospitality was amazing and we are so grateful for all of you and for showing us around “gorges” Upstate New York!

Days 10-12 Niagara Falls, New York

We stayed at a cheaper hotel because of it’s proximity to the Falls. Driving up to Niagara Falls State Park is really exciting because the rapids in the river are huge! We stopped on the Goat Island pedestrian bridge to watch. We explored the top of American Falls and walked the walking/bike path to Hennepin View and the trails that led to the Powerhouse and Discovery Center (which was seasonally closed). We rode the trolley back to the main parking area. The next morning, we got up, bought sweatshirts (it was that cold in August!) and went to Terrapin Point, where we saw rainbows and beautiful views. Then we toured Cave of the Winds (no line in the morning) where we walked under the spray of Bridal Veil Falls! We had lunch and stood in the afternoon line for Maid of the Mist boat ride up to the base of all three falls: American Falls, Bridal Veil Falls and Horseshoe Falls (which belongs to Canada). Note: if you are towards the back of the line, they fill the bottom of the boats first, so we ended up getting to ride on the top of the boat to catch all the views (and all the water!) Even though we opted to not visit Canada on this trip, we really felt like we were able to enjoy all the things we wanted to do.

Days 11-12 Harper’s Ferry and Beckley, West Virginia

On the way home, we made stops to Harper’s Ferry National Historical Park and hiked to St. Peter’s Church and up to Jefferson’s Rock. This is also on the Appalachian Trail, so naturally we had to also visit the Appalachian Trail Conservancy headquarters. This is the mental “half-way” point on the AT. They say, if you can make it here, in either direction, you should keep going. (The physical halfway point is Pine Furnace, Pennsylvania). Miriam got herself an AT shirt and some white-blazed earrings. They have a kids area to play in an AT shelter/play structure and to learn about different hikers who built, preserved and crushed goals on the longest footpath in the US. If you are a hiker and stop in, they have a hiker lounge with free wi-fi, resupply and shuttle services.)

On the way home to continue to stretch our legs and get out of the car, we stumbled upon the Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine. This was the coolest stop-over, where we ended up spending three hours exploring and got a tour. The tour goes inside an old mine (which is open for teaching purposes only) and the tours are conducted by volunteers who used to work underground. Our tour guide, Mike, was excellent! He was full of knowledge and stories and did a great job explaining everything to kids and adults. He made the journey so much fun! Your entrance fee also gives you access to the Coal Miner’s Museum and the Appalachian Mountain Home Museum, AND a hands-on Kid’s Museum which has animation and film themes. After this experience, we headed on home; tired, yet so full of all we saw and experienced! As always, it’s the people that make these trips so worth it! And we are grateful for our friends who hosted us, as well as the new friends we made along the way!