Niagara Falls

We had a great time at the falls. It was about an hour and a half drive to get there from the apartment. As we were walking our way down to the river, then the falls themselves we happened upon a cute little couple on a bridge who asked if we would take their picture. They looked like they were newly weds. After I took their picture, I asked if they would take one of us. I was thinking that they were probably thinking to themselves "How nice, even fat old people find someone..."

Bob had told me not to have too high of expectations of the falls, and he was probably right to some extent. The American side of the falls are not all that big but they do have a cool walkway and steps / decks where you can descend down next to and sort of into the falls. The more notorious horseshoe falls is slightly up the river in Canada, and they are pretty impressive. I guess I always thought they would be bigger though. You can get on the Maid of the Mist on the American side of the river as well as in Canada. It looked to me like it was the same experience whether you took it from the US or Canada. Shortly before you got on the boat you were given a delightful blue rain poncho. Believe me, they were necessary. Once they packed you like sardines onto the boat, they headed up the river. You pass the falls on the US side on the right, then head into the horseshoe falls. Once you are there they stop the boat and let you feel how powerful, turbulent and wet it is to be up close. Bob and I were downstairs on the 2 story boat, but we got plenty wet. It amazes me to believe anyone has or had the desire to go over the falls in anything, be it barrel, boat or whatever. They are powerful and beautiful. It was sort of a surprise to see how commercial it was on the Canadian side. There was a big casino along with several large hotels. With that said though, it would probably be a fun place to stay overnight for a quickie trip if you lived in the area and wanted to gamble a little, enjoy the falls and perhaps catch a show. The casino actually had many big name stars lined up to play there this summer.