Summer 2003 Northeastern US Roadtrip
Day 18 - Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada back to Aurora, IL
Day 18
Friday, July 18th Aurora, IL written sometime later
Well, we left Niagara Falls around 11:00, and drove without incident to the border city of Windsor. There we switched drivers
as I feel Venus is less apt to be stopped for an in-depth inspection than I am. As it was the customs lady in Detroit was making
us nervous asking for birth certificates, we gave her our drivers licenses. She finally asked JJ if he knew us and his nonchalant
attitude and nod of the head convinced her we were OK and she let us through. Our trip ended in Venus' driveway at about 10:00 PM
some 3,300 miles and 18 full days from its' beginning
It has been a couple weeks now since we finished our summer road trip. I've spent many hours looking at the pictures and reading the journal entries and remembering bits of conversation and reliving countless experiences and priceless moments that I shared with my daughter and my grandson during those wonderful, adventurous, tireless days of driving and sightseeing. I wish I could redo each and every single moment all over again and I will in my memories forever.
I can see brave little JJ riding on his first adult roller coaster at Hersheypark. I remember how he stretched out on the back seat with the lap top, his irreverent attention to the customs lady in Detroit, his wide-eyed stares at Niagara Falls, his incessant bouncing on the bed in hotels, or fighting with his pillow, how he and I stayed up and stoked the camp fire at Greenbelt and watched a spider eat a worm. I loved watching the expressions on his face as he searched for bugs in the bushes, how he would jump from rock to rock in Gettysburg, a lot of his actions remind me so much of how I was at his age. I've never really seen myself in someone else before like that. Venus didn't act like me as a child, she was a girl. JJ does.
I will always remember Venus' disappointment at not being able to see George Washington's teeth at the Smithsonian, or her spontaneous excitement at seeing a wild turkey in Gettysburg, or her amazing purchase of a water bottle on a rope she found at Niagara Falls, or her utter fear at walking across the bridge in Boston. And I will surely never forget her companionship on the road, her ability to drive unnerved through New York City traffic, her patience with children, her quick wit, her love of life and great sense of humor and the way she puts up with my idiosyncracies. Who is my favorite female? #2?
I know I drove them both a little nuts with my constant singing of songs when something reminded me of one, which seemed to happen non-stop most of the time. I know now exactly what a cup holder is and why we didn't need one when we got our drinks at Hardee's in Gettysburg. I still think that should be called a cup carrier and even now I want to chuckle. I don't think my feet have ever been as sore and calloused from walking before and felt so completely good as a result. I enjoyed every single step I took on those calloused feet.
The memories will fade over time as they already have started to do. More actions and events will occur to create more memories and time marches on. Ever on. I appreciate the time we spent together and will appreciate all the time we will spend together in the future making still more memories. Thank you, my daughter and my grandson for allowing me to be a part of our Summer 2003 Northeastern Road Trip.
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Day 1
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Day 11
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Day 17
Day 18
