The Stars That Usher Evening Rose

I arrived back home from our trip on Thursday. The trip was exactly three weeks long as we left Florida Thursday, July 6th and arrived back on July 27th.

We arrived in Charlotte on the 6th and spent a day there. We left Charlotte with my sister and her two kids on the 8th and made our way to Williamsburg, Virginia. We toured Colonial Williamsburg on the 9th. Only thing of note on this part of the trip was when we came up to the gate to possibly entire Jamestown (in same area as Williamsburg) the man at the gate asked my dad if he was a resident of the United States. My dad thinking the man was going to say Virginia said "No, I am from Florida." The man not missing a beat says "Man, you have been on vacation a long time". Needless to say my father didn't live that one down the rest of the trip. From Williamsburg we left for New York on the 10th. Once in New York we spent the 11th going to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. The following day we drove through Manhattan passing the World Trade Center site, the Empire State Building, Madison Square Garden, Majestic Theater, went through Times Square, and past Central Park before departing New York and heading north toward Canada. We made it half-way through the state of New York stopping in Utica, NY for the night.

On the 13th we entered Canada and made our way into Kingston, Ontario. The next day we spent the first half of the day touring Kingston. The second half of the day we went on a three hour boat ride to and from Boldt Castle (hour and half there and back). I have decided that if I ever moved out of the United States I would move to Kingston, Ontario as it is just about the most beautiful place I have ever been too. I would recommend taking a trip there to anyone. On the 15th we left Kingston and having a day to waste before we needed to be in Toronto we decided to drive a little ways into Canada and drove up to Victoria Harbor and Midland with the plans to stay the night in Midland. Though all hotels were taken up there so we decided to go ahead and drive down to Toronto that evening making it to the hotel about 10:30pm that night. The following day we went into downtown Toronto and went up in the CN Tower and had lunch and walked on the glass floor(not quiet as impressive as it sounds). The 17th we left and headed for Niagara Falls which was our main destination of the trip. The 18th myself, Cathy, and her two kids did the Maid of the Mist boat ride, Behind the Falls, and the Aero Car. We wanted to do the jet boats as well but didn't have time nor were we really that keen on spending that much money to do it. That night we had dinner up in the revolving dining room in the Skylon Tower that overlooks the falls.

The morning of the 19th we made one last drive by the falls before heading back into the United States making our way the Hershey, PA. The following day we spent the day in Hershey going on their little tour, 3D movie, and of course stock piling on junk food that we didn't need. The 21st we drove through the Amish Country stopping at an Amish Smorgishboard (yes that's what they called it) as well as stopping at one of their funiture stores that my parents like. After driving through the Amish Country we headed to Monroeville, PA which is just outside of Pittsburgh, PA where we have some family. The next two days we spent helping my uncle move his bridal shop by working on fixing up the new one (ripping up old carpet and tile and doing some painting and mirror hanging). On the 24th we drove into Pittsburgh and went up on of the old inclines there were you can overlook the three rivers and downtown Pittsburgh before hitting the road and heading south. That night we stopped in Charlottesville, VA. The following morning we went to Monticello and tour Thomas Jefferson's home and gravesite. Around lunchtime we hit the road again for Charlotte, NC. Spent the following day the 26th in Charlotte visiting my other sister and her husband and also went to see the movie Monster House which wasn't too bad. Then on the 27th we returned to Florida which marked the end of our adventure.

Believe it or not that was actually the very brief summary version of the trip. If you want a more detailed version then just give me a buzz on the cell.

Now home I relax, hopefully get a round or two of golf in, go to the doctor, and then get ready to head back to school. As it stands now I have to be back on Campus on the 15th of August for work, though I wont know of sure until my boss replies back. Then classes start on the 21st, one more year to go.