Benny’s Birthday!
Day 3:
Benny’s birthday! Started with a pillow fight with his brother outside the tent while mom and dad took turns showering and making breakfast. I read Ben his traditional birthday book while Jeff told all our new camping friends it was Ben’s big day – he got “Happy birthdays!” all throughout the day 🙂 Ben turned to me after breakfast and asked if he could drive a little since it was his 14th and in Iowa, 14 is the age you get your driver’s permit. So, he drove with each of us around the campgrounds loop. Then we headed off to check out the US side of Niagara Falls. We walked around American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls. The guys were a little more impressed, perhaps it was the restful night or maybe it was the up close view. It may have been the beauty of the grounds, as the American side is set apart as a state park none-the-less, Niagara Falls did seem much more magnificent from where we were standing the second day. We had checked out a lot of resources before we left and found a way to book ahead for Maid of the Mist. We still had to stand in line for our pre-booked tickets but it moved quickly. If you do this, be sure to book through the Maid of the Mist website and not an outside company or even Niagara Falls. We saw some outrageous prices for tickets. And yes, the poncho is included, though if you want a kid size one, you have to purchase it ahead from the gift shop. We went with the freebies and all stayed fairly dry or dried quickly enough after. Sam got a tip from his new camping friend to stand on the bottom deck in the front, so we did and it was a great tip! We had an awesome view. We were right in the spray and we felt like we were in the waves. When I visited as a kid I saw this boat going in front of the falls and thought it was an unattainable dream, later I saw Niagara with Marilyn Monroe and couldn’t imagine getting to do it. The ride exceeded my expectations. I was hoping for it to be fun and iconic, but there was an added element of adventure. After we disembarked, we climbed a misty overlook close to the falls, viewed them from the top of the observation deck and then walked to get ice cream – per the birthday boy’s request. They even had frozen yogurt and sorbet for those of us who can’t have ice cream, nice touch. We later heard the Cave of the Winds tour was also worth it to get behind the falls and learn more about Tesla. Back at the campsite, the boys played with our neighbor friends. We skipped rocks on the beach, waded in the water, they played baseball, and on the playground. Then we made campfire burgers, ate strawberries, and had homemade birthday brownies we had made ahead and frozen for the trip – Ben held his candles like torches in his hands and his friend brought over a cosmic brownie for his birthday. Later, we went back to Niagara Falls for Illumination. This is where LED lights shine on the falls in changing colors; and at 10:00 there were fireworks. Having our state park pass for our campsite made it easy to park at any state park including the lots at Niagara. We discovered later that there are many benefits to the NY state parks, including using our passes to surrounding parks for their facilities like swimming, etc. We will have to remember this when we return. We all went to bed full and happy that night. It was a good day filled with lots of singing and “Happy birthdays”, time spent laughing, looking at natural wonders, relaxing, and getting to know new friends. I hope Benny had a very happy day spent celebrating the good things in life. 
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