I co-opted my cousin (also a teacher) and her children to drive across the northeast on the grand family road trip. Along the way we visited her sister and parents, and our cousin a little further away. It was low key, full of pretty scenery and great visits.
This was a route I've done before, so I was dedicated to finding new adventures along the way. Some of the sites we visited were:
Serpent Mound
In college I learned about Native American sites in the US. I'd seen Mesa Verde when I was a kid, but I became fascinated with the Eastern Mound Builders and their legacy. Serpent Mound was one of those sites I'd been around several times but never managed to see. It's a man-made mound shaped like a giant snake. It doesn't look like much from the ground but climb the tower and you can see the full shape of the serpent. It was a cool stop in the middle-of-farmland Ohio, a good chance to stretch legs and remember a bit of history.
Cincinnati Zoo
My cousin's family are members and always sharing photos of the zoo. It's really well regarded as a place of education and conservation, so I was excited to see the animals there. Their African Savannah exhibit brought back memories of Etosha National Park in Namibia, and I loved seeing the gorillas with my little cousins.
Niagara Falls
We stopped first at Poutine and Cream for the amazing poutine and freak shakes. While not really going to Canada, it was a great taste of the land across the border. The perfect dinner. The best part was that they did milkshake flights, so you could get a little taste of several shakes.
Then it was off to the falls. I was the only one with a passport, so I walked across the bridge to Canada. Seriously, I walked to Canada! Who does that? It was pretty awesome, and you can stand on the bridge in the middle with one foot on each side of the border.
