Niagra Falls

[MWM]

Here's a ride report on my Niagra Falls trip with my daughter. It was the middle of this June, 2006, but I've had a problem with my camera disk so I'm just now getting the report out.

We started off going to Dallas, TX where she looked at Dallas Baptist University. She's college shopping, but decided against this one saying it was too small.

Boarding the bike in Texas

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Dallas Baptist University (very pretty campus)
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Bike loaded
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Then we were off to Birmingham, AL where she wanted to look at Samford University. She actually like this college, but we didn't get any pictures.

First, a stop at the Bass Pro Shop in Shreveport (I really like Cabela and Bass Pro Shop stores!!!)

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After Birmingham we went to DeSoto State Park in Fort Payne, AL where we camped

A sign you don't see very often around here!
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Our campsite at the park
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The water falls at the park
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Picture of ugly me in front of the falls (my daughter doesn't want me to post her picture..........silly girls!)

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Bike in front of river at the falls
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Overlook of Fort Payne, AL

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Fort Payne

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Another sign you don't see around LA

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We then head to Georgia and stop at Cloudland Canyon State Park.

We walked some of the trails to see some small falls and beautiful scenery. But, after walking a mile or so down steps and trails I knew it was going to be nothing nice going back up the steps and trails. I was right! I'm glad ya'll didn't read about a motorcycle rider that died from a hike in Georgia!!!

Overlook from the top of the hills where the trails are

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Some of the steps we hiked on.......look hard

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We stayed in Tennessee next. This is a private campground which wasn't too nice, but we were able to get the tent set up before a huge storm hit that was heading our way (thanks to the Garmin 376C for showing it to us). The tent held up fine during the storm. One thing we liked about this campground were some domestic rabbits around the grounds.

The tent site

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The rabbits

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We decided to head straight for New York from Tennessee without sightseeing so much. We drove through North Carolina, Virgina, West Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania (of course spending the night along the way)


Once you get into New York state the toll roads become abundant. We ended up in Niagra late one afternoon. We were following my daughter's Garmin 330C gps and it was directing us where to go in Niagra. We thought (should have confirmed!) we were going to end up in a parking lot for the tourist. As we're going down the road we come up to another toll booth (something which had become very common). Hmmm, maybe they're charging you a toll just to go see the falls? My daughter is thinking the same thing and we're blindly following the gps directions. The closer we get to the toll booth, the more of an uneasy feeling I'm getting that this toll road goes across the border! Which wouldn't be good since I have a handgun in one of my bags. I never planned on trying to cross the border with the handgun. I figured I could store it on the US side and retrieve it when we came back through. Well we continue to the toll booth and I ask the operator where this road is going. "Canada" is the reply. There is absolutely no u-turns allowed. Uh oh...........I tell my daughter that I'm probably going to get arrested in Canada for having the handgun. I tell her I'll try to lie (which I don't do very well) and deny that I have a handgun. I figure it won't matter if I lie or not, because once they search the bags and find the handgun I'll be arrested anyway. The Canadian border agent asked me all kinds of questions and he finally comes to guns........."Nope, don't have any". He ask several more times and I realize that if I were him and the questions were answered in the same way, even I would know I was lying! I finally fess up and am ready to be hauled off to jail. But, he just tells me to pull to the side and another agent would come out, retrieve the handgun and I could follow her inside to sign the paperwork. When I'm finished in Canada I can stop back at the same crossing and retrieve the handgun. Whew, I wish I would have known this in the first place! I wouldn't have lied, especially hated doing it in front of my daughter, in the first place.

Anyway, after the handgun is taken care of we go across the border, park and admire the falls

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The Canadian side was much nicer and cleaner than the US side!!!

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Afterwards we head back home (after stopping to retrieve the handgun) going through Pennsylvania, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas and Mississippi (again, staying a couple of nights along the way).

A total of 15 states in 8 days. Besides it being VERY hot, it was a nice trip.

[Juice]

Nice Job Mike. Making memories with your kid and chomping up miles. I don't think that it gets much better then that. That is a long trip for a teenage girl. How did she do? Desoto? Is that near Birmingham? The Desoto caverns?

[MWM]

She did fine. The third day of the trip I asked her how she was doing (like I had on the first two days). She told me not to ask her today. I asked why not? She just said don't ask her today. I reminded her that we didn't have a set itinerary and could do anything, go anywhere and cut the trip short if we wanted to. She, said no to keep on she was just kind of tired of it this particular day. Sure enough, I asked her the next day and she was fine. She really did well, especially since we had 3 of 4 days of rain (some of it very rough)!

Yes, DeSoto is just north of Birmingham.

[Doug]

Cool, how many teenagers get to take a trip like that with thier dad ?!?
How many dads get to take a trip like that with thier child ?!?
I'd say that was exceptional.
Well done.

[Ritten]

That is AWESOME!! How many fathers can say their teenage daughter was actually willing to spend three days with them, much less on a bike!! Great report and thanks for the pictures MWM.

[JayD]

Sounds like an awesome trip

Beautiful shot
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[Pentabilly]

Absolutely beautiful, Mike!! Thanks for sharing!!

[shortie]

Absolutely beautiful, Mike!! Thanks for sharing!!

+1

[DukeRyder]

Great trip! Your Daughter is a real trooper for riding all that way on the back of a motorcycle, can't say I've ever met any teenage girls that would do that.

[weave]

She must be a special daughter to have taken that ride. Nice report ,awesome accomplishment on your daughters part for working it out in her head.

[Flying Low]

great report. thanks for sharing. i, too, am impressed with your daughter doing this trip with you.

[Rocky]

Bravo..............Nice Job Dad!!!!!!

[Drivin&Cryin]

Awesome Job. I enjoyed it. Thats one cool kid you got there.

[K2]

Sounds like an awesome trip

Beautiful shot
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+1 and I love the blue-eyed bunny.

[Dusty]

Nice Job Dad. If only all kids were that lucky to have such a awesome dad.

[iridefar]

Great report. The only thing that makes a trip like this even better is being able to share it with those you love. You and your daughter must have a great relationship.

Cool12