More than we deserve

Day 3 started later than planned. Fortunately we only had about 5 hours of driving planned. After being treated to some delicious vegan waffles by Drea and Brian and before leaving town, we made another stop at Wegmans to stock up on snacks. Alison was in heaven with the olive bar. $50 later we headed out of Rochester and hopped back on I-90 W.

Around Buffalo, Alison asked, "How close are we to Niagara Falls?" I wasn't sure so I had her pull out the map. It didn't look too far, so we impulsively pulled off 90 and headed north on 291. 12 miles later, we were in the town of Niagara Falls. No mist to be seen, but no lack of heart shaped jacuzzis either. We followed the signs to the American Falls and were there soon enough. Parking was another issue. We circled around for a little while until spotting a 5 minute parking spot in front of the House of India (advertising a wide selection of international food including chicken wings and hot dogs) and hoped for the best. We ran through the crowds, bolted through the visitor's center, snapped a few shots in front of the falls, and ran back to the car. No ticket! And Alison could check off a natural wonder of the world from her list of things to see. It added some time to our trip, but it was worth it, and the bonus was a beautiful drive along Lake Erie as we crossed into Pennsylvania.

Another first for Alison came about when we crossed into Ohio. Soon enough we were passing through the cute town of Hudson and into Stow, where my friend Brian Robson and his girlfriend, Krystel, greeted us with open arms. Brian and I met 2 years ago in Kelly, Wyoming during our WEMT training, and this was the first time we'd seen each other since our send-off party in Jackson at the Antler Lodge. The four of us went out for sushi and now we're enjoying each other's company with or full bellies. It's Alison's turn to say a few words...

I loved the daylights out of Rochester. I loved Niagara Falls, though I couldn't help mention to Annie that they always find ways to make natural wonders unnaturally annoying with attractions like wax museums and "Will pay cash for gold!" kiosks. Annie's friends Brian and Krystel have treated us like royalty. I am looking forward to the little pink houses we will no doubt be seeing very soon. John Cougar Mellencamp really knew what he was talking about. Annie told me blogging would be fun. Another first for me. A note to Masa -- totemoaishitemasu.
I can't believe I forgot my Ratt CD.