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Niagara! Niagara!

After a late evening arrival at the Courtyard Marriott we were fighting fit for a day at Niagara! Well, truth be told, I was up and ready to go… the boys had to lured out of their beds with a buffet breakfast bribe! A short walk through the ‘kid heaven’ that is crazy, Clifton Hills led us down to our first stop of the day… the Hornblower, formerly the Maid of the Mist!

As we’d made a fairly early start we were straight on board! The boys had customised their ‘ponchos’ to not look ‘quite so stupid’ but as the deluge that is the American Falls filled the air with an icy shower they quickly unraveled their macs!!

The boat swept on to the beautiful Horseshoe Falls on the Canadian side… breathtaking! The thundering power of the Falls is so incredibly impressive.

From The Hornblower to Niagara’s Fury… a 4D animated immersion into the history of the falls… full waterproofs required! Crashing storms, thunderous earthquakes and a monsoon of lashing rain added atmosphere to a simulated dive over the falls themselves…awesome! Poor Tom still struggles with loud noises and had no choice but to block his ears instead of holding on to the shuddering platforms!

The Niagara Adventure Pass then whisked us off to the trek ‘Behind the Falls’ … damp, dark tunnels, filled with the thunderous echoes of the crashing waters.

Apparently, 1 million bathtubs worth of water spill over the crest of the falls every single minute! Awesome!

After a short lunch we boarded the Wego Bus to head out to complete the White Water Walk …a stunning boardwalk that snakes alongside the Grade 6 rapids of the Niagara River!!

For Callum a trip to the Niagara Hershey Store! He’d saved most of his spending money to treat himself and his friends 😊.

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Sacha Brakenbury

As mum to three sons (and auntie to ten!) Sacha is kept busy trying to keep the kids alive, safe, fed and watered. Having specialised in Child Psychology and Linguistics at the University of Reading, Sacha went on to complete her Postgraduate Certificate in Education before taking up her first teaching post as Head of Boys Sport and Year 6 teacher. After 6 years, Sacha was fortunate enough to awarded a travelling fellowship from the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust, enabling her to undertake an extensive research project overseas. Sacha has worked with some of the world's top professional sports and educational institutions across Canada, America, Australia and New Zealand - researching ways of engaging young people through the medium of sport and in particular how this can help to reduce drug use and gang membership. After returning to the UK Sacha became Education Director at Ipswich Town Football Club, leading in the government's 'Playing for Success' scheme. She went on to establish three highly respected Study Centres back in the East of England, each of which used sport as a means of motivating children and young people. After successfully completing her National Professional Qualification for Headship in Cambridge, Sacha went on to study for her Masters Degree in Education. With the arrival of her three sons, Sacha decided it was time to 'go it alone.' She set up her own business consultancy, supporting a range of charities and organisations across the UK. Securing funds in excess of £2 million pounds, Sacha was able to 'give wings' to a wide range of charitable causes close to her heart. She continues this today with work specifically for Child First Trust. It was her own kids that were the inspiration behind her establishing Learning Academies (www.learningacademies.co.uk) - a tutoring company that has the simple mission to motivate and encourage its students to become confident and assertive learners who are not afraid to 'take risks' and challenge themselves. As a passionate photographer, Sacha is never more at home than when she's travelling, camera in hand, boys in tow. As a qualified medic with the British Divers Marine Life Rescue, she is able to combine her love the outdoors with her passion for wild animals.

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