By Sam Richardson
The decision to visit Niagara Falls was a fairly spontaneous one. When on a driving tour around the states the realisation that we’d have enough time to make the long trek north was an exciting prospect. So after 2 nights camping in some magnificent state parks (where the bear warnings were a tad worrying), on route from Washington DC through NY State, we arrived at the small Rainbow Bridge that crosses from Niagara Falls, USA to Niagara Falls, Canada. From this bridge you are able to get a first glimpse at the Falls.
So over the bridge we went -with an impressive ‘Niagara Falls, Canada’ passport stamp, in tow. Upon locating our last minute, phone booked, Marriott hotel, and quickly throwing our bags down, out we went to get a closer look at this spectacular natural wonder. The walk from our hotel down the sloping roads towards the falls reminded me of a tacky British seaside town, and not the site of such a hub of tourism. From small arcades to a budget wax museum, we wondered if the falls would also let us down.
Our apprehension did not last long and as soon as we got the first close up view of the falls the truly breathtaking sight left us all speechless. Cameras were out and quarters were slotted into telescopes to get a closer look. When we were finally able to take our eyes off the falls we noticed a medium sized boat skulking off towards the base of the larger ‘Horseshoe Fall’. This looked like a death wish- so naturally we had to be on the next boat out!
The Maid of the Mist was the boating company providing these spectacular tours. Upon buying tickets each passenger is given a ‘Maid of the Mist’ poncho which turns out to be a necessity! Queue lengths were a lot shorter than expected as we only had a 10-15 minute wait. The actual tour only lasts about 15 minutes but this is more than enough time, as the boat sweeps you past the first part of the falls right through to the mouth of the giant ‘Horseshoe fall’. Feeling the power of this fall is something truly mesmerising and the thorough soaking passengers receive is exhilarating. The boat goes so far into the mouth of the fall it has every passenger wondering if they will return, but just as quickly as this feeling takes over the boat swings around and uses all its might to retreat from the mammoth waterfall. The Maid of the Mist tour is short but also cheap at only $16.50. I would pay double to go back on the boat as it is truly something that will live with me forever.
After the adrenaline of the boat ride had worn off and we’d freshened up at our hotel, off we went into the night in search of a nice meal and some evening’s entertainment. One thing that must be said is the tacky surrounding area looks far better under moonlight than under sunlight. Our restaurant of choice was the Hard Rock Cafe, and the steak and exotic cocktails settled nicely and set us up for our night out. Leaving the restaurant with a Hard Rock Cafe Niagara Falls t-shirt to add to the collection, we wandered down to see what the falls looked like at night. Once again a truly magnificent sight with red, blue and green lights shining within the falls, making the huge spray look spectacular. So after having our breath taken away yet again by this incredible sight we sauntered off to the nearest casino to win our respective fortunes and see out our amazing visit in style.
Waking up the next morning our fuzzy heads and empty pockets hinted at our cue to leave this incredible place and make the long drive back down the American highways to Connecticut but not before one last fleeting look of the awe-inspiring Niagara Falls.
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