Perfect Sunset

First and foremost, Happy birthday America! July 4th is probably the only time in the year where random strangers will be wearing matching t-shirts with each other.

Today was, also, the long awaited Niagara Falls trip. This day will not only act as an Independence Day trip, but will also serve as a getaway from Ithaca. Cornell is unquestionably beautiful, but there are times where you would want to flee elsewhere. Niagara Falls was our selection and thus our cohort got together for the first time in forever for a roadtrip with Mr. Chan-Law. 

Before heading off to Niagara Falls, we stopped by Collegetown's Starbucks to get our four hours worth of drinks. My lemon refresher was a fantastic drink; it helped me freshen up my brain for picture taking. By car, it took us around four hours to get there, so I could see the clouds appearing into the light blue sky as each hour passed. I would sleep for an hour or so, and then I would look out the window to see if I can catch a perfect angle. Here's one angle (not an amazing one though):

A clear sky; perfect for a roadtrip

By the time we got to Niagara Falls, it was already 12:30PM and everybody's stomach was growling. Hard Rock Cafe was the ultimate decision of our lunchtime place. Their legendary burger was the most appetizing to my hungry self then, so that was picked alongside a berry cooler as my lunch. Needless to say, I already had a sense that the burger was going to be humongous, but I never would have thought the burger will be decorated with a knife stabbed into the middle of the burger. It was very unusual, but new things are all awesome to Jun, so why not take a shot at the stabbed five-inch burger?

Ouch to the burger and yay to me.

By the time we were finished with our lunch, Mr. Chan-Law pulled out the park's tickets. Here's another reason why he's such a capable chaperone. He took a part of his lunchtime to wait in line to buy our tickets. We were then able to go directly inside after finishing eating. Thanks again, Mr. Chan-Law! Our first and last ride was the Maid to the Mist. The line itself took two hours (it felt that long...at the very least) and the ride was less than fifteen minutes. But seeing the magnificent Niagara Falls on a boat is just too cool. Mists would be pouring on you so a poncho (more like a human plastic bag) was provided for your convenience. After the ride, it was already 5:30PM. We then headed to the souvenir shops to commemorate our time here.

It was 6:30PM when the car engine started to drive back to Ithaca. We all agreed on eating dinner back in Ithaca. Zaza's Cucina was our choice of restaurant mainly because it was the only one opened until 10PM. Our ride back was four hours so Italian it is. The sun was gorgeous when we were passing by Rochester, NY. Here is a picture I took to prove my point:

A beautiful sunset by Jun Chen (so dramatic! =D)

We arrived to Zaza's Cucina a little bit after 9:30PM, and the ordering of appetizers started. Everyone was hungry after eight hours of not eating. So appetizers and entrees were ordered immediately to fill our food desires. My lobster ravioli didn't look appealing at all, and the taste was okay. But the mousse I ordered for dessert might have been the sugar that is keeping me awake right now; did I also say that it was exceptionally good too?

Mousse au Chocolat

Natalie, being the super tired one, ordered a pure black coffee to wake herself up. I was (and still) worried that she might not be able to sleep today. Visiting Niagara Falls for the first time and without my parents was a thrilling experience. Next time I hope I'll be the one to take my parents to Niagara Falls and show them how beautiful that place is. Thank you again, Ivy League Connection, for not only providing us academic experiences, but also leisure and extraordinary adventures as well.

This road trip was amazing and will be added into my adventure memoirs; a story I will never forget.