Warrego Motel - Charleville

11/10/2026

This is how the seed was first planted on our Big Souvenir Spoon 🥄

11/10/2026

🚤🌊 NIAGARA FALLS: THE DAY I NEARLY DROWNED IN A JET BOAT! 😂🥶

This adventure deserves a post all of its own!

The girls decided they wanted to do the Whirlpool Jet Boat ride down the Niagara River, tackling Category 5 rapids!

Now, keep in mind we’re heading into winter here in Canada. It’s already freezing outside, and apparently we thought it would be a brilliant idea to jump into a boat where you’re guaranteed to get absolutely drenched! 🤦‍♀️😂

Before we boarded, they gave us a safety briefing and strongly recommended that older people, or anyone with back injuries, arthritis or other issues, avoid the first four rows because that’s where you cop the biggest impact.

So where did we sit?

SMACK BANG IN THE MIDDLE OF ROW TWO! 🤣🤣

Clearly, we left our common sense back at the hotel!

We thought the front row would get the worst of it, but NO! They had a windscreen, which offered a little protection. Meanwhile, we were sitting directly behind them, perfectly positioned to cop the FULL FORCE of the Niagara River! 🌊

Off we went, heading downstream towards the famous whirlpool, with the powerful currents swirling around us.

Our driver, Grace, decided to ease us into things with a lovely little 360° spin. You know, just to warm us up! 😂

Then we crossed our first rapid, turned around and headed STRAIGHT BACK INTO IT!

Every time Grace yelled “WHITE WATER SAFETY!”, that was our warning to sit up straight, plant both feet firmly on the floor and HOLD ON FOR GRIM LIFE!

And then came a rapid she called…

🌊 THE WASHING MACHINE! 🌊

HOLY CRAP!!! 😳🤣

I genuinely thought my time was up!

The second that boat dipped into the wave, my head went DOWN and it STAYED DOWN! I had absolutely no idea how many more waves were coming, and I wasn’t game enough to look!

The force of that water was unbelievable. I’m pretty sure every organ in my body moved to a different location! My brain froze, my life flashed before my eyes, and I started questioning every decision that had led me to this moment! 🤣

And the WATER!!!

I’m not exaggerating when I say the boat filled up like a SWIMMING POOL! 🏊‍♀️

The freezing water was nearly up to our seats! I kept lifting my feet off the floor because the water was so bloody cold. So much for keeping both feet planted! 🥶😂

We were drenched from head to toe. Not one dry patch on us!

And those lovely ponchos they gave us?

ABOUT AS USEFUL AS A CHOCOLATE TEAPOT! 🤣🤣

Forty-five minutes we were out there. FORTY-FIVE MINUTES of being thrown around, soaked, frozen and wondering whether we’d make it back with all our body parts still attached!

And the funniest part?

It wasn’t until we were safely back on dry land, changed into warm clothes and could actually feel our fingers and toes again that we all agreed…

“OH MY GOD, THAT WAS SO MUCH FUN!” 🤣🤣

We headed straight back to the hotel for a HOT shower and some time to recover.

And while I waited for the girls to get ready, I even managed to squeeze in a little nanna nap! 😴

I reckon I’d earned it after surviving the Niagara River’s spin cycle!

Would I recommend it? ABSOLUTELY!

Would I do it again? Ask me when I’ve thawed out! 😂🥶

Another adventure ticked off the list, another memory made with the girls, and another reminder that apparently I’ll agree to just about anything while on holidays!

🚤🌊🤣

11/10/2026

🇺🇸🌈🇨🇦 Niagara Falls, Canada Side!

We walked across the Rainbow Bridge from the USA into Canada, and it was surprisingly easy! They checked our passports, asked a few questions, and that was it. Even our luggage didn’t need to go through security.

After checking into our accommodation for the next 3 nights, we headed to Hard Rock Cafe for lunch.

💰 Well, that was a rude awakening! We quickly discovered just how expensive Canada can be. Two burgers with fries and drinks set us back CAD$100! 😳🍔🍟

After lunch, it was time to explore!

🌈 Zipline over Niagara Falls
🚡 Niagara Takes Flight
💦 Journey Behind the Falls
⚡ Niagara Parks Power Station & Tunnel
🚞 Incline Railway

We spent the rest of the day walking around, taking in the sights and exploring the area.

Today, our last full day in Niagara Falls, we packed in a few more attractions.

