Rochester, NY

We often take pictures during our vacations, but rarely have I seen a written review. Knowing that I’ll forget some details of this trip, I thought I’d tell the story. Why? Maybe I’m saving myself the trouble of remembering. Maybe I’m just arrogant enough to think people want to read it. But mostly, I think it’s the fact that Nicole and I took this trip with a little person growing in belly. Someday that little one will be told about taking a trip to another country while still in the safe confines of the womb and I thought it would be nice to get the story right.

Key West, Vegas, Disney World, or…Rochester?
My cousin Melissa sent her wedding invitation to us early this year. That side of the family moved to Rochester, NY when I was very young due to my uncle’s job at Xerox. My cousins pretty much grew up there and it’s where Melissa met her fiancé, Phil. It was a no-brainer as to where they would get married. The question was: Would we be there?

We probably wouldn’t have had this week away from home if we hadn’t felt a little bit obligated to attend the wedding. In the end, the trip turned out to be a blessing. But with a baby on the way and money always tight, my first thought was: Do we really have the cash? Then Melissa’s brother, my cousin Marty, offered his house in Rochester to us. We would still have to board the dogs, since Mom and Dad were heading north as well, but with no hotel bills, the cost was very reasonable for a week away from home. If only Marty lived in Key West….

We also figured we could add in a few “vacation-like” aspects to the trip. For a couple of months I tried to figure out a way to work New York City into the trip. After a lot of talking and figuring, there was just too much we wanted to do in the city in order to fit it into the schedule. Still, we figured we could at least visit Niagara Falls. Seeing my cousins would be the highlight anyway, especially Marty, as he spent several months in North Carolina last year and we had gotten very close to him.

Of course, there were some issues getting ready for the trip. The worst of it was the fact that I worked myself into a head cold the week leading up to the vacation, and, hard as I tried not to, gave the cold to Nicole before we left. She never got the sore throat or achiness. She just had to deal with an inability to breath through her nose for most of the trip. She complained very little and soldiered through the inconvenience, a credit to a good wife.

North to Rochester
While my parents, sister, brother-in-law and their two children were all traveling together, Nicole and I decided to do the trip on our own. For one thing, the other Browns were splitting the trip into two days (with a new-born, you would, too.) I wanted to avoid the hotel bill. I also figured I could do the drive in a single day without too much trouble.

Then everyone started telling me how hard it would be. It’s a long drive. Nicole and I would have to split the driving. She’s pregnant, the hormones will kick in, she’ll grab the wheel and you’ll all die. Or you’ll fall asleep, killing yourself, your wife, and your unborn child. At least I wouldn’t have to live with the guilt. Every story seemed to end with our potential demise. I admit it. I got worried…

…which is probably why the drive was so easy. It was really no problem. We made it to Rochester in about 11 ½ hours, maybe a little less. I felt good. No soreness, as long as I kept my wallet out of my back pocket. Otherwise, my back started to hurt.

We substantially beat the time on the Google directions and the drive was really beautiful. While I-81 was fairly boring (Nicole slept through Maryland) there are some areas of US 15 that rival the Blue Ridge Parkway. And it didn’t take the 70 years of construction that went into BRP to create it.

Casa De Marty
Upon arrival, we met up with my cousins, who were all there to greet us. My cousin, Marty, in particular, made it a great stay in Rochester. He not only opened his house to us, but also gave us his bed. It was upstairs in a bonus room of the house. There was a new mattress, sheets were washed and waiting upon our arrival and it was actually kind of romantic.

Reaching our destination, we met Marty’s girlfriend, Marne. She’s a spectacular girl, a teacher for special needs children, who has a special talent for putting up with my cousin and his peculiar need to pass gas more often (and more loudly) than most.  She also plays guitar and was an Irish dancer. Nicole and I definitely approved, despite the fact that her name and my cousin’s name rhyme. Say it fast: Marty, Marne, Marty, Marne, Marty, Marne, Marty, Marne. Not that easy, huh?

Marty slept on an air mattress while we slept in his bed. He paid for nearly every meal. He wouldn’t allow us to drop a dime until breakfast the morning we left. (If only the Canadians had been so nice—see below). All in all, Marty was the most gracious host. The only repayment he asked was that we bring a particular type of liquor not available by law in the Empire State. (Here’s a hint: It rhymes with “never fear”). It was a great deal – a deal we would have been fools to pass up.

Before the trip, I got a bit worried upon hearing that Marty had a new roommate. My wife and I would be staying in a house with some strange guy, right? That’s a bit weird and a little uncomfortable. We were going to be showering under the same roof. What if he tried to check out Nicole in the shower? This could have been bad.

Instead, we met Nick, a spectacular guy and one of the very nice surprises of the trip. He and Marty had worked together for a couple of years and when Marty had a vacancy at the house, Nick took the spot. He moved in a few days before we arrived. Nick is a 22 year old who comes off as someone who has lived a lot of life in a short time. It’s because he has. He has a good job, knows his food, orders wine like an aficionado and is improving at Rock Band – I think.

How We Snuck Into Canada To See Niagara Falls
While Nicole and I planned to visit Niagara Falls, we didn’t plan it very well. It was a week before the trip that we were told about new regulations regarding travel to Canada. The bottom line is, without a passport, you can’t. The stinks because the American side of the falls just doesn’t offer much. It’s far less spectacular than the Canadian side and the experience would just be diminished. But we didn’t have time to get passports. We would have to do without Canada…or so we thought. (That’s called foreshadowing).

Still, we figured it would be worth the two hour drive to one of the most spectacular natural attractions ever. I Googled the directions the night before. One set of directions had “Now Entering Canada”. Another didn’t. I chose the one that didn’t, because, without passports, we didn’t think we could get into the land of bacon.

