Day one of a road trip is always special!  We got off to a strange start with our Google Maps doing weird things – but we got it figured out and named the Google Maps voice “Eliza”, basically so we have something to say, “be quiet” to!

The weather was cold to start – 29 degrees at home when we left at 5:20am (goal departure time was 5am).  We ran into some fog in Vermont and some rain in New York, but overall the traffic was light and the roads were good!  We took the scenic route through New Hampshire and Vermont instead of only highway – this added about 40 minutes but gave us something to look at. 

We listened to lots of music (thank you Spotify), sang, ate and did three Mad Libs Travelers Edition!

We made our first goal of Niagara Falls at 2:50pm and the last elevator ride down to the Cave of the Winds was at 3pm.  We Made It!!

Then we hightailed it to the Observation Deck to see what we could see!  It was rainy and a bit windy – I think more from the falls than anything else – but it was stunning!!!!

On our way to our hotel – a Holiday Inn Suites in Hamburg, NY, we drove by Lake Erie and Char wondered how we got to the ocean!  Of course, she knows her geography, but she was confused by the lake’s size.  We stopped for the last rays of sunset at a small state park near Buffalo and ran on the beach as the sun went down.  It was cool!

Today we laughed, Char slept, I sang, and we enjoyed our time together a lot.  Tomorrow is our longest day on the road – 950+ miles ahead of us and I hope to be on the road before 5am.  Here’s to a good night’s rest and a thankful heart for a safe and healthy Day 1.

Total Miles = 531

States = Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York

Hours on the road = 10 (including sight-seeing and stops)

Average Temperature = 39.5 degrees

Coffees = 2

Playlist = Hamilton the Musical (twice), The Best of; Billy Joel, Elton John, Maroon 5, and the Beatles

Major Landmarks = Erie Canal, Niagara Falls, Lake Erie, Buffalo, NY

Speed Traps passed = 5 (all in New York)

People not wearing masks in public places = 2

Gas bought = $44.32

Extras = $34.64 (coffee and food)

Hotel = $145.00 – Holiday Inn and Suites in Hamburg, NY – The hotel was good. The staff was very friendly and the room was very nice and clean with a modern design. We used the pool (You had to sign up for a time so you were the only ones in the area for social distancing) and the beds were comfortable! It was conveniently located right off the highway and we would stay there again.