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Just Back from…Niagara Falls

After Niagara-on-the-Lake, we enjoyed the drive back up to Niagara Falls, then some free time to explore on our own. We headed out to enjoy the falls at various scenic lookouts. All too soon, it was time for dinner (yes, we do eat a lot on these trips) at the hotel’s Asian Pearl restaurant, featuring another spectacular view of the falls.

That evening, we had tickets to see Andre Philippe Gagnon, a singing impersonator who generally performs in Las Vegas but, for the weekend, was performing at the hotel’s ballroom. We weren’t quite sure what a singing impersonator was but it was just as billed—the talented performer literally sang the works of an amazing array of musicians ranging from Bruce Springsteen to Willie Nelson to Elvis—sometimes in quick succession.

After the show, we quickly headed outside to watch an event we’d read about before the trip: fireworks over the falls. Bundling up in our jackets, we hurried out to the overlooks to catch the 10pm fireworks over the American Falls, a sight that we were lucky to get to see since they occur only once a week during warm weather months.

Saturday started with a real treat: room service breakfast. Not just any room service breakfast but a romantic room service breakfast: heart-shaped pancakes, strawberries and cream, and more.

The big breakfast fortified us for a full day ahead. This was our free day and we’d filled our itinerary with all the attractions we hadn’t yet seen…starting with a look at the falls, up close and personal.

The Maid of the Mist boat ride is one of North America’s oldest tourist attractions and (even though it seemed like it might be a little scary) one that everyone told us we had to do. Arriving early before the tour bus loads of visitors, we bought our tickets and were able to walk right onto the next departing boat, stopping just long enough to quickly put on our assigned rain slickers before the boat shoved off, bound first for the American Falls.

We took positions near the stern of the lower level of the two-decked boat, pretty sure that the upper level would deflect some of the spray that was sure to come. Wrong. Within just a few minutes, it didn’t seem like it were near the American Falls; it felt like we were under the falls!

Soon we were pulling back, bound for the granddaddy of the falls: the Horseshoe Falls. Like the name suggests, these horseshoe-shaped falls cascade an entire semi-circle of water, 10 times more than their American counterpart. Now the water came, not in spray, but in sheets, accompanied by a roar that meant any conversation had to be shouted.

Half an hour after it started, the ride was over, returning us to the dock a lot wetter but thrilled about the ride, which we’ll now say is a must-do. We grabbed something to drink at the boat plaza (which has one of the best overlooks for seeing both falls) and watched the boat make trip after trip near the falls.

From there, we headed up to the most touristy area of Niagara Falls: Clifton Hill. To be honest, we’d heard a lot about the commercialization of Niagara Falls before we left and thought the entire place would be wall to wall wax museums, horror houses, souvenir stands and fudge shops. It’s not at all—but Clifton Hill definitely is. From Ripley’s to Guinness, it’s all here. We took a few photos then headed off for our next stop: Journey Behind the Falls.

You’ve probably seen photos of Cave of the Winds, an attraction that gets raincoat-clad walkers right up next to the American Falls. This is a similar attraction near Horseshoe Falls but involves more indoor walking. After getting our raincoats, we headed off down wide tunnels but behind the falls themselves. The tunnels have two overlooks that are literally right behind the pouring waters. (You stay dry during this part of the tour so there are chances for photos with regular cameras.)

For the last stop on the self-guided tour, though, we were tightening the hoods on our raincoats and trading in our digital cameras for a cheap waterproof camera we’d bought for the occasion. This last observation point is outside at the foot of the falls, a place where sheets of mist congregate into something almost like rain.

We had just enough time that day for one more attraction before dinner and chose to head over to the IMAX Theatre so see The Falls Movie, which looks at the Indian legend that explains the Maid of the Mist (according to the movie, she was given as a bride to the tribe’s oldest man and chose instead to jump from the falls) and several of the daredevil attempts to go over the falls in contraptions that have ranged from barrels to rubber coated balls. In the lobby, a museum is filled with barrels and other devices used in the attempts.

Our final dinner was spent at the hotel’s Pazzo Matto, an excellent Italian eatery on the lower level. When the evening drew to a close, we headed back to our room to enjoy the night view of the falls one more time.

The next day we were shuffling off to Buffalo once again, ready to catch our flight and head back home. It had been an all-too-quick three-day trip but one that gave us the chance to see why this area has so long been called a honeymoon capital.