Oh Canada, Oh Canada...

So we passed into Canada on July 4th for Independence day. We're hilarious. We watched the fireworks on the other side of Niagara Falls and watched the falls illuminate at nightfall. It was amazing. They light up the falls every night, and there are fireworks every Tuesday and Friday, so the fireworks on the fourth of July was a complete coincidence. But that made it all the more magical. 

We stayed at Niagara Falls for about two days, sleeping at a KOA Kampground nearby (the K in Kampground is entirely intentional, by the way. It's a part of the KOA dealio-- there is a slogan that reads, roughly, "It's not camping, it's Kamping!" Following the same rule, their cabins are Kabins).

The KOAs have been a fantastic resource on this trip. They have showers, decent restrooms, and they often have pools and other activities. We stayed at one KOA that had a jumping pillow, which is essentially a giant trampoline. Many Kampgrounds have activities for kids or families-- movie nights, hayrides, pancake breakfasts, etc. Tons of fun. Of course, we are usually out all day and never come back to the kampground in time for the activities. Just the same, KOAs are awesome.

The one activity we do participate in at every opportunity. Mom and I often forget how much we enjoy swimming, and are initially reluctant to go to the enormous effort of changing into a swimsuit, pep talking ourselves, and convincing ourselves that it's not as bad as it seems. Not to mention getting up the nerve to enter the freezy water and eventually peeling off the swimsuits. But once we got into a pool the first time, we suddenly remembered how fond we are of swimming. Since then, we go swimming whenever we possibly can, resulting in some pretty torturous sunburns.

Our next stop in Canada was Montreal. Wow. We stayed in a hotel downtown, but we struggled getting there a fair bit because every road sign was in French. Only French. Siri was completely useless-- we have become grossly used to the message "Siri not available, please connect to the internet." and "I'm really sorry about this, but I cannot do that. Try again in a little while". So we wandered around helplessly for a while until we eventually managed to find the hotel. As soon as we checked into the hotel, we went out for a walk. We wandered around the city and eventually found ourselves somewhere downtown and starved half to death. We found our way to a food district, and decided to eat at a lovely Indian restaurant. We sat outside on the patio and ate the BEST indian food ever. At the restaurant, we met a wonderful couple who live in Montreal. They were both very captivating and gave us some tips about where to go and what to see in the city. The wife mentioned that the jazz festival would be wrapping up that night, and advised that we go see what there was to see. We obeyed, and ended up having a great time! For the most part we wandered around, enjoying the atmosphere. When we went to walk to the hotel, though, we got a little disoriented. We ended up walking a couple miles more than necessary but, at length, found our hotel. My legs got pretty chafed, but honestly I should be used to it by now. Ah, the curse of the thunder thighs.

We also visited the Notre Dame Basilica. I loved it there. There were hundreds of candles lit, and it was so quiet and utterly breathtakingly beautiful.

The next day, we walked to the museum of fine arts and stayed there for the whole day. On the walk back, we stopped at a small underground metro restaurant. There, we ate the most glorious meal of all time. It's called poutine. Basically, french fries smothered in gravy and decorated with cheese curds. Granted, it sounds gross, but I swear to everything delicious and holy that this dish is the single most miraculous invention in all of history. Wow. So good. So. Good.
Next stop: New Brunswick. There is not much to say about this, as it wasn't exactly a destination. On the way there, though, we passed through Quebec. Cool. Saw some pretty stuff. Mountains, wilderness, you know the drill. Nature is amazing.

Now, the crown jewel of Canada: Prince Edward Island. It was incredible. Within 15 minutes in any direction was the ocean, farmland, meadows, mountains, forests, everything. You can drive in any direction from anywhere on the island and hit the ocean within 15 minutes. I know, I know, that's kind of how islands work. But it's a completely new concept to me, being born and bred in a desert. I spent a fair amount of time at beaches, and walked away with a fairly treacherous sunburn. It was worth it, by the way. Mom fell completely in love with the island. She's going to move there someday, she thinks. I agree full heartedly, especially if I get to tag along. We spent about four days there, and I did a lot of driving on the island. It was a pretty easy drive and a perfect little island. So lovely. Just- wow. This has been an amazing trip.On the island, we got up at 4:00am to see the sunrise. We drove to a beach and watched the sun rise. It was incredible. The two of us took hundreds of photos, and enjoyed the quiet time we had together. It was a beautiful start to a beautiful day.

