7 States + 2 Countries + 6 Days + 1 Fast Car (Part II, Finally)

Every elementary school kid knows about Niagara Falls. But as has been said, until you see it firsthand, it can not be truly appreciated.

Our layover at the Falls was at a Marriott hotel. What better greeting to the senses can there be than the aroma of chocolate wafting through the lobby? Seems back in 1921, a chocolate factory sat on this site. Not only do the Marriott folks tease you with the delicious smell, but support pillars in the lobby are left unpainted, exposing the scars of time when once the factory was in operation. They even seem to emit the cocoa essence.

The Falls are another treat for the senses. As we walked over to the American Falls, we felt the earth vibrate beneath our shoes, heard the roar of millions of gallons of water thundering over precipices, then exploding on the boulders below. That definitely grabbed our attention as did the Horseshoe Falls' steamy plume of vapor rising nearly a hundred feet into the air. Spectacular!

The next day we did the obligatory Maid of the Mist boat ride, dressed in those dashing Smurf colored plastic ponchos. Once rounding the rocky edge of the American Falls, torrnadic winds, water as if shot from a bb gun, and that underworld roar attacked us in unison. It felt terrific. (Use the arrows <>)

That night we drove across to neighboring Canada for some great food and wine at an intimate cellar restaurant, then called it a day.

Cleveland, Ohio was our next objective. Driving along the shores of Lake Erie and finding a great lakeside restaurant made the excursion effortless. Our stay was right downtown in a loft. Cutest was not exactly thrilled with the place. Throw-away furniture, a transparent bathroom door that refused to open more than a foot, which was six inches from a barely mattressed bed and a view of construction across the street, well you can understand her displeasure. But she was understanding of course, (yes, she edits these first) having booked other lovely spaces through AirBnB. But it was clean and we were there for only 17 hours.

But why Cleveland you ask. ROCK & ROLL BABY! Sitting next to the lake is the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Every notable rock star from the 20s to today has a spot here. Plus you can pick up a guitar, sit by an electric keyboard or whack away at a set of drums and see if you have what it takes to go on the road. Set memorabilia, costumes, instruments and more from the real rockers are there for viewing, reminiscing, and dreaming.

Our last stop on our six day blitzkrieg brought us to Indianapolis. Indy was once home to Coke’s largest bottling operation. The facades of those structures remain though the interiors are filled with bars, restaurants and games, including duckpins which we've not seen yet in KC, alas. Our overnight site was the Bottleworks Hotel. Still sporting its art deco interior, lots of marble and brass, our room surprised us as being large, modern and very comfortable. This was a terrific place to spend our last night on the road.

Bright and early the next morning we leisurely drove across town to Indy’s next door neighbor, Speedway, Indianapolis. Just happened to be where the International Motor Speedway exists, also where the Indy 500 is run. I couldn’t leave without giving Cutest a drive- by tour of this historical track. Cutest took it in stride, smiled, pointed to the GPS way home, and so we went. Cute got the clue.