A Summer Day at Clifton Hill in Canada

This year in lieu of going to the county fair we all piled into the car for a drive to Canada! I had recently been to the Clifton Hill area in Niagara Falls and I knew the boys would love coming here. It's just right over the border and it's a whole touristy section where you just park then walk around riding rides, playing games, checking out stores, and seeing the falls of course!

I got us each the 6 ride pass which included:

• Niagara Skywheel (a big ferris wheel)
• Zombie Attack (a 4D ride)
• Movieland Wax Museum
• Wizards Golf (indoor glow in the dark mini golf)
• Ghost Blasters (an interactive ride)
• Toy Store (a 4D ride)

The first thing we did was grab some snacks because everyone was starving! Jacob and I had a hotdog, and Brad had poutine. Next we rode the ferris wheel and had amazing views of the city and the falls.

Next we headed for the indoor mini golf. It was all glow in the dark and black lights for 18 holes and was pretty fun! At the very end was  a dragon.

Next stop was drinks for everyone because it was HOT. Then we headed to the wax museum and got a good laugh at the horrible renditions of famous people. Nick had to get this pic with Jimmy Fallon.

We also had fun riding the Ghost Blaster and Toy Store rides. We love a good 4D ride! The boys wanted to ride the go karts however the line was very long and it was getting late, so we decided to save them for another trip. I grabbed us a big pretzel to share while we walked around seeing the sights, then we headed down to the falls.

This was the first time the boys had seen the falls from the Canadian side! It's really neat to be able to see both sets at once.

For our final stop of course we had to go to Tim's for treats. Nick and I got coffee and donuts, and the boys got Tim bits. As we were heading back to the car around 10pm the firework show started over the falls! We got to watch those as we made our way back to the border then on our way to home.

It was a late night but everyone had a blast riding the rides and enjoying snacks. I highly recommend Clifton Hill for a family day!

Camping Fun at Hamlin Beach State Park

Last week I grabbed my friend Jess and my big guy Brad to go for a couple nights camping up the road at Hamlin Beach. It has been several years since I camped there last, but it's a nice beach (Lake Ontario) to relax on and beat the heat!

For many days beforehand the weather was HOT but magically it cooled down to the perfect summer temps for us to camp in. I even got chilly at night! Much better than sweating to death. I love warm days and cool nights.

Jess and I split the huge tent I brought, and Brad got his own private space in a a smaller tent. He set up his hammock and made himself right at home! 

With the tents, hammock, and the canopy we moved right in.  After getting all set up we got the beach for about an hour until some dark clouds rolled in. We headed back to the campsite but thankfully it didn't rain. We started a fire going then I cooked our first dinner--sausage and peppers with homemade Mac and cheese.

That evening Brad and I almost ran into 2 skunks coming back from the restroom! They hissed and waddled off.

The next day after breakfast we packed lunches and grabbed our gear to enjoy an afternoon on the beach. The sky was clear and the breeze was cool, and we spent several hours just listening to music and enjoying the sound of the Waves. In the sun it felt very warm, but the actual air temp was only about 73! We got lots of vitamin D. 

Brad occupied himself digging in the sand, walking around, and chatting with his online friends.

On the way back to the campsite we spotted some baby deer and momma! So cute.

That afternoon my friend Christina came for a visit! She stayed for dinner and s'mores with us and I had a color packet for the fire that was pretty cool to watch. It was a late night, and after running off some racoons from our trash we turned in.

Date Night Out for Weird Al

Yesterday Nick and I left the kids behind and headed off to Darien Lake Amphitheatre to see Weird Al in concert! This was Nick's first time there, and first outdoor concert. 

In true Darien fashion, we arrived early to tailgate in the parking lot before heading inside. I cooked us up some delicious pasta on my camping stove, plus brought chips and dip and brownies. Yum! 

Around 7pm we headed inside to grab our spot on the lawn and kill time watching the sun set.

The opener was "Puddles Pity Party" which we had never heard of.....however he did have a great voice. His songs were part parody, part oddity and his fan base was unusual to say the least....

Weird Al finally came on and after 2.5+ hrs of going strong he quite possibly covered every single song he's ever done! Including movie bits and TV spots. 

We got home late but had a great time! 

Jacob's Week at Church Camp

Last Sunday we dropped Jacob off in Delevan NY for his first time at church camp! He was very excited to go (without big brother) and he had a great time. He had the same counselor that Brad had in 2018/2019! And the counselor works at the college Brad is going to and remembered him. 

I helped get him settled in and unpacked before we said goodbye and drove back home. Thankfully the camp posted pictures each evening of the day's activities, so we were able to keep up on how he was doing over the 5 days.

They swam, played games, rafting, fishing, did crafts, caught tadpoles, tie dyed shirts, roasted marshmallows, sang songs, and lots of other fun camp things. He said he loved it!!