So, after maybe a week in Canada, we reluctantly crossed the border into Maine. We spent almost an hour at the duty-free store, avoiding the cross back into the US. I dont want to pick favorites or anything... but Canada is the best.

First of the Fourth

Ok. So we are in upstate New York, on the banks of Lake Ontario. I walked out to the lake on a boardwalk just now, and I'm telling you, it was so incredible. Walking out, the water splashed up over the boardwalk, so I am completely drenched. The water was so blue and so fresh it just... Wow. Took my breath away. The lake is so vast and so so blue, it's hard to tell the sky from the water. Wow. 

What a great way to start off the fourth. 

Mall of America, Mayo Clinic, and lots of driving.

First of the Fourth

Ok. So we are in upstate New York, on the banks of Lake Ontario. I walked out to the lake on a boardwalk just now, and I'm telling you, it was so incredible. Walking out, the water splashed up over the boardwalk, so I am completely drenched. The water was so blue and so fresh it just... Wow. Took my breath away. The lake is so vast and so so blue, it's hard to tell the sky from the water. Wow. 

What a great way to start off the fourth. 

First of the Fourth

Ok. So we are in upstate New York, on the banks of Lake Ontario. I walked out to the lake on a boardwalk just now, and I'm telling you, it was so incredible. Walking out, the water splashed up over the boardwalk, so I am completely drenched. The water was so blue and so fresh it just... Wow. Took my breath away. The lake is so vast and so so blue, it's hard to tell the sky from the water. Wow. 

What a great way to start off the fourth. 

Swings

It is bizarre to me that I can be in a tent in some random place and connect. I remember Scott telling me about the internet twenty years ago, trying to convince me it was a worthy cause . . . fifteen dollars a month, for what?

Now technology has changed everything. I expect to be connected. 

I had to show my parents the 'Find your Friends' App for their iPads so they could track me across the country. Dad feels much better being able to see us. He loves the hybrid view where the satellite pairs with a map and he can see the terrain  I think he likes to check up on us

I love that. 

But here I am, listening to a squeaky swing set across the campground and remembering that playground at the foot of the movie screen at the North Star drive in. And I hear the wind rustle leaves and listen harder for the sound of thunder in the distance. 

I hear fires crackle and laughs become giggles until they hush in sleep. 

The glow of my iPhone seems out of place and I want to sink into the memories of smoky nights, and rainstorms in tents. I want the only sounds to be my mother's songs and watch my dad make the moon disappear. 

But now I want this night, the squeaky swings to make that impression on Violet.
So these memories will mean all that to her.
Then we connect.
It transcends batteries and bandwidth.

More like generations. 

Laura Ingalls Homestead

On our way through South Dakota, we saw a sign advertising the homestead of Laura Ingalls (of the little house on the prairie books). 

We decided all of a sudden to turn off and give it a visit. Brilliant idea. 

As soon as I walked through the door I completely flipped out. It was awesome. They had all of the books, and tons of postcards as well as other tributes to te family (the tin cup Christmas, Charlotte, jack, etc.). They also had a golden violin necklace (a nod to Pa and his fiddle). 

We walked around and they had so much stuff. It was not dissimilar from a living museum. 

They had a rebuilt construction of the Ingalls homestead, complete with a butter churn, a washboard, organ, sewing machine, and hay beds. It was so cool. They also had a barn with horses and chicks and chickens (and lots of new kittens) they also had a calf. Oh! And ponies. As in actual ponies, not baby horses. 

We got to ride in a wagon, make rope, twist hay, make corn cob dolls, go to an old fashioned one-room school, and grind wheat. 

It was cool because they let everyone play around and explore. We got to pet the animals and climb on the buggies and play with the artifacts, which I found incredibly unique and exciting. 

I learned so much and had a fantastic time. Best detour ever. 

It's hard to explain the experience well enough to make it sound as fun as it was. But take my word for it. I was really, really awesome. I'd do it again in a heartbeat. 

The homestead is in De Smet, South Dakota. It's awesome. 20/10.