#104: Niagra Falls (Page 763, 2nd Ed pg 929)

June 1986: Admittedly, I found these pictures on the internet and did not take them myself. I was 10 years old when I went to Niagra Falls and, while I remember it quite well, I can't find any pictures from the event! My family went on vacation to Niagra Falls. I still remember learning all about the history of the Falls, people that went down the falls in barrels and all kinds of other stories. In my journal, I wrote about going on a tour called "Cave of the Winds." And I made a note that it was "exciting and fun."

Update:  August 9, 2012.  Well, after a 26 year hiatus, I visited the Falls again!  This time with two of my friends.  We went on the Maid of the Mist boat.  I highly recommend this.  Very fun, only takes about 30 minutes and it's the only way to see the Falls from the water.  Cost:  $15.50 per person

The Falls from the perspective of Maid of the Mist

Up close and personal with the Falls on land.

Tip:  Keep your rain jacket on after getting off the boat, walk a little ways and you will see a walking path that will bring you very close to the falls for no extra charge (only other way to get this close is to take the Cave of the Winds tour).

The three of us from the Canada side.   I highly recommend this as well.  Park your car on the US side ($10), then walk across the bridge to Canada (no charge, but bring your passport).  There is a beautiful walking path that gives you a perspective of the falls that you can't get from the US.  There is a 50 cent toll to walk back to the US.

Verdict: Just by the fact that I clearly remember these Falls when I saw them at the age of 10 over twenty years ago is reason enough to say that yes, this is something you should see and experience in your lifetime. And I hope to make it back there when my own kids are 10!

UPDATE:  July 24, 2022

I made it back when my kids were 10!  Well, 9,11, 14 and 15 to be exact!  But Here I am back here almost 10 years to the day from my last post bringing my kids with me.  We did the Maid of the Mist (Cost is $25.25/adult and $14.75 for kids) and brought our passports to experience the falls from both sides.

Riley (11) and Ella (9) ready to see Niagra!

I love that my last post, written 10 years ago ended with me saying I hoped I could bring my kids here when they were 10.  And here I am back here with my two youngest on either side of 10.

Ready to go on Maid of the Mist!

On the boat and getting sprayed - glad we had the ponchos!

Mother and son.

The falls up close.

Feeling more than a "mist"!

Me and my hubby.

After going on Maid of the Mist, make sure to walk up to Crows Nest where you can get right next to the falls.  It's wet but awesome!

We also went to the overlook.

And paid the quarter to see the falls through the telescope.

And then made our way over the Rainbow Bridge to Canada!

View of the Falls from Rainbow bridge. 

Straddling the international boundary line. 

Ice cream with a view!

After a long day, go back to your hotel and rest and have dinner.  Then head back out to Prospect Point to see the Falls lit up at night and to see the 10pm Fireworks show over the Falls!

#103: Bryce Canyon National Park (Page 718)

August 1990: This picture says it all. UNBELIEVABLE! Absolutely breathtakingly GORGEOUS!

When I was 14, my family drove from Chicago to California. We stopped by Bryce Canyon in Utah on our way to California. My older sister (behind me), my younger sister (not pictured) and my brother (in front of me) and I all got to ride horses to the rim of the Canyon. It was Awesome!

Verdict: As is my verdict with most National Parks (Yosemite, Yellowstone, etc), the answer is Yes. Go see it, hike it, horseback ride it, experience it!

#102: Cape Cod National Seashore (pg 647, 2nd Ed pg 811)

Summer 1995: My freshman year of college, I met a girl named Kelli and we quickly became friends. She was from Boston, a city I had never been. So, the summer after our freshman year, I flew out to Boston to visit my friend. What a great city! We did all kinds of fun things the week I was there, and one of those things was to go to Cape Cod!

Cape Cod consists of 40 miles of sand dunes and sea shore. It's beautiful!

Verdict: Yup. You've gotta do it! In some ways, it's just another beach. But in other ways, it's so much more. First of all, it's Cape Cod, arguably the most famous beach on the entire eastern coast. Secondly, it has been under federal protection since 1961 and that helps to keep the area rather pristine and free of tacky shops, signs, etc. In fact, as I reminisce about it and realize it has been over 15 years since I've been there, I'm thinking it's time to go back!

