It was our lucky day in NJ!!! As we were walking along the boardwalk we noticed a long line of people and security guards at one of the stores. Naturally we stopped to see what all the commotion was about. Long and behold MTV was there filming a segment for the show “Jersey Shore.” “The Situation” was the one working that afternoon. Good thing I have a super zoom lens and was able to get a few good shots of him 
This was not one of our original stops on the trip, but after looking at the map we thought it would be fun to check it out. We are sure glad we did!!! What a fun place. A huge boardwalk and of course many places to eat, drink, shop, etc. It was my turn to take Zach to the ocean and I was not a very good mom. The second wave that came our way completely drenched him and he was done with the ocean.
The fence ran along the entire boardwalk because the beaches were not public. It cost $5/person to swim in the ocean.
Zach was not too happy with me for letting him get soaked
From Maine we went back thru part of New Hampshire, bypassed the city of Boston, thru Rhode Island, into Connecticut, New York and New Jersey. Connecticut had the worst traffic!!!! Took forever to get thru that state.
I am a big fan of the show “The Cake Boss.” We were not too far from Hoboken, NJ, so we decided to find Carlo’s Bakery. There was a line a block and a half long, so we did not get to go inside and buy a pastry, but it was still cool to see.
It was also really neat to see the NYC skyline from the other side of the Hudson River. Even though Jake and I have been to NYC, it was neat that we were just minutes away. Our hotel that night was the second cheapest of the trip and we were 10 miles from NYC!!!!
(not the best picture, but I had to take it driving on the highway and shooting out the driver’s window)
As we drove thru Maine, we knew there had to be an area along the ocean where we could stop and walk around. Jake found just that. Old Orchard Beach had all kinds of places to eat, shops, and typical oceanfront hotels. There were hundreds of people on the beach. Since we were not dressed for a day at the beach and we had two strollers with us, Jake took Zach to see the ocean up close for the first time. Zach did not like the sand and was not sure what to think about the waves. We did enjoy a great lunch at the pier. I have always wanted to try a lobster roll and what better place than in Maine! It was so good!!!!! Jake tried haddock and that was really good too. Nothing better than fresh seafood
Next we crossed into Vermont. Since we needed to get to Burlington, VT, the only way was by ferry. We drove our car onto a big boat and within 12 minutes we were in Vermont. Our main stop was at the Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream factory. It was not too big, but lots of people were there enjoying ice cream. We took a tour and learned that they make two kinds of ice cream a day. We did get to sample a scoop at the end….very yummy!
Overall, Vermont and New Hampshire were beautiful states. We drove thru both the Green and White National Forests. Another thing we noticed was that there were no billboards or advertisements along the highways. It was nice to drive along and enjoy nature at its best.
We entered back into the USA in upstate New York. Once again, lots of questions when crossing the boarder. We spent the afternoon and evening driving thru the Adirondack Mountains. What a pretty site! It took A LOT longer than we thought to get thru them. We had a little trouble that night finding a place to stay, but we finally found a Days Inn that would have us.
Ted enjoying a ride upfront
Zach sound asleep in the car as we searched for a hotel with rooms available
Toronto was next on the agenda. It was about a 2 hour drive once we were in Canada, so not bad at all. Everything was in kilometers. We learned that 1.6 kilometers=1 mile. The speed limit was 60 in most places, but people flew just like in the US. Things were very clearly marked along the highway. Anything from gas stations, hotels, to wineries and golf courses. The actual city of Toronto reminded us of Chicago. They had a Lake Shore Drive that ran along Lake Ontario, lots of hotels, restaurants, theaters, etc. We ended up staying right in the city and walking distance from the baseball stadium. The people were super friendly and helpful.
The CN Tower…one of the tallest buildings in the world. We could see the entire city from the top. There was a section with a glass floor, but Jake and I were both too scared to walk on it and look down.
Lake Ontario in the background
Super nice stadium! The Blue Jays were playing the Boston Red Sox, so it was an exciting game. Once again the kids got restless, so we did not stay for the whole game.
Zachary, Brooklyn and myself enjoying the “BIG” bed for the night
Poor Jake had to sleep in the roll-away for the night
We gathered our passports and the kids’ birth certificates and over the border we went. It was the first time all four of us have been to this country. Since it was our first time crossing the border on land we were not sure what to expect with customs. Jake had to answer questions like “whose kids are these?’, “who are you employed by?”, “where are you traveling to in Canada?” The guy scared me so I am glad I was not the one talking!
View of the Falls from the Canadian side
Next on the agenda was Niagara Falls. What a site to see!!! Driving up to the area you can see the mist in the air from the falls. From our hotel window we could see the rapids that build up to the American Falls. As soon as we walked outside you could hear the rushing water. The rapids move at 35mph!!! At night the falls are lit up and during the day there are all kinds of tours, etc you can do. We took the Maid of the Mist ride. It was a boat that took you very close to both falls. We had to wear raincoats to stay dry. We did not know prior to arriving the Canadian side was so built up compared to the American side. The Canadian side has all kinds of restaurants, shops, hotels, etc and looks at the falls straight on. The American side has the state park, a tour where you actually walk into the falls and an observation deck. We loved this stop and could have sat on a bench watching the water run for hours!!!
American Falls (close by) and Horseshoe Falls (in the background)
On the Maid of the Mist boat
Enjoying the mist off the falls
Brooklyn had no idea what was going on since she slept thru most of the boat ride
Our view of the Horseshoe Falls at dinner
Our first major stop was Cleveland, OH to catch an Indians game. Jake and I have been going to different baseball stadiums together since we started dating. We went to a day game in 90 degree weather. I do not think we lasted until the 5th inning. It was so hot and the kids were squirmy so we decided it was best if we just left. The stadium was pretty nice, but the city of Cleveland was a DUMP! It took us at least 30 minutes that night to find a place to eat dinner! Not sure if we will ever visit Cleveland again
Zach really liked Snoopy. He kept saying “dog”, “dog.”