🚡 Whirlpool Aero Car
🌸 Floral Clock
🍁 Maple leaf syrup tasting

I discovered that I quite like the Amber maple syrup! We also learnt about the different harvests:

🍁 Golden: February
🍁 Amber: March
🍁 Dark: April

And of course, we had to check out the Big Souvenir Spoons! 🥄 They’re still standing, but only just! They’re definitely starting to look old and a little worse for wear.

We’ve had 2.5 days exploring the Canadian side of Niagara Falls, and we’ve certainly made the most of our time here!

🇨🇦🌈🍁

07/10/2026

🗽 Day 2 in NYC… and we’re officially subway pros! 🚇

Our second full day exploring NYC was another huge one, starting with a little retail therapy and finishing with sunset on the Brooklyn Bridge. We definitely packed plenty into this day!

First stop was Queens Center Mall, where I discovered two of my all-time favourite stores, Primark AND Burlington. Safe to say, we weren’t walking past without going in. 😂🛍️

And when there’s no Starbucks nearby, our next choice is always Dunkin’ for an iced latte. ☕️

By this stage, we reckon we’ve mastered the NYC subway system. 🚇 We headed from Queens across the city, starting at the furthest point of our day and slowly working our way towards Brooklyn Bridge for sunset.

As we came up from the subway, what should we spot at the next intersection? Starbucks! Of course we went in. 😂

But this wasn’t your everyday Starbucks. It was a Starbucks Reserve, with coffee roasting, a bar, food and plenty to tempt us. We may have spent a small fortune in there, and yes, some coffee beans are coming home with us! ☕️🫘

Next was Little Island, one of the most unusual parks we’ve seen. It sits above the Hudson River on huge concrete, tulip-shaped columns, with winding paths, gardens, lookout points and fantastic views across the water. 🌿

From there we joined the High Line, the elevated park built along a former railway line. It’s such a different way to see Manhattan, walking above the streets through gardens with the city buildings all around you.

The High Line led us towards The Vessel, or as we call it, the giant beehive! 🐝😂 After plenty of photos, it was back onto the subway and off to DUMBO, Brooklyn.

📸 We found Washington Street, the famous Instagram photo spot with the Manhattan Bridge framed perfectly between the old brick buildings.

From there we wandered around to Pebble Beach, then headed up to a rooftop for even more photos and views over Brooklyn and Manhattan.

Dinner had to be Juliana’s Pizza, right near the Brooklyn Bridge. 🍕 We enjoyed our New York pizza while the sun started disappearing over the city. Pretty hard to beat that setting.

Then it was time to walk onto the Brooklyn Bridge. We made it out to the first tower just in time for sunset and, of course, took another round of photos. 🌇🗽

And to finish off the day, the girls finally got the photo they’d been waiting for…

👮‍♂️ Their NYPD photo opportunity! 🚔😂

Another massive day, plenty of kilometres walked, countless subway trips, lots of coffee and even more photos.

NYC, you’re certainly keeping us busy! ❤️🗽

07/10/2026

🗽 NYC Adventures Continued… Bella’s 23rd Birthday 🎂

After starting Bella’s birthday inside the crown of the Statue of Liberty, we were already ticking off some pretty special NYC experiences. But we were in Lower Manhattan, and there was still plenty on our must-see list!

🎠 First stop, the SeaGlass Carousel at Battery Park.
Yes, we went on it 😂 A colourful little experience before heading further into Lower Manhattan.

💰 From there we walked a few blocks into the Financial District, taking in Wall Street and the New York Stock Exchange before finding the famous Charging Bull.

🐂 The Charging Bull was created as a symbol of strength, determination and optimism, particularly after the 1987 stock market crash. In financial terms, a “bull market” means prices are rising, so it has become one of Wall Street’s best-known symbols.

👧 Nearby we found Fearless Girl, standing confidently opposite the New York Stock Exchange. She was created to represent female leadership and equality, particularly the need for more women in senior positions. Small statue, big message!

From there, we were only a few blocks from somewhere that felt completely different.

❤️ The 9/11 Memorial.

We decided not to do the museum this time, but we spent quite a while exploring the memorial and surrounding area.

Standing beside the two enormous reflecting pools, built in the footprints of the original Twin Towers, and seeing the names of those who lost their lives is something photos really can’t capture.

We also found the Survivor Tree, a Callery pear tree that was discovered badly damaged in the rubble of Ground Zero after 9/11. It was nursed back to health and later returned to the site. Today it represents survival, resilience and hope. 🌳

Then it was into the incredible Oculus, which is both a major transport hub and shopping centre. The building itself is worth seeing!

🚇 From the Oculus we caught the subway back up to Times Square, because Bella’s birthday celebrations certainly weren’t finished yet.

