For this trip we were even able to recruit three more passengers. So Liz, Nico, Audri, Marc, Lucy, and I loaded ourselves and our belongings into the RV for a trip up North to see the Torringtons.
Max and Lucy were meant to stay with Mama T. for this trip to avoid any hassle at the Canadian border. We decided to bring Lucy with us at the last minute due to her recent jaw surgery. It just seemed to soon to leave her, so along she came.
I have to say that I was very proud of our travel companions. Our RV is- well, how should I put it- cozy. It is perfect for Marc and I and the dogs, but with two more adults and a child, it can get pretty tight. Nevertheless, Liz, Nico, and Audri were perfect travelers!
We were only sorry we couldn't have thrown Mama T. along in for the ride as well!
We ladies had no trouble finding many entertaining ways to pass the time on the road.
We played games, read books, watched movies, took naps, and ate leftover Halloween candy. If that's not a road trip done right, I don't know what is!
Our favorite travel snack. Dangerously delicious.
Lucy was a good sport as well. Even with her poor little cone head, she is still a cutie.
Somewhere along a horribly rutted Indiana highway that threatened to shake our brains loose from our heads, we blew out a tire. Huh, this seems to be becoming a habit. I guess that's what you get when you buy a twenty-year-old motor home. Fortunately we had just passed a highway exit and were close enough to slowly inch our way backwards up the ramp. Our good luck continued, we had lost our tire directly next to a tire shop. A very nice gentleman got us in and out of the shop with a new tire in less than fifteen minutes. We ladies didn't even have to leave our seats!
What's a road trip without a little excitement and a shredded tire?
Crisis averted!
Once in Ithaca, New York we stayed at the beautiful Robert H. Treman State Park. The camping sites are nice size and well wooded. There is also a beautiful waterfall which, in the summer, creates a natural swimming pool. We decided to stay dry this time around, just enjoying the views.
Audri found a friend at the playground. 
Daniel met up with us and took us on a tour of his town. We had coffee at Collegetown Bagels. I love how green college towns are. This is great!
We also had DELICIOUS vegan subs at Shortstop Deli. This is a must for anyone looking for a great veggie lunch.
After a great day in Ithaca, and a pizza dinner back at the campsite, we said goodbye to Daniel. We would see him again in a few days in Canada.
We got our first taste of Canada at a rest stop in upstate New York- Tim Horton's! Liz and I being half Canadian, we thought it only right to make a "Timmy run" as soon as we were able.
Now that's a happy camper!
We crossed the border with no hassle whatsoever. One may think that three Americans, one Uruguayan, one four-year-old, and a cone-headed dog missing a quarter of her jaw cruising in a 1994 Coachmen Leprechaun with Colorado plates might get a second look from Border Patrol, but we must have looked more like a traveling circus than a security threat. They waved us through with no more than the mandatory question regarding firearms or explosives.
We had three first-timers with us, so Niagara falls was a must.
Breathtaking, eh?
We arrived in Georgetown, ON the same way we arrived at all of our destinations on this trip- in the dark. This night we had the added benefit of rain! Somehow, without the guidance of streetlights, we managed to find our uncle Marty's house. It was a welcome sight and a warm, hospitable place to lay our heads while we were in Canada. Marty, our cousin Angi, and her husband Chris were so gracious during our visit. Angi greeted us with scrumptious veggie chili and gave us suggestions for activities for the next few days. We couldn't have asked for more from our hosts.
It was so wonderful to see family that Liz and I hadn't seen in nineteen years. Even though we were barely teenagers the last we had seen them, we immediately felt comfortable. What a great feeling to be surrounded by funny, intelligent, interesting people, who also happen to be relatives!
Our aunt Gail had us over for dinner one night, going to a lot of trouble after work to cook us a delicious meal.
I wouldn't have added this picture, but it was the only one she would let me capture of her. You did it to yourself, Gail! Ryan, I'm sorry, you can blame your mom!
The next day we ventured to downtown Toronto for some sightseeing and some very tasty burritos.
No day is complete without a pretty cookie.
Yes, you read that correctly. And they were out of this world! Marc and I had a Mac 'n Cheez Burrito. Yum!! Sounds like an off-season food truck in the making to me.
Tell us how you really feel.
A little more sightseeing. It was a cold day down by the
waterfront!
We ended our day at a Uruguayan restaurant, La Pasiva, that Angi found for us. With pizza and Chivitos, it was a taste of home for Nico!
On our last day in town took a walk on the Badlands in Georgetown and all pitched in to cook an extravagant family meal.
Nico, always a whiz in the kitchen.
Marty made a divine pork roast which he shredded for sandwiches.
This is Nico's kind of party!
Liz and I were so grateful that almost everyone was able to make it to Marty's to join in the festivities. To those who we missed, we hope to catch you on our next trip up. It was a full night of food, fun, and laughter.
It took a few tries, and this shot was still not quite perfect, but that's family, right?
This is a trip that we will never forget. It meant so much to us to reconnect with our aunts and uncles and cousins. We feel so lucky to have had this time with our loving, welcoming family. We will be sure to visit again before long! Thank you for everything!
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