My wife and I were sitting in our living room, planning our next trip to the Midwest to visit family and friends. I had broached the idea of driving to the Twin Cities region rather than flying. As we poured over maps and atlases, sketching out our route to Wisconsin and Minnesota, a lightning bolt of inspiration hit my wife. Rather than taking the most direct route through Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana, we would head north. So north, in fact, that we would cross into another country to stop by one of the wonders of the natural world.
So come along, then, as we leave behind airports, Uber rides, check-in times, and baggage claims, and instead load up my Acura TLX and head west on a proper summer road trip. We’ll stand beside waterfalls, eat amazing food, cross international borders, look out across a seemingly endless lake, learn about the epicenter of the Midwest timber industry, visit one man’s collection of over two hundred motorcycles, and much more.
We begin with the first chapter of our road trip: New Jersey to Michigan:
Summer Road Trip – Destination: Niagara Falls
Our route: New Jersey to Michigan, via Pennsylvania, New York, and Ontario. We would cover over 700 miles in a little more than 28 hours. Let’s go!
Thursday Night – New Jersey to New York
Since purchasing my 2020 Acura TLX in September of 2023, I’ve taken it on plenty of adventures, to be sure. However, it had yet to be used for an epic, cross-country, thousands of miles-long road trip… until now.We departed after dinner in an attempt to avoid rush hour traffic. Within an hour we had crossed the border into Pennsylvania.We missed rush hour traffic, but the same could not be said for the construction backups we encountered outside of Scranton, Pennsylvania. We inched our way northward, finally regaining highway speed as we left the city limits.We completely missed the “Welcome to New York” sign as we crossed the state border, so this shot from the Southern Tier Welcome Center will have to suffice!We had a reservation at the Candlewood Suites in the town of Vestal, outside of Binghamton. Tired, but excited for the next day’s adventure, we piled out of the car and headed straight to bed.
Friday – New York to Canada to Michigan
The next morning, we packed up the car and stopped at the local Starbucks for some coffee before beginning our adventures. What town are we in again? Oh, right…Binghamton (and its surrounding suburbs) is known as the Carousel Capital of the World. Over a hundred years ago, George F. Johnson, the co-founder of the Endicott-Johnson Shoe Company, believed that if he took care of his employees, they would be more productive and happier workers. For instance, his company offered employer-provided health insurance at a time when many companies did not. Among his other contributions – he gifted several carousels to parks in the region, with the stipulation that they should be free to ride (via Visit Binghamton).We detoured to nearby West Endicott Park to check out the carousel there. Built in 1929, this carousel features 39 animals. Although the carousel did not open until noon, we enjoyed a quiet stroll through the well-manicured grounds. We couldn’t delay for too long, however… we had places to be!We departed Binghamton and headed northwest along I-86 toward the city of Buffalo.We opted to exit the interstate and take local roads toward Buffalo, which offered a more scenic route. Among the cool things we saw? The birthplace of Francis Bellamy, a Baptist minister best known for writing the Pledge of Allegiance in 1892.As we navigated our way to Buffalo, we passed the entrance sign for Letchworth State Park. The name rang a bell for both my wife and I. As she read aloud a description of the park from her phone, I made an immediate u-turn and headed back to the park.Letchworth State Park is a 17-mile long tract of land that follows the Genessee River. The park features a 550-foot deep river gorge and numerous waterfalls (via Wikipedia).Glamour shot of the TLX in front of a massive river gorge? Of course!The centerpiece of the park is the three massive waterfalls along the Genesse River: Upper, Middle, and Lower Falls.The steep sides of the gorge has earned the park the nickname “Grand Canyon of the East.” It was truly a sight to behold.Perhaps my favorite of the waterfalls: Upper Falls. The Genessee Arch Bridge, built in 2017, is an active railroad bridge for the Norfolk Southern Railway. After enjoying our detour, we got back on the road and pointed the Acura to the northwest.This was our view for much of our drive from Letchworth State Park to Buffalo: rural, desolate roads. As the TLX’s gas gauge crept lower and lower, a bit of anxiety set in – the only gas station we passed had a solitary, ancient pump with an above-ground gas tank. I decided to press onward. With about 50 miles left until empty, we finally came across a Kwik Fill, a convenience store chain located primarily in Pennsylvania and western New York. The tank was filled with 91-octane and the gauge read full once again. Whew!We rolled into Buffalo right at lunchtime – we had a very special destination planned!Our lunch spot of choice? The Anchor Bar, self-proclaimed originator of the Buffalo wing. Established in 1935, Anchor Bar is a veritable institution in the city.In 1964, the son of the owners was tending bar and asked his mother to prepare a snack for friends who had just arrived. Out of the kitchen emerged a platter of fried chicken wings, coated in a special sauce. The Buffalo Wing was born!I don’t know if Anchor Bar was the only originator of the Buffalo Wing, or if other restaurants can lay claim to that title… all I know is that these were the best wings I have ever tasted (and are gluten free).We loved the decor. The current owner has his collection of motorcycles stored on rafters above the bar. Also, Buffalo Bills decorations are always in sight – this would make a great place to watch an NFL playoff game for the hometown team! Fueled up, we were ready to cross an international border!Niagara Falls, comprised of three waterfalls, is bordered by two sister cities: Niagara Falls, Ontario and Niagara Falls, New York. We took the twenty minute ride from Buffalo to Niagara Falls, New York.Three bridges connect the two cities: the Whirlpool Bridge, the Lewiston-Queenston Bridge, and the Rainbow Bridge. We decided to cross at the Rainbow Bridge, the most famous (and popular) of the three.Here we go! I grabbed a