We’re back in Massachusetts. We traveled with some friends this time, so the trip didn’t seem quite so long. We made really good time the first day, making it all the way through Chicago, but it wasn’t quite as uneventful as one might like. It rained nearly the whole day. Just as it was turning dark, somewhere close to the Illinois border, we had a near accident. Traffic slowed unexpectedly on the freeway and I nearly rear-ended the vehicle in front of me. Fortunately, nobody ran into us from behind. The party immediately beside us wasn’t so lucky. Both Pam and the friends traveling with us witnessed the collision.
The next day we made it to Niagara Falls where we spent the better part of two days. One of the friends we traveled with has written some software for Whirlpool Jet Boat Tours. The company provided us with various complementary tickets for area activities as well as free accommodations for two nights. I had the pleasure of riding some of the rapids beneath the falls on one of the Jet Boats. We waited in line–for a very long time–to see the falls from a cave behind the falls. We had a great time at the butterfly conservatory, and we took the cable car over the big whirlpool beneath the falls. We even bought some wine from a local winery.
Having finished our sightseeing around Niagara, we made the rest of the trip back to Massachusetts. The rest of the trip was uneventful, perhaps too uneventful; we were held up at the border for two hours. Needless to say, I don’t recommend crossing the border at Buffalo.