As we drove toward the falls however, I pulled the car around a corner that put us…at the border crossing. And there was nowhere to turn around. Besides, I figure, if you hit the border crossing and quickly try to turn around, someone’s probably going to think you’re doing something you shouldn’t. Can you see the news coverage?

A pregnant woman and a father-to-be were detained by SWAT today after acting suspiciously in front of border crossing agents. After 18 hours of interrogation, it was determined they trying to smuggle four Star Trek books and several empty McDonalds wrappers into the country. Cut to a shot a shot of me and Nicole being shackled and slammed across the hood of the car.

So we cruised up to the border agent’s booth to explain the situation and ask how we could head back to the US side of the falls.

The agent, an American woman, was very cool about it. As I started into my explanation, she stopped me with, “Well, what documents do you have?” Being unprepared, Nicole and I handed over only our driver’s licenses and answered the agent’s questions, assuring her that we had no massive stashes of liquor, tobacco or firearms in the trunk.

The border agent told us she was satisfied that we were citizens and would let us through. It was a strange choice of words. She was “satisfied” that we were citizens. Is that the standard by which people leave and enter our country. Still, this was working in our favor. We were ready to go. She also told us to expect a lecture when were ready to cross back into the US.

The actual trip to Niagara Falls is better explained through pictures, so check them out in the photos section. Suffice it to say that we hit the tunnels under the falls and rode the “Maid of the Mist”, a boat, into the middle of Horseshoe Falls. I got very little out of the tunnels but the Maid was a really neat ride that won’t soon be forgotten.

The money we dropped in Canada, however, was another story. The tunnels and Maid of the Mist were about $30 each. That wasn’t so bad. When we found we were without batteries for either camera, I thought we’d take a hit. And yes, we did. We dropped another $30 for batteries. For six AA batteries! Oh, and to cross the border into Canada? That’s an $18 toll charge. All in all, it was about $150 to check out a massive international attraction. Okay, okay, okay. Maybe that wasn’t so bad, after all. But still, $30 for six AA batteries? That hurts.

The other neat thing about Niagara Falls was the international nature of it. And I’m not just talking about Canada and the US. We saw every color and numerous faiths and nationalities represented. More than I expected. Asians, it seems, are particularly drawn to the area. There were people speaking Italian in front of us boarding the “Maid of the Mist.” We heard French, German (I think) and other languages I didn’t recognize. Indians in full headdress were present. Hispanics were on the US’s opposite border. And while language may have separated many of us, there is no language barrier when you hand a camera to someone to take a picture of you and your girl. That, it seems, is an action not bound by borders.

On the way back into the US, we got the expected lecture. A US border agent (strangely) with a French accent, questioned us in detail. Why didn’t you bring your documents? Why are you in this part of the country? Whose car is this? Boxers or briefs?

We had all the right answers (apparently) and the border agent and his French accent decided to let us reenter our country of origin. We had done it! We crossed the border illegally! Twice! It was a Bonnie and Clyde moment for us both.

The Family, the Wedding and the Music
Marty continued to play a great host throughout the week, despite his car breaking down and some unexpected issues. We spent some good quality time with he and Marne. We got to see my cousin Melissa and fiancé Phil several times. We got to see Marty’s son, Skyler – a rarity due to time and distance. We even got to see Marty’s ex, Sharon, who accompanied him to North Carolina last year and became a good friend.

The wedding was held at the Esperanza Mansion in Bluff Point, NY – a beautiful place about an hour’s drive from Rochester. We drove out twice, once for the rehearsal dinner and the next night for the wedding. The wedding went off without a hitch. My six year old nephew, Mason, performed his ring-bearer duties admirably and looked great in his tux.

The reception was very cool, in a ball room with great food – especially the mushroom ravioli – and a live band.

The music was all reggae, as Phil, the groom, is a huge fan of the music. After he and Melissa had their first dance and the parents got their dances out of the way, I asked Nicole if she wanted to take the floor. The band was rocking Bob Marley’s “Don’t Worry”. As we stood to dance it occurred to Nicole we would be the only ones on the dance floor. A deer staring into oncoming headlights would have looked casual compared to Nicole in that moment. I assured her we wouldn’t be going solo for long. The floor quickly filled up. It was great music for a great night. And those lyrics, from now on, will take me back to that dance.

Rise up this morning, smiled with the rising sun
Three little birds pitch by my doorstep
Singing sweet songs of melodies pure and true
Saying, this is my message to you:

Don’t worry, ‘bout a thing. ‘Cause every little thing’s, gonna be alright

Homeward Bound
The trip home was uneventful. Since we came back the day after the wedding, we didn’t actually hit the road in Rochester until about 1:15 p.m. It was a little tougher going home, because, I think, I knew how late we would be. We arrived home at about 12:45 a.m. – again making the trip in 11 ½ hours. And that includes the bathroom breaks for a pregnant woman. Nicole slept through Maryland again, but that was okay, since it gave me an hour to listen to Alice in Chains.

The Final Tally
Let me take a moment to give a shout out to the 1998 Nissan Altima. We bought it this past year and could not have made the trip without it. The car took on more than 2000 miles in seven days and killed thousands of bugs. I bonded with that car on the trip.

Thanks go to Mom and Dad for taking care of the dogs for a few days to save us the cost of boarding them.

Thanks again, of course, to Marty for opening his home to us.

And of course, congratulations go out to Melissa and Phil who are starting their new life. They’re great together and get my vote of confidence. And they made us get out of the house and away from my job for a week. For that, I remain eternally thankful.

Thanks to you also for taking the time to read this little tale and for taking this ride with us.