#101: The Golden Islands (Page 611; 2nd Ed pg 756)

June 1990: If this picture looks old.... it is. This picture was taken almost 21 years ago! My next door neighbors invited me to go on vacation with them. After visiting Walt Disney World for a week, we headed back to Chicago, but stopped in Jekyll Island, Georgia on our way. My best friend's grandparents lived on Jekyll Island. My journal entry talks about us going shopping and miniature golfing, but states "The miniature golf course wasn't too great, but we had fun."

Verdict: Maybe it isn't fair for me to make a verdict on something I did 20 years ago as I'm sure it's changed in the past two decades. But from what I remember, it was a nice, laid back place. There are the typical beach things to do on this 9-mile long island such as restaurants, shopping, miniature golf, etc. It's nice, but not something you HAVE to do before you die. The Golden Islands include Cumberland (where John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette married and honeymooned), Jekyll Island, Sea Island and St. Simons Island

#100: Old San Juan (Page 883, 2nd Ed pg 1094)

November 2006: I was 30 weeks pregnant when we were in San Juan. Originally, we planned on going on a Southern Caribbean Cruise that set sail from San Juan. Unfortunately, the cruise line wouldn't let pregnant women on the ship who were past 24 weeks, so instead, we watched our ship set sail without us and enjoyed a week in Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico is a U.S. Commonwealth, but is part of the Greater Antilles.
El Morro

Exploring El Morro, a 16th century fortress

Dave inside the fortress, which is six levels and rises 150 feet above the sea.

Here I am, very pregnant, in front of the "impregnable" fortress :)

Larry, Dave's dad, waves hello in front of this breathtaking back drop.

Verdict: Was the water gorgeous? Yes, Was the fortress amazing? Yes. Was the city colorful and fun and exciting? Yes. Is it something you HAVE to see before you die? No. Maybe my memory is tainted because I was pretty disappointed they wouldn't let us on the cruise; I was so looking forward to relaxing on a ship that was going to transport me to all the exotic southern islands I hadn't been to. Anyway, for what it's worth, Old San Juan is a fun, beautiful place, but not a MUST DO before you die.

#99: Machu Picchu (Page 844; 2nd Ed pg 1042)

May 2006: And the journey begins! I am to the right of the sign with Dave and my brother and his wife, Carrie are to the left of the sign. The trail head starts at 10,000 feet elevation.

Dave and I at the official start of the Incan Trail. We bought these walking sticks in Urubamba and they turned out to be lifesavers when hiking up or down the steep parts of the trail.

The Porters are absolutely AMAZING!!! From this close-up shot, you can get an idea of the heavy loads they carry on their backs and the open-toed sandles most of them wore while the rest of us wore sturdy hiking shoes.

This is my brother Ryan passing by a water station for the Porters.

Our first day of the hike. Notice we all had smiles on our faces. That was about to change......

During our first (of 3) nights camping on the trail, Carrie and I got BRUTALLY sick. We spent the ENTIRE night with horrible nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Oh my gosh, we've never been so sick in all our life. We found out later (after we got back to the states and got tested) that we had contracted shigella, a brutal food born illness while eating in Cuzco. But we were stuck on the trail. We could hike up or we could hike down. But we had to hike either way, so we kept hiking up. Miraculously, we made it to the top of Dead Woman's Pass on our second day of hiking, stopping as needed to get sick. We were SO sick this second day. I honestly cannot believe we were able to hike. And it was very appropriate that we did Dead Woman's Pass, since that is exactly how we felt!

In our group, it was only the four of us, which was awesome. But, we had A LOT of help. Here we are with our porters, cook and our guide. All 8 of these people hiked the trail just for us and stayed with us the entire time. They helped to carry the tent and all the cooking supplies. And they cooked for us every night and tried their best to help us while we were sick.

Dave got nailed during the second night, so of the four of us, my brother Ryan is the only one that escaped the horrible sickness. Luckily, at least the nausea and vomiting part of it started to subside by Day 3....

And miracle of all miracles.... we made it to the top! What a breathtaking, heavenly sight!

We did it!

Here is a picture of all 5 of us at the top. My sister Maret decided to do the Rainforest instead of the Incan Trail, so after her Rainforest adventure, she took the train up to the top.

Verdict: YES, YES, YES!!!! Admittedly, I wish I could have done this without being deathly ill, but this adventure was truly one of the highlights of my life. We all absolutely loved it. Machu Picchu is absolutely something everybody should see and experience in person. It is absolutely amazing. And to think that the trail and the "town" was built so long ago without any modern day machinery or technology is just unbelievable. And if you're able.... do the hike! Earn that view!