I'm one of those people who plan vacations (who plan anything, really) extensively beforehand. A somewhat impromptu trip to Marineland on Saturday reminded me why it pays to do that.

First, I forgot to check the weather for Ontario. All the way there, the sky was dark & threatening. We even drove through some sprinkling rain. Fortunately, it cleared out by the time we got there, but....it could've been a really bad day since I never thought about bringing umbrellas and raincoats (it was nice and sunny here in Erie).

Second, I forgot to check the exchange rate. Typically, a jaunt to Canada is affordable thanks to a healthy exchange rate -- however, right now it's only 5 cents on the dollar. So, we paid a whopping $87 to get into the park (that was just for the husband & I -- the kids were free).

Luckily, we had brought our own lunches & bottled water -- otherwise, I think I'd have had to get a second mortgage to afford lunch there. Later in the day, we stopped in the Hungry Bear cafe for a late-afternoon snack -- two beers (for the husband & I who really, really needed a beer), a fruit juice and two cookies for the kids to share. Total $18.75.

The girls did have fun -- there was a Baby Beluga whale that had been born just hours before our visit and they enjoyed feeding the fish, the bears and the deer. They liked the shows and, of course, loved the kiddie rides.

Forgetting yet another detail -- nap time for Lauren -- proved foolish when we had an overtired, wailing 3-year-old on our hands when she wasn't tall enough to ride the whale cup ride. Time to head for Niagara Falls where we were going to take them to eat at the Rainforest Cafe.

Of course, the 3-year-old was fast asleep &, I feared she'd miss the whole experience. Kelly had been to the Rainforest Cafe before -- it was Lauren I really wanted to take -- I knew she'd get a kick out of it.

So, there I was -- trying to wake up a kid who desperately needed a nap so she wouldn't miss out on any of the fun. I did it as gently and nicely as I could. She, of course, flipped out. But, she calmed down suprisingly quick. And, in the end, I"m glad I woke her up -- she really enjoyed eating in "the jungle" (as she called it).

I knew it was going to cost us big money to eat there -- you're paying for the experience and the environment, afterall. I noticed on the menu that the American prices were a good $4 to $5 less for the entrees & thought..."OK, not so bad." For instance, my chicken wrap was $15.99 Canadian and $11.99 American -- Dan's burger $17.99 Canadian, $14.99 American. AFTER we ordered (like we were going to leave anyway) we found out that the prices on the menu were no good -- that the menus were printed long before the exchange rate dropped. Egads.

Dan had a burger & fries, I had a wrap sandwich, the girls had a hot dog & fries and chicken nuggets and fries and chocolate milk. Dan had two beers and I had a fancy frozen drink (yes...I know alcoholic drinks -- especially my swanky one -- were expensive) -- our total bill (with tip) was three digits. Unreal.

Add in about $7 worth of tolls (both ways) and a tank of gasoline at $43 and, well, that was one EXPENSIVE impromptu day of fun.

The next morning, I sat outside eating breakfast, leafing through the newspaper inserts and saw a Marineland flyer -- with the $3 admission coupon on it.

ARGH!

The moral of the story -- when it comes to vacation, it pays to plan ahead -- and to subscribe to the Erie Times-News.