Niagara Falls (Day 2 and travel)

The next day we made the drive to Niagara Falls. I was surprised that there wasn't a whole lot to be seen from the American side. We didn't spend a long time looking around before deciding it was time to go to the other side.

Thanks to my sister going to our apartment, retrieving it and overnighting it to me... I had my passport!  The boats weren't running from the American side of the falls so we crossed Rainbow International Bridge to make our way to the Canadian side of Niagara Falls. I ended up buying a ticket to go on the famed Maiden of the Mist on my own--you can't go to Niagara and NOT do that! As you can see in the pictures, a ticket comes with a 100% necessary poncho so you don't get drenched by the falls when the boat gets close!

While seeing the falls from both sides is fabulous, the boat view probably tops it all. We got to see all three falls up close: American Falls, Bridal Veil Falls and Horseshoe Falls (AKA Canadian Falls).

There's a lot to see over on the Canadian side and since it was close to December, there were lots of Christmas decorations up already. We spent a good bit of time wandering the visitor's center, waiting for it to get dark to see the falls lit up. During that time I discovered there was a floral showhoue nearby that had an Annual Poinsettia Show going on with over 1,400 poinsettias on display. We walked in the cold over til we found the garden which I thought was well worth it.

While there, we were also able to see the Life on Display exhibit of miniature estates and cottages around Ontario that Niagara Parks purchased in 2011 and put on display only a few years ago.

It was about a 4 mile walk back just to get to the Rainbow Bridge, but to me, worth it. The Poinsettia show was gorgeous and the view of the falls by night was amazing. They light up the falls with the lights change colors--plus there was a fireworks display on the American side, so it was perfect to view it from the Canadian side.

When we returned to the US and drove back to the B&B, I had to grab some pictures of the cute Christmas decorations. They finished putting up this first tree while we were out during the day. It's a rare place that has more Christmas decorations than my parents.

The next day we loaded up the car while the first snowfall of the season hit. Since it was the first, the roads were not quite ready for the ice and it was a pretty scary five and a half hour drive home with sliding on ice followed by hydroplaning when we got far enough south that it wasn't yet freezing. But thankfully, we made it safely, dropped the car off in Queens and took a Lyft back to the apartment in Manhattan.

Mt. Morris, New York (Travel and Day 1)

For Thanksgiving this year I really wanted to go on a road trip somewhere. After debating going to Martha's Vinyard, Cape Cod, and a few other places, we decided to head upstate to Niagara Falls. I've always wanted to visit the falls so I was so excited to make this trip.

We stayed an hour and a half from Niagara in Mt. Morris, New York at a cute place called Allegiance Bed and Breakfast and had Thanksgiving dinner at a restaurant in town.

Our first full day in Mt. Morris, we went to nearby Letchworth State Park and hiked around. It was really a beautiful park. The waterfalls we saw were fascinating, it looked like their base was made of slate.

The Upper Falls of the park was the most beautiful, with a bridge added into the scenery. It was cold enough that the falls were beginning to freeze and you could see the rock turning white with frost.

The Genesee river runs through the park and is what creates the falls. Over 100,000 years ago, the river eroded creating the valley seen below from the Gardeau Overlook.

We also spent some time stopping by a thrift store--always a must for me. I was excited to find a nice pre-lit Christmas tree for our apartment and some other Christmas decorations.

On the way back to the B&B we stopped by a creamery near the B&B and bought cheese and a snack stick to try.

DC Update 3

Howdy!

I can't believe another month has flown by.  Spring is in full swing here now and the scenery has become breathtaking.  The cherry blossoms were incredible while they lasted.  This past month I continued my regular job duties, survived probably the roughest phone call I'll ever encounter, and got to go to a fundraiser for Congressman Carter!

A work-related highlight of the month was the Republican National Conference Committee’s March dinner.  Congressman Carter is the Conference Secretary and he had a few extra tickets so the office was kind enough to let me go.  It was held in the National Building Museum and was absolutely gorgeous!  I sat at a table with our staff assistant, Victoria, and several other people.  We got to hear Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal speak.

I went to New York again to visit my sister, brother-in-law, nephew and niece, and got to see an absolutely amazing musical called Wicked on Broadway, and a play called The Unseen that my brother-in-law was working for.

Spring Break for Texas was a busy week for our office!  We had several tours scheduled every day, so I have now given 14 tours to a total of 67 people.  One of the tours I gave was to a family originally from Sri Lanka.  They gave me a Sri Lanka flag pin at the end of the tour.

A very new experience I had was campaigning for a candidate in the New York special election for the vacant seat in the House of Representatives.  I don't know how many phone calls I made, but most people didn't answer so I just left messages for them.  The neat thing is that the election ended up being so close that at one point the difference of votes could have easily been the number of calls I made.  They still don't know who won!

My parents got to come up to DC for a trip with the Texas Farm Bureau at the end of March.  I took one day off of work to take them around sightseeing and the other days they had meetings to attend.  It was great to get to show them around and then go to the events Farm Bureau had planned for them!  I got to sit in on their group meeting with Congressman Carter, took photographs with my Congressman, Lloyd Doggett, went on a night tour of the capitol with Congressman Louie Gohmert, and on a night tour of the monuments.

Week Nine: Dinner with Dr. Elliot head of the Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communications department at A&M

Week 10:  At the circus in Verizon Center with some of the other interns

Week 10: The Washington Monument

Week 10: Part of the Korean War Memorial

Week 11: RNCC dinner at the National Building Museum

Week 11: Some of the A&M interns before our tour of the Pentagon

Week 11: Beautiful Saucer Magnolia tree outside of the Smithsonian Castle

Week 12: Congressman Lloyd Doggett, me and my parents

Week 12: The view of the National Mall from the Speaker's balcony.

Week 12: Dr. Murano with some of the interns after a hearing she was in town to testify for.

Week 12: President of Texas A&M, Dr. Murano and me

Week 12: The White House, statue in President's park, and beautiful tulips

Where I've been since my last update:

Senate gallery

Senate floor

The Pentagon (tour)

The Speaker’s balcony

Prayer chapel in the Capitol

Eastern Market

National Postal Museum

Sewall-Belmont House (tour)

Union Station

National Museum of American History

Vietnam Women’s Memorial

Korean War Veteran’s Memorial

Tidal Basin

Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial

Jefferson Memorial

George Mason Memorial Garden

US Holocaust Memorial Museum

National Aquarium

Decatur House (tour)

Blair House (outside)

Renwick Gallery

The Octagon (outside)

DAR Headquarters

Organization of American States (outside)

Verizon Center

National Building Museum

Carnegie Library (Historical Society of Washington)

US Navy Memorial and Naval Heritage Center