🎭 Next up… BROADWAY!

We headed to the ticket booth and managed to score 50% off tickets to Aladdin for that evening. Gotta love a bargain, especially in NYC! 😂

But first… birthday dinner.

🍤 We introduced our friends Cindy & David to Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. This happened to be our fifth Bubba Gump restaurant, and with its Times Square location, it was a fun choice for Bella’s birthday dinner. 🎂

After dinner we said goodnight to Cindy & David, while us girls carried on exploring Times Square before heading to our 6:30pm performance of Aladdin.

And what a way to finish a birthday in New York City! ✨🎭

After the show, we wandered around Times Square a little longer, soaking up the lights and atmosphere before facing our next challenge…

🚇 Tackling the NYC subway on our own for the first time! 😂

Success! We made it back to our apartment in Queens before midnight.

Another VERY long day and night, but what a birthday for Bella. From the crown of the Statue of Liberty to Wall Street, the 9/11 Memorial, Times Square, birthday dinner and a Broadway show, we certainly made the most of it.

🎂 Happy 23rd Birthday, Bella! What a place to celebrate it. ❤️🗽

And there’s still plenty more New York City to come… 🚕🗽✨

07/10/2026

🗽 Our First 24 Hours in NYC!

New York City is massive, with so much to see and do, there’s no way we can squeeze this adventure into one post! We’ll share our NYC stay over a few slideshows so you guys can come along for the ride with us.

Our journey started in South Bend, Indiana, where we caught the Amtrak train into Chicago, then the CTA train out to O’Hare International Airport for our afternoon flight to NYC.

Well… that was the plan. 😂

Our Amtrak was 45 minutes late, and with another 17 stops on the CTA train to O’Hare, we arrived just late enough to miss our flight.

Thankfully, the check-in staff were lovely. They simply moved us onto the next flight at no extra charge. Even when my checked luggage weighed in 1.2kg over, they didn’t blink an eye! As it turned out, our new flight was only just over half full, so sometimes things work out for the best.

We finally landed in NEW YORK CITY! 🗽

Our friends Cindy & David picked us up and dropped us at their one-bedroom apartment in Queens, which would be home for our four nights.

Did we go to bed after all that travelling?

Of course not. 😂

🚇 We hit the streets and started figuring out the NYC subway system.

🚡 First stop, Roosevelt Island, where we caught the tram across the East River and got our first proper look at New York.

🍪 Then a quick stop at Crumbl for Flick. Priorities!

🐶 Next we found SPOT, the 40-foot Dalmatian with a full-size yellow NYC taxi balanced on his nose. Only in New York!

🎂 Then it was into Times Square, because we had somewhere very special for Bella to see in her 23rd birthday. Lights, crowds, cupcakes and Times Square. Not a bad way to turn 23!

Then it was back to Queens for some sleep because Bella’s birthday celebrations were far from over…

🗽 Birthday morning at the Statue of Liberty!

We had a very early start the next morning because we needed to be at the Battery Park ferries by 8:30am.

And we weren’t just going to see the Statue of Liberty.

We were going right up inside her CROWN! 👑🗽

Crown access tickets are very limited, so this was one NYC experience we had planned well in advance, especially for Bella’s birthday.

And yep… we made it!

Up around 360 stairs to the crown and all the way back down again. 😳😂

Standing inside the crown of the Statue of Liberty on Bella’s 23rd birthday is definitely going to be one of those memories we’ll never forget.

On our ferry trip back to Battery Park, we also stopped at Ellis Island, another place with so much history behind it.

And THAT brings us to the end of our first 24 hours in NYC. 🗽❤️

In less than a day we’d missed a flight, caught another one, landed in NYC, tackled the subway, ridden the Roosevelt Island Tram, found a giant Dalmatian balancing a taxi, celebrated a 23rd birthday in Times Square, climbed to the crown of the Statue of Liberty and visited Ellis Island.

Not bad for the first 24 hours! 😂

And believe me, we’d barely started…

There is plenty more NYC to come over the next few slideshows. We can’t wait to share it with you guys. 🗽🚕🚇 🗽 🗽❤️

03/10/2026

29/09/2026

Just finished our RV trip, we left Vegas and headed to Horseshoe Bend & Monument Valley.
Also took photos at Gump Hill, and went on a 3.5hr tour around Monument Valley.
We returned our RV and then had 2 nights in Mesa, Phoenix.
My friend Tanya arrived on Sunday, as we are flying to Indiana for our next leg of the holiday.