Lake Erie

After some long (~9 hrs) stints of interstate highway driving the first few days of our trip, we decided to change our tune a bit and try some back roads. After leaving Toronto we headed toward Pittsburgh, driving along the southern shore of Lake Erie.

We spotted a beach park and decided to pull over.  I have this thing where I like to spit in bodies of water, as a token of sorts - "Taras was here."  I've successfully marked the Atlantic and Pacific oceans with this method, as well as a countless number of lakes and rivers. Now Lake Erie can be added to the list!

I also took a sip of the lake water - boys will be boys... With a body of water this big, and a legitimate beach you see above, I instinctively expected the water to be salty. Years of living near the ocean will do that to ya. But, alas, the water was fresh.

-Taras

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For travel updates as they happen, follow us on facebook, twitter, and Instagram (@amandabouzakine).

Have tips on what we should go, see, do? Submit suggestions here or e-mail us! We're in Indiana now and will be going to Illinois and Wisconsin next.

Buffalo, NY

I confess: we are guilty of going to Buffalo for one thing, and one thing only. Buffalo wings.The most difficult part of this mission was figuring out where to get the best wings.  So we did what we do for all important life decisions. We used Yelp. There were a few popular spots that came up in our search, but Duff's number of reviews won us over.

Our verdict on Buffalo wings in Buffalo? They were delicious. BUT, basically the same as Buffalo wings in Boston. I guess you really can't go wrong with wings anywhere.

Oh yeah, enjoy the really attractive pictures of us eating (you're welcome).

-Amanda

Did you know there are competing stories of how Buffalo wings came to be? It's true.

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For travel updates as they happen, follow us on facebook, twitter, and Instagram (@amandabouzakine).

Have tips on what we should go, see, do?  Submit suggestions here or e-mail us!  We're in Indiana now and will be going to Illinois and Wisconsin next.

Niagara Falls

We finally made it out of New England!  First stop: Niagara Falls.

Niagara Falls is on the Niagara River and drains Lake Erie into Lake Ontario and includes three falls: Horseshoe Falls, American Falls, and Bridal Veil Falls. These combined falls form the highest flow rate of any waterfall in the world - at least 6 million cubic feet of water falls during each minute of high flow.  And the vertical drop is more than 165 feet - pretty powerful stuff! The falls formed when glaciers receded, causing water from the Great Lakes to carve a path through the Niagara Escarpment while making its way to the Atlantic Ocean. Nature, you're sooo cool. Today, the falls are an important source of hydroelectric power.  [Facts from wiki]

Since Niagara Falls is the international border between Ontario and New York, we were excited to bike into Canada.  We biked through customs with all the cars and it was such a cool feeling to bike from one country to another! Taking in the falls from the Canadian side is definitely the way to do it - you get the full, panoramic view.  The view, combined with the mist in the air, the powerful (yet soothing) sound of the falls, and the rainbows (!), make for a beautiful experience. It didn't hurt that we had perfect weather. The pristine ocean-blue color of the water, plus the clear blue skies made for a magical frame for the waterfall. At night, after a $66 winning streak at the casino using free hotel vouchers, we walked back into Canada to see the falls all lit up. It felt like a completely different experience seeing the falls in the dark with no one around - the falls seemed so much louder and even more powerful. 

-Amanda

Greater Niagara on Dwellable

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Help us plan our trip!  Submit US travel tips here or e-mail us.  Our next few states are Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin.

Warrior Dash | Windham, NY

One of our amazing-slash-crazy friends found out about the Warrior Dash in upstate New York and invited a group of us to come along.  People in viking costumes, beer, jumping over fire, and swimming through mud - how could we resist? Here is the low-down: it's a give-or-take 5K course with a dozen or so obstacles. The phenomenon of obstacle running has totally exploded over the last few years and events are now held all over the country.

We headed to Windham, NY in a large rental sedan and a friend's Mazda Miata (we take what we can get). We arrived to Warrior Dash after a night spent in Coxsackie, NY and driving through Climax, NY to get there (insert childish giggle here).  The dash was held at a ski resort, but somehow, even knowing we were going to embark on a 5K through 13 obstacles on ski slopes, we were vastly unprepared for the hill.  We ran up a hill that, during ski season, one would ride a ski lift to conquer. It was quickly evident that we were not the only ones with enthusiasm greater than our abilities. We trudged up the hill in a very large group, gave a solid run any time the ground leveled out, conquered the obstacles, and prayed for our lives when running downhill. 

After taking rounds of "we are cooler than you because we're muddy and tough" pictures, we cleaned ourselves off, had a couple of amazing beers from Pyramid Brewery, and ate turkey legs as large as our heads, in true warrior fashion. Then we sprawled out in the sun and listened to the live band. We finished the afternoon by cruising the gorgeous Adirondacks in the aforementioned Miata - what a blast.

-Taras

Windham on Dwellable

Howe Caverns | Howes Cave, NY

Being the warrioirs that we are, the same day we ran the Warrior Dash, we also went spelunking at Howe Caverns. One of our friends native the the area suggested we should check out the caves, and so we did.

The cave, which is 156 feet below ground, is beautiful. We did the nighttime lantern tour and it was a great way to see the cave - a guided, artificially lit tour through the cave, a little boat ride on the Lake of Venus, and then the lights were shut off and we were let loose with canadle lanterns to make our way out of the cave. Also captured below is some of the scenery from the drive back to Boston the next morning.  The leaves were just starting to turn and these pictures don’t come close to giving the view justice.

Fun fact: Howe Caverns is where Marshall Eriksen from How I Met Your Mother wanted to take Lily on their honeymoon.

-Taras