screenshot from my car’s map application as I crossed into Canada for the first time. For as much as I have traveled, I have never stepped foot into our northern neighbor (let alone driven my own car to it!).Welcome to Canadian traffic! A fifteen minute delay greeted us at the border into Canada. Fortunately, our Canadian Border Services Officer was polite and efficient. Once we reached him, he had us through his gate in under a minute.Look ma, I’m driving in Canada!One or two missed turns later (oops… I blame my excitement at driving in a new country), we were finally headed to our primary destination… Niagara Falls!Welcome to Canada, little TLX! We parked in the main lot across from the Falls and began our trek to see the main attraction of our trip.We walked past the Niagara Falls Power Station. Once capable of generating a tremendous amount of hydroelectric power, the station is now a museum. Intrepid visitors can take a tunnel in the basement which opens to a platform above the river.Before you reach the waterfalls, you come to this stretch of the Niagara River. Water rushes toward the falls as Lake Erie continuously drains into Lake Ontario. Fun fact: if you look closely on the right (really, you’ve got to squint), you can see the Niagara Scow, the wreck of a scow (barge) that came loose from its moorings in 1918 and floated dangerously close to the waterfalls with two men aboard. They were rescued by William Hill Sr., a Canadian veteran of World War I who had been home from the war all of four days before conducting a daring solo rescue (via Wikipedia).The roar of water over the falls is deafening. Over 5.9 million cubic feet of water go over the falls each minute during daylight hours.Niagara Falls is comprised of three waterfalls. American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls sit on the American shores, while Horseshoe Falls (pictured) is in Canadian territory.The two falls that sit on the American border are located slightly downriver from Horseshoe Falls. It also offered a view of the Rainbow Bridge – I had no idea it sat so high off the river. Given my fear of heights, it was probably good I didn’t realize the height of the bridge as we sat in traffic while waiting to cross the border. Gulp.We spotted one of the boat tours that takes riders close to the base of the falls. Seeing Niagara Falls in person was absolutely amazing. This, and the Grand Canyon, are two natural wonders that truly live up to their reputation. I definitely want to come back again!
I thought I’d also share a brief video I made at Niagara Falls. Rather than overlaying music, I left the live audio in place. Despite people talking all around me while I recorded, the primary sound you can hear is just the roar of water:
We were on a somewhat tight schedule, so we jumped back in the car and headed west, driving the southern length of Ontario on our way back to the US.When I was a little kid, I asked my Dad what the inner ring of numbers were on the speedometer of our 1980 Honda Accord. He explained that in the United States, we use miles per hour, but other parts of the world use kilometers per hour, and this tells us what speed we were driving anywhere in the world. Fast forward to me being a grown-up and driving in Canada, and I was able to put this information to use!We had to make a fuel stop, so I had another small, yet novel experience: measuring gas in liters.Gas in Canada is measured in cents per liter. In this case, 91-octane gas was 158.7 cents per liter… or $4.39 per gallon in the US. Pricey!We took Ontario Highway 401 across the southern length of the Province, with a plan to cross back into the US in Port Huron, Michigan.We decided to stop for dinner in the city of Sarnia at Shelby’s, a highly rated shawarma restaurant chain. I found a spot between an identical Acura TLX (left) and a 2016-2017 Honda Accord, the car that is the basis for the Acura TLX (right). If this wasn’t a good sign, I don’t know what is!Shelby’s was started by two friends who began with a food truck, serving a family shawarma recipe. The food truck quickly gained popularity, and there are now 19 restaurant locations in Canada. My wife and I both ordered the chicken shawarma bowl, and it was simply superb. I hope they open a location in New Jersey soon!As night approached, we crossed the Blue Water Bridge into Port Huron, Michigan. Fortunately, the delay to cross the border was short and we did not encounter any hiccups along the way.One benefit of being at such a northern latitude – sunset is much later than in New Jersey. Despite the late hour, we had daylight for almost the entire drive to our hotel. This shot was taken at almost 9:30 pm.We finally reached out hotel near the city of Lansing. Exhausted, but happy, we made our way straight to bed. Its was an epic day of adventure!
Wrapping Up
The first leg of our 2025 Summer Road Trip was fantastic! It gave me the opportunity to see a little of Canada, a country I had never stepped foot in prior to this adventure. It also marked the first time I had been in Michigan, bringing the total number of US states I’ve visited to 39. Between the beautiful landscapes, the amazing waterfalls, and the good food, this was the beginning of an amazing adventure.
Next stop? Wisconsin!
And thanks for coming along on the first chapter of this road trip adventure!
You sure did see a lot of beautiful waterfalls! I loved getting to see the video of Niagara Falls and feel like I was right there. Also, it’s great to know that the original Buffalo Wing didn’t disappoint and was gluten free! I definitely need to get there and try some.
The waterfalls were awesome – Niagara Falls was amazing, but Letchworth State Park is definitely a must see destination in western NY. Buffalo is a cool city, and the wings are totally worth a detour to Anchor Bar. Thanks for reading!
The Open Road Ahead 
You sure did see a lot of beautiful waterfalls! I loved getting to see the video of Niagara Falls and feel like I was right there. Also, it’s great to know that the original Buffalo Wing didn’t disappoint and was gluten free! I definitely need to get there and try some.
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The waterfalls were awesome – Niagara Falls was amazing, but Letchworth State Park is definitely a must see destination in western NY. Buffalo is a cool city, and the wings are totally worth a detour to Anchor Bar. Thanks for reading!
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