We made it home!

Hi all!
Sorry for the delay in posting - we have experienced technical difficulties (lack of wifi), resulting in the inability to update the blog.
Last time I posted, we were just hanging out at the campsite in Erie - and had decided not to seek out some fireworks for the fourth. This ended up being a great decision, because, from our campsite, we were actually able to view the firework being launched on Lake Erie, and enjoyed the whole show without leaving our site. Campers next to us did drive out to see the fireworks, and took more than 2 hours to get home. We just watched the fireworks, and then played a great game of Monopoly (the Dallas Cowboys version) in the camper. Chris quickly accumulated a set of properties, put up hotels, and bankrupt the rest of us (well almost - we had set a time limit, so at the end of the hour, he was the richest!).
Thursday morning, we set out for the next stop - Niagara Falls. We arrived there quickly - it was only a 150 mile drive - and started exploring. We went to Goat Island and looked at the both the American Falls and Horseshoe Falls, dined at a small restaurant, and then took a ride on the Maid of the Mist. For those of you who haven't been to Niagara Falls, the Maid of the Mist is a short boat ride that rides in front of the American Falls and then into the middle of the Horseshoe Falls - needless to say, one gets drenched on this boat ride, thus the need for those ridiculous blue trash bag coats that we are wearing in the pictures that Bill posted. It was really cool - and absolutely amazing how much water flows through those falls.
We then headed through customs, on route for our next campsite - in Niagara Falls, ON. The voyage over the border was - interesting. Three customs officers asked us to leave our vehicle, so that they could search the RV - looking for weapons I think. It took them quite a while, and we could see them opening every cupboard, box, etc., in search of something that may threaten the security of Canada - we are scary looking individuals, and certainly fit the profile for terrorists, right?
Well, we made it through - they did "break" one of the benches to the dinette while they were searching - Chris put it back together while we drove. We arrived at the nicest campground of our trip - the Niagara Falls KOA - it was awesome. It had and indoor heated pool, two outdoor pools, playgrounds, etc. etc. etc. We checked in, hooked up the RV, and booked it out to the road, where we could pick up the public transportation for a ride back to the falls. Bill had made reservations for dinner at the Skylan Tower, revolving dining room for a fantastic dinner. The food was wonderful, once I got over the prices on the menu, and the view was priceless. It was worth every penny of the price. I had the best cream of mushroom soup, followed by the greatest filet mignon and shrimp entree - it was unbelievable. We all had a great dinner and night. The dinner was followed by a trip up to the observation deck - and continued views of the magnificent falls. After dinner and the observation deck, we went to the huge arcade, and then off to a 3D/4D Movie about the history of the falls. That was cool too! From the movie, we walked around the falls, looking for a place where the red line of the bus would pick us up. It ended up being a really long, but beautiful walk along the falls - which are illuminated at night. The only unfortunate thing in the visit was that Bill lost his glasses - they likely fell into the falls when he was taking pictures; I hope a fish will benefit from the improved vision!
Friday morning, we headed off - hoping to make it back into the United States ( Canada had not been great to us, and gas prices were awful, at $1.06 / liter, or about $3.99 / gallon). So we drove and we drove and we drove. We managed to hit Toronto at lunch hour - just in time for lots and lots of traffic, and then, while I was driving, we hit Montreal for Friday night rush hour. It took us over an hour to get through Montreal, with the tripped capped off with a drive over the Champlain Bridge - once again, if you know of my fear of bridges, this is a huge accomplishment for me. My fingers needed to be pried off the steering wheel when I was off the bridge - but I did it!!!!!! Yeah!!!!!!
We got to the US border, in Derby VT, around 8:30 pm - and the custom officers were very welcoming, and only wondered if we were transporting any mad cows with us - other than that, they were happy to see us come home. When we arrived in the US, we made the decision to drive all the way home, rather than finding a campground to just spend the night. Since we were driving home, we stopped at a pizza joint in Newport for dinner and caffeine (for Bill and I), and set off to go home. The ride through the notch was the usual ride - just slowed slightly by an enormous thunder and lightening storm and a deer sighting. We were psyched to finally reach North Conway, and very pleased to see the completion of the road work in the village. We all arrived home, happy to be there, at 12:30.
It was a great trip, and one that none of us will forget for a long time to come. We have all the great memories, lots of souvenirs, and many many pictures. I look forward to our next trip in the RV!!

Thanks for coming along with us on this trip!

Sue