Early this morning we leave North Carolina behind as we begin our week-long adventure to Niagara Falls and the Amish Country. We stop for lunch in the Beckley area before venturing into some of the most rugged and beautiful scenery in the country as we travel through the mountains of West Virginia. We overnight in Pennsylvania.

This morning we travel through Pennsylvania and through Buffalo, New York, a city which owes much of its prosperity to the Erie Canal, before crossing the International Border into Niagara Falls, Ontario. This afternoon we take our seats for the show “Niagara Legends of Adventure”. Get the feel of standing within feet of the American Falls, Bridal Veil Falls and the Horseshoe Falls, showcasing the stunning beauty and history of this iconic destination. Sit back and relax as you watch the history of the falls unfold before your eyes on a 45-foot screen. A delicious dinner is included tonight in the revolving restaurant high atop the Skylon Tower. After dinner you’ll have some free time to explore the town of Niagara Falls on your own. We spend two nights in Niagara Falls. (Option: Niagara Skywheel ride with breathtaking views of the Horseshoe & American Falls – $16 per person) (D)

A local guide joins us this morning for a tour of beautiful Niagara Falls, Ontario. We’ll hear legends and tales of daring men and women who have braved the Falls in boats, on tight-ropes, and in barrels. We’ll stop at one of the world’s largest floral clocks, 40 feet in diameter and formed by more than 25,000 plants, before continuing to either the School of Horticulture, where students learn to produce incredible floral works of art, or the Niagara Parks Commission Greenhouse & Conservatory, which is especially beautiful when the flowers are at their peak. Our final stop will be the Journey Behind the Falls, where you can actually feel the thunderous power of the Falls as we don raincoats and ride down 125 feet by elevator to a spot just 25 feet above the level of the river. (Option: Have your cameras ready to record this incredible natural wonder from high in the air. This afternoon you’ll have the opportunity for the experience of a lifetime, to fasten your seatbelt and lift off for an exciting helicopter ride over Niagara Falls!) Late this afternoon we experience the Falls from a different perspective as we wriggle into our raincoats once again for a ride to the very base of the Falls. The power of the tumbling, cascading water is simply unbelievable!

We’re a little wistful as we leave Niagara Falls behind this morning. It’s easy to understand why so many people return again and again to see this unforgettable sight! Today’s travels take us back into Pennsylvania. Around lunch time we catch up to the mighty Susquehanna River, which we’ll follow nearly to our overnight destination of Lancaster for a 2-night stay. We enjoy a delicious Amish farm feast, complete with pass-the-platter meats, vegetables, breads, and desserts. (D)

This morning we meet our local guide as we begin a day of sightseeing in the Pennsylvania Amish country. We’ll seem to travel back in time to an era when life was simpler, lived at a slower pace. The Amish today live much as their ancestors did. The children still walk to one-room school houses and families still travel to town by way of horse and buggy. Next we stop at Kitchen Kettle where you’ll have time for lunch and shopping in their unique shops. This afternoon, we take our seats at the Sight & Sound Theatre for the production of “Daniel.” From the fiery furnace to the infamous den of lions, “Daniel” is a spectacular theatrical experience for the whole family. Witness one of the Bible’s most hope-filled stories as it comes to life in this brand-new original stage production from Sight & Sound Theatres. (D)

This morning we continue our journey home, but what a wonderful week together this has been!