Trip Tips and Other Highlights...

The whole gang in Niagara Falls, Ontario

We spent the final few days of Hudson's spring break in Niagara Falls, Ontario.  This was our first vacation as a family of five, so it was also a huge learning experience for the hubby and me.  We were extremely grateful to Jord's parents who planned this mini-vacation for all of us.  The kids absolutely love spending time with Nana and Opa...and Mommy and Daddy really appreciate the extra help!  Although, we had a great few days...we definitely learned what works well when planning a family trip - and what doesn't!

Things we as parents (and grandparents) did really well:

• Our trip began on the last day of Spring break so Hudson had to miss a couple days of school.  Fortunately I'm on mat leave so this worked out for all of us.  It felt like we had the hotel and much of Niagara Falls to ourselves.  We never waited in line-ups, the hotel pool was usually empty and we never had to deal with crowds of people when visiting a tourist attraction.  I know it's often difficult to travel when the rest of the world isn't, but I would recommend trying whenever possible!
• I had everything packed and ready to go the night prior to leaving...I even hid some of the bags...our little Miss Georgia loves to un-pack luggage - what 2 year old doesn't??
• I packed plenty of healthy snacks for the ride and a few yummy sweets for emergency situations only.  I used the yumbox (https://cutekidstuff.com/collections/yumbox) to pack their food and kept them both stored in the front seat.  We didn't need to pull out their snacks until we arrived.  They each had their water bottles next to them in their seats, and I was sure to breastfeed Jack just minutes before we left.
• I also packed a day bag which was easily accessible during the ride.  Inside I included a change of clothes for all three of them, diapers for Jack, a change pad and extra soothers.  I took the wipes out of the bag and put them next to me - I never go anywhere without needing them!  So I like to have them handy.  I also had a plastic bag for garbage in the front seat because I can't stand it when the garbage piles up...especially on a long trip!
• Sticking to their schedule!  This is something that can be very challenging while on vacation but we decided it was more important to have happy, rested children as opposed to trying to jam everything into one day and skipping naps - there's always next time!
• Joining rooms!  For the kids, this was the absolute most exciting part of their vacation....they had four queen size beds to choose from and four of their favourite people in the whole world to sleep with.  They loved being able to go back and forth between our rooms - not to mention, it was great having the extra help!
• Be prepared for anything!  I decided to pack our digital thermometer (just in case), and it came in handy.  Hudson threw up four times in the middle of the night on our first day, but I felt much better knowing he wasn't fighting a temperature as well!

Lessons learned:

• Never ask a child if they have to go to the washroom while on the highway...we decided to check in with Hudson about 45 minutes into our drive - big mistake!  "I have to go pee!" was all we heard until we were able to find washrooms.  And Georgia managed to get in on the action too.  After pulling over on the side of the hwy and trying to teach her how to squat...we learned quickly that she really didn't have to go that badly.  She was able to hold it in another 30 minutes, until we reached a service station. 
• On that note - you should know in advance where all the service stations are!
• Also, be sure to listen to the traffic report!  Our main route heading into Niagara Falls was closed and we didn't have a back-up plan.  Luckily it opened up while we were on the side of the road trying to teach our daughter the about the basics of wilderness survival.
• Asking for early check-in - doesn't mean anything.  It wasn't until we arrived and they realized how badly we needed our rooms, that they decided to put things into motion.  Unfortunately we still had to wait an hour and a half before they gave us access.
• choose one drawer or a special place in your hotel room to put important items (such as your wallet, car keys, room keys etc...).  Everything gets misplaced, when you're in such close quarters with 3 kids!
• Bring indoor shoes or flip flops - this was our first hotel trip with the kids as well and every time we went down to the pool or for breakfast, they had to wear their outdoor shoes - myself included.

Trip Highlights:

• Mini Golf!  We didn't actually play but Hudson, Georgia and Opa loved seeing the life-like dinosaurs - and they made sounds!
  
  
  
  
  
  

  

  ROAR!!!!!

• The Midway!  Where everyone is a winner!  This place definitely brought back memories...As a child, I loved trading in my tickets for toys and sweets!  Georgia had a surprisingly great time on her first 6D Motion Ride.  To be honest, I don't know how she did it - I was terrified.  It was like being on a real rollercoaster!  http://www.cliftonhill.com/attractions/wild-west-coaster
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Hudson hitting the Jackpot!  Opa and I were trying to teach him how to do it right, but he went ahead and hit it before we could finish what we were saying - on his first try he nailed it!  The tickets just kept pouring out, and in exchange he got to pick some really neat toys for himself and his sister!

  

  Look at all those tickets!

• Pool time!  Hudson and Georgia couldn't get enough of the pool and it was the perfect temperature for little kids.  They never got cold!  When they're a little older we hope to take them to the Fallsview Indoor Waterpark.  They were still a little young this year and day passes are fairly expensive if you're not staying at the hotel.  Here is the link: https://www.fallsviewwaterpark.com/?utm_source=Google%252BAdwords&utm_medium=Waterparkpricepoint&refid=984
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Hudson's first experience streaking!  We took his bathing suit off after his swim and wrapped him in a towel - he and his sister decided to have a race out front of our hotel room and unfortunately he lost his towel in a desperate attempt to beat her!
• Date Night!  Our first official night out together since baby Jack was born.  We had dinner (compliments of my mom), at the Skylon Tower, then we headed to the casino, where I went shopping and the hubby did a little gambling.  We ended the night with a few drinks at a local pub.

  

  They charge a small fortune for these photos but how can you say no??  I insisted we buy them!

• The Falls!  It doesn't matter how many times you've been...It's always amazing to see the falls up close or late at night when they are illuminated - it truly is an amazing view!  Unless of course you're two years old - Georgia had no interest in seeing the falls, but she loved the candy shop!

  

  Enjoying the falls front row center - inside where it was warm!

  
  

  

  Lunch with the best view of the falls!

• Visiting the town of Jordan on our way home.  We stopped for a yummy lunch at Jordan House, and did a little wine tasting as well as shopping.  They had the cutest little gift shops where I found some really nice things for our home!  I just love finding unique décor pieces!
  
• Family time!  Almost 3 full days with Nana and Opa - it wouldn't matter where we were.  Spending time with their grandparents is always a highlight!
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

We had such a great time!  Just being away from home for a few days was wonderful...and spending that time with family was even better!  A lot of planning and organizing required - but worth all the effort!  I'm already excited about our next family getaway...and I'm feeling a little more prepared!

 

Where we stayed: http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/iagcy-courtyard-niagara-falls/

 

Wishing you all a wonderful Easter Long Weekend!

I love this guy!