After we left
Auburn, New York in the morning, we took
Interstate 90 139 miles (224 km) west to
Niagara Falls.
The name Niagara Falls conjured the image of a majestic spectacle of nature, and the reality lived up to the expectation. The sheer power of the water cascading down and dashing on the rocks below can be felt in your bones, and the closer one gets, the louder the roar becomes.
My mother and grandmother at Niagara Falls
We spent at least two hours in
Niagara Falls State Park. Of the three falls which make up Niagara Falla, we had the best views of
Horseshoe Falls and
Bridal Veil Falls. We also walked some of the trails and stopped in the visitor center for souvenirs and lunch.
The Maid of the Mist tour boat approaching Horseshoe Falls
Closer view of the Maid of the Mist
The Maid of the Mist on the Niagara River
Rainbow in the mist
Decks and walkways allowing a better view of Bridal Veil Falls
I also remember seeing the statue of
Nikola Tesla in the park, and some seagulls I took some artsy photos of.
Statue of Nikola Tesla
Seagulls
Seagulls
Then we drove across the border into
Canada once again, this time the province of
Ontario.
My maternal great-grandfather Robert Neil Sanders was born in
Melancthon Township, Ontario in September 1874, six months before his family immigrated to the United States and settled in
Minnesota (or as he was known to jokingly say, he ran away from home at six months old), so this was another opportunity for genealogical research.
The border guards gave us some hassle. They seemed suspicious and confused by the words "genealogical research." They finally let us in, and we followed
King's Highway 420,
Queen Elizabeth Way, and
King's Highway 6 162 miles (261 km) north to
Chatsworth. It was mostly a rural drive, with
Hamilton the only urban center we encountered.
Chatsworth is 8.6 miles (14 km) south of
Owen Sound, the county seat of
Grey County (where Melancthon Township was located from 1853 until 1881, when it became part of the newly formed
Dufferin County). My grandmother was excited to finally see the area where her father was from.
Our rooms were reserved at the
Key Motel in Chatsworth. We stopped there first. It was a small roadside motel with fourteen rooms. When we arrived, only one other room was occupied. We left our luggage in our rooms, and went into Owen Sound for dinner at
Pizza Hut. We ordered a combo meal (pizza, salad bar, and soft drinks) and ate in the restaurant before returning to the motel.
I had just settled into my room, unpacked my suitcase, and changed into my nightwear when my mother and grandmother began beating on the door. I opened it, and they started yelling at me to pack my luggage so we could get out of there. I didn't know what was going on, but I got dressed, packed my suitcase, and then we left.
Once in the car and driving away, I heard the full story. The phones in the room didn't work, and the only way to call out was to walk down to the office, but it was closed at night. Concerning, yes, but the real alarm was because of the only other guests of the motel. I didn't see them, but I was told they were a pair of rough-looking men who leered suggestively at my mother every time she went out to the ice machine or to the car to bring in more luggage.
It was an isolated location, no working phones, an office that was closed at night, and then there were those men. My mother said when she turned the keys in, the woman in the office seemed relieved that we wouldn't be staying. We didn't get the money back that we paid for the rooms, but leaving was probably the wisest choice we made.
We found another motel on the outskirts of Owen Sound, the
Pinecrest Motel. It was near a police station, so my grandmother wanted to stay there. Unfortunately, the motel was in the process of refurbishing their rooms and those already completed were full, so we were put in older rooms with mattresses that looked to be and felt like many decades old. It was like sleeping on rocks, and I woke up the next morning with a sore back.
Total Travel Distance: 320 miles (515 km)
