You know what’s not a honeymoon?  Driving through the night with two small kids who were supposed to sleep.

But didn’t.

According to our internet directions, it should have taken us about nine hours to get to Niagara Falls, New York.  Well, because we’re overachievers, we got there in well under eight.  And that’s with a 4:00 AM dinner (breakfast?) stop at McDonald’s.

You know what’s open at 6:30 in the morning in Niagara Falls, New York?  Casinos.

And Tim Hortons.  So we got donuts and waited for the city to come alive.  And when it finally did, it was worth the long night’s drive.  Because Niagara Falls is pretty unbelievable.

And the movies don’t do it justice. 

I’m not sure if it was the beauty of the falls or the fact that they were free from the prison that was our van, but the girls loved Niagara Falls.  They loved running around and getting sprayed by the mist.  They loved the park attached to the Falls.  They loved all the Asian tourists that pointed out the cute white kids.  They loved it all.

This was the first stop on our recent road trip to New York and it was an awesome way to start the adventure: chilly fall weather, exhausted kids and parents, and God’s beautiful creation.  It was going to be a great week.