As soon as we woke up yesterday morning, I ushered Jared out the door for some calisthenics.  I planned on running 2 miles but he petered out after 5 minutes of slow jogging.  We power walked back to Jared’s parents’ house, probably covering 1 mile total.  Then I got into training mode.

We did jumping jacks, squat jumps, push ups, and crunches.  It was an easy 20 minute workout, but a good way to get the blood flowing.  I think I’m going to push Jared to do a mini-workout every morning.  Besides running the Half Marathon and the Harpoon 5-miler, my guy hasn’t been to the gym since January.  Not cool!

I had coffee and a bagel for breakfast.

Then it was time to get on the road.  We crossed the border into Canada, after spending hours in ridiculous construction traffic in Grand Island, NY.  I took photos while we were stopped in traffic.  Lots of cranky faces and power lines. 

As soon as we arrived at Niagara on the Lake, I needed a meal!  Corks looked like a cute restaurant so we sat down right away.

Plus Corks had a great local wine list.  After our 1 1/2 hour trip became a 4 hour journey, I needed a drink!

I ordered a glass of Sauvingnon Blanc from Reif, one of the nearby vineyards.

Then I destroyed my veggie and goat cheese wrap.  I nibbled on a few fries, but left the cole slaw untouched.

Canadian Ketchup!  English AND French!

Niagara on the Lake was such a cute area to walk and shop.

We stopped at another restaurant to enjoy a 2nd glass of wine.  I tried Reif’s rose, but was not impressed.  It had a strangely sweet aftertaste.

Jared wanted to get ice cream from Cow’s because they claimed to hold the title of Canada’s Best Ice Cream.  I was in hysterics over their cow themed t-shirt that read, “moomoolemon.”

I wish we could’ve spent more time at Niagara on the Lake.  I would’ve wandered up and down the quiet streets, photographing everything in sight.

But Jared was tired of my photography/shopping spree so we walked over to the shore of Lake Ontario.

Jared skipped a few stones before we decided to head over to the area’s main tourist attraction.

Niagara Falls!

Please note, while photographing these pictures, I was getting severely misted from the Falls.  Not a happy camper, but I managed to keep my camera safe and dry.

Jared was in search of this Frankenstein Burger King.  He’d been describing it to me for years, but I was sadly underwhelmed when I saw it in real life.  Though I think it was the high point of Jared’s day!

There were so many pretty parks around Niagara Falls.

I laughed because last summer I was photographing water lilies in Monet’s Garden in Giverny, France and now here I was taking pictures of water lilies in Canada.  In what country will I find water lilies during summer 2011?

Though we didn’t ride the Maid of the Mist, I still had an awesome time viewing Niagara Falls and visiting Niagara on the Lake. 

Since we’re not taking a real vacation until October, day trips will be a recurring theme throughout the summer.  Even though day trips aren’t as relaxing as a week-long getaway, I’m learning that they can still be tons of fun.  And a lot less expensive!